Deo defertur oratione petitur pro populo pro regibus pro caeteris Vbi venitur vt cōsiciatur venerabile Sacramētū iā non suis sermonibus vtitur sacerdos sed vtitur sermonibus Christi Ergo sermo Christi hoc conficit Sacramentum Let vs then teache this How Cōsecraciō how yt ys doen cā that that ys bread be the bodie of Chryste By consecraciō By what ād whose woordes ys the consecracion Of our Lord Iesus For all the other things that be saied laude ys geuē to God peticiō ys made in praier for the people for kinges and other Whē the time ys comed that the honorable Sacrament shall be made then the preist vseth not his owne woordes but the woordes of Chryste Therfor Yt ys the woorde of Christe that maketh this Sacrament A plain place of S. Amb. for master Iuell Thus moche S. Ambrose whose woords are so plain that I nede not by notes vnto yow declare the same ād his testimonie so cōsonaunt and agreable with the Fathers before alleaged for this matter her hādled that ye maie euidētlie perceaue howe one trueth and the self same doctrine hath bē cōstantly taught in the diuerse ages in the whiche these Fathers liued And to ascend a litle higher and nearer to the Apostles time we will for the full declaracion of this treuth and doctrine allready auouched heare Eusebius Emis in homil pasch Christ doth consecrate his own bodie by turning the substance of bread c. the testimonie of Eusebius Emissenus an auncient Father in Chrystes church who saieth thus Inuisibilis sacerdos visibiles creaturas in substantiam corporis sanguinis verbo suo secreta potestate conuertit The inuisible preist with his woord by a secret power turneth the visible creatures into the substance of his bodie and bloode Thus Eusebius Whome heare yowe here tomake the bodie of Chryste dothe not the inuisible preist which ys our Sauiour Iesus Chryste and not the preist who ys but the ministre as the Auersaries maliciouslie blaspheme But leauing to thee gentle reader to weigh and consider what maner of people they are that haue feigned soche abhominable vntrueths as to saie to deceaue with all that the preist made God and to iudge what credite aught to be geuen to soche as with lies slaunders and blashemies go aboute to maintein their detestable heresies I will ioin one more of like auncientie to this Eusebius and then I trust this maie satisfie thee in this matter And this shall be Cyprian that holie martir who speaking of euell receauers Cypr. decoena Dom. saieth thus Melius erat illis mola asinaria collo alligata mergi in pelagus quà m illota conscientia de manu Domini accipere qui vsque hodie hoc veracissimū sanctissimū corpus suū creat sanctificat et benedicit piè sumentibus diuidit Yt were better for thē a milstone tied to their neckes to be drowned Christ doth create sanctisie and blesse his own bodie a plain saig of S. Cyp. in the sea then with an vnwasshed consciēce to take the morsell at the hāde of our Lorde who vntill this daie doth create and sanctifie and blesse and to the godlie receauers diuide this his most true and most holie bodie Thus Cipr. Do ye not see and learn by this holy martir who doth make the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament Oure Lord saieth he dothe euen till this tune create sanctifie and blesse this his most holie bodie Note also against these signe makers and figure feigners that he saieth not he createth a bodie But his bodie Corpus suum and not an imaginatiue bodie but veracissimū sanctissimū corpus suū his most true ād most holie bodie And he did not onelie so do in his last supper as the Petrobrusiās saied sed vsque hodie creat vntil this daie he dothe create sanctisie and blesse this his most true and most holie bodie Wherbie ys taught that Chryste and none other dothe cōtinuallie create in that holie ministraciō ād make his bodie Nowe ye haue heard frō the latter daies vntill the time of this holie martir Cipriā and Eusebius before alleaged who were nere to the primitiue churche what hath bē taught as cōcerning this matter in diuerse ages and that Supra li. 1. cap. 31. aswell in the Greke Church as in the Latin Churche whiche ys that Chryste himself doth woorke this wonderfull worke of consecracion to make present in this blessed sacrament his verie bodie and bloode and not the preist who as Chrysostom hath taught speaketh the woordes but the power and grace of God dothe consecrate the thinges Wherfore Reader take hede of this wicked sorte of people who as ye maie perceaue haue not onelie for the setting furthe of their wicked heresies wickedlie slaundered the wholle Churche and the holie ministerie of the same But also most impudētlie haue spoken the contrarie of that that the famouse learned holie Fathers haue taught What trueth maie be thought to be in thē in other matters by this ye maie coniecture But nowe leauing this matter as sufficientlie declared and proued against them I will resume my entended pourpose to expownde the sixt of saincte Iohn wherof ye haue heard one texte and the testimonie of diuerse Fathers auouching the same to be vnderstanded of the blessed Sacrament and of the reall presence of Chrystes bodie in the same Nowe will I proceade to other textes in the same chapiter touching this matter THE NINTH CHAPITER EXPOVNDETH THE next text that foloweth in sainct Iohn THe next text folowing in the sixt chapiter of saincte Iohn ys this Litigabant ergo Iudaei adinuicem dicentes Quomodò potest hic nobis carnem suam dare ad manducandum The Iewes stroue emong them Ioan. 6. selues sainge How can this felowe geue vs his flesh to eate The Iewes vnto whom as saincte Paule saieth vsque in hodiernum diem cùm legitur Moyses velamen positum est super cor eorum Vntill this daie when 2. Cor. 3. Moyses ys red the veill ys putt vpon their heartes their vnderstandinges being carnall and couered with so grosse a veill that they coulde not perceaue the spirituall talke of Chryste they stroue together and asked howe he coulde geue them his flesh to eate They lacked the right principle of the vnderstanding of his matter whiche ys faith Esay 7. For Nisi credideritis non intelligetis Vnlesse ye beleue ye shall not vnderstaud They did not vnderstand yt bicause they did not beleue yt No more shall they vnderstande vntill they turne vnto God by true beleif as saincte Paule saieth Cùm autem conuersi fuerint ad Dominum auferetnr velamē de corde eorū Neuerthelesse when they turne to our Lord the veile shall be taken awaie frō their hearte And then shall they not vse this woorde of incredulitie and doubtfullnesse whiche neuer passith from man but in the wante of faithe as saieth Chrysostom
admonished of your wicked errours and heresies hertofore by doctour Harding and other and nowe by me Yowe knowe who saieth Haereticum hominem c. after one or two admonicions flie the companie of an heretique knowing that soche one ys subuerted forsomoche as he ys euen by his owne iudgement condemned In dede being as I saied thus admonished and seing with all your wicked doctrine by the whol multitude here alleaged so plainlie and cleerly condemned yt can not be but by your owne iudgemēt yowe must be condēned For this ys so euidētlie true that yowe or any man can not denie yt that no doctrine nowe holdē of the catholique Churche for a trueth and impugned by the Sacramentaries was euer yet at anie time by the churche or by any catholique writer reputed as heresie or errour Again this ys as true that euerie doctrine holden of the Sacramentaries and nowe impugned by the catholiques hath ben before time of the catholique Church and wtiters reputed and adiudged erour and heresie a fewe late inuencions onelie excepted which also are now by catholikes impugned and by plain testimonies of the auncient Church proued to be erours and heresies and so condemned To make good the first saing I will reherse certain catholique