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
the table of Christ and doo take of his body and bloud but they doo adore onely and be not also fylled for as much as they doo not folowe him Likewise in his exposition vpon that Psalme In Psal 2◠All the riche also sayeth he there of the earth haue eaten the body of the humblenes of their lord neither haue they ben fylled as the poore vntill the folowing But yet they haue adored and worshipped it that is by adoration they haue acknowleged Christ their lord there present Furthermore writing against Faustus the heretike of the Maniches secte amongest other thinges he sheweth how the Ethnikes thought that christē people for the honour they dyd before the blessed Sacramēt that is of the bread and wyne consecrated dyd honor Bacchus and Ceres which were false goddes honoured of the Gentiles for the inuention of wyne and corne Whereof may iustly be gathered an argument that in those dayes faithfull people worshipped the body and bloud of Christ in the Sacramēt vnder the formes of bread and wyne For elles the infidelles could not haue suspected them of doing idolatrie to Bacchus and Ceres One other most euident place touching this honour and adoration we fynde in him rehearsed by Gratian. lib. Sent. Prosperi De consecrat dist 2 can Nos autem we doo honour sayeth he in forme of bread and wyne which we see thinges inuisible that is to faye fleshe and bloud Neither take we likewise these two formes as we tooke them before consecration Sith that we doo faithfully graunt that before cōsecration it is bread and wyne which nature hath shapte but after cōsecration fleshe and bloud of Christ which the blessing of the priest hath consecrated Leauing a number of places that might be alleaged out of the auncient fathers for the confirmation of this matter to auoyde tediousnes I will conclude with that most plaine place of Theodoritus Who speaking of the outward signes of the Sacrament sayeth that notwithstanding they remaine after the mysticall blessing in the proprietie of their former nature as those that may be sene and felte nolesse then before yet they are vnderstanded and beleued to be the thinges which they are made by vertue of cōsecratiō and are worshipped with godly honour His wordes be these Intelligūtur ea esse quae facta sunt Dialogo 2 creduntur adorātur vt quae illa sint quae credūtur These mysticall signes sayeth he are vnderstāded to be those thinges which they are made and so they are beleued and are adored as being the thīges which they are beleued to be With which wordes Theodoritus affirmeth bothe the reall presence and also the adoration The reall presence in that he sayeth these outward signes or tokens after consecration to be made thinges which are not sene but vnderstanded and beleued whereby he signifieth the inuisible thing of this Sacrament the body and bloud of Christ Adoratiō he teacheth with expresse termes and that because through power of the mysticall blessing the signes be in existence and in dede the thinges which they are beleued to be soothly the body and bloud of Christ For otherwise god forbydde that christen people shuld be taught to adore and worship the insensible creatures bread and wyne Of which he sayeth that they are adored not as signes not so in no wise but as being the thinges which they are beleued to be Now I reporte me to the Christen reader whether this Adoratiō of the Sacrament whereby we meane the godly worship of Christes body in the Sacrament be a newe deuise or no brought into the church but lately about three hūdred yeres past Fol. 20. as M. Iuell maketh him selfe sure of it in his sermon And whereas vtterly to abolishe this adoration Fol. 26. he alleageth great danger of idolatrie in case the priest do not truly cōsecrate thereto may be answered Gen. 29. that Iacob stoode in no danger of conscience for that by the procurement of Laban he laye with Lya in stede of Rachel neither for the same was he to be charged with aduowtrie because he meāt good faith and thought him selfe to haue had the companie of his wyfe Rachel So idolatrie is not to be imputed vnto him that worshippeth Christ with godly honour in the bread not cōsecrate which of good faith he thinketh to be consecrate Touching this case S. Augustine hath this notable saying Inchi 60 We haue nede sayeth he to put a difference in oure iudgemēt and to knowe good from euyll for as much as Sathan chaunging his shape sheweth him selfe as an angell of light least through deceite he leade vs a syde to some perniciouse thinges For when he deceiueth the senses of the bodye and remoueth not the mynde from true and right meaning wherein ech man leadeth a faithfull lyfe there is no perill in religion Or if whē he fayneth him selfe good and doth or sayeth those thinges that of congruence perteine to good angels although he be thought to be good this is not a perilouse or sickely errour of Christian faith But when as by these thinges he begynneth to bring vs to thinges quite contrarie then to knowe him from the good Spirite and not to go after him it standeth vs much vpon diligently to watche and take heede Thus S. Augustine This much for th'adoration of the Sacrament or rather of Christ in the Sacrament maye suffise Or that the Sacrament was then or now ought Iuell to be hanged vp vnder a Canopie Of the reuerent hanging vp of the Sacrament vnder a Canopie ARTICLE IX IF M. Iuell would in plaine termes denye the reseruatiō and keping of the blessed Sacrament for which purpose the Pyxe and Canopie serued in the Churches of England as of the professours of this newe gospell it is bothe in word and also in dede denyed it were easy to proue the same by no small number of auctorities such as him selfe can not but allowe for good and sufficient But he knowing that right well guilefully refrayneth from mētion of that principall matter and the better to make vp his heape of Articles for some shewe against the Sacrament by denyall reproueth the hanging vp of it vnder the Canopie thereby shewing him selfe like to Momus who espying nothing reproueable in fayer Venus fownde faulte with her slypper Whereto we saye that if he with the rest of the Sacramentaries would agree to the keping of the Sacramēt thē would we demaunde why that maner of keping were not to be liked And here vpon proufes made of defaulte in this behalfe and a better waye shewed in so small a matter conformitie to the better would sone be persuaded Diuerse maners of keping the blessed Sacrament In other christen countries we graunt it is kepte otherwise vnder locke and keye in some places at the one ende or syde of the aulter in some places in a chappell buylded for that purpose in some places in the vestrie or in some inward
Or that it vvas then thought a sovvnde doctrine to teache the people that the Masse ex opere operato that is euen for that it is sayde and donne is hable to remoue any part of oure synne Article 21 Or that then any Christian man called the Sacrament his lorde and God Article 22 Or that the people vvas then taught to beleue that the body of christ remaineth in the Sacrament as long as the accidētes of the bread remayne there vvith out corruptiō Article 23 Or that a Mouse or any other vvorme or beaste maye eate the body of Christ for so some of oure aduersaries haue sayd and taught Article 24 Or that vvhen Christ sayde Hoe est corpus meum This vvord Hoc pointeth not the bread but indiuiduum vagum as summe of them saye Article 25 Or that the accidentes or formes or shevves of bread and vvyne be the Sacramentes of Christes body and bloud and not rather the very bread and vvyne it selfe Article 26 Or that the Sacrament is a signe or token of the body of Christ that lyeth hydden vnderneathe it Article 27 Or that Ignoraunce is the mother and cause of true deuotion and obedience These be the highest mysteries and greatest keys of theire Religion and vvith out them their doctrine can neuer be mainteined and stand vpright If any one of all oure aduersaries be hable to auouch any one of all these articles by any such sufficient authoritie of scriptures doctoures or councelles as I haue required as I sayde before so saye I novv agayne I am content to yelde vnto him and to subscribe But I am vvell assured they shall neuer be hable truly to alleage one sentence And because I knovv it therefor I speake it lest ye happely shuld be deceiued They that haue auaunted them selues of doctoures and councelles and cōtinuance of tyme in any of these pointes Fol. 51. vvhen they shall be called to tryall to shew their proufes they shall open their handes and fynde nothing I speake not this of arrogancie thou lord knovvest it best that knovvest all thinges But for as muche as it is godes cause and the truth of God I shuld doo God great iniurie if I shuld concele it THE VVORDES OF MAISTER THE SAME CHALENGE AND offer and imputing to the catholikes of vnhablenes to defend their doctrine vttered by M. Iuell in other places of his booke as folovveth MY offer vvas this he meaneth in the sermon vvich he made in the courte that if any of all those thinges that I then rehearsed In the first ansvver to D. Coles letter fol. 4. could be proued of your syde by any sufficiēt authoritie other of the scriptures or of the aunciēt Councelles or by any one allovved example of the primitiue churche that then I vvould be content to yelde vnto you I saye you haue none of all those helps nor scriptures nor councelles nor doctours nother any other antiquitie and this is the negatiue Novv it standeth you vpon to proue but one affirmatiue to the contrary and so to requyre my promise The Articles that I sayde could not be proued of your parte vvere these That it can not appeare by any authoritie other of the olde doctours or of the auncient Councelles that there vvas any priuate Masse in the vvhole churche of Christ at that tyme Or that there vvas then any communion ministred etc. the articles rekened there it foloweth And if any one of all these articles can be sufficiently proued by such atuhoritie as I haue sayde Fol. 5. and as ye haue borne the people in hand ye can proue them by I am vvell content to stand to my promise After in the first ansvver to D. C. fol. 6. In the ende there fol. 7. I thought it best to make my entree vvith such thinges as vvhere in I vvas vvell assured ye shuld be able to finde not so much as any colour at all But to conclude as I begane I ansvver that in these Articles I hold only the negatiue and therefore I looke hovv you vvil be able to affirme the cōtrarie and that as I sayde afore by sufficient authoritie vvhich if ye doo not you shall cause me the more to be resolued and others to stand the more in doubt of the rest of your learning In my Sermon at poules and els vvhere I required you to bring forth on your part eyther sum scripture sn the second ansvver to D. C. fo 13 or sum old doctour or sum aunciēt councell or els some allovve example of the primiue churchē For these are good grovvndes to buyld vpon And I vvould haue marueiled that you brought nothing all this vvhile sauing that I knevv ye had nothing to bring As truly as god is god if ye vvold haue vouchesaued to folovv either the scriptures or the auncient doctours In the 2. ansvver fol. 15. and councelles ye vvold neuer haue restored agayne the Sup̄macie of Rome after it vvas once abolished or the priuate Masse or the communion vnder one kinde etc. Novv if ye thinke ye haue vvrong There fol. 17. shevv your euidence out of the doctours the councels or scriptures that you may haue yout right and reentre I require you to no great paine one good sentence shall be sufficient You vvold haue your priuate Masse the bisshop of Romes sup̄macie the commē prayer in an vnknovven tonge Fol. 18. and for defence of the same ye haue made no small a doo Me thinketh it reasonable ye bring sum one authoritie besyde your ovvne to auouche the same vvith all Ye haue made the vnlearned people beleue ye had all the doctours all the councelles and fiften hundred yeres on your syde For your credites sake let not all these great vauntes comme to naught Ye desyre ye may not be put of Fol. 18. but that your suite maye be consydered And yet this half yeare long I haue desyred of you and of your brethren but one sentence and still I knovv not hovv I am cast of and can gete nothing at your handes You call for the special proufes of our doctrine Fol. 21. vvhich vvould require a vvhole booke vvhere as if you of your part could vouchesafe to bring but tvvo lines the vvhole matter vvere concluded VVe only tell the people as our devvtie is that you vvithstand the manifest truth and yet haue neither doctour nor councell nor scripture for you and that ye haue shevved such extremitie as the like hath not bē seene and novv cā giue no rekening vvhy Or if ye can let it appeare Fol. 23. You are bovvnde ye saye and maye not dispute etc. But I vvould vvish the quenes Maiestie vvould not only set you at libertie in that behalfe but also cōmaunde you to shevve your grovvndes VVhere as you saye you vvould haue the sainges of bothe parties vveighed by the balance of the olde doctours ye see that is oure only request and that in the matters ye vvrite of I
