substance which was crucified and shedde foorth for vs. Thus to the humble beleuers scripture it selfe ministreth sufficient argument of the truth of Christes body and bloude in the sacrament against the sacramentaries who holde opinion that it is there but in a figure signe or taken onely Againe we can not fynde where our lord performed the promise he made in the syxth chapter of Iohn The bread which I wil geue is my fleshe which I will geue for the lyfe of the worlde but onely in his last supper where if he gaue his fleshe to his Apostles and that none other but the very same which he gaue for the lyfe of the worlde it foloweth that in the blessed Sacrament is not mere bread but that same his very body in substance For it was not mere bread but his very body that was geuen and offred vp vpon the crosse If the wordes spoken by Christ in S. Iohn of promise that he performed in his holy supper The bread that I will geue is my fleshe had ben to be taken not as they seme to meane plainely and truly but metaphorically tropically symbolically and figuratiuely so as the truth of our lordes fleshe be excluded as our aduersaries do vnderstand them then the Capernaites had not had any occasion at all of their great offence Then shuld not they haue had cause to murmour against Christ as the Euāgelist sheweth The Iewes sayeth S. Iohn Stroue among them selues Cap. 6. saying how can he geue vs his fleshe to eate And much lesse his dere disciples to whom he had shewed so many and so great miracles to whom he had before declared so many parables and so high secretes shuld haue had any occasiō of offence And doubteles if Christ had meant they shuld eate but the signe or figure of his body they would not haue sayde Durus est hic sermo this is a hard saying and who can abyde to heare it For then shuld they haue done no greater thing then they had done oftentymes before in eating the Easter lambe And how could it seme a hard worde or saying if Christ had meant nothing elles but this the bread that I will geue is a figure of my body that shall cause you to remember me To conclude shortely If Christ would so haue ben vnderstanded as though he had meant to geue but a figure onely of his body it had ben no nede for him to haue alleaged his omnipotencie and almighty power to his disciples thereby the rather to bring them to beleefe of his true body to be geuen them to eate Hoc vos scandalizet doth this offende you sayeth he what if ye see the sonne of man ascende where he was before it is the Spirite that geueth lyfe c. As though he had sayde ye consyder onely my humanitie that semeth weake and fraile neither doo you esteme my diuine power by the great miracles I haue wrought But when as ye shall see me by power of my godhed ascend in to heauen from whence I came vnto you will ye then also stand in doubte whether ye-may beleue that I geue you my very body to be eaten Thus by signifyyng his diuine power Christ confownded their vnbeleefe touching the veritie and substance of his body that he promysed to geue them in meate What occasioned the fathers to vse these termes really substantially corporally c. These places of the scripture and many other reporting plainely that Christ at his supper gaue to his disciples his very body euen that same which the daye folowing suffered death on the Crosse haue ministred iust cause to the godly and learned fathers of the churche to saye that Christes body is present in this Sacrament really substantially corporally carnally and naturally By vse of which aduerbes they haue meant onely a truth of being and not a waye or meane of being And though this manner of speaking be not thus expressed in the scripture yet is it deduced out of the scripture For if Christ spake plainely and vsed no trope figure nor metaphore as the scripture it selfe sufficiently declareth to an hūble beleuer and would his disciples to vnderstand him so as he spake in manifest termes when he sayde This is my body which is geuen for you Thē may we saye that in the sacrament his very body is present yea really that is to saye in dede substantially that is in substāce and corporally carnally and naturally by which wordes is meant that his very body his very fleshe and his very humaine nature is there not after corporal carnal or natural wise but inuisibly vnspeakeably miraculousely supernaturally spiritually diuinely and by waye to him onely knowen And the fathers haue ben driuen to vse these termes for more ample and full declaratiō of the truth and also for withstanding and stopping obiections made by heretikes And because the catholike faith touching the veritie of Christes body in the Sacrament was not impugned by any man for the space of a thousand yeres after Christes being in earth and about that tyme Berengarius Berengarius first beganne openly to sowe the wicked sede of the sacramentarie heresie which then sone confuted by learned men and by the same first author abiured and recanted now is with no lesse wickednes but more busely and more earnestly set forth againe the doctoures that sythēs haue written in defence of the true and catholike faith herein haue more often vsed the termes a fore mentioned then the olde and auncient fathers that wrote within M. Iuelles syx hundred yeres after Christ who doubteles would no lesse haue vsed thē if that matter had ben in question or doubte in their tyme. And albeit these termes were straunge and newe as vsed within these fyue hundred yeres onely and that the people were neuer taught for syx hundred yeres after Christ as M. Iuell sayeth more boldly then truly and therefore more rashely then wysely yet the faith by them opened and declared is vniuersall and olde verely no lesse olde then ys our lordes supper where this Sacrament was first instituted Here before that I bring in places of auncient fathers reporting the same doctrine and in like termes as the catholike churche doth holde concerning this article least our opinion herein might happely appeare ouer carnall and grosse I thincke it necessary briefly to declare what maner a true bodie and bloud of Christ is in the sacrament Christ in him selfe hath but one fleshe and bloud in substāce which his godhed tooke of the virgine Mary once and neuer afterward lefte it of The fleshe and bloud of Christ is of double consyderation But this one fleshe and bloud in respecte of double qualitie hath a double consideration For at what tyme Christ lyued here in earth among men in the shape of man his fleshe was thrall and subiecte to the frailtie of mannes nature synne and ignorāce excepted That fleshe being passible vntil death the souldiers at the procurement of the Iewes
adoration of christes bodie in them present And thus for the Eleuation or holding vp of the sacrament we haue sayde ynough Or that the people did then fall downe and worship Iuell the Sacrament with godly honour Of the vvorshipping or adoration of the Sacrament ARTICLE VIII IF the blessed SacrameÌ„t of the aulter were no other then M. Iuell and the rest of the Sacramentaries thinke of it then were it not well done the people to bowe downe to it and to worship it with godly honour For then were it but bare bread and wyne how honorably so euer they speake of it calling it symbolicall that is tokening and sacramentall bread and wyne But now this being that very bread which god the father gaue vs from heaueÌ„ as Christ sayeth Ioan. 6. This bread being the fleshe of Christ which he gaue for the life of the world this being that bread and that cuppe 1. Cor. 11. whereof who so euer eateth or drinketh vnworthely shall be gylty of the body and bloud of our lord in this Sacrament being conteined the very reall and substantiall body and bloud of Christ as him selfe sayeth expressely in the three first euangelistes and in S. Paul this being that holy Eucharistia which Ignatius calleth the fleshe of our Sauiour Iesus Christ In epistola quadaÌ„ ad Smyrnenses vt citatur à Theodori to in Polymorph Lib. 4. coÌ„trà haereses ca. 34. that hath suffered for our synnes which the father by his goodnes hath raysed vp to life againe This being not common bread but the Eucharistia after consecration consisting of two thinges earthly and heauenly as Irenaeus sayeth meaning by the one the outward formes by the other the very body and bloud of Christ who partely for the godhed inseparably thereto vnited and partly for that they were conceiued of the holy ghoste in the most holy virgine Mary are worthely called heauenly This being that bread which of our lord geuen to his disciples not in shape but in nature chaunged by the almighty power of the word In Ser. de coena do is made fleshe as S. Cyprian termeth it This being that holy mysterie wherein the inuisible priest tourneth the visible creatures of bread and wyne in to the substaÌ„ce of his body and bloud by his word with secrete power Homil. 5. de Pascha as Eusebiê° Emisenus reporteth This being that holy foode by worthy receiuing whereof Christ dwelleth in vs naturally that is to witte is in vs by truth of nature and not by concorde of will onely Lib. 8. de trinitate as Hilarius affirmeth Againe this being that table whereat in our lordes meate we receiue the worde truly made fleshe of the most holy virgine Mary as the same Hilarie sayeth This being that bread which neither earing nor sowing nor worke of tyllers hath brought forth but that earth which remained vntouched and was full of the same that is the blessed virgine Marye as Gregorie Nyssene describeth Lib. de vita Mosis cap. 48. CoÌ„stitut Apostol li. 8. c. vlt. In Leuit. lib. 1. ca. 4. This being that supper in the which Christ sacrificed him selfe as Clemens Romanus and as Hesychius declareth Who furthermore in an other place writeth most plainely that these mysteries meaning the blessed sacrament of th'aulter are sancta sanctorum the holiest of all holy thinges because it is the body of him selfe of whom Gabriel sayd to the virgine Luc. 1. the holy ghost shall come vpon the and the power of the highest shall ouershaddowe the therefore that holy thing which shall be borne of the shall be called the sonne of God and of whom also Esaie spake Holy is our lord and dwelleth on high verely euen in the bosome of the father On the holy table where these mysteries are celebrated the lambe of God being layed and sacrificed of priestes vnbloudely as that most auncient and worthy councell of Nice reporteth Briefly in this highest SacrameÌ„t vnder visible shape inuisible thinges soothly the very true reall liuely natural and substantiall body and bloude of our Sauiour Christ being conteined as the scriptures doctoures councelles yea and the best learned of Martin Lutheres schoole doo most plainely and assuredly affirme This I saye in conclusion being so as it is vndoubtedly so we that remaine in the catholike churche and can by no persecution be remoued from the catholike faith whom it liketh M. Iuell and his felowes to call papistes beleue verely that it is our bownden duetie to adore the Sacrament and to worship it with all godly honour By which word Sacrament notwithstanding in this respect we meane not the outward formes that properly are called the sacrament but the thing of the sacrameÌ„t the inuisible grace and vertue therein conteined euen the very body and bloud of Christ And when we adore and worship this blessed Sacrament we doo not adore and worship the substance it selfe of bread and wine because after consecratioÌ„ none at all remaineth Neither doo we adore the outward shapes and formes of bread and wine which remaine for they be but creatures that ought not to be adored What Christen people adore in the Sacrament but the body it selfe and bloud of Christ vnder those formes verely and really conteined lowly and deuoutly doo we adore And therefore to speake more properly and according to skill least our aduersaries might take aduaÌ„tage against vs through occasion of termes where right sense onely is meant we proteste and saye that we doo and ought to adore and worship the body and bloud of Christ in the Sacrament And here this much is further to be sayde that in the Sacrament of the aulter the body of Christ is not adored by thought of mynde sundred from the word but being inseparably vnited to the word For this is specially to be considered that in this most holy Sacrament the body and bloud of Christ are not present by them selues alone as being separated from his soule and from the godhed but that there is here his true and lyuing fleshe and bloud ioyned together with his godhed inseparably and that they be as him selfe is perfite whole and inseparable Which is sufficiently confirmed by sundry his owne wordes in S. Iohn I am sayeth he the bread of lyfe Againe this is bread comming downe from heauen that if any eate of it he dye not I am the liuely bread that came downe from heauen if any eate of this bread he shall lyue euerlastingly And to shewe what bread he meant he coÌ„cludeth with these wordes And the bread which I shall geue is my fleshe which I shall geue for the life of the world By which wordes he assureth vs plainely that his fleshe which he geueth vs to eate is full of lyfe and ioyned with his godhed which bringeth to the worthy receiuers thereof immortalitie as well of body as of soule Which thing fleshe and bloud of it selfe could not performe as our lord him selfe declareth plainely where he