propositions Chrysts bodie ys verilie in the blessed Sacrament Chrysts bodie ys ossred in sacrifice in the Masse The holie Sacrament ys to be reserued for the cōmunion of the sicke The blessed Sacrament maie be receaued vnder one kinde The bodie of Chryste in the Sacrament ys to be adored Saincts in glorie praie for vs and are to be praied vnto by vs. The dead receaue great benefitte by the sacrisice of the Masse Praier and almose dedes doen for the dead doe auaill them These and soche like the catholiques doe holde the heretiques denie I will not here proclame against yowe but I will ioine this issue with yowe that if yowe can bring anie catholique Coūcell or catholique doctour impugning these or anie of thē as hereticall or erroneous I will subscribe vnto yowe and saie as yowe saie yf yowe can not as I am sure yowe can not thē will I saie as I maie well that your doctrine ys erroneous hereticall and deuelish Nowe to saue your doctrine frō this fowle reproache proue by soche testimonie as I haue saied that our doctrine ys erroneous or ells the shame will be on your side that teach the contrarie To make good my second assertion I will also reherse certain propositions of your doctrine Chrysts bodie ys not reallie in the Sacrament The Sacrament ys onelie a figure of Chryste and not his bodie The substance of bread ys not by due consecracion chaunged turned transmuted nor transelementated into the substance of the bodie of Chryste Ther ys no sacrifice of Chrystes bodie offred in the Masse Praier and almose dedes nothing auaile the dead neither the sacrifice of the Masse These and soche like do yowe and your likes teache and defend for the whiche I will ioin this issue with yowe that if I haue not in this booke sufficientlie proued or can not hereafter if I be required more fullie proue euerie of these to be erroneous and hereticall and long agon for soche to haue ben condemned I will subscribe to them and consesse thē to be good Yf I haue or can euidentlie proue thē so to be then confesse yowe thē to be naught and deuelish Yf yowe refuse thus to doo yet for the defence of your doctrine yf yt maie be defended doo that to vs that I haue doen to yowe I haue doen to yowe in this booke three things First I haue shewed yowe the beginning of the doctrine of the bless Sacramēt the progresse and cōtinuance of yt and the defence of yt Secōdlie of the Masse which ys the solēne sacrifice of Chrysts Church I haue shewed yowe good presidents certē and assured practises and these right auncient Thirdlie for the Sacramētaries doctrine I haue shewed whē yt began by whō yt was inuēted whē and wher yt was condēned and so ce assed and by whom yt was raised again in these our daies in the whiche yt ys also laufullie again condēned Nowe doo yowe the like for your doctrine and against ours Shew the beginning progresse cōtinuance and defence of your Sacramentaries doctrine Shewe the originalls and aunciēt presidents of your Cōmunion which ys the kaie and note of your religion and cōferre thē as we haue done the Masse with the aunciēt presidents of the primitiue Churche Shew howe all your innouacions whiche within these feweyears were in no place of the christian world vsed were put down howe and by whō that was compased in what Popes time and Emperours reign they were suffred to be doen yf anie suffred persecuciō or exile for thē who stoode against these that ouerthrewe them who wrote against thē that banished your religiō and wher be the bookes Yf your doctrine be so notablie good and ours so notablie wicked as yowe teache and preache yt to be so great an alteraciō and decaie of religion frō so great a good to so grete an euell coulde not be doē in the world withoute great note without large testimonies of histores and cronicles of so lamentable a chaūge Bring furth therfor yf yowe can the monimētes and testimonies of this chaunge Yf yowe can not wise mā will thinke and beleue that ther was neuer none soche Yf ther was none thē be your procedings but nouelties inuēted in these later daies and neuer before in vse and therfor well tearmed the newe religiō newe doctrine newe faith newe churche newe Communion Two things M Iuell I doubt not but yowe knowe Thone that in the primitiue and auncient church ther arose no notable heresie but yt was spedelie impugned Thother that of the originall and progresse of euerie soch ther were notes made and moniments for memorie left As concerning the first yt ys certē that euē in the beginning of Chrystes Church Ebion and Cerinthus sowing their heresie were streight impugded by S. Iohn against whō he was moued to write his gospell and epistles Against the same also with other as Valentinus Marcion Cerdon Symon Samarites Basilides Carpocrates and soch like wrote the holie Father Irenaeus not long after who as in his workes yt maie be seen in diuerse places vsed for an argument against those heretiques the presence of Chrysts bodie in the Sacramēt and yet the same Irenaeus was neuer noted of errour for his so affirming and teaching Origen his works being fownde inspersed with diuerse errours was noted for them but wher he testifieth the presence of Chrystes bodie in the bless Sacrament he was neuer blamed Ciprian the holie martir was verie vehemēt against Nouatus the heretique and his sect he diligentlie laboured to cut of soche weedes This holie mā in the matter of the presence wrote so plainlie as no mā more plainlie he wrote also of baptisme In the matter of the presence the church hath
euery place God vsing preoccupacion wittnesseth theÌ„ to be acceptable vnto him Thus Iustinus of whom we maie learn that the Sacrifices of the SacrameÌ„t are deliuered to vs by Iesus Chryst So that the authoritie of this maner of sacrificing cometh froÌ„ him aÌ„d ys not of our selues S. Hierom ouer and aboue that that ys allreadie alleaged of him saieth thus Quòd autem ait Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundùm ordinem Melchisedech mysterium in Li. quest Hebraic verbo ordinis significatur nequaquam per Aaron irrationabilibus victimis immolandis sed oblato pane vino id est corpore sanguine Domini Iesu Wheras he saieth Thow arte a preist for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech our mystery in the woorde of order ys signified not by Aaron in offring brutish sacrifices But in offring bread and wine that ys to saie the bodie and bloode of our Lorde Iesus Thus sainct Hierom. Of Iustinus we learned that the sacrifices of the Chrystians wer deliuered vnto vs by Iesus Chryst Of S. Hierom we learn that these sacrifices be the bodie and blood of our Lord Iesus So by these two in most manifest aÌ„d plain woords we be taught that Iesus Chryst deliuered vnto vs the authoritie to offre in sacrifice hys bodie and bloode S. Ambrose also teacheth vs the same lesson saing thus Ego enim Domine memor In prima oratione prepar ad Missam venerandae passionis tuae accedo ad altare tuum licet peccator vt offeraÌ„ tibi sacrificium quod tu instituisti offerri praecepisti in commemorationeÌ„ tui pro salute nostra For I o Lord being mindefull of thy passion come vnto thine Altar although I be a sinner that I maie offre vnto thee the sacrifice that thowe didest institute and commaunde Chryst instituted and commaunded the Sacrifice of the Churche to be offred in the remembrance of thee for our health Thus holie Ambrose who maketh the matter oute of all coÌ„trouersie that a preist hath authoritie to offre Chryste in sacrifice And to declare what sacrifice he saieth the same sacrifice that Chryst did institute And to lett yow vnderstand by what authoritie he wolde offre yt he saieth by that that Chryst commaunded yt to be offred in the remembrance of him As this maie well instructe the reader what ys the plain and verie trueth of this matter So yt maie verie well compell the Proclamer to confesse