that the Sacrament in sundry portions consecrated by a bishop shuld be sent a broade among the churches for cause of heretikes that the catholike people of the churches which word here signifieth as the greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth so as it is not necessarie to vndestand that the sacrament was directed only to the materiall churches but to the people of the parrishes might receiue the catholike communion and not communicate with heretikes Which doubteles must be vndestanded of this priuate and single communion in eche catholike mans house and that where heretikes bare the swea and priestes might not be suffred to consecrate after the catholike vsage Elles if the priestes might with out let or disturbance haue so done then what nede had it ben for Milciades to haue made such a prouision for sending abroade hostes sanctified for that purpose by the cōsecration of a Bishop The place of Damasus hath thus Milciades fecit vt oblationes consecratae per Ecclesias ex consecratu Episcopi propter haereticos dirigerentur Milciades ordeined that consecrated hostes shuld be sent abroade amongest the churches prepared by the consecration of a bishop The two wordes propter haereticos for heretikes added by Ado the writer of Martyrs lyues openeth the meaning and purporte of that decree Here haue I brought much for proufe of priuate and single communion and that it hath not onely ben suffered in tyme of persecution but also allowed in quiet and peaceable tymes euen in the Churche of Rome it selfe where true Religion hath euer ben most exactly obserued aboue all other places of the worlde and from whence all the churches of the West hath taken their light As the Bishops of all Gallia that now is called Fraunce doo acknowledge in an epistle sent to Leo the Pope with these wordes Vnde religionis nostrae propicio Christo Epistola proxima post 51. inter epistolas Leonis fons origo manauit From that Apostolike see by the mercie of Christ the fontaine and spring of our Religion hath come More could I yet bryng for confirmation of the same as th' example of S. Hilaria the virgine in the tyme of Numerianus of S. Lucia in Diocletians tyme done to martyrdom of S. Maria Aegyptiaca and of S. Ambros of which euery one as auncient testimonies of ecclesiasticall histories and of Paulinus doo declare at the houre of their departure hence to God receiued the holy Sacrament of th'aulter for their viage prouision alone But I iudge this is ynough and if any man will not be persuaded with this I doubte whether with such a one a more number of autorities shall any thing priuaile Now that I haue thus proued the single communion I vse their own terme I desire M. Iuell to reason with me soberly a word or two How saye you Syr doo you reproue the Masse or doo you reproue the priuate Masse I thinke what so euer your opinion is herein your answer shall be you allow not the priuate Masse For as touching that the Oblation of the body and bloude of Christ done in the Masse is the sacrifice of the churche and proper to the new testament commaunded by Christ to be frequented according to his institution if you denye this make it so light as you liste all those authorities which you denye vs to haue for proufe of your great number of articles will be fownde against you I meane doctoures general councelles the most aunciēt th' example of the primitiue churche the scriptures I adde further reason consent vniuersall and vncontrolled and tradition If you denye this you must denye all our Religion from the Apostles tyme to this daye and now in the ende of the world when iniquitie aboūdeth and charitie waxeth colde when the sonne of man cōming shall scarcely finde faith in the earth begynne a new And therefore you M. Iuell knowing this well ynough what so euer you doo in dede in worde as it appeareth by the litle booke you haue set foorth in printe you pretende to disallow yea most vehemētly to improue the priuate Masse Vpon this resolution that the Masse as it is taken in generall is to be allowed I enter further in reason with you and make you this argument If priuate Masse in respecte only of that it is priuate after your meaning be reproueable it is for the single communion that is to saye for that the priest receiueth the Sacrament alone But the single communion is laufull yea good and godly ergo the priuate Masse in this respecte that it is priuate is not reproueable but to be allowed holden for good and holy and to be frequēted If you denye the first proposition or maior then must youe shew for what elles you doo reproue priuate Masse in respecte only that it is priuate then for single communion If you shew any thing elles then doo you digresse from our purpose and declare that you reproue the Masse The minor you can not denye seing that you see how sufficiently I haue proued it And so the priuate Masse in that respecte only it is priuate is to be allowed for good as the Masse is Mary I denye not but that it were more commēdable and more godly on the churches parte if many wel disposed and examined would be partakers of the blessed Sacrament with the priest But though the Clergie be worthely blamed for negligence herein through which the people may be thought to haue growen to this slaknes and indeuocion yet that notwithstanding this parte of the catholike Religion remaineth sownde and faultles For as touching the substance of the Masse it selfe by the single communion of the priest in case of the peoples coldenes and negligence it is nothing impaired Elles if the publike sacrifice of the churche might not be offered with out a number of communicantes receiuing with the priest in one place then would the auncient fathers in all their writinges some where haue complained of the ceasing of that which euery where they call quotidianum iuge sacrificium the dayly and cōtinuall sacrifice of which their opinion is that it ought dayly to be sacrificed that the death of our lord and the worke of our Redēption might alwayes be celebrated and had in memorie and we thereby shewe our selues according to our bounden duetie myndefull and thankefull But verely the fathers no where complaine of intermitting the daily sacrifice but very much of the slaknes of the people for that they came not more often vnto this holy and holesome banket and yet they neuer compelled them thereto but exhorting them to frequēt it worthely lefte them to their owne conscience S. Ambros witnesseth that the people of the East had a custome in his tyme to be houseled but once in the yere And he rebuketh sharply such as folowe them after this sorte Si quotidianus est cibus Lib. 6. de sacra ca. 4 cur post annum illum sumis quemadmodum Graeci in Oriente facere
consueuerunt If it be our daily meate sayeth he why takest it but once in the yere as the Grekes are wonte to doo in the East De verbis domini secuÌ„duÌ„ LucaÌ„ ho. 28. S. Augustine vttereth the same thinge almost with the same wordes And in the second booke De sermone Domini in monte the twelfth chapter expownding the fourth petition of our lordes prayer Geue vs this daye our dayly bread shewing that this may be taken either for materiall bread either for the sacrament of our lordes body or for spirituall meate which he alloweth best would that concerning the sacrament of our lordes body they of the Easte shuld not moue question how it might be vnderstanded to be their dayly bread which were not dayly partakers of our lordes supper where as for all that this bread is called dayly bread There he sayeth thus Vt ergo illi taceant neque de hac re sententiam suam defendant vel ipsa auctoritate Ecclesiae sint contenti quòd sine scandalo ista faciunt neque ab eis qui ecclesiis praesunt facere prohibentur neque non obtemperantes condemnantur Wherefore that they holde their peace and stand not in defence of their opinion let them be conteÌ„t at least waye with the auctoritie of the churche that they doo these thinges with out offence thereof taken neither be forbidden of those that be ouer the churches neither be condemned when they disobeye Here we see by S. Augustine that they of the Orient who so seldom receiued the sacrament were holden for all that for ChristeÌ„ people by the autoritie of the churche none offence thereof was taken neither were they inhibited of their custome and though they obeyed not their spirituall gouernours mouing them to receiue more often yet were they not condemned nor excommunicated In 10. cap. ad Hebr. hom 17. S. Chrysostome many tymes exhorting his people to prepare them selues to receiue their rightes at least at Easter in one place sayeth thus What meaneth this The most parte of you be partakers of this sacrifice but once in the yere some twyse some oftener Therefore this that I speake is to all not to them onely that be here present but to those also that lyue in wildernes For they receiue the sacrameÌ„t but once in the yere and peraduenture but once in two yeres Well what then whom shall we receiue those that come but once or that come often or that come seldom Soothly we receiue them that come with a pure and a cleane conscience with a cleane harte and to be shorte with a blamelesse lyfe They that be such let them come allwayes and they that be not such let not them come not so much as once Why so because they receiue to them selues iudgement damnation and punishement The auncieÌ„t doctoures specially Chrysostome and Augustine be full of such sentences Now to this ende I dryue these allegations leauing out a great number of the same sense Although many tymes the people forbare to come to the communion so as many tymes none at all were founde disposed to receiue yet the holy fathers The peoples forebearing the communioÌ„ is no cause vvhy the priest shuld not saye Masse In 10. cap. ad Hebr. homil 17. bishops and priestes thought not that a cause why they shuld not dayly offer the blessed sacrifice and celebrate Masse Which thing may sufficiently be proued whether M. Iuell that maketh him selfe so sure of the contrary will yelde and subscribe according to his promise or no. Of the dayly sacrifice these wordes of Chrysostome be plaine Quid ergo nos Nonne per singulos dies offerimus offerimus quidem sed ad recordationem facientes mortis eius vna est hostia non multae etc. Then what doo we doo we not offer euery daye yeas verely we doo so But we doo it for recording of his death And it is one hoste not many Here I heare M. Iuell saye though against his will I grawnt the dayly sacrifice but I stand still in my negatiue By order of the laste communion booke no coÌ„munioÌ„ may be sayd or had vvith out three doo communicate vvith the minister at leaste of hovv small nuÌ„ber so euer the parrishe bee De coÌ„sec dist 1. can hoc quoque statutuÌ„ that it can not be shewed there was euer any such sacrifice celebrated with out a communion that is as they will haue it with out some conuenient number to receiue the sacrament in the same place with the priest For proufe of this these be such places as I am persuaded with all The better learned men that be of more reading then I am haue other I doubte not Soter Byshop of Rome a bout the yere of our lord 170. who suffred martyrdom vnder Antoninus Verus the Emperour for order of celebrating the Masse made this statute or decree Vt nullus presbyterorum solennia celebrare praesumat nisi duobus praesentibus sibique respondentibus ipse tertius habeatur quia cum pluraliter ab eo dicitur Dominus vobiscum illud in secretis Orate pro me apertissimè conuenit vt ipsius respondeatur salutationi This hath ben ordeined that no priest presume to celebrate the soleÌ„nitie of the Masse excepte there be two present and answer him so as he be the third For whereas he sayeth as by waye of speaking to many our lorde be with you and likewise in the Secretes Praye you for me it semeth euidently conuenient that answer be made to his salutation accordingly Which auncient decree requireth not that all people of necessitie be present much lesse that all so oftentymes shuld communicate sacramentally which thing it requireth neither of those two that ought to be present If of the bare wordes of this decree a sufficient argument maye not be made for our purpose inducing of th'affirmation of that one thing there specified the denyall of that other thing we speake of which maner of argumeÌ„t is commonly vsed of our aduersaries theÌ„ more weight may be put vnto it in this case for that where as the receiuing of Christes body is a farre greatter matter then to answer the priest at Masse if that holy bishop and Martyr had thought it so necessary as that the Masse might not be done with out it doubteles of very reason and conuenience he would and shuld haue specially spoken of that rather then of the other But for that he thought other wise a Ex concilio AgatheÌ„ can 31 Missas die dominico secularibê° totas andire speciali ordine praecipimê° ita vt ante bene dictioneÌ„ sacerdotis egredi populus non praesumat quod si secâ—rim ab Episcopo publicè confundantur he required onely of necessitie the presence of two for the purpose aboue mentioned In a councell holden at Agatha a citie of Fraunce then called Gallia about the tyme of Chrysostome an olde decree of Fabianus Bishop of Rome and Martyr and also of the
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