sayeth as there it foloweth It is the spirite that quikneth or geueth lyfe the fleshe profiteth nothing The vvordes vvhich I haue spoken to you bee spirite and life As though he had sayde thus The fleshe of it selfe profiteth nothing but my fleshe which is full of godhed and spirite bringeth and worketh immortalitie and life euetlasting to them that receiue it worthely Thus we vnderstand in this blessed Sacrament not onely the body and bloud of Christ but all and whole Christ God and man to be present in substāce and that for the inseparable vnitie of the person of Christ and for this cause we acknowledge our selues bownden to adore him as very true God and man For a clearer declaration hereof I will not let to recite a notable sentence out of S. Augustine where he expoundeth these wordes of Christ In Ioan. tractat 27 Then if ye see the sonne of man go vp vvhere he vvas before There had ben no question sayeth he if he had thus sayde if ye see the sonne of God go vp where he was before But whereas he sayde the sonne of man go vp vvhere he vvas before what was the sonne of man in heauen before that he beganne to be in earth Verely here he sayde where he was before as though then he were not there when he spake these wordes And in an other place he sayeth No man hath ascended in to heauen but he that descended from heauen the sonne of man vvhich is in heauen He sayde not was but the sonne of man sayeth he vvhich is in heauen In earth he spake and sayde him selfe to be in heauen To what perteineth this but that we vnderstand Christ to be one person God and man not two least our faith be not a trinitie but a quaternitie Wherefore Christ is one the worde the soule and the fleshe one Christ the sonne of God and the sonne of man one Christ The sonne of God euer the sonne of man in tyme yet one Christ according to th'unitie of person was in heauen when he spake in earth So was the sonne of man in heauen as the sonne of god was in earth The sonne of god in earth in fleshe taken the sonne of man in heauen in vnitie of person This farre saint Augustine Herevpon he expoundeth these wordes it is the spirite that quikneth or geueth life the fleshe auaileth nothing thus The fleshe profiteth nothing but the onely fleshe Come the spirite to the fleshe and it profiteth very much For if the fleshe shuld profite nothing the word shuld not be made fleshe to dwell amongest vs. For this vnitie of person to be vnderstanded in bothe natures sayeth the great learned father Leo we reade that bothe the sonne of man came downe from heauen Epist ad Flauianū Constantinopolitanū epis cap. 5. when as the sonne of god tooke fleshe of that virgine of whom he was borne and againe it is sayde that the sonne of god was crucified and buryed whereas he suffered these thinges not in the godhed it selfe in which the onely begotē is coeuerlasting and consubstantiall with the father but in the infirmitie of humaine nature Wherefore we cōfesse all in the Crede also the onely begoten sonne of god crucified and buryed according to that saying of th'apostle For if they had knovven 1. Cor. 2. they vvould neuer haue crucifyed the lord of Maiestie According to this doctrine Cyrillus writing vpon S. Iohn sayeth In Ioan. li. 4. ca. 15. he that eateth the fleshe of Christ hath lyfe euerlasting For this fleshe hath the word of god which naturally is lyfe Therfore he sayeth I vvill rayse him againe in the last daye For I sayde he that is my body which shall be eaten will raise him againe For he is not other then his fleshe I saye not this because by nature he is not other but because after incarnation he suffereth not him selfe to be diuided in to two sonnes By which wordes he reproueth the heresie of wicked Nestorius that went about to diuide Christ and of Christ to make two sonnes the one the sonne of god the other the sonne of Marye and so two persones For which Nestorius was condemned in the first Ephesine councell and also specially for that he sayde we receiue in this Sacramēt onely the fleshe of Christ in the bread and his bloud onely in the wine without the godhed because Christ sayde he that eateth my fleshe and sayde not he that eateth or drinketh my godhed because his godhed can not be eaten but his fleshe onely Which hereticall cauille Cyrillus doth thus auoyd Vide Anathematismum xi Item ad Theodos de recta fide li. 2. ad Reginas de recta fide Although sayeth he the nature of the godhed be not eaten yet we eate the body of Christ which verely may be eaten But this body is the Wordes owne proper body which quikneth althinges and in as much as it is the body of life it is quikning or lyfe geuing Now he quikneth vs or geueth vs lyfe as God the onely fonteine of lyfe Wherefore such speaches vttered in the scriptures of Christ whereby that appeareth to be attributed to the one nature which apperteineth to the other and contrary wise according to that incomprehēsible and vnspeakeable coniunction and vnion of the diuine and humaine nature in one person are to be taken of him inseparably in as much as he is both god and man and not of this or that other nature onely as being seuered from the other For through cause of this inseparable vnion what so euer is apperteining or peculiar to either nature it is rightly ascribed yea and it ought to be ascribed to the whole person And this is done as the learned diuines terme it per communicationem idiomatum And thus Cyrillus teacheth how christ maye be eaten not according to the diuine but humaine nature which he tooke of vs and so likewise he is of Christen people adored in the Sacramēt according to his diuine nature And yet not according to his diuine nature onely as though that were separated from his humaine nature but his whole person together God and man And his pretious fleshe and bloud are adored for the inseparable cōiunction of bothe natures into one person which is Iesus Christ God and man Whom God hath exalted as S. Paul sayeth and hath geuen him a name Philip. 2. vvhich is aboue all name that in the name of Iesus euery knee be bovved of the heauenly and the earthly thinges and of thinges beneathe and that euery tonge confesse that our lord Iesus Christ is in glory of God the father that is of equal glory with the father Heb. 10. Psal 96. And vvhen God sayeth S. Paul bringeth his first begoten in to the vvorld he sayeth and let all the Angelles of God adore him S. Iohn writeth in his reuelatiō that he heard all creatures saye blessing honour Apoc. 5. glory and power be to him which sitteth
had done their due penaunce One as he telleth there thinking to haue that blessed body which he had receiued with others in his hande when he opened the same to put it into his mowth fownde that he helde ashes And thereof S. Cyprian sayeth Documento vnius ostensum est dominum recedere cum negatur By the example of one man it was shewed that our lord departeth awaie when he is denyed It is neither wicked nor a thing vnworthy the maiestie of that holy mysterie to thinke our lordes body likewise done awaie in cases of negligence villanie and prophanation Or that when Christ sayde Hoc est corpus meum Iuell this word Hoc pointeth not the bread but Indiuiduum vagum as some of them saye What this pronoune Hoc pointeth in the vvordes of coÌ„secration ARTICLE XIIII VVhat so euer hoc pointeth in this saying of Christ after your iudgemeÌ„t M. Iuell right meaning and plaine christen people 2. Thes â— who through gods grace haue receiued the loue of truth and not the efficacie of illusion to beleue lying beleue verely that in this sacrament after consecration is the very body of Christ and that vpon credite of his owne wordes The benefite of the Geneuian CoÌ„munioÌ„ Hoc est corpus meum They that appoint them selues to folowe your Geneuian doctrine in this point deceiued by that ye teache them hoc to point the breade and by sundry other vntruthes in stede of the very body of Christ in the Sacrament rightly ministred verely present shall receiue nothing at your communion but a bare piece of bread not worth a point As for your some saye who will haue Hoc to point indiuiduum vagum first learne you well what they meane and if their meaning be naught who so euer they be handle them as you lyste therewith shall we be offended neuer a deale How this word Hoc in that saying of Christ is to be takeÌ„ and what it pointeth we knowe who haue more learnedly more certainely and more truly treated thereof then Luther Zuinglius Caluin Cranmer Peter Martyr or any their ofspring Iuell Or that the accidentes or formes or shewes of bread and wyne be the Sacramentes of Christes body and bloud and not rather the breade and wyne it selfe Who are the Sacramenâ—tes of Christes bodye and bloud the accidentes or the bread and vvyne ARTICLE XXV FOr as much as by the almighty power of gods word pronounced by the priest in the consecration of this Sacrament the body and bloud of Christ are made really present the substance of breade tourned into the substance of the body and the substaÌ„ce of wine into the substance of the bloud the breade which is consumed awaie by the fier of the diuine substance as Chrysostom sayeth In homil Paschali and now is becoÌ„me the breade which was formed by the hand of the holy ghost in the wombe of the virgine and decocted with the fyer of the passion in the aulter of the crosse as S. Ambrose sayeth De conse dist 2. ca. omnia can not be the sacrament of the body nor the wine of the bloud Neither can it be sayde that the breade and the wine which were before are the sacramentes for that the breade is becomme the body and the wyne the bloud and so now they are not and if they be not then neither be they sacramentes Therefore that the outward formes of breade and wyne which remaine be the sacrameÌ„tes of Christes body and bloud and not the very bread and wine it selfe it foloweth by sequell of reason or consequent of vnderstanding deduced out of the first truth which of S. Basile in an epistle ad Sozopolitanos Epist 65. speaking against certaine that went about to raise vp againe the olde heresie of Valentinus is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of which sequell of reason in the matter of the Sacrament many conclusions may be deduced in case of wante of expresse scriptures Which waye of reasoning Basile vsed against heretikes as also sundry other fathers where manifest scripture might not be alleaged And whereas there must be a lykenesse betwen the sacrament and the thing of the sacrament for if the sacrameÌ„tes had not a likenesse of thinges whereof they are sacramentes Aug. epis 22. ad Bonifacium EpiscopuÌ„ properly and rightely they shuld not be called sacramentes as the sacrament of baptisme which is the outward washing of the fleshe hath a likenesse of the inward wasshing of the soule and no likenesse here appeareth to be betwen the formes that remaine and the thing of the Sacrament for they consist not the one of many cornes the other of grapes for thereof cometh not accident but substance hereto may be sayde it is ynough that these sacrameÌ„tes beare the likenesse of the body and bloud of Christ for as much as the one representeth the likenesse of breade the other the likenesse of wyne De conse dist 2. ca. hoc est quod dicimus which S. Augustine calleth visibilem speciem elementorum the visible forme of the elementes Thus the formes of breade and wine are the sacramentes of the body and bloud of Christ not onely in respecte of the thing signified which is the vnitie of the churche but also of the thing coÌ„teined which is the very fleshe and bloud of Christ whereof the truth it selfe sayde Ioan. 6. The breade that I shall geue is my fleshe for the lyfe of the worlde Iuell Or that the Sacrament is a signe or token of the bodye of Christ that lyeth hydden vnderneathe it Of the vnspeakeable maner of the being of Christes bodye and bloud vnder the formes of breade and vvine ARTICLE XXVI THat the outward forme of bread which is properly the sacrament is the signe of the body of Christ we confesse yea of that body which is couertly in or vnder the same In libro Sentent Prosperi which S. Augustine callet carnem domini forma panis opertam the fleshe of our lord couered with the forme of bread But what is meant by this terme Lyeth we knowe not As through faith grounded vpoÌ„ gods worde we knowe that Christes body is in the Sacrament so that it lyeth there or vnderneathe it by which terme it may seme a scoffe to be vttered to bring the catholike teaching in contempte or that it sitteth or standeth we denye it For lying sitting and standing noteth situatioÌ„ of a body in a place according to distinction of membres and circunscriptioÌ„ of place so as it haue his partes in a certaine order correspondent to the partes of the place But after such maner the body of Christ is not in the Sacrament but without circumscription order and habitude of his partes to the partes of the body or place enuironning Which maner of being in is aboue all reache of humaine vnderstanding wonderouse straunge and singular not defined and limited by the lawes or bondes of nature but by the almighty power of God
Innocētius Zosimus and other auncient fathers what better reason haue they to kepe the infantes from the cuppe then the Anabaptistes haue to kepe them from theire baptisme If they allege their impotencie of remembring our lordes death the Anabaptistes will lihewise allege their impotencie of receiuing and vnderstāding doctrine that Christes institution in this behalfe semeth to require Thus th' aduersaries of the churche them selues doo agnise that the vse of the cuppe in the Sacrament perteineth not to all of necessitie So haue they neither godly charitie to ioyne with the churche neither sufficient reason to impugne the churche And although herein we could be content infantes not to be spoken of yet it maye easely be proued that the communion vnder bothe kyndes hath not euer ben generall And as we doo not cōdemne it but confesse it might be restored agayne by th'auctoritie of the churche lawfully assembled in a generall councell vppon mature deliberation before had and a holesome remedie against the inconueniences thereof prouided euen so are we hable to shewe good auctoritie for the defence of the one kynde now vsed in the churche And because M. Iuell beareth the world in hand nothing can be brought for it of oure syde some places I will allege here that seme to me very euidently to proue that the vse of bothe kyndes hath not alwayes ben thought necessary to all persons and that the communion vnder one kynde hathe ben practised and holden for good within the six hundred yeres after Christ that he would so faine bynde vs vnto Proufes for communion vnder one kinde Here maye be alleaged first the example of our lord him selfe out of the 24. chapter of S. Luke which is spoken of before where it is declared that he gaue the Sacrament to the two disciples at Emaus vnder the forme of bread only which place ought to haue the more weight of auctoritie in a catholike mannes iudgement because it is brought by the councell of Constance and also by the councell of Basile for proufe of the communion vnder one kynde That it was the Sacrament the auncient doctours doo affirme it playnely and the wordes cōferred with the wordes of our lordes supper doo agree and that it is not nedeful of oure owne head to adde thereto the administration of the cuppe as oure aduersaries doo by their figure synecdoche it appeareth by that those two disciples declared to the twelue Apostles assembled together in Ierusalem how they knew our lorde in fractione panis in breakinge of the breade to them which can not be taken for the wine and as sone as they knewe him in breaking of the breade he vanished awaye from theire syght er that he tooke the cuppe in to his handes and blessed it and gaue it vnto them as it appeareth euidently ynough to S. Augustine to Bede and to all other that be not willfully opinatiue Agayne what nede is it to vse violence in this scripture and ioyne vnto it a patche of oure owne deuise by so simple a warrant of a figure sith that according to the minde of the learned fathers Christ gaue here to the two disciples not a piece of the sacrament but the whole Sacrament as it is proued by th'effecte of the same and th'effecte presupposeth the cause For saint Augustine confesseth by that Sacrament of breade so he calleth it De cōsensu Euangelistarū li. 3. ca. 25. Vnitate corporis participata remoueri impedimentum inimici vt Christus posset agnosci that thereby they were made partakers of the vnitie of Christes bodye that is to saye made one bodye with Christ and that all impediment or lette of the ennemie the deuil was taken awaye so as Christ might be acknowleged What more should they haue gotten if they had receiued the cuppe also Here might be alleaged the place of the Actes in the 2. chapter where mention is made of the communion of breakinge of the breade the cuppe not spoken of which the heretikes called Waldēses dyd confesse that it must be vnderstanded of the Sacrament in confessione ad Vladislaū and likewise the place of the twentith chapter and specially that of the seuen and twentith chapter of the Actes Where Chrysostome and other fathers vnderstād the breade that saint Paul in perile of shipwracke tooke gaue thankes ouer brake and eate to be the holy Sacrament It is not to be merueiled at albe it S. Paul deliuered to the Corinthians the institution of oure lordes supper vnder hothe kyndes that yet vppon occasion geuen and when condition of tyme so required he ministred the communion vnder one kynde sith that with out doubte he tooke that holy mystery vnder one kynde for the whole Sacrament as we perceiue by his wordes 2. Cor. 10. where he sayeth Vnus panis et vnum corpus multi sumus omnes qui de vno pane participamus One breade and one body we being many are all that doo participate of one breade Where he speaketh nothing of the cuppe And likewise by his wordes where he speaketh disiūctiuely as the greke and the true latine texte hath Quicunque manducauerit panem 1. Cor. 11. vel biberit calicem domini indignê reus erit corporis et sanguinis domini Who so euer eateth the bread or drynketh of the cuppe of our lord vnworthely he shall be gylty of the bodye and bloude of our lorde Whereon dependeth an argument of the contrary that who so euer either eateth this bread worthely or drinketh this cuppe worthely he eateth and drinketh righteousnes and lyfe For thys purpose we haue a notable place in the hebrew gospell of S. Matthew which S. Hierome sayeth he sawe in the librarie of Caesarea and translated it This place is cited by S. Hierome in his booke de ecclesiasticis scriptoribus in Iacobo fratre domini The wordes touching the communion that S. Hierome rehearseth agree thoroughly with those of S. Luke 24. chapter Matthaeus sic refert Dominus autem etc. Matthew reporteth thus When oure lorde had geuen his shrowde vnto the bishopes seruant he went to Iames and appeared vnto him for Iames had made an oth that he would not eate breade from that howre he dranke of the cuppe of our lorde vntill he saw him raysed from the dead It foloweth a litle after Afferte ait dominus mensam panem Statimque addit Tulit panem benedixit ac fregit dedit Iacobo iusto dixit ei frater comede panem tuum quia resurrexit filius hominis à dormientibus Bring the table and set on bread quoth our lorde and by and by it is added he tooke bread and blessed it and brake it and gaue it to Iames the iust and sayde vnto him my brother eate thy breade for the sonne of man is risen agayne from the dead No man can doubte but this was the Sacrament And wine was there none geuen for any thing that may be gathered For it is not likely that S. Iames had