that this ys a plain sentence impugning his false doctrine and acknowleging other his ignorance or malice submitte him self to the trueth But yet let vs descend a degree lower towardes our time and see what was then taught Isidorus who liued aboue nine hundreth years agon in Isydorus li. 1. de off ca. 18. this matter geueth this testimonie Sacrificium quod à Christianis offertur Deo primum Christus Dominus noster magister instituit quando commendauit Apostolis corpus sanguinem suum priusquam traderetur sicut legitur in Euangelio Accepit Iesus panem calicem benedicens dedit eis The sacrifice that ys offred of the Chrystians vnto God first our Lord and master Iesus Chryst did institute When he gaue his bodie and blood to his Apostles before he was betraied as yt ys readde in the Gospell Iesus tooke bread and the cuppe and blessing them gaue the same vnto them In these fewe woordes of this Authour we maie learn that Chryst did institute the sacrifice of the christians We maie learn that the thing that ys offred in sacrifice ys the bodie and bloode of Chryst We maie learn to whoÌ„ yt ys offred that ys vnto God We maie also learn what time yt was instituted euen at that time when Chryst tooke the bread and the cuppe and when he had blessed them gaue them to his Apostles Whiche was in his last Supper All these ioined to gether doo well beare the contrary proposition to this mans proclamacion that ys that Chryst gaue authoritie to offre his bodie and bloode vnto God A Consonante testimonie haue we also of Haymo who as he ys of good auncientie So ys he accompted a learned Authour This man expownding Haymo in 5. ad Heb. the epistle of sainct Paule to the Hebrues and declaring Chryst to be a preist after the ordre of Melchisedech saieth thus In cuius ordine sacerdotij Christus factus est sacerdos non temporalis sed aeternus nec offerens victimas legales sed instar illius panem vinum carnem videlicet sanguinem suum de quibus ipse dixir Caro mea verè est cibus sanguis meus verè est potus Ista quoque duo munera panem videlicet vinum commisit Ecclesiae suae in memoriam sui offerenda Vnde patet sacrificium pecudum perijsse quod fuit ordinis Aaron illud manere potius quod fuit ordinis Melchisedech quia Christus illud corroborauit Ecclesiae suae tenendum reliquit In the ordre of the preisthead of Melchisedech Chryst being made not a temporall but an euerlasting preist neither offring legall sacrifices but like vnto him meening Melchisedech bread and wine that ys to saie his bodie and his bloode of the whiche he saieth My flesh ys verilie meat and my bloode ys verilie drinke These two giftes that ys to saie bread and wine he hath committed to this Churche to be offred in the remembrance of him Thus Haimo Wherby yt yt manifest that the Sacrâ—… of beastes ys vanished awaie whiche was of the ordre of Aaron and thaâ—â—…at raither remaineth which ys of the ordre of Melchisedech bycause Chryst also hath confirmed yt and left yt to his Churche to be kept and vsed From whence the authoritie comet that the Church offreth the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech this Authour like as the other before alleaged hath declared that yt coÌ„meth from Chryste And opening what the Churche doth offer he saieth that Chryst did offre bread and wine that ys saieth he his bodie and bloode whiche bread and wine he committetd to the Churche to be offred in the remenbrance of him Plain sentences for master Juell Eycept that the calling of a man a man or an oxe an oxe be no plain speaches these sentences of these Authours in this matter be plain speaches and plain senteÌ„ces Yet to coÌ„clude this matter we will heare a greciaÌ„ speaking as plain as anye of these whiche ys Nicolaus Cabasila who although he be long yet for hys plainesse he ys pleasaunt And for that he ys a grecian we shall learn of him the faith that ys yet receaued in that Church Nich. Cabasila c. 27 as before of long tyme yt hath ben This authour shewing howe the blessed Sacrament ys consecrated sacrificed and ministred ther saieth thus Cùm venerandam illam coenam narrauit quomodò ante passionem ipsam dedit sanctis suis Discipulis quòd accepit calicem quòd accepit panem actis
authoritie or credite ys he of that teacheth in the pulpet by speaking then he that teacheth by open writing Yf ye will not beleue me writing ye will not beleue me preaching Yf ye wil beleue me preaching for that I speake the trueth by the scriptures and auncient fathers Beleue me also writing the trueth by the scriptures aÌ„d auncieÌ„t fathers And yf these alowed writers of these later daies teach the trueth by the scripturs aÌ„d auncieÌ„t fathers theÌ„ must they neds be receaued And ther for trulie yt ys necessarie that they be alleaged to th eÌ„tent the trueth maie be perceaued to be one throughout all and that they being ioined with the auncieÌ„tes yt maie be seeÌ„ that the same trueth is taught now that was taught a thousand yeares agoÌ„ before And therfor haue I determined not to geue place to this refusall of Heretiques but to alleage the Authours of these later yeares that the coÌ„sonancie and vnitie of the trueth maie be perceaued in all ages and that ther ys no other trueth taught now theÌ„ was taught in the Primitiue Church and the time of the Apostles yea no other trueth then was taught by oure Sauiour Chryst himself and by his holie Spirit the Authour of all trueth Wherby the foule railinges and slaunders which bemost comoÌ„ lie in the mouthes of the enemies maie be taken awaie and they of their vntrueth and malice woorthilie confownded Thus moche I thought good to saie for that in this book I minde to vse the testimonies of these late writers for th entent aboue specified And nowe therfore to Theophilacte the Grecian I shall ioin the learned doctour Nicolaus de Lyra a latin Authour who writing vpon the sixt of S. Iohn cometh to this text Et panis quem ego dabo caro mea est And the bread whiche I will geue ys my flesh and expowndeth yt thus Postquam egit de pane spirituali qui est Verbum hic consequenter agit de pane spirituali qui est Sacramentum After he hath don saieth this Authour of Chryst with the spirituall bread which ys Nico. Lira in 6. Ioan. the woorde here consequentlie he treacted of the spirituall breade whiche ys the Sacrament What dothe this authour dissent from the Fathers dothe he not signifie that Chryste before the sentence so often alleaged did speake of the spirituall bread hys Godhead which he calleth the woord And doth he not now saie that in yt that foloweth Chryst speaketh of the Sacrament These be sufficient to declare the true vnderstaÌ„ding of our Sauiour Chrystes processe and ordre in the sixte of S. Iohn And for that ye perceaue the same aswell after the minde of Chryste the verie texte so leading vs to vnderstand yt as also after the minde of diuerse learned authours I will nowe procead to see the vnderstaÌ„ding of diuerse textes of the rest of this chapiter that treacte of the blessed Sacrament THE FOVRTH CHAPITER BEGINNETH A further proof of the former matter by S. Cyprian and Euthymius THis distinction of these two breades last before mencioned perceaued and being withall remeÌ„bred that at this text The bread which I shall geue ys my â—…esh whiche I will geue for the life of the world Chryst began to speake of the Sacrament and continueth the disputation therof to the ende of the chapiter to proue the same more manifestlie to the Reader and withall to make yt clere that that processe ys not of a figuratiue flesh but of Chrystes verie propre flesh and bodie I will beginne at the same text and so descending to the last by a nombre of the most auncient Fathers of Chrystes Parliament house open both the one and the other I trust to the full contentacion of the godlie Reader The firste that shall shewe hys minde of this matter shall be