wyne in his house then for as much as Egesippus who was not long after him witnesseth of him that he neuer dranke wyne but at our lordes supper But because perhappes oure aduersaries will caste some myste ouer these allegations to darken the truth with theire clowdy gloses which be cleare ynough to quiet and sobre wittes that geue eare to the holy ghost speaking to vs by the mowth of the churche I will bring forth such witnesses and proufes for this purpose out of auncient fathers as by no reason or Sophisticall shifte they shall be hable to auoyde Many of the places that I alleged in the article before this for priuate communion may serue to his purpose very well and therfore I will not lette to recite some of them here also Milciades that constant martyr of Christ and bishop of Rome ordeined that sundry hostes prepared by the consecrating of a bishop shuld be sent abroade among the churches and parishes that christen folke who remayned in the catholike faith might not through heretikes be defrauded of the holy SacrameÌ„t Which can none other wise be taken then for the forme of breade onlye because the wine can not conueniently be so caryed abroade froÌ„ place to place in small quantitie for such vse much lesse any long tyme be kepte with out corruption The councell of Nice decreed Can. 14. that in churches where neither bishop nor priest were present the deacons them selues bringe forth and eate the holy communion Which lykewise can not be referred to the forme of wine for cause of sowring and corruption if it be long kepte Where oftentymes we finde it recorded of the fathers that christen people in tyme of persecution receiued of the priestes at church in fyne linnen clothes the sacrament in sundry portioÌ„s to beare with them and to receiue it secretly in the morninge before other meate as their deuotion serued theÌ„ for the same cause and in respectes of other circumstances it must of necessitie be taken onely for the kynde or forme of breade The places of Tertullian and saint Cyprian be knowen Lib. 2. ad vxorem Tertullian writing to his wife exhorteth her not to marye agayne specially to an infidell if he dye before her for that if she doo she shall not be hable at all tymes for her husband to doo as a christen womaÌ„ ought to doo Will not thy husband know sayeth he what thou eatest secretly before all other meate and in case he doo know it he will beleue it to be bread not him who it is called-Saint Cyprian writeth in his sermon de lapsis that when a woman had gonne aboute with vnworthy handes to open her cofer wher the holy thing of oure lord was layde vp she was made affrayde with fyre that rose vp from thence as she durst not touch it Which doubteles must be taken for that one kynde of the Sacrament The examples of keping the holy Sacrament vnder the forme of bread onely to be in a redines for the sycke and for others in tyme of danger that they might haue their necessarie vitaile of lyfe or viage prouision with them at their departure hence be in maner infinite Here one or two may serue in stede of a number For though M. Iuell maketh his vaunt that we haue not one sentence or clause for proufe of these articles which he so defaceth with his negatiue yet I will not accumulat this treatise with tediouse allegation of auctorities S. Ambrose at the houre of death receiued the communion vnder one kynde kepte for that purpose as it appeareth by this testimonie of Paulinus who wrote his life And because it may be a good instruction to others to dye well I will here recite his wordes At the same tyme as he departed from vs to oure lorde from about the eleueÌ„th howre of the day vntill the howre that he gaue vp the ghost stretching abroade his handes in maner of a crosse he prayed We sawe his lippes moue but voice we heard none Horatus a priest of the churche of Vercelles being gonne vp to bedde heard a voice three tymes of one calling him and saying to him aryse and haste the for he will departe hence by and by Who going downe gaue to the sainte oure lordes bodye which taken and swalowed downe he gaue vp the ghost hauing with him a good voiage prouision so as the soule being the better refreshed by the vertue of that meate maye now reioyse with the companie of Angelles whose life he leade in the earth and with the felowship of Elias Ecclesias hist lib. 6. cap. 44. Dionysius Alexandrinus aboute the yere of oure lord 200. as Eusebius Caesariensis reciteth manifestly declareth how that an olde man called Serapion was houseled vnder one kinde at his ende This Serapion after that he had layen speacheles three dayes sent for the Sacrament The priest for sickenes not hable to come him selfe gaue to the ladde that came of that errant a litle of the sacrament commaunding him to weate it and so being moisted to powre it in to the oldes mannes mowth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this much is expressed by the wordes there as the greke is to be constrewed The ladde being retourned home moisted with some liquour that diuine meate to serue the olde man with all lying now panting for desyre to be dimissed hence and to haste him awaye to heauen and powred it in to his mowth For that this old mannes mowth and throte had long ben drye by force of his sikenes the priest who had experience in that case prouidently gaue warning to moyste the Sacrament with some liquoure and so together to powre it in to his mowth Which was so done by the ladde as Dionysius expresseth Now if the forme of wine had then also ben brought by the ladde to be ministred there had ben no nede of such circumstance to procure the olde man a moisture to swallowe downe that holy foode And that this was the maner of ministring the Sacrament to old men at their departing it appeareth by record of Theodoritus who wryteth in his ecclesiastical storye how one Bassus an archepriest ministred vnto an olde maÌ„ called Simeones of great fâ—me for his holynes Bassus sayeth he as he visited his churches chaunced vpoÌ„ holy Simeones that woonder of the world lying sicke who through feblenes was not hable to speake nor moue When Bassus sawe he shuld dye he geueth him his rightes before But after what sorte it is to be marked Spongia petita Simeoni os humectat atque eluit ac tum ei diuinum obtulit Sacramentum He calleth for a sponge sayeth Theodoritus and therewith moysteth and washeth Simeones mowth and then geueth him the holye Sacrament If at that tyme the receiuing of the sacred cuppe had ben in vse such procuring of moisture for the better swallowing downe of the SacrameÌ„t vnder the one kynde had ben needles Amphilochius that worthy bishop of Iconium in Lycaonia of
punicall tonge and not the latine tonge as likewise the people of Spaigne named Iberi spake that language which was proper to them let him reade Titus Liuius de bello Macedonico For there he recordeth that when those of Aphrica or of Spaigne and the Romaines came together for parle and talke they vsed an interpreter And Vlpianus the Lawier a great officer about Alexander Seuerus the Emperour at the begynning of Christen Religiō In l fideicommissa ff d. leg 3. writeth that fidei commissa maye be lefte in all vulgare tonges and putteth for examples the Punicall and the Frenche or rather Gallicall tonge This much or more might here be sayde of the language of the people of Gallia now called Fraunce which thē was barbarouse and vulgare and not onely latine and yet had they of that nation their Seruice then in Latine as all the West churche had That the common language of the people there was vulgare the vse of the latine seruing for the learned as we must nedes iudge we haue first the autoritie of Titus Liuius Ab vrbe condita lib. 7. Who writeth that a Galloes or as now we saye a French man of a notable stature prouoked a Romaine to fight with him man for man making his chalenge by an Interpreter Which had not ben done in case the latine tonge had ben common to that nation Nexte the place of Vlpianus before mentioned Then the recorde of Aelius Lampridius who writeth that a woman of the order of the Druides In vita Alexandri Mamaeae cryed out a lowde to Alexander Seuerus Mammaea her sonne the Emperour as he marched foreward on a daye with his armie gallico sermone in the gallicall tonge these wordes boding his death which right so shortly after folowed Vadas nec victoriam speres ne militi tuo credas Go thy waye and looke not for the victorie truste not thy souldier Lastly the witnes of S. Hierom who hauing trauailed ouer that region and therefore being skilful of the whole state thereof In prooemio 2. cōment ad Galatas acknowlegeth the people of Treueres and of that territorie to haue a peculiar language diuerse from latine and greke If all that I haue broughte here touching this matter be well weighed it will seme probable I doubte not that all sortes of people in Aphrica vnderstoode not the Seruice which they had in the latine tonge And no lesse maye be thought of Gallia and Spaigne And so farre it is proued against M. Iuelles stowte assertion that within his syx hundred yeres after Christ some Christen people had their common prayers and Seruice in a tonge they vnderstoode not And thus all his allegations broughte for proufe of his saying in this behalfe be answered the place of S. Paul to the Corinthians excepted Which er I answer I will according to my promise proue The antiquitie of the latine Seruice in the church of England that about nyne hūdred yeres past yea a thousand also and therefore some deale within his syx hundred yeres euen in S. Gregories tyme the Seruice was in an vnknowen tonge in this lande of England then called Britaine and begonne to be called England at least for so much as sithens and at these dayes is called by the name of England Beda an English man that wrote the ecclesiasticall storye of the English nation in the yere of our lord 731. and of their comming in to Britaine about 285. recordeth that S. Augustine and his companie who were sent hyther to conuert the English people to the faith of Christ which the Britons here had professed long before hauing a safe conducte graunted the by king Ethelbert to preache the gospell where they would sayde and song their seruice in a churche buylded of olde tyme in the honour of S. Martine adioyning on the east syde of the head citie of Kent whiles the Romaines dwelt in Britaine The wordes of Beda be these Lib. 1. hist ecclesiast cap 26. In hac ecclesia conuenire primo psallere orare missas facere praedicare baptizare coeperunt In this churche they beganne first to assemble them selues together to synge to praye to saye Masse to preache and to baptise It is plaine that this was the Seruice And no doubte they resorted to it who beleued and were of them baptized wondering as Bede sayeth at the simplicitie of their innocent lyfe and swetnes of their heauenly doctrine In English it was not for they had no skille of that tonge as Bedo sheweth lib. 1. cap. 23. And therefore er they entred the land they tooke with them by cōmaundemēt of S. Gregorie Lib. 1. c. 25. interpreters out of fraunce Which interpreters serued for open preaching and priuate instruction exhortation and teaching In synging and saying the Seruice there was no vse of thē Whereas S. Augustine after that the English nation had receiued the faith and he had ben made Archebishop ouer them hauing fownde the faith being one diuersitie of customes in diuerse churches one maner of Masses in the holy Romaine churche an other in that of Fraunce for this and certaine other purposes sent two of his clergie Laurence and Peter to Rome to be aduertised amongest other thinges what order maner and custome of Masses it liked S. Gregorie the churches of the English nation shuld haue hereunto that holy father answered that what he espyed either in the Romaine or French or any other churche that might be most acceptable to almighty god he shuld choose out and gather together and commēde the same to the churche of England there to be lefte in custome to continewe lib. 1. cap. 27. If it had then ben thought necessary the Seruice of the Masse to be in English or if it had ben translated in to the English tonge it is not to be thought that Bede who declareth all thinges concerning matters of Religion so diligently specially professing to write an ecclesiasticall storye would haue passed ouer that in silence And if the Masse had ben vsed in the English tonge the monumentes and bookes so much multiplied among the churches would haue remained in some place or other And doubteles some mention would haue ben made of the tyme and causes of the leauing such kynde of Seruice and of begynning the newe latine Seruice As certaine of S. Gregories workes tourned in to English by Bede him selfe haue ben kepte so as they remaine to this daye S. Gregorie him selfe is a witnes of right good auctoritie vnto vs that this land of England which he calleth Britaine in his tyme that is almost a thousand yeres past had the cōmon prayers and Seruice in an vnknowen tonge without doubte in Latine much in like sorte as we haue of olde tyme had till now His wordes be these Ecce omnipotens dominus penè cunctarum iam gentium corda penetrauit Expositionis in Iob li. 27. ca. 6 ecce in vna fide Orientis limitem Occidentisque coniunxit