hanging vp of it or for the Canopie Iuell Or that in the Sacrament after the wordes of Consecration there remayneth only the accidentes and shewes without the substance of breade and wyne Of the remaining of the Accidentes vvithout their substance in the Sacrament ARTICLE X. IN this Sacrament after consecration nothing in substaÌ„ce remayneth that was before neither breade nor wine but onely the Accidentes of breade and wine as their forme and shape sauour smell colour weight and such the like which here haue their being miraculously without their subiecte for as much as after consecration there is none other substance then the substance of the body and bloud of our lord which is not affected with such accidentes as the scholasticall doctours terme it Which doctrine hath alwayes though not with these precise termes ben taught and beleued from the beginning TransubstantiatioÌ„ affirmed and depeÌ„deth of the Article of Transubstantiation For if the substance of bread and wyne be chaunged in to the substance of the body and bloud of our lord which is coÌ„stantly affirmed by all the learned and auncient fathers of the churche it foloweth by a necessary sequell in nature and by drifte of reason that then the accidentes onely remaine For witnes and proufe whereof I will not let to recite certaine most manifest sayinges of the olde and best approued doctours S. Cyprian that learned bishop and holy martyr sayeth thus in sermone de coena domini Panis iste quem dominus discipulis porrigebat non effigie sed natura mutatus omnipotentia verbi factus est caro This bread which our lord gaue to his disciples chaunged not in shape but in nature by the almighty power of the word he meaneth Christes word of ConsecratioÌ„ is made fleshe Lo he confesseth the breade to be chaunged not in shape or forme for that remayneth but in nature that is to saye in substance And to signifie the chaunge of substance and not an accideÌ„tarie chaunge onely to witte from the vse of common breade to serue for Sacramentall bread as some of our newe Maisters doo expounde that place for a shifte he addeth great weight of wordes whereby he farre ouerpeiseth these mennes light deuise saying that by the almighty power of our lordes word it is made fleshe Verely they might consyder as they would seme to be of sharpe iudgement that to the performance of so small a matter as their sacramentall chaunge is the almighty power of gods worde is not nedefull And now if here this worde factus est may signifie an imaginatiue making then why may not verbum caro factum est likewise be expounded to the defence of sundry olde haynouse heresies against the true manhod of Christ Thus the nature of the bread in this sacrament being chaunged and the forme remayning so as it seme breade as before consecration and being made our lordes fleshe by vertue of the word the substance of bread changed into that most excellent substance of the fleshe of Christ of that which was before the accidentes remaine onely without the substance of breade The like is to be beleued of the wyne De consecrat dist 2 caâ— omnia quaecuÌ„que Nothing can be playner to this purpose then the sayinges of S. Ambros. Licet figura panis vini videatur nihil tamen aliud quam caro Christi et sanguis post consecrationem credendum est Although sayeth he the forme of bread and wyne be sene yet after consecration we must beleue they are nothing elles but the fleshe and bloud of Christ After the opinion of this father the shewe and figure of breade and wyne are sene and therefore remaine after coÌ„secratioÌ„ And if we must beleue that which was breade and wyne before to be no other thing but the fleshe and bloud of Christ then are they no other thing in dede For if they were we might so beleue For beleefe is grownded vpon truth and what so euer is not true it is not to be beleued Hereof it foloweth that after consecratioÌ„ the accideÌ„tes and shewes onely remayne without the substaÌ„ce of breade and wyne De SacrameÌ„tis lib. 4. cap. 4. In an other place he sayeth as much Panis iste etc. This bread before the wordes of the SacrameÌ„tes is bread as sone as the coÌ„secratioÌ„ coÌ„meth of bread is made the body of Christ Againe in an other place he sayeth most plainely De ijs qui initiaÌ„tur That the power of consecration is greatter then the power of nature because nature is chaunged by consecration By this father it is euident that the nature that is to saye the substance of breade and wine by consecration being chaunged into the body and bloude of Christ their natural qualities which be accidentes contynewing vnchaunged for performance of the Sacrament remayne without the substance of bread and wyne According vnto the which meaning Theodoritus sayeth videri tangi possunt sicut prius Dialog 2. IntelliguÌ„tur autem ea esse quae facta sunt creduntur The breade and wyne may be sene and felte as before coÌ„secratioÌ„ but they are vnderstaÌ„ded to be the thinges which they are made and beleued We do not in like sorte sayeth S. Augustine take these two formes of breade and wine after coÌ„secratioÌ„ as we tooke them before In lib SeÌ„tent Prosperi de coÌ„se dict 2. ca. Nos autem Sith that we graunt faithfully that before consecration it is bread and wyne that nature hath shapte but after consecration that it is the fleshe and bloud of Christ that the blessing hath consecrated De verbis domini SecunduÌ„ LucaÌ„ Sermone 28. In an other place he sayeth that this is not the bread which goeth in to the body meaning for bodily sustenance but that bread of life qui animae nostrae substantiam fulcit which susteineth the substance of our soule No maÌ„ can speake more plainely hereof then Cyrillê° Hierosolymitanus an olde auctor who wrote in greke and is extant but as yet remayning in written haÌ„de and commen to the sighte of fewe learned men His wordes be not much vnlike the wordes of the scole-doctoures Praebetur corpus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in specie siue figura panis Item praebetur sanguis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christes body sayeth he is geuen vs in forme or figure of bread Againe his bloud is geuen vs in forme of wine A litle after these wordes he sayeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etc. Ne mentem adhibeas quasi pani vino nudis sunt enim haec corpus sanguis vt Dominus pronunciauit Nam tametsi illud tibi sensus suggerit esse scilicet panem vinum nudum tamen firmet te fides ne gustatu rem dijudices quin potius pro certo ac comperto habe omni duhitatione relicta esse tibi impartitum corpus sanguinem Christi Consyder not sayeth this father these as bare bread and wyne For these are his body
est corpore Christi etc. This is that we saye sayeth he which by all meanes we go about to proue that the Sacrifice of the church is made of two thinges and cōsisteth of two thinges of the visible shape of the elemētes which are breade and wine and the inuisible fleshe and bloude of our lord Iesus Christ of the Sacrament that is the outward signe and the thinge of the sacrament to witte of the body of Christ etc. By this we vnderstand that this word Sacrament is of the fathers two waies taken First for the whole substance of the Sacrament as it consisteth of the outward formes and also with all of the very body of Christ verely present as saint Augustine sayeth the Sacrifice of the Church to cōsist of these two Secondly it is taken so as it is distincte from that hydden and diuine thing of the Sacrament that is to saye for the outward formes onely which are the holy signe of Christes very body present vnder them conteined Hovv the fathers are to be vnderstāded callīg the Sacrament a figure signe token etc. Whereof we must gather that when so euer the fathers doo call this most excellent Sacrament a figure or a signe they would be vnderstanded to meane none otherwise then of those outward formes and not of Christes body it selfe which is there present not typically or figuratiuely but really and substātially onlesse perhaps respecte be had not to the body it selfe present but to the maner of presence as sometymes it happeneth So is Saint Basile to be vnderstanded in Liturgia calling the sacrament antitypon that is a sampler or à figure and that after cōsecration as the copies that be now abroade bee founde to haue So is Eustathius to be taken that great learned father of the Greke churche who so constantly defended the catholike faith against the Arians cited of Epiphanius in 7. Synodo Albe it concerning S. Basile E◠4. c. 14. in caput Matth. 26 Damascen and Euthymius likewise Epiphanius in the second Nicene councell actione 6. and Marcus Ephesius who was present at the councell of Florence would haue that place so to be taken before consecration As S. Ambrose also calling it a figure of our lordes body and bloud lib. 4. de sacram cap. 5. And if it appeare straunge to any man that S. Basile shuld call those holy mysteries antitypa after consecration let him vnderstand that this learned father thought good by that word to note the great secrete of that mysterie and to shewe a distincte condition of present thinges from thinges to come And this consideration the church semeth to haue had which in publike prayer after holy mysteries receiued maketh this humble petitiō vt quae nunc specie gerimus Sabbato 4. tēporū mēsis Septemb certae rerū veritate capiamus that in the lyfe to come we may take that in certaine truth of thinges which now we beare in shape or shewe Neither doo these wordes importe any preiudice against the truth of the presence of Christes body in the Sacrament but they signifie and vtter the most principall truth of the same when as all outward forme shape shewe figure sampler and coouer taken awaie we shall haue the fruitiō of God him selfe in sight face to face not as it were through a glasse but so as he is in truth of his Maiestie So this word antitypon thus taken in S. Basile furthereth nothing at all the Sacramentaries false doctrine against the truth of the presence of Christes body in the Sacrament And because our aduersaries doo much abuse the simplicitie of the vnlearned bearing thē in hand that after the iudgement and doctrine of th' auncient fathers the Sacrament is but a figure a signe a token or a badge and conteineth not the very body it selfe of Christ for proufe of the same alleaging certaine their sayinges vttered with the same termes I thinke good by the recitall of some the chiefe such places to shewe that they be vntruly reported and that touching the veritie of the presence in the Sacrament they taught in their dayes the same faith that is taught now in the catholike churche Holy Ephrem in a booke he wrote to those that will serch the nature of the sonne of God by mannes reason Cap. 4. sayeth thus Inspice diligenter quomodo sumēs in manibus panem benedicit ac frangit in figura immaculati corporis sui calicemque in figura pretiosi sanguinis sui benedicit tribuit discipulis suis Beholde sayeth he diligently how taking bread in his handes he blesseth it and breaketh it in the figure of his vnspotted body and blesseth the cuppe in the figure of his pretiouse bloude and geueth it to his disciples By these wordes he sheweth the partition deuision or breaking of the Sacramēt to be done no otherwise but in the outward formes which be the figure of Christes body present and vnder them conteined Which body now being gloriouse is no more broken nor parted but is indiuisible and subiect no more to any passion and after the Sacrament is broken it remaineth whole and perfite vnder eche portion Agayne by the same wordes he signifieth that outward breaking to be a certaine holy figure and representation of the crucifying of Christ and of his bloude shedding Which thing is with a more clearnes of wordes set forth by saint Augustine in Sententijs Prosperi Dum frangitur hostia De consecrat dist 2 can dum frangitur dum sanguis de calice in ora fidelium funditur quid aliud quám Dominici corporis in cruce immolatio eiusue sanguinis de latere effusio designatur Whiles the hoste is broken whiles the bloud is powred in to the mowthes of the faithfulles what other thing is thereby shewed and set forth then the sacrificing of Christes body on the crosse and the shedding of his bloud out of his syde And by so dooing the commaundement of Christ is fulfylled Doo this in my remembraunce That it may further appeare that these wordes figure signe image token and such other the like sometymes vsed in auncient writers doo not exclude the truth of thinges exhibited in the Sacrament but rather signifie the secrete maner of th'exhibiting amōgest all other the place of Tertullian in his fouerth booke contrâ Marcionem is not to be omitted specially being one of the chiefe and of most appearaunce that the Sacramentaries bring for proufe of their doctrine Tertullianes wordes be these Acceptum panem distributum discipulis suis corpus suum illum fecit hoc esse corpus meum dicēdo id est figura corporis mei The breade that he tooke and gaue to his disciples he made it his body in saying this is my body that is the figure of my body The double taking of the worde Sacrament afore mentioned remembred and consideration had how the sacramentes of the Newe testament comprehend two thinges the outward visible formes that be figures signes and tokens and