the holie Martyr Cyprian who saieth thus Panis vitae Christus est panis hic omnium non est sed noster est Et quomodò dicimus Pater noster quia intelligentium credentium pater est sic paneÌ„ nostruÌ„ vocamus quia Christus noster qui eius corpus coÌ„tingimus panis est Hunc autem paneÌ„ dari nobis quotidiè postulamus ne qui in Christo sumus Eucharistiam quotidie ad cibuÌ„ salutis accipimus intercedente grauiore aliquo delicto dum abstenti noÌ„ coÌ„municantes à caelesti pane prohibemur à Christi corpore separemur ipso praedicante monente Ego sum panis vitae qui de caelo descendi Si quis ederit de hoc pane viuet in aeternum Panis quteÌ„ quem ego dedero caro mea est pro seculi vita The bread of life ys Chryst and this breade ys not the breade of all men but yt ys ours And as we do saie Oure Father because he ys the father of all that do beleue and vnderstande Euen so also oure bread call we whiche touche his bodie bicause owre Chryste ys bread This breade we dailie desire to be geuen vs least we which be in Chryst and take the Sacrament dailie to oure meate of health some greuouse offence coming betwene while we being excoÌ„municated and not receauing be forbidden from the heauenlie bread maie be separated from the bodie of Chryste he himself openly saing and teaching I am the bread of life whiche descended from heauen Whosoeuer shal eate of this bread shall liue for euer The bread which I will geue ys my flesh for the life of the worlde Thus moch S. CypriaÌ„ In this sentence I doubte not but ye perceaue that this holy Martyr applieth the sentences of the sixt of S. Iohn to the SacrameÌ„t of Chrystes bodie and blood According to whiche vnderstanding he calleth Chryst our bread S. Cyprian aplieth the sixt of S. Iohn to the Sacrament whom he so calleth not onelie bicause of his Godhead but also bicause he feadeth vs in the Sacrament with his bodie For saieth he we being in Chryste do receaue the Sacrament dailie to the meate of health But yf by sinne we forbeare to receaue the heauenlie bread we be separated from the bodie of Chryste Wherby we maie perceaue that not onelie the sixt of S. Iohn ys to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament But also when S. Cyprian calleth the Sacrament the meat of health the heauenly bread and the bodie we are taught that in the SacrameÌ„t ys the verie presence of that bodie to the which proprelie these goodlie titles maie be wourthilie applied Whiche bodie can be none other but the bodie of Chryst God an man But forasmoch as the faith of this famouse Father and holie Martyr Cyprian in this poinct hath ben notablie and manifestlie declared in sentences before alleaged in the first booke and more herafter shall be spoken I will not nowe trooble the reader with any longer declaracion of the same but will ioin with Cyprian one of the other side of Chrystes Parliament house euen Euthymius a grecian whose sentence Reader yt shall
in Chrysostome and Theophilact Wherfor comminge to them remembre this and conferr thē to gether and thowe shalt finde good matter and agreable to the trueth of this assercion THE ONE AND TVENTETH CHAPITER CONTInueth the same exposition by Chrysostome and Lira WHeras ye haue hitherto hearde the sentēces of the Fathers and auncientes of the higher house vpon this text nowe in hande Herafter for the better declaracion of the consonāt doctrine of this trueth in all times and for the more confusion of the Aduersaries who so maliciously haue depraued the writers of the later time I will as before ys promised ioin to some of the elder sort some of the yōger Of the whiche the first coople shall be Chrysostome and Lira the one a grecian Homil. 40. in Joan. Chryst in the sixt of S. John spake not para bolicallie or obscurelie and of the higher house the other a latin and of the lower howse as ye haue heard Chrysostome vpon this text saieth thus Quid autem signat Caro mea verè est cibus sanguis meus verè est potus Aut quòd is est verus cibus qui saluat animam aut vt eos in praedictis confirmet ne obscurè locutum in parabolis arbitrarentur What meneth this sainge My flesh ys verilie meat and my bloode ys verilie drinke Either that this ys the true meat that saueth the soule or ells that he might confirme them least they shoulde thinke that he had spoken obscurelie in parables Wher note that Chrysostome saieth that Chryst did speake these woordes in plain speache and not darkelie in paraboles Whiche saing wonderfully confuteth the Aduersaries For yf Chryst did not speake parabolicallie then he ment that the woordes shoulde signifie no other thing then in their propre significacion they do signifie and then must yt nedes be that Chryst spake here of his very flesh and of his very blood with oute all obscuritie or darke maner of speache by figures tropes similitudes or paraboles whiche the Aduersaries wolde here ensparse My flesh is meate in dede and my blood is drinke in dede ys no obscure speache nor no figuratiue speache saieth Chrisostome let the Aduersaries then wrest and wring and peruert the scriptures as they list I will creditt holy Chrysostom and the churche that he liued in before anie of the Aduersaries and their malignāt church whiche they liue A a plain saing of Chrysost for M. Iuel in Yf the Proclamer will not saie that this ys a plain saing when ther ys no parbole in yt I knowe not what he will saie ys plain these woordes being of them selues so plain Nowe whether the exposition of Lira who was of the latin Churche and of the later daies be consonant and agreable to Chrysostome or not let vs heare vpon the same text he saieth Hic ostenditur buius Sacramenti veritas Christus enim frequēter parabolicè Discipulis loquebatur Et ideo ne crederent quòd caro eius cotinere Lira in 6. Ioann tur in hoc sacramento Eucharistiae tantummodò sicut in signo ideo hoc remouet dicens Caromea uerè est cibus quia hic sumitur realiter non figuratiuè Et eodem modo est de sanguine sub specie vini ideo subdit Et sanguis meus verè est potus Dicitur ctiam caro Christi verè cibus sanguis eius verè potus quia reficiunt animam quae est immortalis Cibus autem corporalis tantùm reficit corpus quod est corruptibile Here ys shewed saieth Lira the veritie of this Sacrament For Chryst oftentimes did speake to his disciples parabolicallie And therfor leest they shoulde beleue that this flesh were conteined in this Sacrament onely as in a figure he remoueth that saing my flesh ys verily meat For yt ys here receaued really and not The flesh of Chryst in the Saeaten reallie not figurat figuratiuely And after the same maner ys yt of the bloode vnder the forme of wine The flesh of Chryst ys also called meat in dede and his bloode drink in dede bicause they refresh the soule whiche ys immortall But corporall meat refresheth onelie the bodie whiche ys corruptible Thus he Remembre Reader the exposition of Chrysostome wherin he saied two thinges The one that Chryst saieth that his flesh ys verily meat bicause yt faueth the soule The other that Chryste so saied bicause he wolde confirme them in the forsaied thinges that he did not speake in paraboles And nowe conferr this authour to him and see yf he speake anie other thing but euen the same two thinges that Chrysostom did For wher Chrysostome saieth that yt ys the true meat that saueth the soule This authour saieth that the bodie of Chryst ys called verily meate and his bloode verily drink bicause they refresh the soule whiche ys immortall Chrysostome saieth that Chryst wolde shewe him self not to speake nowe in paraboles This authour more at large saieth that bicause Chryst did oftē speake parabolicallie leaste they shoulde thinke or beleue that his flesh were conteined in the Sacrament as in a signe onlie therfor he remoueth that saing that this flesh ys verily meat bicause yt ys receaued really and not figuratiuely Thus ye