amōg the vnlearned people or any other alien or straunge tonge but onely and that by waye of metaphore any maner of vtterāce whereby the signes of thinges are pronounced before they be vnderstanded And by the Spirite he vnderstandeth not a noyse of straunge wordes after your straunge interpretation but as it is here in a certaine proper and peculiar maner taken a power of the soule inferiour to the mynde which conceiueth the similitudes of thinges and vnderstandeth them not And thinges so vttered be vttered with the tonge and spirite whether it be in Englishe or Latine or any other language And Syr although the people vnderstand not in most exacte wise what the priest sayeth in the Latine seruice yet haue they commoditie and profite therby so farre as it pleaseth God to accepte the common prayer of the churche pronounced by the priest for them But S. Paul saye they requyreth that the people geue assent and cōforme them selues vnto the priest by answering Amen to his prayer made in the congregation Verely in the Primitiue churche this was necessary when the faith was a learning And therefore the prayers were made then in a cōmon tonge knowen to the people for cause of their further instruction who being of late conuerted to the faith and of paynimes made christians had nede in all thinges to be taught But after that the faithfull people was multiplied and increaced in great numbers and had ben so well instructed in all pointes of Religion as by their owne accorde they conformed them selues to the ministers at the cōmon prayers in the Latine churche the Seruice was set out in Latine and it was thought sufficiēt parte of the people in the quyer to answere for the whole people And this hath ben estemed for a more expedite and conuenient order then if it were in the vulgare tonge of euery nation I graunt they can not saye Amen to the blessing or thankes-geuing of the priest so well as if they vnderstoode the Latine tōge perfitely Yet they geue assent to it and ratifie it in their hartes and doo conforme them selues vnto the priest though not in speciall yet in generall that is to witte though not in euery particular sentence of praise and thankes-geuing or in euery seuerall petition yet in the whole For if they come to churche with a right and good intent as the simple doo no lesse then the learned their desyre is to render vnto god glorie praise and honour and to thanke him for benefites receiued and with all to obteine of him thinges behofull for them in this life and in the life to come And without doubte this godly affection of their myndes is so acceptable to God as no vnderstanding of wordes may be compared with it This requysite assent and conforming of them selues to the priest they declare by sundry outward tokens and gestures as by standing vp at the gospell and at the preface of the Masse by bowing them selues downe and adoring at the Sacrament by kneeling at other tymes as when pardon and mercie is humbly asked and by other like signes of deuotion in other partes of the Seruice And whereas S. Paul semeth to disallowe praying with tonges in the common assemble because of want of edifying and to esteme the vtterance of fyue wordes or sentences with vnderstāding of his meaning that the reste might be instructed thereby more then ten thousand wordes in a straunge and vnknowen tonge all this is to be referred to the state of that tyme which was much vnlike the state of the churche we be now in The tōge of the prayers which S. Paul speaketh of was vtterly straunge and vnknowen and serued for a signe to the vnbeleuers The latine tonge in the latine churche is not all together straunge and vnknowē For besyde the priest in most places some of the reste haue vnderstanding of it more or lesse and now we haue no nede of any such signe They needed instruction we be not ignorant of the chiefe pointes of Religiō They were to be taught in all thinges we come not to churche specially and chiefly to be thaught at the Seruice but to praye and to be taught by preaching Their prayer was not vaileable for lacke of faith and therefore was it to be made in the vulgare tonge for increace of faith Our faith will stand vs in better stede if we geue our selues to deuout prayer They for lacke of faith had nede of interpretation bothe in prayers and also in preaching and all other spirituall exercises We hauing sufficient instruction in the necessary rudimentes of our faith for the reste haue more nede by earnest and feruent prayer to make sute vnto God for an vpright pure and holy lyfe then to spende much tyme in hearing for knowledge Concerning which thing Chrysostome hath this saying Profectò si orare cum diligentia insuescas Contrà Anomaeo◠homil 3. nihil est quòd doctrinam tui conserui desideres quum ipse Deus sine vllo interprete mentem abundè luce asficiat Verely if thou vse to praye diligently there is nothing why thou shuldest desyre teaching of thy felowe seruant seing God him selfe doth abundantly lighten thy mynde without any interpreter I would not here that any man shuld laye to my charge the defence of ignorance as though I enuyed the people any godly knowledge I wish them to haue all heauenly knowledge and to be ignorant of nothing necessary to their Saluation Yea euen with my very harte I wish with Moses Num. 11. Quis tribunt vt omnis populus prophetet det dominus illis spiritum suum O that all the people could prophecie and were learned in gods holy worde and that our lord would geue them his spirite But all the common people to vnderstand the priest at the Seruice I thinke wise ad godly men iudge it not a thing so necessary as for the which the auncient order of the churche with no litle offence publike and vniuersall auctoritie not consulted shuld be condemned broken and quite abrogated by priuate aduise of a fewe If defaulte were in this befalse iustly fownde it is knowen to whom the redresse perteineth Concerning the state of Religion in all ages the generall Councell representing the vniuersall churche for all sores hath ordeined holesom remedies Where they be not heard Luc. 10. of whom Christ sayde He that heareth you heareth me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me it is to be feared that cōcerning the seruice the newe learned boldnes is not so acceptable to God as the olde simple humilitie It were good the people hauing humble and reuerent hartes vnderstoode the Seruice I denye not Yet all standeth not in vnderstāding S. Augustine sayeth notably Cōtrà Manichaeos epist Fundamenti cap. 4. turbā non intelligendi viuacitas sed credendi simplicitas tutissimam facit That as for the cōmon people it is not the quiknesse of vnderstanding but the simplicitie of beleuing that maketh
all this so much might easely be sayde as shuld serue to a whole volume But In this treatise seeking to auoide prolixitie hauing purposed to saye somewhat to this number of the other Articles and knowing this matter of the Primacie to be allready largely and learnedly handeled of others will but trippe as it were lightly ouer at this tyme and not sette my fast footing in the deepe debating and treating of it The Popes Primacie not of Man but of gods ordināce The first proufe of the Popes primacie scripture expoūded Matth. 16. First as concerning the right of the Popes primacie by gods lawe by these auncient autorities it hath ben auouched Anacletus that holy bishop and martyr S. Peters scholer and of him cōsecrated priest in his epistle to the bishops of Italie writeth thus In nouo testamento post Christum etc. In the newe testament the order of priestes beganne after our lord Christ of Peter because to him bishoprike was first geuen in the churche of Christ where as our lord saide vnto him Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will buylde my church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it and vnto thee I will geue the keies of the kingdome of heauen Wherfore this Peter receiued of our lord first of all power to binde and to lowse and first of all he brought people to the faith by vertue of his preaching As for the other Apostles they receiued honour and power in like felowship with him and willed him to be their prince or chiefe gouernour In an other epistle to all bishoppes alleaging the same texte for the Primacie of the See of Rome speaking of the disposition of churches committed to Patriarkes and Primates saith thus most plainely This holy ad Apostolike church of Rome hath obteined the Primacie not of the Apostles but of our lord Sauiour him selfe and hath gotten the preeminence of power ouer all churches and ouer the whole flocke of Christen people euen so as he saide to blessed Peter th'Apostle Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke etc. S. Gregorie writing to Mauritius the Emperoure against Iohn the bishop of Constantinople ambitiously claiming and vsurping the name of an vniuersall bishop proueth the bishop of Rome succeding in Peters chaier to be Primate and to haue charge ouer all the church of Christ by scriptures thus Cunctis euangelium scientibus liquet etc. Epist 32. It is euident to all that knowe the gospell that the cure and charge of the whole church hath ben committed by the worde of our lord to the holy Apostle Peter prince of all the Apostles for to him it is sayde Peter Ioan. 21. Luc. 22. louest thou me feede my sheepe to him it is sayd Beholde Sathan hath desyred to syfte you as it were wheate and I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faith faile not And thou being once conuerted strengthen thy brethren To him it is saide Thou art Peter Matth. 26 and vpon this rocke I will buylde my church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it And vnto the I will geue the keies of the kingdom of heauen And what so euer thou byndest vpon earth shal be bounde also in heauen and what so euer thou lowsest on earth shable lovvsed also in heauen Beholde he receiueth the keies of the heauenly kingdome Cura ei totius Ecclesiae principatus committitur the power of bynding and lowsing is geuen to him the charge of the whole church and principalitie is committed to him Thus farre Gregorie But because our aduersaries though without iuste cause refuse the witnes of the Bishops of Rome in this article as vnlawfull witnesses in their owne cause were thei neuer so holy martyrs or learned confessours they may vnderstand we are able to alleage sundry other authorities to the confirmation hereof that be aboue all exception S. Cyprian declaring the contempte of the high Priest Christes Vicarie in earth to be cause of schismes and heresies writeth thus to Cornelius Pope and Martyr Neque enim aliunde haereses obortae sunt etc. Neither haue heresies or schismes rysen of any other occasiō then of that the Priest of God is not obeied and that one Priest for the tyme in the church and one iudge for the tyme in stede of Christ is not thoughte vpon To whom if the whole brotherhed that is the whole number of Christē people which be brethren together and were so called in the primatiue church would be obedient according to gods teachinges Secūdum magisteria diuina then no man would make adoo against the colledge of priestes no mā woulde make him selfe iudge not of the bishop nowe but of God after gods iudgement after the fauour of the people declared by theire voices at the Election after the consent of his felowbishops no man through breach of vnitie and strife would diuide the church of Christ no man standing in his owne conceite and swelling with pride would sette vp by him selfe abroade without the church a newe heresie Of all other authorities that of Athanasius and of the bishops of Egypte and Libya gathered together in a Synode at Alexandria is to be regarded Who making humble sute to Felix then bishop of Rome for aide and succour against the Arianes through the whole epistle confessing the supreme auctoritie of that Apostolike See vtter these very wordes Vestrae apostolicae sedis imploramus auxilium etc. In primo tomo Cōciliorum We humbly besech you of the helpe of your Apostolike See Because as verely we beleue God hath not despised the praiers of his seruantes offered vp to him with teares but hath constituted and placed you your predecessours who were Apostolike Prelates in the highest tower or supreme state In summitatis arce constituit and commaunded them to haue cure and charge of all churches to th' intent you helpe and succour vs and that defending vs as to whom iudgemēt of bishops is committed you forslowe not through negligence to delyuer vs from our enemies Now if the Apostolike church of Rome hath obteined the Primacie and preeminence of power ouer all churches and ouer the whole flocke of Christen people of our lord Sauiour him selfe as Anacletus saith If it be euident to all that knowe the gospell that the cure and charge of the whole church hath ben committed to the holy Apostle Peter Prince of all the Apostles by the worde of our lord as Gregorie witnesseth If the whole brotherhed that is to say all christen folke ought to obeye the one hygh Priest or bishop of God and the one Iudge that is Christes Vicare or in the steede of Christ for the tyme according to the preceptes and teachinges of God as Cyprian writeth If it be God that hath placed and ordeined the bishop of Rome in the highest state of the church as Athanasius with all the fathers of that Alexandrine councell recordeth If this I say be true then is