corpus meum quod comedetur resuscitabo eum Non enim alius ipse est quà m caro sua c. He that eateth the fleshe of Christ hath lyfe euerlasting For this fleshe hath the word of God which naturally is lyfe Therefore sayeth he that I will raise him in the last daie For I quoth he that is to saye my body which shall be eaten shall raise him vp agayne for he is no other then his fleshe c. No man more expressely calleth the Sacramēt by the name of God then S. Bernard in his godly sermon de coena Domini ad Petrum presbyterum where he sayeth thus Comedunt angeli Verbum de Deo natum Comedunt homines Verbum foenum factum The angels eate the Word borne of God men eate the Word made haye meaning hereby the sacramēt which he calleth the Word made haye that is to witte the Word incarnate And in an other place there he sayeth Haec est verè indulgentia coelestis haec est verè cumulata gratia haec est verè superexcellens gloria sacerdotem Deum suū tenere alijs dando porrigere This is verely an heauenly gyfte this is verely a bountifull grace this is verely a passing excellent glorie the priest to holde his God and in geuing to reache him forth to others In the same sermō speaking of the meruelouse sweetnes that good bishopes and holy religiouse men haue experience of by receiuing this blessed Sacrament he sayeth thus Ideo ad mensam altaris frequentius accedunt omni tempore candida facientes vestimenta sua id est corpora prout possunt melius vtpote Deum suum manu ore cōtrectaturi For this cause they come the oftener vnto the bourd of the aulter at all tymes making their garmentes that is to saye their bodyes so white as they can possibly as they who shall handle their God with hand and mowth An other place of the same sermon for that it cōteineth a holesom instruction besyde the affirming of our purpose I can not omitte I remitte the learned to the Latine the English of it is this They are meruelous thinges brethren that be spoken of this Sacrament faith is necessarie knowledge of reason is here superfluous This let faith beleue let not vnderstanding require least that either not being fownde it thinke it incredible or being fownde out it beleue it not to be singuler and alone And therfor it behoueth it to be beleued symply that can not be serched out profitably Wherefore serche not serche not how it maye bee doubte not whether it bee Come not vnto it vnreuerently least it bee to you to death Deus enim est quanquà m panis mysteria habeat mutatur tamen in carnem For it is God and thoug it haue mysteries of bread yet is it chaunged into fleshe God and mā it is that witnesseth bread truly to be made his fleshe The vessell of election it is 1. Cor. 11. that threatneth iudgement to him that putteth no difference in iudging of that so holy fleshe The selfe same thing thinke thou o Christen man of the wyne geue that honour to the wine The creatour of wine it is that promoteth the wine to be the bloud of Christ This farre holy Bernard Here let our aduersaries touching this Article consyder and weigh with them selues whether they be Lutheranes Zuinglianes or Geneuians what english they can make of these wordes vsed by the fathers and applyed to the Sacramēt in the places before alleaged Dominus Christus ▪ Diuina essentia Deus Seipsum Verbum Dei Ego Verbum foenum factum Deum suum The number of the like places that might be alleaged to this purpose be in maner infinite Yet M. Iuell promyseth to geue ouer and subscribe if any one may be fownde Now we shal see what truth is in his word In the weighing of this doctrine of the churche litle occasion of wicked scoffes and blasphemies against this blessed sacrament shall remaine to them that be not blinded with that grosse and fond errour that denyeth the inseparabilitie of Christ but affirmeth in this mysterie to be present his fleshe onely with out bloud soule and godhed Which is confuted by plaine scriptures Christ raysed from the dead now dyeth no more Rom. 6. He suffereth him selfe no more to be diuided 1. Cor. 1. Euery sprite that looseth Iesus this is Antichrist 1. Ioan. 4. Hereof it foloweth that if Christ be verely vnder the forme of bread in the Sacrament as it is other wheres sufficiently proued then is he there entier and whole fleshe bloud and soule whole Christ God and man for the inseparable vnion of bothe natures in one person Which matter is more amply declared in the Article of the adoration of the sacrament Or that the people was then taught to beleue Iuell that the body of Christ remayneth in the Sacrament as long as the Accidētes of the bread remayne there with out corruptiō Of the remayning of Christes bodye in the sacrament so long as the accidentes be entier and vvhole ARTICLE XXII THese fiue articles here folowing are Scoole pointes the discussiō whereof is more curiouse then necessary Whether the faithfull people were then that is to saye for the space of six hundred yeres after Christ taught to beleue concerning this blessed Sacrament precisely according to the purporte of all these articles or no I knowe not Verely I thinke they were taught the truth of this matter simply and plainely yet so as nothing was hydden from them that in those quiet tymes quiet I meane touching this point of faith was thought necessary for them to knowe If sithēs there hath ben more taught or rather if the truth hath in some other forme of wordes ben declared for a more euidence and clearnesse in this behalfe to be had truth it selfe alwaies remayning one this hath proceded of the diligence and earnest care of the churche to represse the pertinacie of heretikes who haue within these last syx hundred yeres impugned the truth herein and to meete with their peruerse and froward obiectiōs as hath ben thought necessary to finde out such wedges as might best serue to ryue such knotty blocket Yet this matter hath not so much ben taught in open audience of the people as debated priuatly betwen learned men in scooles and so of them set forth in their priuate writinges Wherein if some perhappes through contention of wittes haue ben either ouer curiouse or ouer bolde and haue ouershotte the marke or not sufficiently cōfirmed the point they haue taken in hāde to treate of or through ignoraunce or fauour of a parte haue in some thing swarued from reason or that meaning which holy churche holdeth it is great vncourtesie to laye that to our charge to abuse their ouersightes to our discredite and to reproue the whole churche for the insufficiencie of a fewe Now concerning this Article whether we are able to auouche it by such authorities as M.
Iuell requireth or no it shall not greatly force The credite of the catholike faith dependeth not of olde proufes of a fewe newe cōtrouersed pointes that ben of lesse importaunce As for the people they were taught the truth plainely when no heretike had assaulted their faith craftely The doctrine of the churche The doctrine of the churche is this The body of Christ after due consecration remayneth so long in the Sacrament as the Sacrament endureth The Sacrament endureth so long as the formes of breade and wine continewe Those formes continewe in their integritie vntill the other accidentes be corrupted ad perishe As if the colour weight sauour taste smell and other qualities of bread and wine be corrupted and quite altered then is the forme also of the same annichilated and vndone And to speake of this more particularly sith that the substance of bread and wine is tourned into the substance of the body and bloud of Christ as the scriptures auncient doctours the necessary consequent of truth and determination of holy churche leadeth vs to beleue if such chaunge of the accidentes be made which shuld not haue suffised to the corruption of bread and wine in case of their remaindre for such a chaunge the body and bloud of Christ ceaseth not to be in this Sacrament whether the chaunge be in qualitie as if the colour sauour and smell of bread and wine be a litle altered or in quantitie as if thereof diuision be made into such portions in which the nature of bread and wine might be reserued But if there be made so great a chaunge as the nature of bread and wine shuld be corrupted if they were present then the body and bloud of Christ doo not remaine in this Sacrament as when the colour and sauour and other qualities of bread and wine are so farre chaunged as the nature of bread and wine might not bear it or on the quātities syde as if the bread be so small crōmed into dust and the wine dispersed into so small portiōs as their formes remaine no lenger thē remaineth no more the body and bloud in this Sacramēt Thus the body and bloud of Christ remayneth in this sacrament so long as the formes of bread and wine remaine And when they faile and cease to be any more then also ceaseth the body and bloud of Christ to be in the Sacrament For there must be a conuenience and resemblaunce betwen the Sacraments and the thinges whereof they be sacraments which done awaie and loste at the corruption of the formes and accidents the sacraments also be vndone and perishe and consequently the inward thing and the heauenly thing in them conteined leaueth to be in them Here because many of them which haue cutte them selues from the churche condemne the reseruation of the Sacrament Of reseruation of the Sacrament and affirme that the body of Christ remayneth not in the same no longer then during the tyme whiles it is receiued alleaging against reseruation the example of the Paschall lambe in the olde lawe Exod. 12. wherein nothing ought to haue remained vntill the morning and likewise of manna I will rehearse that notable and knowen place of Cyrillus Alexandrinus Ad Colosyriū Arsenoiten Episcopū citat Thomas parte 3. q. 76. his wordes be these Audio quòd dicant mysticam benedictionem si ex ea remonserint in sequentem diem reliquiae ad sanctificationem inutilem esse Sed insaniunt haec dicentes Non enim alius fit Christus neque sanctum eius corpus immutabitur Sed virtus benedictionis viuifica gratia manet in illo It is tolde me they saye that the mysticall blessing so he calleth the blessed Sacrament in case portions of it be kepte vntill the nexte daie is of no vertue to sanctification But they be madde that thus saye For Christ becōmeth not an other neither his holy body is chaunged but the vertue of the consecration and the quickening or lyfe geuing grace abydeth still in it By this saying of Cyrillus we see that he accompteth the errour of our aduersaries in this Article no other then a mere madnes The body of Christ sayeth he which he termeth the mysticall blessing because it is a most holy mysterie done by consecration once consecrated is not chaunged but the vertue of the consecration and the grace that geueth lyfe whereby he meaneth that fleshe assumpted of the word remayneth in this sacrament also when it is kepte verely euen so long as the outward formes continewe not corrupte Or that a Mouse or any other worme or beaste maye eate the body of Christ Iuell for so some of our aduersaries haue sayd and taught What is that the Mouse or vvorme eateth ARTICLE XXIII VVhereas M. Iuell imputeth this vile asseueratiō but to some of the aduersaries of his syde he semeth to acknowledge Iuell cōtrarieth him selfe that it is not a doctrine vniuersally taught and receiued The like may be sayde for his nexte Article And if it hath ben sayd of some onely and not taught vniuersally of all as a true doctrine for Christen people to beleue how agreeth he with him selfe saying after the rehearsall of his number of Articles the same none excepted to be the highest mysteries and greatest keyes of our religion For if that were true as it is not true for the greatest parte then shuld this Article haue ben affirmed and taught of all For the highest and greatest pointes of the catholike Religion be not of particular but of vniuersall teaching Concerning the matter of this Article what so euer a mouse worme or beaste eateth the body of Christ now being impassible and immortall susteineth no violence iniurie no villanie As for that which is gnawen bytten or eaten of worme or beaste whether it be the substaunce of bread as appeareth to sense which is denyed because it ceaseth through vertue of consecration or the outward forme onely of the Sacrament as many holde opinion which also onely is broken and chawed of the receiuer the accidentes by miracle remayning without substance In such cases happening contrary to the intent and ende the sacrament is ordeined and kepte for it ought not to seme vnto vs incredible the power of God consydered that God taketh awaie his body from those outward formes and permitteth either the nature of breade to retourne as before consecration or the accidentes to supplye the effectes of the substance of breade As he commaunded the nature of the rodde which became a serpēt to retourne to that it was before when God would haue it serue no more to the vses it was by him appointed vnto The graue autoritie of S. Cyprian addeth great weight to the balance for this iudgemēt in weighing this matter who in his sermon de lapsis by the reporte of certaine miracles sheweth that our lordes body made it selfe awaye from some that being defyled with the sacrifices of idols presumed to come to the communion er they
suddeine pange cōming vpon him or with some cogitation and conscience of his owne vnworthines suddeinly comming to his mynde If either this or any other let had chaunced in what case had the patriarke ben then He had ben like by M. Iuelles doctrine to haue broken Christes Institution and so Gods cōmaundement through an others defecte which were straunge But I iudge that M. Iuell who harpeth so many iarring argumētes against priuate Masse vpon the very word Communion will not allowe that for a good and lawfull communion where there is but one onely to receiue with the priest Verely it appeareth by his sermon that all the people ought to receiue or to be dryuen out of the churche Now therefore to an other example of the priuate Masse Amphilochius byshop of Iconium the head citie of Lycaonia to whom S. Basile dedicated his booke De Spiritu sancto and an other booke intituled Ascetica writing the lyfe of saint Basile or rather the miracles through Gods power by him wrought which he calleth Memorabilia vera ac magna miracula in praefatione worthy of record true and great miracles specially such as were not by the three most worthy men Gregorie Nazianzene Gregorie Nyssene and holy Ephrem in their Epitaphicall or funerall treatises before mentioned among other thinges reporteth a notable story wherein we haue a cleare testimonie of a priuate Masse And for the thing that the storie sheweth as much as for any other of the same Amphilochius he is called Coelestium virtutum collocutor angelicorum ordinum comminister a talker together with the heauenly powers and a felowe seruant with orders of Angelles The story is this This holy bishop Basile besoughte God in his prayers he would geue him grace wisedom and vnderstanding so as he might offer the sacrifice of Christes bloude sheding proprijs sermonibus with prayers and seruice of his owne making and that the better to atcheue that purpose the holy ghost might come vpon him After syx dayes he was in a traunce for cause of the holy ghostes comming When the seuenth daye was come he beganne to minister vnto God that is to witte he sayde Masse euery daye After a certaine tyme thus spent through faith and prayer he begāne to write with his owne hande mysteria ministrationis the Masse or the seruice of the Masse On a night our lord came vnto him in a vision with the Apostles and layde breade to be consecrated on the holy aulter and stirring vp Basile sayd vnto him Secundum postulationem tuam repleatur os tuum laude etc. According to thy request let thy mowth be fylled with praise that with thyne owne wordes thou mayst offer vp to me sacrifice He not able to abide the vision with his eyes rose vp with trembling and goyng to the holy aulter beganne to saye that he had written in paper thus Repleatur os meum laude hymnum dicat gloriae tuae domine Deus qui creasti nos adduxisti in vitam hanc caeteras orationes sancti ministerij Let my mowth be fylled with prayse to vtter an hymne to thy glory Lord God which hast created vs and brought vs in to this lyfe and so foorth the other prayers of the Masse It foloweth in the story Et post finem orationum exaltauit panem