see agreement betwen these authours and one trueth spoken here amost by one maner of woordes of him that did write aboue a thousande yeares agone and of him that did write not fullie three hōdreth years agon Wherby ye maie perceaue that the same doctrine hathe ben continued and taught in these latter years by writers of late time whiche was receaued and taught in the churche in auncient time as touching thexposition of this scripture we haue in hande THE TVO AND TVENTETH CHAP. CONTInueth yet thexposition of the same text by S. Cyrill and Dionise AS in the chapter last before ye hearde one coople farre distant in time of ther lifes but consonant in sownde of their faithe So shall ye in this chapter heare an other coople the one very auncient the other of later time likewise agreablie declaring their faith and opening the right sense of our text nowe yet in hande This coople shall be Cyrill and Dionise the Carthusian the one of the greke churche the other of the latin churche as they before alleadged were S. Cyrill saieth thus Vmbram figuram nosti Disce ipsam rei veritatem Caro enim mea inquit verè est cibus sanguis meus verè est potus Rursus distinguit inter Li. 4. ca. 16. in Joā mysticam benedictionem Manna aquarum fluenta ex lapide calicis sancti communicationem ne magis Mannae miraculū admirentur sed ipsum potius suscipiant qui caelestis panis est aeternae vitae largitor Mannae namque alimentum non aeternam vitam sed breue famis remedium attulit Non erat ergo ille verus cibus Sanctū verò Christi corpus ad immortalitatem vitam aeternam nutriens
by flesh Go to let vs saie a fewe woordes of this matter and lett CoÌ„iunction of us to Chrysse by faith and charitie spirituallie by his flesh naturallie both auouched vs shewe the sense of the holie scripturs peruersly to be expownded of him Yet for all that we denie not that we be ioined spirituallie to Chryst by right faith and sincere charitie but that we haue no maner of coniunction with him after the flesh that truly we vtterlie denie and we saie that to be alltogether contrarie to the diuine scriptures For who hathe doubted Chryst also so to be the vine and we the braunches whiche from thence gett life vnto vs Heare Paule saing that we all are one bodie in Chryst for alltho we be manie yet we are one in him For we do all partake of one bread Do ye not here see that S. Cyrill bringeth in this text of S. Paule to proue that we haue not onely a communion spirituall with Chryste but also a communion after the flesh What plainer exposition can be desired for the vnderstandinge of the scripture then that sense in the whiche yt ys alleadged in argument to conuince an heresie And if sainct Cyrill did iudge him perâ—erslie to expownde the scriptures that saied that we had no corporall The Proclamer and his felowes setfurth that for a trueth now which S. Cyrill reputed an heresie communion with Chryst but onelie spirituall what shall we saie of the fautours of the like vntrueth Shall we not saie that they also peruerslie expownde the scriptures And shall we not woorthilie repute them as corrupters of Godes trueth and deceauers of his people whiche settfurth that to them for a trueth whiche was so manie hondreth yeares agon reproued as a falsheade and so of all catholiques and good Chrystians holden and estemed no doubte but God will so declare yt when yt shall please him to take his time to ouerthrowe their building Endure yt can not For they haue builded vpon the sandes and not vpon the rocke In the mean time let them bluster oute their stinking doctrine as yt shall please God to suffer them for the punishment of our sinnes for the triall of the constancie of hys faithfull and for the excercise of their pacience to the honour and glorie of God But veritas vincet The trueth shall ouercome and veritas Domini manet in aternum The trueth of our Lord abideth for euer Yt maie be impugned but ouerthrowen yt can not be What the trueth ys in this matter I trust yt maie easilie be perceaued and yet ther lacke no wittnesses for the better declaracion of the same S. Thomas a man approued as learned and holie of all the church hath trauailed in the exposition of the scriptures and that not withoute his immortall laude and praise He ys a woorthie wittnesse in this matter And for the fuller vnderstanding of him we will heare his exposition on bothe the textes iointlie as they lie one depending of the other Thus he saieth Et panis quem frangimus id est sumptio panis fracti in altari noune participatio corporis Domini est faciens noâ— vnum cum Christo quia sub specie panis sumitur corpus S. Thomas Aqui. in deci 1. cor Christi Deinde cum dicit Quoniam vnus panis c. ostendit quod omnes sumus vnum in corpore eius mystico tangit duplicem vnitatem primam incorporationis qua in Christum transformamur aliam vitae sensus quam à Christo capite accipimus quasi diceret Per hoc patet quod vnuni sumus cum Christo quoniam vnus panis vnione fidei spei charitatis vnum corpus multi sumus per subministrationem operum charitatis Corpus seilicet illius capitis qui est Christus Multi dico scilicet omnes qui de vno pane id est corpore Christi vno calice id est sanguine participamus digna participatione scilicet spirituali non tantùm sacramentali And the bread which we breake that ys to saie the receauing of the bread broken on the aultar ys yt not a partaking of the bodie of our Lorde Vnder the forme of bread ys receaued the bodie of our Lorde making vs one with Chryst For vnder the forme of bread ys receaued the bodie of Chryst TheÌ„ wheÌ„ he saieth For we are one bread c. he sheweth that we are all one in his mysticall bodie aÌ„d he toucheth a double vnitie The first ys the vnitie of incorporacion by the whiche we are transformed into Chryst The other ys of life aÌ„d feeling which we take of Chryst our head As who might saie by this yt ys manifest that we are one with Chryst For we being manie are one bread bi the vnioÌ„ of faith hope aÌ„d charitie And one bodie bi the subministracion of the workes of charitie that ys to saie the bodie of that head which ys Chryst I saie manie that ys to saie all we that do partake of one bread that ys to saie of the bodie of Chryst and one cuppe that ys to saie of the bloode of Chryst with a woorthie participacion not onely sacramentall but also spirituall Thus moch S. Thomas In whose exposition we finde nothing dissonant from the elders but in all consonaÌ„t The elders before alleadged haue expownded the bread and the cuppe whiche we partake of to be the bodie and blood of Chryst so doth S. Thomas his doctrine consonaÌ„t to the elders this S. Thomas They haue taught that S. Paules mindeys that by that participacion we are made one bodie with Chryst and the like teacheth he also Thus as God ys the God of peace and concorde so in his house ys agrement and consent in the substanciall poinctes of our faith and religion And this ys a trueth hetherto constantlie as yt were with one mouthe taught that the bread broken in the aultar or table of Chryst ys his bodie and all we woorthilie receauing yt are by the same incorporated to Chryst and made one bodie with him Wherfore we shall nowe leaue these and heare other THE SEVEN AND TVENTETH CHAPITER proceadeth vpon the same text by Euthym. and Hugo AS God hath builded his church vpon a Mounte to be seen of all men so hath he caused his trueth to be professed of manie that yt might be knowen to all men He sent his Apostles into all the woorlde to preach the Gospell to euery creature He hath appointed learned men in euery parte of the worlde to geue the true vnderstanding of the same to euery creature Praised therfore be his holie name that wher now Sathan hath sent his wicked mynistres to corrupt the trueth of the Gospell and to lead vs from the true vnderstanding of the same our mercifull Lorde God hath prouidentlie before prouided soche teachers by whom we maie not onelie see the falshead of the wicked but also haue sufficient knowledge and testimonie to rebuke detect and conuince