bishops that reacheth from Peter him selfe to Anastasius which now sitteth in the same chaier if any traitour had crepte in it shuld nothing hurte the church and the innocent christen folke ouer whom our lord hauing prouidence sayeth of euill rulers what they saye vnto you Matth. 23. doo ye but what they doo doo ye not for they saye and doo not to the intent the hope of a faithfull person may be certaine and such as being set not in man but in our lord be neuer scattered abroade with tempest of wicked schisme And in his 166. epistle he sayeth our heaueÌ„ly Maister hath so farre forewarned vs to be ware of all euill of dissension that he assured the people also of euill rulers that for their sakes the Seate of holesom doctrine shuld not be forsaken in which Seate euen the very euill men be compelled to saye good thinges For the thinges which they saye be not theires but gods who in the Seate of vnitie hath put the doctrine of veritie By this we are plainely taught that albe it the successours of Peter Christes vicares in earth be fownde blameworthy for euill lyfe yet we oughte not to dissente from them in doctrine nor seuer our selues from them in faith For as much as notwithstanding they be euill by gods prouidence for the suertie of his people they be compelled to saie the thinges that be good and to teache the truth the thinges they speake not being theirs but gods who hath put the doctrine of veritie in the Seate or chaier of vnitie which singulare grace cometh specially to the See of Peter either of the force of Christes prayer as is sayde before or in respecte of place and dignitie which the bishops of that See holde for Christ as Balaam could be broughte by no meanes to curse that people whom God would to be blessed And Caiphas also prophecied because he was high bishop of that yere and prophecied truly being a maÌ„ otherwise most wicked And therfore the euill doinges of bishops of Rome make no argument of discrediting their doctrine To this purpose the example of Gregorie Nazianzene may very fittely be applied of the golden syluerne and leadden seale As touching the valewe of metalles golde and syluer are better but for the goodnes of the seale as well doth leadde imprint a figure in waxe as syluer or golde For this cause that the See of Rome hath neuer ben defyled with stinking heresies as Theodoritus sayeth and god hath alwaies kepte in that chaier of vnitie the doctrine of veritie as Augustine writeth for this cause I saye it sitteth at the sterne and gouerneth the churches of the whole worlde for this cause bishops haue made their appellations thither iudgement in doubtes of doctrine and determination in all controuersies and strifes hath ben from thence alwayes demaunded Now that the B. of Rome had alwayes cure and rule ouer all other bishops specially of them of the East for touching them of the West church it is generally coÌ„fessed besyde a hundred other euideÌ„t argumentes this is one very sufficient that he had in the East to doo his stede three delegates or vicares now commonly they be named legates And this for the commoditie of the bishops there whose churches were farre distaÌ„t froÌ„ Rome The one was the bishop of Constantinople as we finde it mencioned in epistola Simplicij ad Achatium Constantinopolitanum The seconde was the bishop of Alexandria as the epistle of Bonifacius the seconde to Eulalius recordeth The third was the bishop of Thessalonica as it is at large declared in the 82. epistle of Leo ad Anastasium Thessalonicensem By perusing these epistles euery man may see that all the bishops of Grece Asia Syria Egite and to be shorte of all the Orient rendred and exhibited their humble obedieÌ„ce to the B. of Rome and to his arbitremeÌ„t referred their doubtes coÌ„plaintes and causes and to him onely made theire appellations Of the B. of Rome his punishing of offenders by censures of the church and otherwyse CorrectioÌ„s from the Pope as by excommunications eiection deposition and enioyning penance for transgressions we haue more exaÌ„ples then I thinke good to recite here They that haue knowledge of the ecclesiasticall stories may remeÌ„ber how Timotheus B. of Alexandria was excommunicated with Peter his deacon by Simplicius the Pope Nestorius B. of Constantinople by Celestinus Theophilus B. of Alexandria with Arcadius the Emperour and Eudoxia the Empreresse by Innocentius for their wicked demeanour toward Chrysostome How Dioscorus B. of AlexaÌ„dria was deposed though the whole secoÌ„de Ephesine councell stoode in his defence how Peter B. of Antioche was not onely put out of his bishoprike but also of all priestly honour How Photius was put out of the Patriarkeship of Constantiple into which he was intruded by fauour of Michael the Emperour at the sute of his wicked vnkle by Nicolaus the first Lib 3. epist 13. For proufe of this auctoritie the epistle of Cyprian which he wrote to Stephanus Pope in his tyme against Martianus the B. of Arelate in Gallia maketh an euident argument For that this Martianus became a maineteyner of the heresie of Nouatianus and therewith seduced the faithfull people Cyprian hauing intelligence of it by Faustinus from Lions aduertised Stephanus of it and moued him earnestly to directe his letters to the people of Arle by auctoritie of which Martianus shuld be deposed and an other put in his rome to th' intent sayeth he there the flocke of Christ which hytherto by him scattered abroade and woonded is contemned may be gathered together Which S. Cyprian would not haue written had the B. of Rome had no suche auctoritie CoÌ„firmations by the Pope For the Popes auctoritie concerning confirmation of the ordinations and elections of all bishops many examples might easely be alleaged as the request made to Iulius by the 90. Ariane bishops assembled in councell as Antioche against Athanasius that he would wouchesafe to ratifie and confirme those that they had chosen in place of Athanasius Paulus Marcellus and others whom they had condemned and depriued Also the earnest sute which Theodosius the Emperour made to Leo for coÌ„firmation of Anatolius and likewise that Martianus the Emperour made to him for confirmation of Proterius bothe bishops of Alexandria as it appeareth by their letters written to Leo in theire fauour And as for Anatoliê° Leo would not in any wise order and coÌ„firme him onlesse he would first professe that he beleued and helde the doctrine Vide Leonis epis 1â— which was conteined in Leo his epistle to Flauianus and would further by writing witnesse that he agreed with Cyrillus and the other catholihe fathers against Nestorius For this if nothing elles could be alleaged the testimonie of holy Gregorie were sufficient to make good credite Who vnderstanding that Maximus was ordered bisshop of Salonae a citie in Illyrico without the auctoritie and confirmation of the See Apostolike standing in doubte least
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
occupied a place at the table visibly by his diuine power there he helde his body in his haÌ„des inuisibly In expositione psal 13. For as S. Augustine sayeth ferebatur manibê° suis he was borne in his owne haÌ„des where nature gaue place and his one body was in mo places then one Verely non est abbreuiata manus domini the hande of our lord is not shortened his power is as great as euer it was And therefore let vs not doubte but he is able to vse nature finite infinitely specially now the nature of his body being glorified after his resurrection from the dead And as the lyuing is not to be sought among the dead so the thinges that be done by the power of God aboue nature are not to be tryed by rules of nature And that all absurdities and carnall grosnes be seuered from our thoughtes where true christen people beleue Christes body to be in many places at once they vnderstaÌ„d it so to bee in a mysterie Being in a mysterie Now to be in a mysterie is not to be comprehended in a place but by the power of God to be made present in sorte and maner as him selfe knoweth verely so as no reason of man can atteine it and so as it may be shewed by no examples in nature Whereof that notable saying of S. Augustine may very well be reported Aug. epis ad VolusianuÌ„ IteÌ„ Ser. 159. de tempore O homo si rationem à me poscis non erit mirabile exemplum quaeritur non erit singulare that is O man if herein thou require reason it shall not be marueilouse seeke for the like example and then it shall not be singuler If Goddes working be comprehended by reason sayeth holy Gregorie it is not wonderouse neither faith hath meede Gregorius in homil whereto mannes reason geueth proufe Iuell Or that the priest did then holde vp the Sacrament ouer his head Of the Eleuation or lyfting vp of the Sacrament ARTICLE VII OF what weight this ceremonie is to be accompted catholike ChristeÌ„ men whom you call your aduersaries M. Iuell knowe no lesse then you Verely whereas it pleaseth you thus to ieste and like a Lucian to scoffe at the sacramentes of the church and the reuerent vse of the same calling all these articles in generall thâ—… highest mysteries and greatest keyes of our religion without which our doctrine can not be maineteined and stand vpright vnderstand you that this a sundry other articles which you denye and requyrâ—… proufe of is not such ne neuer was so estemed The priestes lifting vp or shewing of the Sacrament is not one of the highest mysteries or greatest keyes of our Religion and the doctrine of the catholike churche may right well be maineteined and stande without it But it appeareth you regarde not so much what you saye as how you saye somewhat for colour of defacing the churche which whiles you go about to doo you deface your selfe more then you seeme to be ware of and doo that thing whereby among good christen men specially the learned you may be a shamed to shewe your face For as you haue ouer rashely yea I maye saye wickedly affirmed the negatiue of sundry other articles and stowtely craked of your assurance thereof EleuatioÌ„ of the sacrament so you hauâ—… likewise of this For perusing the auncient father writinges we fynde record of this Ceremonie vsed euen from the Apostles tyme foreward Saint Dionyse that was S. Paules scholer sheweth that the priest at his tyme after the consecration was wont to holde vp the dredfull mysteries so as the people might beholde them His wordes be these according to the greke Ecclesias hierarch cap. 3. Pontifex diuina munera laude prosecutus sacrosancta augustissima mysteria conficit collaudata in conspectum agit per symbola sacrè proposita The bishop after that he hath done his seruice of praising the diuine giftes consecrateth the holy and most worthy mysteries and bringeth them so praysed in to the sighte of the people by the tokeÌ„s set forth for that holy purpose On which place the auncient greke writer of the scholies vpon that worke sayeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loquitur de vnius benedictionis nimirum panis diuini eleuatione quem Pontifex in sublime attollit dicens Sancta sanctis This father speaketh in this place of the lifting vp of the one blessing that is to saye of the one forme or kynde of the sacrament euen of that diuine breade which the bishop lifteth vp on high saying holy thinges for the holy In saint Basiles and Chrysostomes Masse we finde these wordes Sacerdos eleuans sacrum panem dicit Sancta Sanctis The priest holding vp that sacred bread sayeth Holy thinges for the holy In Saint Chrysostomes Masse we reade that as the people is kneeling downe after th' example of the priest and of the deacon the deacon seing the priest stretching forth his handes and taking vp that holy bread 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad sacram eleuationem peragendam palam edicit attendamus to doo the holy eleuation speaketh out a lowde let vs be attent and then the priest sayeth as he holdeth vp the sacrament holy thinges for the holy Amphilochius of whom mention is made afore in the lyfe of S. Basile speaking of his wonderouse celebrating the Masse among other thinges sayeth thus Et post finem orationum exaltauit panem sine intermissione orans dicens Respice domine Iesu Christe etc. And after that he had done the prayers of consecration he lyfted vp the bread without ceasing praying and saying Looke vpon vs lord Iesus Christ etc. The same saint Basile meant likewise of the Eleuation and holding vp of the sacrament after the custome of the OccideÌ„tall churche Cap 27. in his booke de Spiritu sancto where he sayeth thus Inuocationis verba dum ostenditur panis eucharistiae calix benedictionis quis sanctorum nobis scripto reliquit Which of the sainctes hath lefte vnto vs in writing the wordes of Inuocation whiles the bread of Eucharistia that is to witte the blessed sacrament in forme of bread and the consecrated chalice is shewed in sight He speaketh there of many thinges that be of great auctoritie and weight in the church which we haue by tradition onely and can not be auouched by holy scripture Of shewing the holy mysteries to them that be present in the sacrifice In epist ad Ephes Sermon 3. in moral the olde doctours make meÌ„tion not sildom S. Chrysostom declareth the maner of it saying that such as were accompted vnworthy and heynouse synners were put forth of the churche whiles the sacrifice was offered whiles Christ and that lambe of our lord was sacrificed Which being put out of the churche then were the vailes of the aulter taken awaie to th'entent the holy mysteries might be shewed in sight doubteles to styrre the people to more deuotion reuerence and to the