sine intermissione orans dicens Respice domine Iesu Christe etc. After that he had done the prayers of Consecration he lyfted vp the bread praying continually and saying Looke vpon vs lord Iesus Christ out of thy holy tabernacle and come to sanctifie vs that sittest aboue with thy father and arte here present inuisibly with vs vouchesafe with thy mighty hand to delyuer to vs and by vs to all thy people Sancta Sanctis thy holy thinges to the holy The people answered one holy one our lord Iesus Christ with the holy ghost in glorie of God the father Amen Now let vs consyder what foloweth perteining most to our purpose Et diuidens panem in tres partes vnam quidem communicauit timore multo alteram autem reseruauit consepelire secum tertiam verò imposuit columbae aureae quae pependit super altare He diuided the bread in to three partes of which be receiued one at his communion with greate feare and reuerence the other he reserued that it might be buried with him and the third parte he caused to be put in a golden pyxe that was hanged vp ouer the aulter made in forme and shape of a dooue After this a litle before the ende of this treatise it foloweth how that S. Basile at the houre that he departed out of this lyfe receiued that parte of the hoste him selfe which he had purposed to haue enterred with him in his graue and immediatly as he laye in his bedde gaue thankes to God and rendred vp the ghost That this was a priuate Masse no man can denye Basile receiued the sacrament alone for there was no earthly creature in that churche with him The people that answered him were such as Christ brought with him And that all this was no dreame but a thing by the will of god done in dede though in a vision as it pleased Christ to exhibite Amphilochius playnely witnesseth declaring how that one Eubulus and others the chiefe of that clergie standing before the gates of the churche whiles this was in dooing sawe lightes with in the churche and men clothed in white and heard a voice of people glorifying god and behelde Basile standing at the aulter and for this cause at his comming foorth fell downe prostrate at his feete Here M. Iuell and his consacramentaries doo staggar I doubte not for graunt to a priuate Masse they will not what so euer be brought for proufe of it and therefore some doubte to auoyd this autoritie must be deuysed But whereof they shuld doubte verely I see not If they doubte any thing of the brīging of the bread and other necessaries to serue for cōsecration of the hoste let thē also doubte of the bread and fleshe that Elias had in the ponde of Carith 3. Reg. 17. 3. Reg. 19. Let them doubte of the bread and potte of water he had vnder the Iuniper tree in Bersabée Let them doubte of the potte of potage brought to Daniel for his dyner Daniel 14 from Iewerie in to the caue of lyons at Babylon by Abacuk the prophete But perhappes they doubte of the auctoritie of Amphilochius that wrote this story It may well be that they would be gladde to discredite that worthy bishop For he was that vigilant pastour and good gouernour of the churche Theodorit in hist eccles lib. 4. cap. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precatores who first with Letoius bishop of Melite and with Flauianus bishop of Antioche ouerthrewe and vtterly vanquished the heretikes called Messaliani otherwise euchitae the first parentes of the Sacramentarie heresie Whose opinion was that the holy Eucharistie that is the blessed
sacramentally with the priestes as it is before proued ergo there were Masses done with out other receiuing the Sacrament with the priestes And then further ergo priuate Masses in Chrysostomes dayes were not straunge and then yet one steppe further there to staye Ergo M. Iuel according to his owne promise and offre must yelde subscribe and recant Iuell Or that there was then any communion ministred vnto the people vnder one kynde Of communion vnder one kynde ARTICLE II. THis being a Sacramēt of vnitie euery true christen man ought in receiuing of it to consyder how vnitie may be acheued and kepte rather thē to shewe a streightnes of conscience aboute the outward formes of bread and wyne to be vsed in the administratiō of it and that so much the more how much the ende of euery thinge is to be estemed more then that which serueth to the ende Otherwise herein the breache of vnitie is so litle recompensed by the exacte kepinge of th' outward ceremonie that according to the saying of S. Augustine who so euer taketh the mysterie of vnitie and kepeth not the bonde of peace he taketh not a mysterie for him selfe but a testimonie against him selfe Therefore they haue great cause to weigh with them selues what they receiue in this sacrament who moued by slēder reasons made for bothe kyndes do rashely and dangerously condemne the churche for geuing of it vnder one kinde to all that doo not in their owne persons consecrate and offer the same in remembraunce of the sacrifice once offered on the crosse And that they may thinke the churche to stād vpon good growndes herein may it please them to vnderstand that the fruite of this sacramēt which they enioye that worthely receiue it dependeth not of the outward formes of bread and wine but redoundeth of the vertue of the fleshe and bloude of Christ And whereas vnder either kynde whole Christ is verely present for now that he is risen againe from the deade his fleshe and bloude can be sundred no more Rom. 6. because he dyeth no more this helthfull sacrament is of true christen people with no lesse fruit receiued vnder one kynde then vnder bothe And as this spirituall fruite is not any thinge diminished to him that receiueth one kinde so it is not any whitte increaced to him that receiueth bothe The Sacramentaries that beleue not the truth of Christes bodye and bloude in this holy Sacramēt I remitte to sundry godly treatises made in defence of the right faith in that pointe I thinke it not necessarie here to treate thereof or of any other matter which M. Iuell hath not as yet manifestly touched in his sermon Now concerning th' outward formes of bread and wyne their vse is imployed in significatiō onely and be not of necessitie so as grace may not be obteined by worthy receiuing of tbe Sacrament onlesse bothe kindes be ministred Therefore in consecrating of the Sacrament according to Christes institution bothe kyndes be necessarie for as much as it is not prepared for the receiuing onely but also for renewing and stirring vp of the remembraunce of oure lordes death So in as much as the sacrament serueth the sacrifice by which the death and oblation of Christ is represented bothe the kyndes be requisite that by diuerse and sundry formes the bloude of Christ shedde for our synnes and separated from his body may euidently be signified But in as much as the faithful people doo receiue the sacrament thereby to atteine spirituall grace and saluatiō of their soules diuersitie of the formes or kyndes that be vsed for the signification onely hath no further vse ne profite But by one kynde because in it whole Christ is exhibited abundance of all grace is once geuen so as by the other kynde thereto ouer added which geueth the same and not an other Christ no further augmentation of spirituall grace may be atteined In consideration of this the catholike churche taught by the holy ghost all truth whiles in the daily sacrifice the memorie of oure lordes death and passion is celebrated for that it is necessarie therein to expresse most playnely the shedding and separating of the bloude from the bodye that was crucified hath alwayes to that purpose diligently vsed bothe kyndes of breade and wine But in distributing of the blessed sacramāt to christen people hath vsed her libertie which Christ neuer imbarred by any commaundement to the contrary so as it hath euer ben most for the behoufe and commoditie of the receiuers and hath ministred sometymes bothe kindes sometymes one kynde onely as it hath ben thought most expediēt in regard of tyme place and persons Matth. 26 Christes vvordes bynde not the laitie to receiue both kindes Ante passionē nobis solis praecepit hoc facere inquiūt Apostoli apud Clementem lib. 8. constitu Apostolicarū cap. vlt. As touching the wordes of Christ Bibite ex hoc omnes Drinke ye all of this they perteine to the Apostles only and to their successours For to them only he gaue commaundement to doo that which he dyd in his supper as Clement sayeth To them only saying doo this in my remembrance he gaue commission to consecrate offer and to receiue the sacrament in remembrance of his death and passion by the same wordes ordeining thē priestes of the newe testamēt Wherefore this belongeth not to the laye people neither can it be iustely gathered by this place that they are bounde of necessitie and vnder paine of deadly synne to receiue the sacrament vnder bothe kyndes And this vnderstoode they which aboue an hundred yeres past chaunging the olde custome of the churche of receiuing the communion vnder one kynde by theire priuate auctoritie would nedes vsurpe the cuppe also For seeing them selues not to haue sufficient proufe and warrant for their dooing of these wordes drinke ye all of this the better to bolster vp their newe flangled attempte Ioan. 6. they thought it better to alleage the wordes of Christ in S. Iohn Excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke his bloude ye shall not haue lyfe in you which wordes for all that oure new maisters of these xl yeres past will to be vnderstanded of the spirituall and not of the sacramentall eating Which place although it be taken for the sacramentall eating as it may be and is taken for bothe of the doctours vewed a parte yet in all that chapter there is no mention of the cuppe nor of wine at all Wherefore they that crye so much on the Institution and commaundement of Christ can not fynde in all the scriptures neither commaundement where he gaue charge the sacrament so to be geuen neither so much as any example where Christ gaue it vnder bothe kyndes to any other then to the Apostles Where as contrary wise it may be shewed of oure parte that the sacrament was geuen vnder one kynde only to the two disciples that went to Emaus Luc. 24. For that the
temerê condemnandi aut inuicem iudicandi That the controuersie for the one or bothe kyndes may be taken awaye it shall be very well done that holy churche made it free to receiue this sacrament in one or bothe kyndes yet vnder suche condition as hereby no occasion be geuen to any bodye rashely to condēne the vse which the church hath so long tyme kepte nor to iudge one an other Soothly he which would haue it free and at libertie to receiue the sacrament vnder one or bothe kyndes and holdeth opinion that the olde custome of the one kynde onely is not to be condemned semeth plainely ynough to confesse that nothing hath ben instituted or commaunded of Christ touching this matter as necessarie to saluation Thus we may see playnely that they which haue diuided them selues from the mysticall bodye of Christ that is his churche who were of greatest learning and iudgement make it a matter indifferent as it is in dede of it selfe lefte to the libertie of the churche whether the sacrament be ministred vnder one kynde or bothe And this much hath ben cōfessed against M. Iuell and his secte not onely by the learned aduersaries of the churche in oure tyme but also by a learned man of Bohemia aboue six score yeres past His name is Iohn Przybxam of whose writinges some are set foorth in printe This learned man whereas he endeuoured to proue the vse of bothe kyndes of the wordes of Christ written by S. Iohn Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloude ye shal not haue lyfe in you at length vttereth these wordes according to the eloquence of his tyme. In libr. de professione fidei catholieae cap. 19. Veruntamen hic Deum timens mores impios aliorum praecauens fateor quòd quaslibet personas de ecclesia communion fidelium sub vtraque specie repugnantes damnare aut haereticare non intendo But here hauing the feare of god before myne eyes and being well ware I folowe not the wicked conditions of others I grawnt that what persones so euer of the churche repine against the communion of the faithfull people vnder bothe kyndes I entend not to condemne them nor to holde them for heretikes But if it be the commaundement of God that the Sacrament be receiued of all vnder bothe kyndes why shuld he be forbydden by the feare of God to cōdemne those that wythstād that order of communion Seeing that who so euer goeth against Gods commaundement is worthy to be cōdemned Therefore by his testimonie the vse of one or bothe kindes is indifferent Thus we are able to alleage Luther Melanchthon Bucer and that learned Bohemian for the Indifferencie of the communion to be minister either vnder one kynde or bothe Whereby I meane not that the vse of the sacramēt is so lefte to euery mannes libertie as he that listeth may require bothe kyndes and an other may content him selfe with one kynde not so euery man is bownde to folow the order of the churche but the churche is not bownde of necessitie by Gods commaundement to minister it vnder bothe kyndes to the laitie And whereas it was ministred in bothe kyndes at Corinth as it appeareth by S. Paul and in sundry other places Causes mouing the churche to cōmunicate vnder one kinde as we finde most euidently in the writinges of diuerse auncient fathers yet the churche hath ben moued by diuerse and weighty causes to take order that the people should receiue their cōmunion vnder one kynde not onely in the councell of Basile but also in that of Constāce and long before them aboue a thousand yeres in the first councell of Ephesus as many doo probably gather and mamely Vrbanus Regius a doctour of Luthers scoole confesseth in his booke De locis communibus One cause and not the leaste was that thereby the heresie of Nestorius might the rather be extinguished who emonges other errours held opinion that vnder the forme of bread in the Sacramēt is cōteined the body of Christ with out his bloude and vnder the forme of the wine his bloude onely without his bodye Many other causes moued those fathers to take that order for th'auoyding of many inconueniences dangers and offences which might happē in the vse of the cuppe as vnreuerence of so high a Sacrament whereof christen people at the beginning had a meruelouse care and regarde the lothsomnes of many that can not brooke the taste of wine the difficultie of getting and impossibilitie of keping wine from corruption in countries situated neare to the north Pole in that clime where is knowen to be great extremitie of colde besyde a number of the like So that it had ben beside reason to haue bounde all to the necessitie of bothe kyndes Now in very dede if we would graunt to oure aduersaries which in no wise we do not graunt that it hath ben commaunded of Christ the laye people should communicate vnder bothe kyndes by these wordes Drinke ye all of this yet this notwithstanding the exacte streightnes of gods ordināce may without synne in cases be omitted in such thinges which be not necessaryly to be obserued of them selues or of the prescripte of the lawe of nature so that great and weighty causes the rule of charitie exactely obserued require the same For euident proufe of this we haue exāples bothe of the olde and also of the newe testamēt Leuit. 24. Dyd not God commaunde that none shuld eate of the shewebread but the priestes onely 1. Reg. 21. Dauid eate thereof and yet Christ cleareth him of all blame Mar. 2. The lawe of circuncisiō so streightly commaunded Genes 17. 34. was for the space of forty yeres by the people of Israel quite omitted whiles they passed from Egypte to the land of promesse and God fownde no faulte with them for it God gaue the law of keping holy the Saboth daye with out exception Exod. 20. 1. Mach. 1. The Machabés notwithstanding stickte not to arme them selues against Antiochus and to spende that daye in the fielde in theire defence hauing no scruple of conscience for breach of that law Many the like examples we fynde in the olde testament But let vs come to the newe testament and to the Sacraments of the tyme of grace In due cōsideration of which we may fynde that Christ hath scarcely commaunded any outward thing the moderation qualifying and ordering whereof he hath not lefte to his churche as according to the cōdition of the tyme it hath ben sene most expedient for the common prefermēt and edifying of the same So that notwithstanding there be no swaruing from the scope and principal intente and no creature defrauded of that good which by the outward thinges is to be atteined Touching the Sacrament of baptisme though nothing be sayde of the teaching of them that shuld be baptized neyther of the dipping of them in to the water Matt. 28. which Christes charge in