of these Apostles the trueth of the blessed ministracion maie be embraced THE FIVE AND THIRTETH CHAPTER SHEweth the maner of consecracion vsed and practised by the Disciples of the Apostles and the Fathers of the primitiue and auncient Church HAuing nowe saied of the consecracion vsed in the Apostles time and to yt coÌ„ferred the maner of consecracion of the cathollque Church that now ys aÌ„d the disordred maner of the schismatical church yt shall geue good light to the atteigning of the trueth yf we see allso the order of the same consecracion vsed of the eldest fathers of the priuitiue Church AmoÌ„g the whiche as among the Apostles we began with S. Peter and S. Paule so shall we here beginne with their disciples S. Clement and S. Dionise That S. Clement saied Masse and consecrated the bodie and blood of Chryste in the same maner that S. Peter and the rest of the Apostles did not onelie his Masse which ys extant and the woordes of consecracion ther in conteined but also Nicolaus Methonen by expresse woordes doth testifie yt Whose woordes for the clere declaracion of the matter I shall at large alleage Thus he saieth Offerimus pancÌ„ perfectuÌ„ viuum siue corpus Christi quod perfectum etiam post passionem permansit integrum Neque enim os eius contritum est à diuina vita inseparabile planè quale ipse primus noster ac magnus Pontifex sacrificus victimaue suis ipsius Discipulis tradidit iiue denuo qui ab initio suis ipsis oculis verbum intuiti sunt eiue ministrarunt catholicae Ecclesiae ab extremis ad extremos vsque orbis terrarum limites tradiderunt Omnes quidem Hierosolimitanae vbi D. Iacobus primi magniue Pontificis frater ac successor mysticaÌ„ incruentaÌ„que bturgiam exposuit Petrus autem et Paulus Antiochensi Paulus verò peculiariter orbi vniuerso Marcus Alexandriae Ioannes Andreas Asiae Europae Omnesue vniuersae Ecclesiae vbicunque sit per eam quaÌ„ S. Clemens conscripsit hturgiam tradiderunt in qua haec ita ad verbum habentur Memores igitur eorum quae propter nos passus est gratias agimus tibt omnipotens Deus non quantum debemus sed quantum possumus vt â—ius statutuÌ„ adimpleamus In qua enim nocte tradebatur accipiens panem in sanctas unmaculatas suas manus eleuatis oculis ad te Deum Patrem suum fregit deditue nobis dicens Accipite ex eo comedite hoc est corpus meum quod pro multis comminuitur in remisstonem peccatorum Similiter calicem ex vino aqua temperatum sanctisicauit deditue nobis dicens Bibite ex eo omnes Hic est sanguis meus qui pro multis essunditur in remisstonem peccatorum Hoc sacite in meam commemorationem We offre a perfect liuelie bread that ys the bodie of Chryste whiche The bodie of Chryste ossred in the Masse remained also perfect and wholl after his passion for ther was no bone of his brokeÌ„ and plainlie soche bodie as oure high and great Bishoppe who ys both preist and sacrifice deliuered to his owne Disciples was from the diuine life inseparable and they again whiche from the beginning did withe their eies see the Sonne of God and did wait vpon him deliuered the same to the catholique Churche euen from one ende of the worlde to an other euen all of them at Hierusalem wher also S. Iames the brother and successour of that cheif and great Bishoppe settfurth the misticall and vnbloodie sacrifice or Masse Peter and Paule at Antioche but Paule peculiarly to the The Masse of S. ClemeÌ„t the same that all the Apostles vsed wholl worlde Mark at Alexandria Iohn and Andrew in Asia and Europe And all of them deliuered yt to the vniuersall Churche wher soeuer yt be by that same Masse whiche S. Clement setfurth in the which these woordes be had woord for woorde Being mindefull of those thinges whiche he suffred for vs we geue thee thankes Allmightie God not asmoche as we aught but asmoche as we can and we fullfill his ordinance In the night that he was betraied taking bread into his holie and vndefiled hands and lifting vppe his eies vnto thee God and his father he brake yt and gaue yt vnto vs saing Take of yt eate This ys my bodie whiche ys broken for manie in the remission of sinnes Likewise also the cuppe mixed with wine and water he sanctified and gaue yt to vs saing drinke ye all of this This ys my blood which ys shed for manie in the remissioÌ„ of sinnes This doe ye in the remembrance of me Thus moche this authour I haue produced this part of the Masse setfurth by S. Clement vnder the authoritie and testimouie of this man both for that he being of the greke churche ys not to be suppected of Papistrie by the euell bretheren and also liuing some hundreth years agon ys to be thought the freer from corruption And albeit I iudge this that he saieth that Peter Paule Iames and all the Apostles saied the same Masse that S. Clement afterward vsed and commended also to the churches to be a verie notable saing euen so notable that both catholique and protestant maie well note yt the catholique for ioie seing the catholique religion well testified the protestant for furie and greif seing his vntrueth impugned and his falshed detected yet I shall in consideracion that of this matter moche ys saied in the last chapter ouerpasse yt and applie my self to that that ys in this chapter to be spoken of This then in this place ys to be noted that the Masse that S. Clement vsed ys euen the same that Peter Paule and all the Apostles did vse This Masse vseth not anhistoricall narracion in the rehersall of the woordes of Chryste at the consecracion but entring into yt by praier made to the heauenlie father abideth and continueth in the same vsing the like directioÌ„ of woordes as were vsed in the Masse of S. Iames as by confernce yt shall be easilie perceaued This also here as in S. Iames Masse yt to be noted that the cuppe of Chryste was not a cuppe of wine onelie but yt was a cuppe of wine mixed with water S. Proclus tractatu de tradi diuina liturgie But perchaunce the Aduersarie will demaunde howe we prooue that yt ys S. Clements Masse God be praised we lacke no proues for besides this Grecian whom we haue allreadie produced we haue an other Grecian Proclus Bishoppe of Constantinople who liued aboute 1100 years agon testifieng that manie did setfurth the Masse in writing emong whiche he noÌ„breth sainct Clement his woordes be these Multi quidem alii diuini pastores qui Apostolis successerunt ac Ecclesiae doctores sacrorum illius diuinae liturgiae mysteriorum rationem explicantes scriptis mandatam Ecclesiae tradiderunt In quibus primi clarssimi sunt beatus Clemens summi illius Apostolorum Discipulus