in the throne and to the lambe for euer And the fouer and tvventie elders fell dovvne on their faces and adored him that lyueth vntill vvorldes of vvorldes But it shall be more tediouse then nedefull to recite places out of the scriptures for proufe of th'adoratiō of Christ there may of thē be fownde so great plentie Contrarietie in the first diuisers of the nevve gospell Yet because Luther was either so blinde or rather so deuilishe as to denye th'adoration where notwithstāding he cōfessed the presence of Christes true and natural body in the Sacrament I will here recite what the Sacramentaries of Zurich haue written against him therefore What saye they is the bread the true and natural body of Christ and is Christ in the supper as the Pope and Luther doo teache present Wherefore then ought not the lord there to be adored where ye saye him to be present Why shall we be forbydden to adore that which is not onely sacramentally but also corporally the body of Christ Thomas toucheth the true body of Christ raysed vp from the dead and falling downe on his knees adoreth saying My God and my lord The disciples adore the lord as well before as after his Ascension Matth. 28. Act. 1. And the lord in S. Iohn sayeth to the blinde man Ioan. 9. beleuest thou in the sonne of God and he answered him saying Lord who is he that I may beleue in him And Iesus sayed to him Thou hast bothe sene him and who speaketh with thee he it is Then he sayeth lord I beleue and he adored him Now if we taught our lordes bread to be the natural body of Christ verely we would adore it also faithfully with the papistes This much the Zuinglians against Luther Whereby they prooue sufficiently th'adoration of Christes body in the Sacrament and so consequently of Christ him selfe God and man because of the inseparable coniunction of his diuine and humaine nature in vnitie of persone so as where his body is there is it ioyned and vnited also vnto his godhed and so there Christ is present perfitely wholly and substantially very god and man For the cleare vnderstanding whereof the better to be atteined the scholastical Diuines haue profitably deuised the terme concomitantia plainely and truly teaching that in this Sacrament after consecration vnder the forme of breade is present the body of Christ and vnder the forme of wine his bloud ex vi sacramenti and with the body vnder forme of bread also the bloud the soule and godhed of Christ and likewise with the bloud vnder the forme of wyne the body soule and godhed ex concomitantia as they terme it in shorter and playner wise vttering the same doctrine of faith which the holy fathers dyd in the Ephesme councell against Nestorius Whereby they meane that where the body of Christ is present by necessary sequell because of the indiuisible copulation of bothe natures in the vnitie of person for as much as the Word made fleshe neuer lefte the humaine nature there is also his bloud his soule his godhed and so whole and perfite Christ God and man And in this respecte the terme is not to be misliked of any godly learned man though some newe Maisters scoffe at it who fill the measure of their predecessours that likewise haue ben offended with termes for the apter declaration of certaine necessary articles of our faith by holy and learned fathers in generall councelles holesomly deuised Of which sorte ben these homousion humanatio incarnatio transubstantiatio etc. Now here is to be noted how the Zuinglians whom M. Iuell foloweth in th'article of adoration confute the Lutherans as on the other syde the Lutherans in th'article of the presence confute the Zuinglians As though it were by gods speciall prouidence for the better staye of his churche so wrought that bothe the truth shuld be confessed by the enemies of truth and also for vttering of vntruth the one shuld be condemned of the other that by the warre of heretikes the peace of the churche might be established and by their discorde the catholike people might the faster grewe together in concorde Now hauing sufficiētly proued by the scriptures and that with the Zuingliās also adoration and godly honour to be due vnto Christes body where so euer it please his diuine maiestie to exhibit the same present let vs see whether we can finde the same doctrine affirmed by the holy and auncient fathers What the Apostles taught in their tyme concerning this Article we may iudge by that we reade in Dionysius that was S. Paules scholer and for that is to beleued He adoreth and worshippeth this holy mysterie with these very wordes Ecclesias hierarch cap. 3. Sed ò diuinum penitus sanctumque mysterium etc. But ô diuine and holy mysterie which vouchesafest to open the cooueringes of signes layd ouer the vtter thy light to vs openly and plainely and fill our spirituall eyes with the singular and euident brightnes of thy light Origen teacheth vs how to adore and worship Christ in the Sacrament before we receiue it after this forme of wordes Hom 5. in diuersos Euangelij locos Quādo sanctum cibum etc. when thou receiuest the holy meate and that vncorrupt banket when thou enioyest the bread and cuppe of lyfe thou eatest and drinkest the body and bloud of our lord then our lord entreth in vnder thy roofe And therefor thou also humbling thy selfe folowe this Cēturion or captaine and saye Lord I am not vvorthy that thou enter vnder my roofe For where he entreth in vnworthely there he entreth in to the condemnation of the receiuer What can be thought of S. Cyprian but that he adored the inuisible thing of this Sacrament which is the body and bloud of Christ seing that he confesseth the godhed to be in the same nolesse then it was in the person of Christ which he vttereth by these wordes In Ser. d◠coena do Panis iste quem dominus discipulis porrigebat etc. This bread which our lord gaue to his disciples chaunged not in shape but in nature by the almighty power of god is made fleshe And as in the person of Christ the manhode was sene and the godhed was hydden euen so the diuine essence hath vnspeakeably infused it selfe into the visible sacramēt Chrysostom hath a notable place for the adoration of Christes body in the Sacrament in his commentaries vpon S. Paul In 10. cap. prioris ad Corinth where he affirmeth also the real presence and the sacrifice Let vs not let vs not sayeth he be willing impudently to kill our selues And when thou seest that body set forth saye with thy selfe for cause of this body I am no lenger earth and ashes no lenger captiue but free This body fastened on the Crosse and beaten was not ouercome with death After this he exhorteth all to adore and worship our lordes body in the Sacrament This body sayeth he the wise men worshipped
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
also and that chiefly a diuine thinge vnder them according to christes promisse couertly conteined specially this being weyed that this most holy Sacramēt consisteth of these two thinges to witte of the visible forme of the outward elemētes and the inuisible fleshe and bloud of Christ that is to saye of the Sacrament and of the thing of the sacrament Tertullian may seme to speake of these two partes of the sacramēt ioyntly in this one sentēce For first he speaketh most plainely of the very body of Christ in the Sacramēt and of the maruelouse tournīg of the breade into the same the breade sayeth he that he tooke and gaue to his disciples he made it his body Which is the diuine thing of the sacramēt Then forthwith he sayeth that our lord dyd it by sayng This is my body that is the figure of my body By which wordes he sheweth the other parte the sacramēt onely that is to saye that holy outward signe of the forme of breade vnder which forme Christes body into the which the breade by gods power is tourned is conteined which outward forme is verely the figure of Christes body present which our lord vnder the same conteined delyuered to his disciples and now is likewise at that holy table to the faithfull people delyuered where the order of the catholike churche is not broken That Tertullian in this place is so to be vnderstanded we are taught by the great learned bishop saint Augustine and by Hilarius who was bishop of Rome nexte after Leo the first Saint Augustines wordes be these De cōsec dist 2. canon vtrūsub figura Corpus Christi veritas figura est Veritas dum corpus Christi sanguis in virtute Spiritus sancti ex panis vini substantia efficitur Figura verò est quod exterius sentitur The body of Christ is both the truth and the figure The truth whiles the body of Christ and his bloud by the power of the holy ghost is made of the substance of bread and wine And it is the figure that is with outward sense perceiued Where S. Augustine here sayeth the body and bloude of Christ to be made of the substance of bread and wine beware thou vnlearned man thou thinke not them thereof to be made as though they were newely created of the matter of bread and wine neither that they be made of breade and wine as of a matter but that where bread and wine were before after consecration there is the very body and bloud of Christ borne of the virgine Mary and that in substance in sorte and maner to our weake reason incomprehensible Dist 2. cano corpus Christi The wordes of Hilarius the Pope vtter the same doctrine Corpus Christi quod sumitur de altari figura est dum panis vinum videtur extrà Veritas autem dum corpus Christi interius creditur The body of Christ which is receiued from the aulter is the figure whiles bread and wine are sene outwardly And it is the truth whiles the body and bloud of Christ are beleued inwardly Thus the fathers call not onely the sacramēt but also the body and bloud of Christ it selfe in the sacrament sometymes the truth sometymes a figure the truth that is to witte the very and true body and bloud of Christ a figure in respecte of the maner of being of the same there present which is really and substantially but inuisibly vnder the visible forme of the outward elementes And so Tertullian meaneth by his that is the figure of my body as though Christ had shewed by the word Hoc that which was visible which verely is the figure of the body right so as that which is the inuisible inward thing is the truth of the body Which interpretation of Tertullian in dede is not according to the right sense of Christes wordes though his meaning swarue not from the truth For where as our lord sayde this is my body he meant not so as though he had sayde the outward forme of the Sacrament which here I delyuer to you is a figure of my body vnder the same conteined for as much as by these wordes Hoc est he shewed not the visible forme of breade but the substance of his very body in to which by his diuine power he tourned the bread And therefore none of all the fathers euer so expownded those wordes of Christ but cōtrary wise namely Theophylacte and Damascen He sayd not sayeth Theophylact This is a figure In Matth. cap. 26. Lib. 4. ca. 14. but this is my body The bread nor the wyne meaning their outward formes sayeth Damascen is not a figure of the body and bloud of Christ Not so in no wise But it is the body it selfe of our lord deificated sith our lord him selfe sayeth This is my body not the figure of my body but my body and not the figure of my bloud but my bloud etc. And the cause why Tertullian so expownded these wordes of Christ was that thereby he might take aduantage against Marcion the heretike as many tymes the fathers in heate of disputatiō doo hādle some places not after the exacte signification of the wordes but rather folowe such waye as serueth thē best to confut their aduersarie Which maner not reporting any vntruth S. Basile doth excuse in the setting forth of a disputation not in prescribing of a doctrine Epist 64. As he defendeth Gregorius Neocaesariensis against the Sabellianes for that in a contentiō he had with Aelianus an Ethnike to declare the mysteries of the trinitie he vsed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in stede of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the learned men that be well sene in the fathers knowe they must vse a discretion and a sundry iudgement betwen the thinges they write agonisticῶs that is to saye by waye of contention or disputation and the thinges they vtter dogmaticῶs that is by waie of setting forth a doctrine or matter of faith Neither in that contention dyd Tertullian so much regard the exacte vse of wordes as how he might wynne his purpose and driue his aduersarie denying that Christ tooke the true body of man and that he suffered death in dede to confesse the truth which he thought to bring to passe by deducing an argument from the figure of his body which consisteth in that which is visible in the sacrament to proue the veritie of his body and therefore in framing his reason by waie of illation he sayeth Figura autem non esset nisi veritatis esset corpus There were not a figure onlesse there were a body of truth or a very body in dede And whereas Tertullian vseth this word figure in this place it is not to be vnderstanded to be such The vvordes figure signe token etc. exclude not the truth as the figures of the olde testament bee as though it signified the shewing of a thing to come or of a thing absent which is wonte to