this behalfe geuen semeth plainely to require go you sayeth he to his Apostles and teach all nations baptizing them etc and yet the church hath not feared to baptise infantes that be with out capacitie of teaching and for the due administration of this Sacrament to many hath thoughte powring or sprinkling of water vpon them sufficient though this be not spoken of I saye it is much to be consydered to this purpose that the Apostles stickte not for a tyme to alter and chaunge the very essentiall forme of wordes with which Christ would this sacrament to be ministred For where as he commaunded them to baptise in the name of the father and of the sonne Act. 8. and of the holy ghost thâ—y baptized in the name of Iesus Christ only intending thereby to make that to be of more fame and celebritie So to retourne to the Sacrament of the bodye and bloude of Christ whereof we treate no man can denye but many thinges were at th'institution of it done by the example of Christ and by him commaunded which now be not obserued and yet in that respecte no faulte is fownde Christ washed the Apostles feete and gaue them an expresse commaundement to doo the same with these moste plaine wordes If I that am your Maister and lorde Ioan. 6. haue wasshed your feete you also ought to wash one an others feete For I haue geuen you an example that as I haue done you doo so likewise Which commaundement of Christ according to the outward letter verely bindeth no lesse then these wordes Drinke ye all of this yet this commaundement is not kepte but cleane growen out of vse Though it appeare by Saint Bernard In ser de coena do who calleth it Magnum Sacramentum a great Sacrament and long before by reporte of S. Cyprian In serm de vnctione chrismatis that Christ dyd not onely washe his Apostles feete but commaunded also by solemne request and ordeined that th'apostles afterward should doo the same Whether this ordinance of Christ hath ben abolished for that it should not be thought a rebaptization as it may be gathered of S. Augustine Ad Ianuarium c. 18 or for any other cause it forceth not greatly But this is much to be merueiled at that this so earnestly commaunded is so quietly and with such silence suffered vndone and in the ministration of the Sacrament the vse of the cuppe so factiously and with so much crying out required Neither in many other rites and ceremonies we do not as Christ dyd Christ celebrated this sacrament after that he had supped we do it in the morning and fasting Christ sate at the table with his twelue Apostles neither sytte we at a table neither thinke we it necessary to obserue such number Christ brake the bread we thinke it not necessary to breake the hoste that is to be delyuered to the faithfull participantes Here is to be noted that saint Cyprian rebuking them which thought sprinkling or powring of water not to be sufficient for baptisme declareth that the saraments be not to be estemed according vnto their extreme and rigorouse obseruation or administration of all the externe elementes but rather according to the integritie and soundnes of faith of the geuer and of the receiuer and that diuine thinges vsed in a compendious sorte conferre and geue neuerthelesse to the right beleuers their whole vertue lib. 4. epist 7. Many other coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of God concerning outward thinges might here be rehearsed which notwithstanding by litle and litle in the churche haue ben omitted as the forebearing of strangled thinges and bloude which was coÌ„maunded by God in the olde testament and according to the pleasure and aduise of the holy gost decreed by the Apostles in the newe testament yet for as much as concerneth outward thinges both this and many other the like haue in processe of tyme growen out of obseruation and haue with out any scruple of conscience ben abrogated I truste no man will gather of that I haue sayde here that it is none offence to doo against Gods commaundemente My meaning is farre otherwise Neither saye I that this saying of Christ in Mathew Drinke ye all of this or that in Ihon Excepte ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloude ye shal not haue lyfe in you or other coÌ„maundementes of Christ be not to be kepte but this is that I saye and that euery catholike man sayeth that the vniuersall churche doth better vnderstand which are the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of Christ and how they ought to be kepte then Berengarius Wiclef Hus Luther Zuinglius Caluine Cranmare Peter Martyr or any their scolers and folowers which now be sundry sectes As for example God hath thus coÌ„maunded Matth. 5. Exod. 20. thow shalt not sweare and thow shalt not kylle and if thine eye cause the to offende pull him out and cast him awaye from the. Whereas certaine sectes of heretikes as namely they which be called Waldenses and Picardi by their construction hereof haue mainteined opinion that no othe ought to be geuen or made in no case or respecte lyke wise that in no case or respecte a man may doo an other to death and also that after the outward letter of the gospell sometyme a man is bounde to pull out his eye and cast it from him which thing hath beÌ„ done by some of the Picardes as it is reported as though elles Gods commaundement were not kepte this hath so ben vnderstanded by the catholike churche confessing neuerthelesse these to be gods commaundementes as in tyme in place and in certaine cases a man might and ought without breach of commaundement bothe sweare and kylle and likewise kepe his eye in his head and therein offend God nothing at all So the catholike churche vnderstandeth Drynke ye all of this to be Christes commaundement and of necessitie to be obserued but of priestes onely I meane of necessitie and that when in the sacrifice of the church is celebrated the memorie of Christes death which in that degree be the successours of the Apostles to whom that commaundement was specially geuen when they were consecrated priestes of the new testameÌ„t who so dyd drinke in dede as S. Marke witnesseth Et biberunt ex eo omnes Mar. 14. And they dranke all of it To these onely and to none other the catholike churche hath euer referred the necessitie of that coÌ„maundement Elles if the necessitie of it should perteine to all and because Christ sayde Drinke ye all of this if all of euery state and condition of necessitie ought to drinke of the cuppe how is it come to passe that oure aduersaries them selues who preteÌ„de so streight a conscience herein kepe from it infantes and young children vntill they come to good yeres of discretion specially where as the custome of the primitiue churche was that they also should be partakers of this sacrament as it may playnely be sene in S. Dionyse Cyprian Augustine
whom mention is made in the article afore this writeth in the life of saint Basile that a litle before he gaue vp his ghost he receiued a portion of the holy Sacrament which long before he had willed to be kepte to the intent it might be put in his graue with him at his buriall Which no man can cauille to be any other then the forme of breade onely It hath ben a custome in the latine churche from th'apostles tyme to oure dayes that on good Fridaye as well priestes as other christen people receiue the Sacrament vnder the forme of bread onelye consecrated the daye before called the daye of oure lordes supper commonly Maunde thursdaye and that not without signification of a singular mysterie And this hath euer ben iudged a good and sufficient communion And that in the greke churche also euen in the tyme of Chrysostome the cōmunion vnder the forme of breade onely was vsed and alowed it appeareth by this notable storye of Sozomenus a greke writer Historîae ecclesiast lib. 8. ca. 5. in graeco which because it is long I will here rehearse it onely in english remitting the learned to the greke When Ihon otherwise named Chrysostome gouerned the church of Constantinople very well a certaine man of the Macedonian heresie had a wife of the same opinion When this man had heard Ihon in his sermō declare how one ought to thinke of god he praysed his doctrine and exhorted his wife to conforme her selfe to the same iudgement also But when as she was leadde by the talke of noble womē rather then by her husbandes good aduertisemētes after that he sawe councell tooke no place excepte quoth he thou wilt beare me companie in thinges touching god thou shalt haue no more to doo with me nor lyue any further with me The woman hearing this promysing faynedly that she would agree vnto it conferreth the matter with a woman seruant that she had whom she estemed for trusty and vseth her helpe to deceiue her husband About the tyme of the mysteries she holding fast that which she had receiued stouped downe making resemblance to praye Her seruant standing by geueth to her secretly that which she had brought with her in her hand That as she put her teeth to it to byte it hardneth in to a stone With that the womā sore astoyned fearing leastsome euill shuld happē vnto her therefore which came by the power of God ranne forthwith to the bishop and bewraying her selfe sheweth him the stone hauing yet in it the printes of her bitte representing a straunge matter and a wonderouse colour and so with teares of her eyes besought forgeuenes promising her husband she would consent and agree to him If this seme to any incredible sayeth Sozomenus that stone is witnes which to this daye is kepte among the iewelles of the churche of Constantinople By this storye it is cleare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sacrament was then ministred vnder one kynde onely For by receiuing that one forme this woman would haue persuaded her husband that she had communicated with him and with that holy bishop Elles if bothe kyndes had then ben ministred she shuld haue practised some other shifte for the auoyding of the cuppe Which had not ben so easye The place of S. Basiles epistles ad Caesariam can not be auoyded by no shifte nor sophistrie of the gospellers These be his wordes All they which lyue the solitaire life in wildernes where is no priest keping the communion at home communicate them selues And in Alexandria and in Egypte eche one of the people for the most parte hath the communion in his house Here I might aske M. Iuell how they could kepe wine cōsecrated in small measures as shuld serue for euery mannes housel a parte in those countries of extreme heate specially in wildernes where they had neither priest nor deacon as in that place S. Basile writeth For lacke of whom they kepte it in store a long tyme that they might not be destitute of it at neede Agayne here I might aske him whether it was the forme of bread only or of wine also which christen men and specially women were wont deuoutely to receiue of the priestes Vide articulū priorem in their cleane lynnen or napkyns to beare home with them taking great heede that no fragments of it fell downe on the grownde as bothe Origen and also S. Augustine doo witnesse I thinke he will confesse that lynnen cloth is not a very fytte thing to kepe liquour in Though I might bring a great number of other places for the vse of one kynde which after the most common rule of the churche was the forme of breade yet here I will staye my selfe putting the reader in mynde that the communion hath ben ministred to some persons vnder the forme of wine onlye and hath ben taken for the whole Sacrament specially to such as for drynesse of their throte at their death could not swallow it downe vnder the forme of bread Serm. 5. de lapsis Whereas it appeareth by S. Cyprian and also by S. Augustine that the sacramēt was geuen to infantes in their tyme we fynde in S. Cyprian that when a deacon offred the cuppe of oure lordes bloude to a litle mayde childe which through defaulte of the nource had tasted of the sacrifices that had ben offered to deuilles the childe tourned awaye her face by the instincte of the diuine maiestie sayeth he closed fast her lippes and refused the cuppe but yet when the deacon had forced her to receiue a litle of the cuppe the yeax and vomite folowed so as that sanctified drinke in the bloude of oure lorde gowshed foorth of the polluted boilles If the Sacrament had ben geuen to this infant vnder the forme of breade before she would haue resused that no lesse then she dyd the cuppe that the deacon then would not haue geuen her the cuppe De cōsec distinct 4 can 4. si qui apud illos haereticos And that this may seme the lesse to be wondered at Ioannes Teutonicus that wrote scholies vpon Gratian witnesseth that euen in his tyme the custome was in some places to geue the Sacrament to infantes not by deliuering to them the bodye of Christ but by powring the bloude in to theire mowthes which custome hath ben vppon good confyderation abrogated in the church of Rome and kepte in the greke church as Lyre writeth vpon S. Ihon. The fourth councell of Carthago decreed Can. 76. if a mā in sicknes who was enioyned publike penaunce do demaunde his housel and er he dye fall in a phrenesie or becomme speacheles that the Sacrament be powred in to his mowthe To take this for the forme of wine we ar moued by the decree of the eleuenth councell Toletane Where it is sayde Can. 11. that the weake nature of man is wonte at the pointe of death to be so farre oppressed with drowth that it may be refreshed