bodie and to his Spiritt and are also made his bodie For as by these fewe wordes the trueth ys opened Woorthie receauers os the bless Sacr. What benefitts they haue and the great commodities that come to vs by the woorthie receipt of the Sacrament declared So ys the vain argument of the Aduersarie before moued fullie solued and answered The trueth ys that both good and bad receauing the Sacrament doe receaue the bodie of Chryst Commodities thercome none but to the woorthie receruer whiche cōmodities be three The first ys that we be vnited to the bodie of Chryste of the whiche moche ys saied in this booke vpon the tēth to the Corinthians The second benefitt ys that we be also vnited to his holie Spiritte The thirde ys that we be made the misticall bodie of Chryste These three commodities and benefites doe we enioie by the receipt of the Sacrament saieth this authour But when when saieth he we being pourged doe receaue yt For otherwise we receaue not soche commodities but we receaue great and notable incommodities For we receaue saieth S. Paule our owne damnation Then wher the Aduersarie Vnwoorthie receauers what they receue boyleth vppe his violent argument that wher Chryst ys ther his Spirite ys also And so yf euell men receaue in the Sacrament the bodie of Chryst they receaue his Spirite also Yt ys true that they receaue Chryst and his Spirite as touching their presence but not as touching grace For although they receaue his presence yet forsomoch as they be not as this Authour saieth pourged they receaue him not to grace For neither be they vnited to the bodie of Chryst neither to his holie Spirite neither be they therby made membres of Chrystes mistical bodie for as Primasius hath saied they eate not that flesh as yt ys to be eaten nor drinke that blood as yt aught to be dronke For in dede yt ys not to be eatē and dronkē but of soche as be clensed and pourged from sinne by penaunce and be clerelie voide of pourpose to sinne again And to soche yt bringeth these three commodities and manie moe to the other nothing but they them selues woorke their owne damnacion Thus gentle Reader thowe maist perceaue that yf with the minde of the holie Fathers of Chrystes Parliament house thowe wilt reade the Scriptures and by them learn to vnderstande the same thowe shallt not onelie not be deceaued but also in all matters of controuersie be settled and staied and clerelie see the toies and phantasies of the Aduersaries to be maliciouslie and deuellislie forged and inuented THE TVVO AND FIFTETH CHAP. ENDETH THE exposition of this text by Theodoret and Anselmus HItherto none be produced to shewe vs the minde of S. Paule but soch as by the testimonie of diuerse writers were a thousād years agon and more saue this last alleadged Damascen whome some so place as he had not liued full nine hundreth yeares agon But be yt that he were so yet he ys of so che antiquitie as he maie verie well be called as wittnesse in this matter for that he was before this controuersie was raised in the Churche I meen before the time of Berengarius Before whose time I am sure the Aduersaries can make no prescription nor yet since but by startes as Sathan might gett occasion and ministers nowe and Whie God suffreth Sathan noweto wexe his Church with heresies then to disturbe gods Churche Whiche I take ys suffred of God bothe to correct our euell liues and also to stirre vs to seke the knowledge of gods trueth Whiche although we had as yt were an vpper face of the knowledge of yt yet through necligence we did not wade to the deapth of yt But be yt that Damascen were not nine hundreth years agon yet the promisse of Chryst being considered that he wolde be with his Churche to the ende of the the worlde ād that he wolde also sende his holie spirite into the same his Churche that shoule lead yt into all trueth As yt ys to moche shame for the Aduersarie to saie that all this time since Damascen taught Chrystes promesse hathe failed So yt ys as moche shame to saie that all this time his owne doctrine hath ben suppressed In dede I wolde thinke that this Proclamer shoulde doe that that all his The Proclamers doctrine hath no presidēt that yt hath ben quietly receaued progenitours coulde neuer yet doe yf he coulde shewe that doctrine of the Sacrament that he professeth to haue ben receauedvuiuersallie and quietly but one hūdreth yeares yea one half hundreth years yea one twentie years or yf he can not doe that as I am sure he can not Let him shewe yt receaued and cōtinued as ys saied but one yeare Yf he can make no soche prescriptiō of his doctrine he ys to blame to reiect the catholique doctrine which by manie of their confessions hath stand these thousande yeares and to obtrude vnto vs his doctrine that neuer was yet staied quietlie one yeare Yf euer his droctrine was vniuersallie receaued yt coulde neuer withoute great and notable trooble to the wholl Churche be taken awaie Let him then shewe when by whome and by what meanes yt was taken awaie by the authoritie of anie autentique historie or catholique authour and thē he shall doe somwhat but that somwhat will neuer be doen. Seing then the doctrine of the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament hath vniuersallie ben recaued since the time of Damascen vntill the time of this heresie as we should be madde men to receaue sochenouelties of so small staie or holde So ys the Proclamer more madde so to moue vs. Damascen then teaching that that all the Christian worlde receaued and that also long before the controuersie was moued cannot he iustlie reiected but ys to be regarded These being twelue in nombre are sufficient to be a quest and to geue their verdicte vpon this matter Whiche all finde that S. Paule here spake of rhe bodie and blood of Chryst in the Sacrament no mencion being made of material bread Whiche so being yt ys easie by the same verdicte to pronownce that to saie that Chrystes bodie and bloode be not in the blessed Sacrament ys wicked heresie matter and not delighted with some varietie whiche of manie ys desiered I will but note our principall matters that are of his text of Sainct Paule to be learned whiche as before ys declared are but two and so ouerpasse the rest The one that Sainct Paule here speaking of the Sacrament and calling What bread S. Paul spake of yt the bread of our Lorde and somtime with and article this bread mente not common bread but a speciall bread that ys as often before ys saied the heauenly bread of Chrystes bodie whiche ys the bread of our Lorde in veriedede For in him onely consisteth the power to make this bread and to geue yt to the people The other that God suffreth this heauenlie bread of Chrystes The
allowed him in the matter of Baptisme notwithstanding his holinesse they haue refused him To be short Epiphanius and S. Augustine wrote bookes of the heresies of them that were before and in their times and although manie besides the fore mēcioned had spoken so plainlie of the blessed Sacr. that they cleerly cōfessed the presence of Chrysts bodie in the same as Martialis Ignatius Iustinus Tertullianus Hilarius and manie other yet be none of all these nor none other for that doctrine nōbred ther amōg heretiques which vndoubtedlie they should haue ben if the matter had so deserued But trulie yt was neuer yet red in anie god writer nor somoche as dreamed that the cōfessiō of the presēce of Chryste in the bless Sacramēt ys heresie or errour Nowe as touching histories witnessing the wicked beginning the miserable progresse and open end and confusion of heresies yt were superfluouse for me to write sith ther hath ben no notable heresie or heretique which are not recorded either by Eusebius Teodoret Sozomenus Nicephorus Aeneus Siluius and soche other whose bookes be dailie in mens hands By whom when your Sacramētaries heresie begā we knowe howe lōg yt continued openlie we knowe who withstood yt and wrote against yt we knowe in howe manie Councells yt hath be cōdemned we knowe Furder who haue renewed the same in these later daies we knowe when and howe Luther reigned we knowe howe Oecolampadius folowed though an other waie we knowe howe Caluine hath cōtroled both catholiques and heretiques we knowe what the doings of these and their complices haue ben and be we knowe and that they haue ben and be condēned for heretiques we know To be short ther hath ben no notable alteracion or molestacion in religion by heresie but yt ys committed to memorie in histories Yf thē your doctrine and faith your religion and profession your notable Cōmunion or raither confusiō were once good and catholique yt can not be but of so great an alteracion as to make catholique faith damnable heresie or holie cōmunion wicked diuisiō ther must be some notable mencion in histories or some auncient monimēt in writing to declare yt Yf yowe haue anie soche bring them furth and thē yowe shall doo fōwhat to allure wise men vnto yowe For in this poinct I hold him nothing wise that will repute either your