Crosse they worship not the woodde or stone figured but they honour the highest God And whom they can not beholde with senses they reuerēce and worship his image representing him according to auncient Institution not resting or staying them selues in the image but trāsferring the adoration and worship to him that is represented Thus farre S. Gregorie Much might be alleaged out of the fathers concerning the worshipping of Images but this may suffise And of all this one sense redowndeth that what reuerence honour or worship so euer is applyed to Images it is but for remēbrance loue and honour of the primitiues or originalles As when we kysse the gospell booke by that token we honour not the parchement paper and incke wherein it is written but the gospell it selfe And as Iacob Gen. 37. when he kyssed his sonne Iosephes cote embrewed with kyddes bloud holding and embracing it in his armes and making heauy mone ouer it the affection of his loue and sorowe rested not in the cote but was directed to Ioseph him selfe whose infortunat death as he thought that blouddy cote represented So Christen men shewing tokens of reuerence loue and honour before the Image of Christ of an Apostle or Martyr with their inward recognition and deuotion of their hartes they staye not their thoughtes in the very Images but deferre the whole to Christ to the Apostle and to the Martyr geuing to ech one in dewe proportion that which is to be geuen putting difference betwen the almighty Creator and the creatures finally rendring all honour and glory to God alone who is maruelous in his sainctes Such worshipping of Images is neither to be accompted for wicked nor to be dispysed for the which we haue the testimonies of the auncient fathers bothe Grekes and Latines vnto which further auctoritie is added by certaine generall Councelles that haue condemned the brekers and impugners of the same Iuell Or that the laye people was then forbydden to reade the word of God in their owne tonge Of the peoples reading the Bible in theire ovvne tonge ARTICLE XV. THat the laye people was then forbidden to reade the word of God in their owne tonge I fynde it not Neither doo I fynde that the laye people was then or at any other tyme commaunded to reade the word of God in their owne tonge being vulgare and barbarous By vulgare and barbarous tonges I vnderstand as before all other besyde the three learned and principall tonges Hebrewe Greke and Latine Which as they were once natiue and vulgare to those three peoples Three sūdry opinions cōcerning the scriptures to be had in a vulgare tonge so now to none be they natiue and vulgare but common to be atteined by learning for meditation of the scriptures and other knowledge They that treate of this Article concerning the hauing of the scriptures in a vulgare tonge for the laytie to reade bee of three sundry opinions Some iudge it to be vtterly vnlaufull that the Bible be translated into any tonge of the commō people Some thinke it good it be translated so that respecte be had of tyme and of place and of persones Some be of the opinion that the holy scriptures ought to be had in the mother and natiue tonge of euery nation without any regard of tyme place or persones The first opinion is holden of fewe and commonly mysliked The third is maineteined by all the sectes of our tyme the Swenkfeldians excepted who would the scriptures to be in no regard The second is allowed best of those that seme to be of most wisedō and godlynes and to haue most care for the helth of the churche who haue not seuered thē selues frō the faith which hath cōtinewed frō the begynning Here that I saye nothing of the first opinion as they of the third reproue the moderation of the second so they of the second can not allowe the generalitie of the third That the scriptures be not to be set forth in the vulgare tonge to be reade of all sortes of people Fiue cōsiderations vvhy the scriptures are not to be set forth for all sortes of people to read thē vvith out limitation euery parte of them without any limitation of tyme place and persones they seme to be moued with these cōsyderatiōs First that it is not necessary nexte that it is not conuenient thirdly that it is not profitable Fouerthly that it is dangerous and hurtefull And lastly although it were accorded the common people to haue libertie to reade the Bible in their owne tonge yet that the translations of late yeres made by those that haue diuided them selues from the catholike churche be not to be allowed as worthely suspected not to be sownde and assured First that the common people of all sortes and degrees ought of necessitie to reade all the holy scriptures in their owne tonge they saie they could neuer fynde it hytherto in the same scriptures Lib. 3. aduersus haereses ca. 4 Irenaeus writeth that the Apostles preached to the aliātes and barbarous people the faith of Christ euē to those that were aliātes and barbarous in lāguage and sayeth that hauing heard the gospell preached they beleued in Christ and keping the order of tradition which the Apostles delyuered vnto them had their saluatiō and faith written in their hart without prynte penne or ynke and vtterly without letters And further he sheweth that if the Apostles had lefte to vs no scriptures at all yet we shuld be saued by the traditiō which they lefte to thē whō they cōmitted their churches vnto as many natiōs of aliantes be saued by the same Prologo in explationem Psal Hilarius likewise declaring that the mysterie of Gods will and th'expectatiō of the blessed kingdom is most and chiefly preached in the three tonges in which Pilate wrote on the Crosse our lord Iesus Christ to be king of the Iewes confesseth notwithstanding that many barbarous nations haue atteined and goten the true knowledge of God by the preaching of the Apostles and the faith of the churches remayning amongest them to that daie Whereby he doth vs to vnderstand that the vnlearned barbarous peoples had their faith without letters or writing whereof they had no skill by tradition and preaching as well as the other nations who were holpen by the benefite of the learned tonges Hebrewe Greke and Latine That it is not conuenient nor semely all sortes of persons without exception to be admitted to the reading of the holy scriptures I nede to saye nothing euery reasonnable man may easely vnderstand the causes by him selfe This is certaine diuerse chapters and stories of the olde testament conteine such matter as occasion of euill thoughtes is like to be geuen if women maydens and young men be permitted to reade them Gregorie Nazianzene Lib. 1. Theologiae whom the grekes called the diuine sayeth moued with great considerations that it is not the parte of all persons to reason of God and of
the Apostles them selues it doth right well appeare how so euer M. Iuell assureth him selfe of the contrary and what so euer the deuill hath wrought and by his ministers taught against the sacrifice of the Masse that priestes haue auctoritie to offer vp Christ vnto his father That Christ offered him selfe to his father in his last supper and that priestes by those wordes Doo this in my remembraunce haue not onely auctoritie but also a speciall commaundemēt to doo the same and that the figure of Melchisedech and the prophetie of Malachie perteineth to this sacrifice and maketh proufe of the same let vs see by the testimonies of the fathers what doctrine the Apostles haue lefte to the churche Eusebius Caesariensis hath these wordes De demōstrat Euāgeli lib. 1. cap. 10. Horrorem afferentia mensae Christi sacrificia supremo Deo offerre per eminentissimum omnium ipsius Pontificem edocti sumus We are taught sayeth he to offer vnto our supreme God the sacrifices of Christes table which cause vs to tremble and quake for feare by his bisshop highest of all Here he calleth Christ in respecte of his sacrifice Gods bishop highest of all bisshops the sacrifices of Christes table he calleth the body and bloud of Christ because at the table in his last supper he sacrificed and offered the same and for that it is his very body and very bloud imaginatiō onely phantasie and figure set aparte he termeth these sacrifices as cōmonly the auncient fathers doo horrible causing trembling and feare And where as he sayeth we haue ben taught to offer these sacrifices to God doubteles he meaneth by these wordes of Christ Doo this in my remembraunce this is my body which is geuen for you this is my bloud which is shedde for you Clement in his eight booke often cited speaking of the sacrifice offered by the Apostles commonly addeth these wordes secundum ipsius ordinationem or ipso ordinante Whereby he confesseth it to be Christes owne ordinance That Christ sacrificed him selfe at his supper Hesychius affirmeth with these wordes Quod Dominus iussit Leuit. 4. vt sacerdos vitulum pro peccato oblaturus ponat manum super caput eius iugulet eum coram Domino Christum significat quem nemo obtulit sed nec immolare poterat Ioan. 10. nisi semetipsum ipse ad patiendum tradidisset Propter quod non solum dicebat Potestatem habeo ponendi animam meam potestatem habeo iterū sumēdi eam sed praeueniens semetipsum in coena Apostolorū immolauit quod sciunt qui mysteriorum percipiunt virtutē That our lord commaunded sayeth he the priest which shuld offer a calfe for synne to put his hand vpon his hedde and to sticke him before our lord it signifieth Christ whom no man hath offered neither could any man sacrifice him excepte he had delyuered him selfe to suffer For the which he sayde not onely I haue power to laye downe my soule Ioan. 10. and I haue power to take it agayne But also preuenting it he offered vp him selfe in sacrifice in the supper of the Apostles which they knowe that receiue the vertue of the mysteries By these wordes of Hesychius we learne that Christ offered and sacrificed his body and bloud twise First in that holy supper vnbloudely when he tooke bread in his hādes and brake it etc. Without diuision of the sacrifice for it is but one and the same sacrifice And afterward on the crosse with shedding of his bloude and that is it he meaneth by the word preuenting And at the same very instant of tyme which is here further to be added as a necessary point of Christen doctrine whe must vnderstād that Christ offered hem selfe in heauen inuisibly as concerning man in the sight of his hauenly father and that frō that tyme foreward that oblation of Christ in heauen was neuer intermitted but continewed allwaies for our attonement with God and shall without ceasing endure vntill the ende of the worlde For as S. Paul sayeth Heb. 9. Iesus hath not entred into temples made with handes the samplers of the true temples but into heauē it selfe to appeare now to the cowntenance of God for vs. Now as this oblation and sacrifice of Christ endureth in heauen continually for as much as he is rysen from the dead and ascended in to heauen with that body which he gaue to Thomas to feele bringīg in thither his bloud as Hesychius sayeth and bearing the markes of his woondes and there appeareth before the face of God with that thorne prikte naileboared sperepearsed and other wise woonded rent and torne body for vs whereby we vnderstand the vertue of his oblation on the crosse euer enduring not the oblation it selfe with renewing of payne and sufferaunce continewed so we doo perpetually celebrate this oblation and sacrificing of Christes very body and bloud in the holy Masse in remembraunce of him commaunded so to doo vntill his comming Wherein our aduersaries so foolishly as wickedly scoffe at vs as though we sacrificed Christ agayne so as he was sacrificed on the crosse that is in bloudy maner But we doo not so offer or sacrifice Christ againe but that oblation of him in the supper and oures in the Masse is but one oblation the same sacrifice for this cause by his diuine ordinaunce lefte vnto vs that as the oblation once made on the crosse continually endureth and appeareth before the face of God in heauen for our behalfe continewed not by newe suffering but by perpetuall intercession for vs So the memorie of it may euer vntill his second comming be kepte amongest vs also in earth and that thereby we may apply and bring vnto vs through faith the great benefites which by that one oblation of him selfe on the crosse he hath for vs procured and daily doth procure Now for further proufe of the offering and sacrificing of Christ of those wordes of our lord Doo this in my remembraunce to recite some testimonies of the fathers First Dionysius Saint Paules scoler and bishop of Athenes writeth thus Ecclesias hierarch cap. 3. Quocirca reuerenter simul ex Pontificali officio post sacras diuinorum operum laudes quòd hostiam salutarem quae super ipsum est litet se excusat ad ipsum primò decenter exclamans Tu dixisti Hoc facite in meam commemorationem Wherefore the bishop sayeth he reuerently and according to his bishoply office after the holy prayses of Gods workes he excuseth him selfe that he taketh vpon him to offer that helthfull sacrifice which is aboue his degree and worthynes crying out first vnto him in seemely wise lord thou hast cōmaunded thus saying Doo this in my remembraūce By these wordes he confesseth that he could not be so hardy as to offer vp Christ vnto his father had not Christ him selfe so cōmaunded when he sayde Doo this in my remembraunce This is the doctrine touching this article that S. Paul taught his scolers which M.