crucified And such maner bloud was at his passion shedde foorth of his body in sighte of them which were then present But after that Christ rose againe from the deade his body from that tyme forward euer remaineth immortall and liuely in dāger no more of any infirmitie or suffering much lesse of death but is become by diuine giftes and endowmētes a spirituall and a diuine body as to whom the godhed hath communicated diuine and godly properties and excellencies that ben aboue all mannes capacitie of vnderstanding This fleshe and body thus considered which sundry doctours call corpus spirituale deificatum a spirituall and deified body is geuen to vs in the blessed sacrament This is the doctrine of the church vttered by S. Hierome in his commentaries vppon th'Epistle to the Ephesians where he hath these wordes Lib. 1. ca. 1. Dupliciter verò sanguis caro intelligitur vel spiritualis illa atque diuina de qua ipse dixit Caro mea vere est cibus sanguis meus verè est potus Et nisi manducaueritis carnē meam sanguinem meum biberitis non habebitis vitam aeternam vel caro quae crucifixa est sanguis qui militis effusus est lancea that is The bloud and fleshe of Christ is vnderstanded two waies either that it is that spiritual and diuine fleshe of which he spake him selfe My fleshe is verely meate and my bloud is verely drinke And excepte ye eate my fleshe and drinke my bloud ye shall not haue lyfe in you Or that fleshe which was crucified and that bloud which was shedde by pearcing of the souldiers speare And to the intent a man shuld not take this differēce according to the substance of Christes fleshe and bloud but according to the qualitie onely S. Hierome bringeth a similitude of our fleshe as of which it hath ben in double respecte sayde Iuxta hanc diuisionem in sanctis etiam diuersitas sanguinis carnis accipitur vt alia sit caro quae visura est salutare Dei Luc. 3. alia caro sanguis quae regnum Dei nō queant possidere 1. Cor. 15. According to this diuision diuersitie of bloud and fleshe is to be vnderstanded in sainctes also so as there is one fleshe which shal see the saluacion of God and an other fleshe and bloud which may not possesse the kingdom of God Which two states of fleshe and bloud seme as it appeareth to the vnlearned quite contrarie But Saint Paul dissolueth this doubte in the fiftenth chapter of his first epistle to the Corinthians saying that fleshe of such sorte as we beare about vs in this lyfe earthly mortal fraile and bourthenouse to the soule can not possesse the kingdom of God because corruption shal not possesse incorruption But after resurrection we shal haue a spirituall gloriouse incorruptible and immortall flesh and like in figure to the gloriouse body of Christ as S. Paul sayeth This corruptible body must putte on incorruption and this mortall immortalitie Then such fleshe or our fleshe of that maner and sorte shall possesse the kingdom of God and shal beholde God him selfe And yet our fleshe now corruptible and then incorruptible is but one fleshe in substāce but diuerse in qualitie and propertie Euen so it is to be thought of our lordes fleshe as is afore sayde The due weghing of this differēce geueth much light to this matter and ought to staye many horrible blasphemies wickedly vttered against this most blessed Sacrament Now whereas M. Iuell denyeth that Christen people were of olde tyme taught to beleue that Christes body is really substantially corporally carnally or naturally in the Sacrament I doo plainely affirme the cōtrarie Yet I acknowledge that the learned fathers which haue so taught would not thereby seme to make it here outwardly sensible or perceptible Hom. 83. in Matt 60 ad popul Antiochen For they confesse all with Saint Chrysostome that the thing which is here geuen vs is not sensible but that vnder visible signes inuisible thinges be delyuered vnto vs. But they thought good to vse the aforesayed termes to put awaye all doubte of the being of his very body in these holy mysteries and to exclude the onely imagination phantasie figure signe token vertue or signification there of For in such wise the Sacramentaries haue vttered their doctrine in this pointe as they may seme by their manner of speaking and wryting here to represent our lordes body onely in deede being absent as kinges oftentymes are represented in a Tragedie or meane persones in a Comedie Verely the maner and waye by which it is here present and geuen to vs and receiued of vs is secrete not humaine ne naturall true for all that And we doo not atteine it by sense reason or nature but by faith For which cause we doo not ouer basely consyder and attende the visible elementes but as we are taught by the councell of Nice lifting vp our mynde and spirite we beholde by faith on that holy table put and layde so for the better signification of the real presence their terme sowndeth the Lambe of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that taketh awaye the synnes of the worlde And here saye they we receiue his pretiouse body and bloude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye verely and in deede which is no other wise nor lesse then this terme really importeth And touching these termes fyrst Verely or which is all one Really and substantially me thinketh M. Iuell shuld beare the more with vs for vse of the same sith that Bucer him selfe one of the greatest learned men of that syde hath allowed them yea and that after much writing against Luther in defēce of Zuinglius and Oecolampadius by him set forth and after that he had assured him selfe of the truth in this article by diuine inspiration as most constantly he affirmeth with these wordes In responsione ad Lutherū Haec non dubitamus diuinitus nobis per scripturam reuelata de hoc sacramento We doubte not sayeth he but these thinges concerning this sacramēt be reueled vnto vs from god and by the scripture If you demaunde where this may be fownde in the actes of a Councell holden betwen the Lutheranes and Zuinglianes for this very purpose in Martine Luthers house at Wittenberg in the yere of our lord 1536. you shal fynde these wordes Audiuimus D. Bucerum explicantem suam sententiam de Sacramento corporis sanguinis Domini hoc modo Cum pane vino verè substantialiter adest exhibetur sumitur corpus Christi sanguis Et sacramentali vnione panis est corpus Christi porrecto pane verè adest verè exhibetur corpus Christi We haue heard M. Bucer declare his mynde touching the sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord in this sorte With the bread and wyne the body of Christ and his bloud is present exhibited and receiued
in the stalle and hauing takeÌ„ a long iourney being bothe wicked and aliantes with very great feare and trembling adored him Wherefore let vs folowe at least those aliants vs I saye that are citizens of heauen For they whereas they sawe but that stalle and cabben onely and none of all the thinges thou seest nowe came notwithstaÌ„ding with the greatest reuereÌ„ce and feare that was possible But thou seest it not in a stalle of beastes but on the aulter not a woman to holde it in her armes but a priest present and the holy ghoste plentyfully spredde vpon the sacrifice This father in his Masse maketh a prayer in presence of the blessed Sacrament almost with the same wordes that S. Basile did AtteÌ„de domine Iesu Christe Deus noster etc. Looke vpon vs o lord Iesus Christ our God from thy holy habitacle and from the throne of the glory of thy kingdom and come to sanctifie vs who sittest on high with the father and art here inuisibly with vs and make vs worthy by thy mighty haÌ„de that we may be partakers of thy vnspotted body and pretiouse bloude and through vs all the people In the same Chrysostomes liturgie or Masse a most euident testimonie of adoration of the SacrameÌ„t is thus vttered Sacerdos adorat et diaconus in eo in quo est loco ter secretò diceÌ„tes Deus propitius esto etc. The priest adoreth and the deacon likewise in the place he standeth in saying three tymes secretly God be mercifull to me a synner So the people and likewise all make their adoration deuoutely and reuerently In the same father is an other prayer which the greke priestes doo vse to this daye at their adoration of Christes body in the Sacrament and it is expressed in these wordes Domine non sum dignus etc. Lord I am not worthy that thou enter vnder the filthy roofe of my soule But as thou tookest in good parte to lye in the denne and stall of brute beastes and in the house of Simon the leprouse receiuedst also a harlot and a synner like me comming vnto thee vouchesafe also to enter into the stalle of my soule voyde of reason and into my fylthy body being dead and leprouse And as thou dydst not abhorre the fowle mowth of a harlot kissing thyne vndefyled feete So my lord God abhorre not me though a synner but vouchesafe of thy goodnesse and benignitie that I maye be made partaker of thy most holy body and bloude S. Ambrose after long serche and discussion De spiritâ— sancto li. 3. cap. 12. Psal 96. how that saying of the prophete might be vnderstanded Adore and worship ye his footestoole because it is holy At length concludeth so as by the footestoole he vnderstandeth the earth because it is written Esa 66. Heauen is my seate and the earth is my footestoole And because the earth is not to be adored for that it is a creature by this earth he vnderstaÌ„deth that earth which our lord Iesus tooke in the assumption of his fleshe of the virgine Marye and hereupon he vttereth those plaine wordes for testimonie of the adoration Iraque per scabellum terra intelligitur per terraÌ„ autem caro Christi quam hodie quoque in mysterijs adoramus quam Apostoli in domino Iesu adorarunt And thus by the footestoole earth may be vnderstanded and by earth the fleshe of Christ which euen now adayes also we adore in the mysteries and the Apostles adored in our lord Iesus S. Augustines learned handling of this place of the psalme adore ye his footestoole because it is holy maketh so euidently for this purpose that of all other auctorities which in great number might be brought for prouse of the same it ought least to be omitted The place being long I will recite it in English onely His wordes be these Adore ye his footestoole In Psal 98 because it is holy See ye brethren what that is he byddeth vs to adore â—sa 66. In an other place the scripture sayeth heaueÌ„ is my seate and the earth is my footestoole What doth he then bydde vs adore and worship the earth because he sayde in an other place that it is the footestoole of God And how shall we adore the earth whereas the scripture sayeth plainely Deut. 6.10 Thou shalt adore thy lord thy God and here he sayeth adore ye his footestoole But he expouÌ„deth to me what his footestoole is Matth. 4. and sayeth And the earth is my footestoole I am made doubtefull afrayed I am to adore the earth least he damne me that made heauen and earth Againe I am afrayed not to adore the footestoole of my lord because the Psalme sayeth to me Adore ye his footestoole I seeke what thing is his footestoole and the scripture telleth me The earth is my footestoole Being thus wauering I tourne me to Christ because him I seeke here and I fynde how without impietie the earth may be adored For he tooke of earth earth because fleshe is of earth and of the fleshe of Marye he tooke fleshe And because he walked here in fleshe and that very fleshe he gaue vs to eate to Saluation and no man eateth that fleshe excepte first he adore it it is fownde out how such a footestoole of our lord may be adored and how we not onely synne not by adoring but synne by not adoring Doth not the fleshe quicken and geue lyfe Our lord him selfe sayde when he spake of the commendation it selfe of that earth Ioan. 6. it is the spirite that quikneth but the fleshe profiteth nothing Therfore when thou bowest thy selfe and fallest downe to euery such earth beholde it not as earth but that holy one whose footestoole it is that thou doest adore for because of him thow doest adore And therefore here he added Adore ye his footestoole because it is holy Who is holy he for whose loue thou adorest his footestoole And when thou adorest him remaine not by cogitation in fleshe that thou be not quikned of the spirite For the spirite sayeth he quikneth and the fleshe profiteth nothing And then when our lord commended this vnto vs he had spoken of his fleshe and had sayde Excepte a man eate my fleshe he shall not haue in him lyfe euerlastyng Againe S. Augustine sheweth the maner and custome of his tyme touching the adoration of Christ in the Sacrament writing thus ad Honoratum Epist 120. cap. 21. vpon the verse of the xxj psalme Edent pauperes saturabuntur that is the poore shall eate and be filled and vpon that other Manducauerunt adorauerunt omnes diuites terrae all the riche of the earth haue eaten and adored It is not without cause sayeth he that the riche and the poore be so distincted that of the poore it was sayde before the poore shall eate and be fylled and here of the riche they haue eaten and adored all that be the riche of the earth For they haue beÌ„ brought to
and secrete rome of the churche In epistola ad Innocentiū as it was in the tyme of Chrysostom at Constantinople In some other places we reade that it was kepte in the bishoppes palais neare to the churche and in the holy dayes brought reuerently to the churche and sette vppon th'aulter which for abuses committed was by order of councelles abrogated In Cōcil Braccarē 3. Can. 5. Thus in diuerse places diuersely it hath ben kepte euery where reuerently and surely so as it might be safe from iniurie and villainie of miscreātes and dispysers of it The hanging vp of it on high hath ben the maner of England as Lindewode noteth vpon the constitutions prouinciall on high that wicked dispite might not reache to it vnder a Canopie for shewe of reuerence and honour If princes be honored with cloth of estate bishops with solemne thrones in their churches and deanes with canopies of tapistrie sylke and arras as we see in sundry cathedrall churches and no man finde faulte with it why shuld M. Iuell mislike the Canopie that is vsed for honour of that blessed Sacramēt wherein is conteined the very body of Christ and through the inseparable ioyning together of bothe natures in vnitie of person Christ him selfe very God and man With what face speaketh he against the Canopie vsed to the honour of Christ in the Sacrament that sytting in the bishoppes seate at Salesburie can abyde the syght of a solene canopie made of paineted bourdes spredde ouer his head If he had ben of counsell with Moses Dauid and Salomon it is lyke he would haue reproued their iudgementes for the great honour they vsed and caused so to be continewed towardes the Arke wherein was conteined nothing but the tables of the lawe Aarons rodde and a pottefull of Manna King Dauid thought it very vnsitting 2. Reg. 7. and felte great remorse in heart that he dwelte in a house of Cedres and the Arke of God was putte in the myddes of skynnes that is of the tabernacle whose outward partes were couered with beastes skynnes And now there is one fownde among other monstrouse and straunge formes of creatures maners and doctrines who being but duste and ashes as Abrahā sayde of him selfe promoted to the name of a bishop and not chosen I wene to doo high seruice of a man according to Gods owne hearte as Dauid was thinketh not him selfe vnworthy to sytte in a bishopes chayer vnder a gorgeouse testure or Canopie of gilted bourdes and can not suffer the pretiouse body of Christ whereby we are redemed to haue for remembraunce of honour done of our parte so much as a litle Canopie a thing of small price Yet was the Arke but a shadowe and this the body that the figure this the truthe that the type or signe this the very thing it selfe As I doo not enuie M. Iuell that honour by what right so euer he enioyeth it So I can not but blame him for bereuing Christ of his honour in this blessed Sacrament Now concerning this article it selfe if it may be called an article wherein M. Iuell thinketh to haue great aduantage against vs as though nothing could be brought for it though it be not one of the greatest keyes nor of the highest mysteries of our Religion as he reporteth it to bee the more to deface it of the Canopie what may be fownde I leaue to others neither it forceth greatly Hanging vp of the Sacramēt in a pixe ouer the aulter is auncient But of the hanging vp of the Sacrament ouer the aulter we fynde plaine mention in S. Basiles lyfe written by Amphilochius that worthy bishop of Iconium Who telleth that S. Basile at his Masse hauing diuided the Sacramēt in three partes dyd put the one in to the golden dooue after which forme the Pyxe was then cōmonly made hanging ouer the aulter His wordes be these Imposuerit columbae aureae pendenti super altare And