parte of Christes glorie is impayred Iuell Or that then any Christian man called the Sacrament his lord and God Of calling the Sacrament lord and God ARTICLE XXI Sacramēt tvvo vvayes taken THis word Sacramēt as is declared before is of the fathers taken two wayes Either for the onely outward formes of bread and wine which are the holy signe of the very body and bloud of Christ present and vnder them conteined Or for the whole substance of the Sacrament as it consisteth of the outward formes In sent Prosperi de conse dist 2. lib. 4. cap. 34. and also of the very body and bloud of Christ verely present which S. Augustine calleth the inuisible grace and the thing of the Sacrament And Irenaeus calleth it rem coelestem the heauenly thing as that other rem terrenam the earthly thing Taken the first waie no Christen man euer honoured it with the name of lord and God For that were plaine Idolatrie to attribute the name of the Creator to the creature But taken in the secōd signification it hath alwayes of Christen people and of the learned fathers of the churche ben called by the name of lord and God And of right so ought it to be for elles were it impietie and a denyall of God not to call Christ the sonne of God by the name of lord and God who is not onely in truth of fleshe and bloud in the Sacrament after which maner he is there ex vi Sacramenti but also for the inseparable coniunction of bothe natures in vnitie of person ex necessaria concomitantia whole Christ God and man That the holy fathers called the Sacrament taken in this sense lord and God I might proue it by many places the rehearsall of a fewe may serue for many Origen in an homilie speaking reuerently of this blessed Sacrament sayeth In diuerfos Euangelij locos homil 5. that when a man receiueth it our lord entreth vnder his rooffe and exhorteth him that shall receiue it to humble him selfe and to saye vnto it Domine non sum dignus vt intres sub tectum meum Lord I am not worthy that thou enter vnder my rooffe S. Cyprian in Sermone de lapsis telleth how a man who had denyed God in tyme of persecution hauing notwithstanding the sacrifice by the priest done priuely with others receiued the Sacrament not being able to eate it nor to handle it opening his hādes fownde that he bare asshes Where he addeth these wordes Documento vnius ostensum est dominum recedere cum negatur By this example of one man it is shewed that our lord departeth awaie when he is denyed The same S. Cyprian in th' exposition of the Pater noster declaring the fourth petition of it Geue vs thys daye our daily bread vnderstandeth it to conteine a desyre of the holy communion in this blessed Sacrament and sayeth Ideo panem nostrum id est Christum dari nobis quotidie petimus vt qui in Christo manemus viuimus à sanctificatione corpore eius non recedamus Therefore we aske our daily bread that is to saye Christ to be geuen vnto vs that we which abyde and lyue in Christ depart not from the state of holynes and communion of his bodye Here S. Cyprian calleth the Sacrament Christ as he is in dede there present really so as in the place alleaged before he calleth it lord And I wene our aduersaries will imbarre the Sacrament of the name of Christ no lesse then of the name of lord or God Onlesse they make lesse of Christ then of lord and God Verely this holy martyr acknowlegeth this sacrament not for lord and Christ onely but also for God by these wordes in his sermon de coena Domini Sicut in persona Christi humanitas videbatur latebat diuinitas ita sacramento visibili ineffabiliter diuina se infudit essentia As in the person of Christ the manhode was sene and the godhed was hydden so the diuine essence or substaunce of God hath infused it selfe into the visible sacrament vnspeakeably Chrysostom doubteth not to call the Sacrament God in this plaine saying Nolimus obsecro nolimus impudentes nos ipsos interimere In priorē ad Cor. Homil. 24 sed cum honore munditia ad Deum accedamus quando id propositum videris dic tecum propter hoc corpus non amplius terra cinis ego sum non amplius captiuus sed liber Let vs not let vs not for gods sake be so shamelesse as to kill our selues by vnworthy receiuing of the sacrament but with reuerence and cleanenesse let vs come to God And when thou seest the sacrament set forth saye thus with thy selfe by reason of this body I am no more earth and asshes no more captiue but free And least this sense taken of Chrysostom shuld seme ouer straunge this place of S. Ambrose who lyued in the same tyme and agreeth with him thoroughly in doctrine may seme to leade vs to the same Quid edamus quid bibamus De ijs qul mysterijs initiantu◠cap. 9. Psal 33. alibi tibi per prophetā Spiritus sanctus expressit dicens gustate videte quoniam suauis est Dominus beatus vir qui sperat in eo in illo Sacramento Christus est quia corpus est Christi What we ought to eate and what we ought to drinke the holy ghost hath expressed by the prophete in an other place saying Taste and see how that our lord is sweete blessed is the man that trusteth in him In that Sacrament is Christ because there is the body of Christ Here S. Ambrose referring those wordes of the psalme to the sacrament calleth it lord and that lord in whom the man that trusteth is blessed who is God Agreeably to this sayeth S. Augustine In collectaneis in 10. cap. prioris ad Corinth in a sermō de verbis Euangelij as Beda reciteth Qualem vocem Domini audistis inuitantis nos Quis vos inuitauit Quos inuitauit Et quis praeparauit Inuitauit Dominus seruos praeparauit eis cibum seipsum Quis audeat māducare Dominum suum Et tamen ait qui manducat me viuet propter me What maner a uoice is that ye haue heard of our lord inuiting and bydding vs to the feast who hath inuited whom hath he inuited And who hath made preparation The lord hath inuited the seruantes and hath prepared him selfe to be meate for them Who dareth be so bolde as to eate his lord And yet he sayeth he that eateth me shall lyue for cause of me In Ioan. lib. 4. cap. 15. Cyrillus accompteth the sacrament for Christ and God the word and for God in this saying Qui carnem Christi manducat vitam habet aeternam Habet enim haec caro Dei verbum quod naturaliter vita est Proptereà dicit Quia ego resuscitabo eum in nouissimo die Ego enim dixit Ioan. 6. id est
the body and bloud of Christ for the people And willeth them to be more regarded then commonly they be now a dayes for this sacrifices sake though otherwise they be of lesse deserte Now for proufe of the sacrifice and oblation of Christ by the doctoures mynde vpon the figure of Melchisedech Lib. 2. epist 3. first S. Cyprian sayeth thus Qui magis sacerdos Dei summi quà m Dominus noster Iesus Christus qui sacrificium Deo patri obtulit et obtulit hoc idem quod Melchisedech id est panem vinum suum scilicet corpus sanguinem Who is more the priest of the highest God then our lord Iesus Christ who offered a sacrifice to God the father and offered the selfe same that Melchisedech dyd that is bread and wine that is to saye his owne body and bloud S. Hierome in an epistle that he wrote for the vertuouse women Paula and Eustochium to Marcella hath these wordes Recurre ad Genesim Melchisedech regem Salem Huius principem inuenies ciuitatis qui iam in typo Christi panem vinum obtulit mysterium christianum in Saluatoris sanguine corpore dedicauit Retourne to the booke of Genesis and to Melchisedech the king of Salem And thou shalt fynde the prince of that Citie who euen at that tyme in the figure of Christ offered bread and wine and dedicated the mysterie of Christians in the body and bloud of our Sauiour Here this learned father maketh a plaine distinction betwen th' oblation of the figure which was bread and wine and the oblation of the truth which is the mysterie of Christen people the bloud and the body of Christ our Sauiour Of this S. Augustine speaketh largely in his first sermon vpon the 33. Psalme and in the 17. booke de ciuitate Dei cap. 20. Of all other Oecumenius speaketh most plainely to this purpose vpon this place of S. Paul alleaged out of the Psalme Tu es Sacerdos in aeternum secundum â—rdinem Melchisedech Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech his wordes be these Significat sermo quòd non solum Christus obtulit incruentam hostiam siquidem suum ipsius corpus obtulit verum etiam qui ab ipso furgentur sacerdotio quorum Deus Pontifex esse dignatus est sine sanguinis effusione offerent Nam hoc significat in aeternum Neque enim de ea quae semel a Deo facta est oblatio et hostia dixisset in aeternum sed respicieÌ„s ad praesentes sacrificos per quos medios Christus sacrificat sacrificatur qui etiam in mystica coena modum illis tradidit huiusmodi sacrificij The meaning of this place is sayeth he that not onely Christ offered an vnbloudy sacrifice for he offered his owne body but also that they which after him shall doo the office of a priest whose bishop he vouchesaueth to be shall offer without shedding of bloud For that signifieth the word for euer For concerning that oblation and sacrifice which was once made by God he would neuer saye in aeternum for euer But he sayd so hauing an eye to those priestes that be now by the mediation of whom Christ sacrificeth and is sacrificed who also in his mysticall supper taught them by tradition the maner of such a sacrifice Concerning the prophecie of Malachie for proufe of this oblation though the place of Irenaeus aboue recited may stand in stede of many auctorities yet I will not lette to rehearse the sayinges of a father or two for confirmation of this Article Chrysostom sayeth very plainely In Psal 95 In omni loco sacrificium offertur nomini meo sacrificium purum Vide quâm luculenter quanque dilucide mysticam interpretatus est mensam quae est incruenta hostia In euery place a sacrifice shall be offered to my name and that a pure sacrifice See how plainely and clearely he interpreted the mysticall table which is the vnbloudy sacrifice Saint Augustine hath many euident sayinges touchig this matter in his workes One shall suffise for all which is in a litle treatise he made contra Iudaeos vttered in these wordes Cap. 9. Aperite oculos tandem aliquando videte ab Oriente sole vsque ad Occidentem non in vno loco vt vobis fuit constitutum sed in omni loco offerri sacrificium christianorum non cuilibet Deo sed ei qui ista praedixit Deo Israel Open your eyes at last you Iewes and see that from the rysing of the sunne to the setting not in one place as it was appointed to you but in euery place the sacrifice of the Christen people is offered not to euery God but to him that prophecied of these thinges before the God of Israel And euen so with that protestation which saint Augustine made to the Iewes I ende this tediouse matter consisting in maner altogether in allegations to M. Iuell Open open your eyes at last M. Iuell and see how all the holy and learned fathers that haue preached the faith of Christ from the rysing of the sunne to the setting haue taught this doctrine by word and writing lefte to the posteritie that they which vnder Christ doo vse the ofâ—â—ce of a priest after the order of Melchisedech haue not onely auctoritie but also expresse commaundement to offer vp Christ vnto his father The proufe of which doctrine although it depend of the weight of one place yet I haue thought good to fortifie it with some good number that it may the better appear to be a most vndoubted truth not moued greatly with the blame of tediousnes where no thankes are sought but onely defence of the catholike Religion is intended Or that the priest had then auctoritie to communicate and receiue the Sacrament for an other as they doo Iuell Of the priestes saying Masse for an other ARTICLE XVIII VVhat you would saye M. Iuell I wote not what you saye well I wote The priest receiueth not the SacrameÌ„t for an other Verely we do not communicate ne receiue the Sacrament for an other Neither hath it euer ben taught in the catholike churche that the priest receiue the Sacrament for an other We receiue not the Sacrament for an other no more then we receiue the Sacrament of Baptisme or the Sacrament of penaunce or the Sacrament of Matrimonie one for an other In dede the priest sayeth Masse for others where he receiueth that he hath offered and that is it you meane I gesse In which Masse being the externall sacrifice of the Newe testament according vnto Christes institution the thing that is offered is such as maketh our petitions and requestes acceptable to God as S. Cyprian sayeth In sermone de coena domini In huius corporis praesentia non superuacué mendicant lachrymae veniaÌ„ In the presence of this body teares craue not forgeuenes in vaine That the oblatioÌ„ of the Masse is done for others then for the priest alone