for further euidence that such pyxes made in forme of a dooue in remembraunce of the holy ghost that appeared like a dooue were hāged vp ouer th'aulter we fynde in the actes of the Generall councell holdē at Constantinople that the clergie of Antioche accused one Seuerus an heretike before Iohn the patriarke and the councell there that he had ryfled and spoyled the holy aulters and molted the cōsecrated vesselles and had made awaye with some of them to his cōpanions praesumpsisset etiam columbas aureas argenteas in formam Spiritus sancti super diuina lauacra et altaria appensas vna cum alijs sibi appropriare dicens non oportere in specie columbae Spiritum sanctum nominare Which is to saye that he had presumed also to conuerte to his owne vse besyde other thinges the golden and syluerne dooues made to represent the holy ghoste that were hanged vp ouer the holy fontes and aulters saying that no mā ought to speake of the holy ghoste in the shape of a dooue Neither hath the Sacrament ben kepte in all places and in all tymes in one maner of vessels So it be reuerently kepte for the viage prouision for the sicke no catholike man will maineteine strife for the maner and order of keping Symmachus a very worthy bishop of Rome in the tyme of Anastasius the Emperour as it is written in his lyfe made two vesselles of syluer to reserue the Sacrament in and set them on the aulters of two churches in Rome of S. Syluester and of S. Androw These vesselles they call commonly ciboria We fynde likewise in the lyfe of S. Gregorie that he also like Symmachus made such a vessell which they call ciborium for the Sacrament with fouer pillours of pure syluer and set it on the aulter at S. Petres in Rome In a worke of Gregorius Turonensis this vessell is called turris in qua mysterium dominici corporis habebatur a tower wherein our lordes body was kepte In an olde booke de poenitentia of Theodorus the greke of Tarsus in Cilicia sometyme archbishop of Cantorbury before Beda his tyme it is called pixis cum corpore Domini ad viaticum pro infirmis The pyxe with our lordes body for the viage prouision for the sicke In that booke in an admonition of a bishop to his clergie in a synode warning is geuen that nothing be put vppon th'aulter in tyme of the Sacrifice but the cofer of Relikes the booke of the fouer Euāgelistes and the pyxe with our lordes body Thus we fynde that the blessed Sacrament hath alwaies ben kepte in some places in a pyxe hanged vp ouer the aulter in some other places otherwise euery where and in all tymes safely and reuerently as is declared to be alwaile in readynes for the viage prouision of the sicke Which keping of it for that godly purpose and with like due reuerēce if M. Iuell and the Sacramentaries would admitte no man will be either so scrupulouse or so contentiouse as to stryue with them either for the
be set against the truth as contrary to the same but it is such a kinde of figure as doth couer the truth present and so as it were ioyned with the truth as it is wonte to be taken in the newe testament where it sheweth rather the maner of a thing to be exhibited then that it taketh awaie the truth of presence of the thing which is exhibited For elles concerning the truth of Christes body in the Sacramēt if any man doubte what opinion he was of he sheweth him selfe plainely so to iudge of it as euer hath ben taught in the catholike churche Whereof he geueth euidēce in many other places but specially in his second booke to his wife exhorting her not to marye againe to an infidell if she ouerlyued him least if she dyd she should not haue oportunitie to obserue the Christen Religion as she would Speaking of the blessed Sacramēt which was then commonly kepte of deuout men and women in their houses and there in tymes of persecution receiued before other meates when deuotion styrred them he sayth thus Shall not thy husband knowe what thou eatest secretly before other meat And if he knowe it he wil beleue it to be bread not him who it is called the latine is recited before I omitte many other places which shewe him to acknowledge Christes body in the Sacrament because I would not be tediouse which veryly by no wresting can be drawen to the significatiō of a mere figure The like answere may be made to the obiection brought out of S. Augustine contrà Adimantum Manichaeum cap. 13. Non dubitauit dominus dicere Hoc est corpus meum cum tamen daret signum corporis sui our lord stickte not to saye This is my body when notwithstanding he gaue the signe of his body For this is to be consydered that S. Augustine in fighting against the Maniches oftētymes vseth not his owne sense and meaning but those thinges which by some meane how so euer it were might seme to geue him aduantage against them so as he might put them to the worst as he witnesseth him selfe in his booke de bono perseuerantiae cap. 11. 12. Gregorie Nazianzene oratione 4. in sanctum Pascha shewing difference betwen the passeouer of the lawe which the Iewes dyd eate and that which we in the Newe testament doo eate in the mysterie of the Sacrament and that which Christ shall eate with vs in the lyfe to come in the kingdom of his father vttereth such wordes as whereby he calleth that we receiue here a figure of that shall be receiued there Caeterum iam Paschae fiamus participes figuraliter tamen adhuc etsi Pascha hoc veteri sit manifestius Siquidē Pascha legale audenter dico figurae figura erat obscurior at paulò post illo perfectius purius fruemnr cum Verbum ipsum biberit nobiscum in regno patris nouum detegens et docens quae nunc mediocriter ostendit Nouum enim semper existit id quod nuper est cognitū But now sayeth he let vs be made partetakers of this passeouer and yet but figuratiuely as yet albe it this passeouer be more manifest then that of the olde lawe For the passeouer of the lawe I speake boldly was a darke figure of a figure but er it be long we shall enioye it more perfitely and more purely when as the Word that is the sonne of God shall drynke the same newe with vs in the kingdom of his father opening and teaching the thinges that now he sheweth not in most clear wise For that euer is newe which of late is knowen Where as this learned father calleth our passeouer that we eate a figure whereof the lawe passeouer was a figure terming it the figure of a figure he asketh leaue as it were so to saye and confesseth him selfe to speake boldely alluding as it semeth to S. Paul or at least hauing fast printed in his mynde his doctrine to the Hebrewes Heb. 10. where he calleth the thinges of the lyfe to come res ipsas the very thinges thē selues the thīges of the Newe testamēt ipsā imaginē rerū the very image of thinges and the Olde testamēt imaginis vmbrā the shadowe of the image Which doctrine Nazianzene applyeth to the Sacrament of the aulter And his meaning is this that although we be goten out of those darknes of the lawe yet we are not come to the full lyght which we looke for in the world to come where we shall see and beholde the very thinges them selues clearely and we shall knowe as we are knowen To be shorte by his reporte the sacramētes of the olde testament be but figures and shadowes of thinges to come the Sacramentes of the Newe testament not shadowes of thinges to come but figures of thinges present which are cōteined and delyuered vnder them in mysterie but yet substantially at the ende all figures in heauen shall cease and be abolished and there shall we see al those thinges that here be hydden clearely face to face And where Christ sayeth that he will drinke his passeouer newe with vs in the kingdom of his father Nazianzen so expowndeth that word Newe as it may be referred to the maner of the exhibiting not to the thing exhibited not that in the world to come we shall haue an other body of our lord which now we haue not but that we shall haue the selfe same body that now we haue in the Sacrament of the aulter in a mysterie but yet verely and substantially after an other sorte and maner and in that respecte newe for so had without mysterie or couerture in cleare sight and most ioyfull fruitiō it is newe in comparison of this present knowledge Thus the word figure reporteth not alwaies the absence of the truth of a thing as we see but the maner of the thing either promysed or exhibited that for as much as it is not clearly and fully sene it be called a figure so of Origen it is called imago rerum In Psal 38 homil 2. an image of the thinges as in this place Si quis verò transire potuerit ab hac vmbra veniat ad imaginem rerum videat aduentum Christi in carne factum videat cum pontificem offerentem quidem nunc patri hostias post modum oblaturum intelligat haec omnia imagines esse spiritualium rerum corporalibus officijs coelestia designari Imago ergo dicitur hoc quod recipitur ad praesens intueri potest humana natura And if any man sayeth he can passe and departe from this shadow let him come to the image of thinges and see the comming of Christ made in fleshe let him see him a bishop that bothe now offereth sacrifice vnto his father and also hereafter shall offer And let him vnderstand that all these thinges be images of spirituall thinges and that by bodily seruices heauenly thinges be resembled and set forth So this
Iuell denyeth Irenaeus receiued the same from Saint Iohn the Euangelist by Polycarpus Saint Iohns scoler He declareth it with these wordes Eum qui ex creatura punis est accepit gratias egit dicens Libro 4. cap. 32. Hoc est corpus meum Et calicem similiter qui est ex creatura quae est secundum nos suum sanguinem confessus est noui testamenti nouam docuit oblationem quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis accipiens in vniuerso mundo offert Deo De quo in duodecim prophetis Malachias sic praesignificauit Non est mihi voluntas in vobis dicit Dominus exercituum Malac. 1. munus non suscipiam de manu vestra He tooke that which by creation is bread and gaue thankes saying this is my body And likewise the cuppe full of that creature which is here with vs and confessed it to be his bloud and thus taught the newe oblation of the newe testament which the churche receiuing of the Apostles doth offer to God through the whole worlde whereof Malachie one of the twelue prophetes dyd prophecie thus I haue no lyking in you sayeth our lord almighty neither will I take sacrifice of your handes because from the rysing of the sunne to the going downe of the same my name is glorified among the nations and incense is offered to my name in euery place and pure sacrifice for that my name is great among the nations What can be vnderstanded by this newe oblation of the newe testament other then the oblation of that which he sayde to be his body and confessed to be his bloude And if he had offered bread and wine onely or the figure of his body and bloud in bread and wine it had ben no newe oblation for such had ben made by Melchisedech long before Neither can the prophecie of Malachie be vnderstanded of the oblation of Christ vpon the crosse for as much as that was done but at one tyme onely and in one certaine place of the world in Golgoltha a place without the gates of Ierusalem neare to the walles of that citie Concerning the sacrifice of a contrite and an humbled heart and all other Sacrifices of our deuotion that be mere spirituall they can not be called the newe oblation of the Newe testament for as much as they were done as well in the olde testameÌ„t as in the newe neither be they all together pure Wherefore this place of Irenaeus and also the prophecie of Malachie wherewith it is confirmed must nedes be referred to the sacrifice and oblation of the body and bloud of Christ dayly throughout the whole world offered to God in the Masse which is the externall Sacrifice of the churche and proper to the newe testament which as Irenaeus sayeth the church receiued of the Apostles and the Apostles of Christ Now let vs heare what S. Cyprian hath written to this purpose Because his workes be common Lib. 2. epist 3. to be shorter I will rehearse his wordes in English If in the Sacrifice which is Christ none but Christ is to be folowed soothly it behoueth vs to obey and doo that which Christ dyd and coÌ„maunded to be done For if Iesus Christ our lord and God very he him selfe be the high priest of God the father and him selfe first offered sacrifice to God the father and coÌ„maunded the same to be done in his remeÌ„braunce verely that priest doth occupie the office of Christ truly who doth by imitation the same thing that Christ dyd And then he offereth to God the father in the church a true and a perfite sacrifice if he begynne to offer right so as he seeth Christ him selfe to haue offered This farre S. Cyprian How can this Article be auouched in more plaine wordes he sayeth that Christ offered him selfe to his father in his supper and likewise coÌ„maunded vs to doo the same Here we haue proued that it is lawfull and hath alwaies from the begynning of the newe tâ—stament ben lawfull for the priestes to offer vp Christ vnto his father by the testimonies of three holy martyrs two Grekes and one Latine most notable in sundry respectes of antiquitie of the rome they bare in Christes churche of learning of constancie of faith stedfastly kepte to death suffred in places of fame and knowledge at Paris at Lions at Carthage Our aduersaries crake much of the sealing vp of their newe doctrine with the bloud of such and such who be writteÌ„ in the booke of lyes not in the booke of lyfe whom they will nedes to be called martyrs Verely if those Moonkes and freres Apostates and renegates wedded to wiues or rather to vse their owne terme yoked to sisters be true martyrs then must our newe Gospellers pull these holy fathers and many thousandes mo out of heauen For certainely the faith in defence of which either sorte dyed is vtterly contrary The worst that I wishe to them is that God geue them eyes to see and eares to heare and that he shut not vp their hartes so as they see not the light here vntill they be throwen awaye into the owtward darkenes Matt. 15. where shall be weeping and grynting of teeth Leauing no small number of places that might be recited out of diuerse other doctours I will bring two of two worthy bishops one of Chrysostome the other of S. Ambrose confirmig this truth Chrysostomes wordes be these Pontifex noster ille est qui hostiam mundantem nos obtulit ipsam offerimus nunc Chrysost in epist ad Heb. Homil 17. quae tunc oblata quidem consumi non potest Hoc autem quod nos facimus in commemorationem fit eius quod factum est Hoc enim facite inquit in mei coÌ„memorationem He is our bishop that hath offered vp the hoste which cleanseth vs. The same doo we offer also now which though it were then offered yet can not be consumed But this that we doo is done in remembraunce of that which is done For doo ye this sayeth he in my remembraunce S. Ambrose sayeth thus In Psalm 38. Vidimus principem Sacerdotum ad nos venientem vidimus et audiuimus offerentem pro nobis sanguinem suum sequamur vt possumus Sacerdotes vt offeramus pro populo sacrificium etsi infirmi merito tamen honorabiles sacrificio Quia etsi Christus non videtur offerre tamen ipse offertur in terris quando Christi corpus offertur We haue sene the prince of priestes come to vs we haue sene and heard him offer for vs his bloud Let vs that be priestes folowe him as we maye that we may offer sacrifice for the people being though weake in merite yet honorable for the sacrifice Because albeit Christ be not sene to offer yet he is offered in earth when the body of Christ is offered Of these our lordes wordes which is geuen for you and which is shedde for you and for many Here S. Ambrose exhorteth the priestes to offer