doctrine faith religion or communion to be good and catholique vntill yowe shewe good testimonies and presidents of the catholique vse of them which I am certen yowe can neuer doo As for soche euidences as your self nowe and your auncetours heretofore haue picked oute of the right and true euidences of the catholique Churche I meen the holie scripturs Councells doctours and approued histories and with great boldnesse haue shewed thē to the world and auouched them to be yours and to assure your cause they are allreadie well knowē ād tried not to be yours in dede but to make all for the catholique faith and religiō and mightilie against your singular phāsies and to ouer throw your wicked heresies when they be plainlie opened and deliuered frō your craftie corruptions as they haue ben by sondrie and manie famouse learned men as well in this age as before our time And I to my power haue in this booke for soche matters as I hādle detected your forgerie and corrupting of the euidences therto appertening by your wresting glosing cutting peicing diminishing adding and other wise falsifieng the right cleer wholl perfect godlie and true testimonies of the scripturs Councells ād aunciēt doctours And soch as be so flatte against your cause as yowe can haue no aide of them but be forced therfor either to depraue their authoritie with mocking and skorning or flatlie to denie their workes they are defended and holdē in their woorthie estimacions and their denied works restored to the right authours The first therfor that ys the scripturs Coūcells and aunciēt doctours yowe can no more abuse for shame and chaleng to be on your side whē being sifted frō your sleights and clered frō your falshead all mē maie perceaue thē not to be your right euidēce making as thei do so plainlie against yowe ād mightilie ouerthrowing your cause The other that ys the later learned writers and holie fathers yow maie no lōger contemne being proued to agree as they doe with their elders and approued as they be of the church to be catholique and holie writers your skoffesand mocks against them will stand for no reason before wise men Nowe yowe vnderstand M. Iuell what I haue here doen to the whiche yf either yowe or anie other for yowe shall by railing Rethorike make a pretensed answer I do yowe to witte that I will not vouchsafe to putt my penne to the papire for that kinde of answer For I haue begonne with yowe in an other sort and like a diuine railing I haue left to ruffins and skoldes and coolours of persuasions to rethoricians directlie according to my profession with all plain trueth haue I proceaded Yf answere therfor shall be made let yt be either a direct answere or none Direct answer ys soche as I make to yow where yowe abuse the vnderstāding of the scripture or doctour to proue the same vnto yowe where yowe falsilie to alleage the place truely where yowe corrupt to shewe the right saing when yowe adde and put to to declare what yowe adde and put to whē yowe leaue oute to expresse the woordes so by yowe left oute And finallie by full plain and expresse testimonie of scripturs Councells or doctours as the condiciō of the matter requireth to open and declare the trueth and by like authoritie to proue and cōfirme the same Thus haue I doē to yowe in plētifull maner in euery matter here by me handled so that the trueth of euerie thing ys so fullie opened and by good authoritie so confirmed that I trust euerie man that will see maie see and euerie man that will vnderstand maie vnderstand where the weight of the trueth ys Read therfor M. Iuell and diuorcing your self frō vainglorie to the which ye haue hen a lōg time maried let your vnderstāding be captiuated vnto the seruice of Chryste Let not your vain estimaciō in errour and heresie detein yowe to come to the honorable estimacion that ys gotten in the professing of Gods trueth Let yt not be saied of yowe as the holie father and Pope Leo saied of Eutiches Noluit intelligere vt bene ageret Iniquitatē meditatus est in cubili suo My good will was that this mi doing should haue bē in your hāds a lōg timeer this for yt was finished full three years past but sicknesse pouertie and lacke of oportunitie to printe yt haue thus long staied yt But sith nowe at the last yt ys by Gods helpe comed abroad I heseche him of his great goodnesse to graūt that it maie be to his honour ād to the helpe of his people ād that it maie be a medicine of health to yow ād
all that by your false doctrine ād sleight haue bē entrapped ād deceaued Yowe promised that yow wolde yelde to him that wolde bringfurth to yowe one scripture or one doctour or one Coūcell c. as yow knowe This being nowe doē by me ād other I wish that yow maie yeld your self prisoner not in warrelike maner to vs but in lowlie maner to Christe ād his dere spouse the catholique Churche by acknowleging their faith and professing their religion to saue your soule which we shal be most ioifull to vnderstād ād for your soch cōuersiō yelde to God most hūble thanks Yf yow doo not yet let me wish yow for some better staie of your self hereafter to haue this olde saing in minde Ante victoriam ne canas triumphum THE PROLOGVE TO THE GENTLE READER THe Phylystynes gentle Reader moued sore and great Haereilques moue Ware against the Churche warre against the Israelites The heretikes against the catholique Chruche of God from whome ys comed furth a newe Golyath mightie in hys owne cōceit with reprochfull woordes to reuyle the hoste of oure lyuyng God and to blaspheme hys holie name to raill at hys holie mysteryes and to comdemne hys holie ordināces who with impudēt mouthe trusting in the strēght of spere and sheilde blustereth oute soche blasphemouse woordes as the like to my knowledge Crā mer hys auncetour onelie excepted neuer dyd phylistyne before hym He alone cometh oute and prouokyng Israēl to battaill maketh proclamation Proclamacion of the newe Goliath thus Yf any learned man of all our Aduersaryes or yf all the learned men that be a lyue be hable to bring anye one suffycyent sentence oute of anye olde catholique Doctour or father or oute of anye olde generall Councell or oute of the holye scriptures of God or anye one example of the primatyue churche wherbye yt may be elerely and playnly proued that ther was anye pryuate masse in the wholl worlde at that tyme for the space of syx hundreth years after Chryste c. and a fewe articles recited he proceadeth thus or that the people were then taught to beleue that Chryste bodye ys reallie substantiallye corporallye carnallye or naturallye in the Sacrament or that hys bodie ys or may be in a thousand places or mo at one tyme and sofurth proceadeng to laye oute hys matters enombreth xv articles all whiche foure onelie excepted be agaynst the holie Sacrament of Christes blessed bodie and bloode And for that he wolde not seem to faynte in hys doyng he saieth that he for hys parte wolde not onelie not call in anye thing that he had then saied but also woldelaie more matter to the same and so addeth he twelue mo artycles to the former all whiche one onelie excepted be also against the blessed Sacramēt and the mynystraciō of the same whiche hys proclamation with the addycion he knytteth vppe thus Yf any one of all oure Aduersaries be able to auouche anye one of all these articles by anye soch suffycient anthorytie of Scriptures Doctours or Councells as I haue required as I saied before so saie I nowe agayn I am content to yelde vnto hym and to subscrybe VVhiche stoute bragge as some of hys likes I suppose myslyked and manye good catholique men I knowe thought yt arrogant So I thynking the same like litle Dauid not in faith might and powre not in vertue and syngular fauour of God but as the least and yongest of my breatheren in the house of my ffather not bearyng thys vyle reproche so arrogantlie and shameleslie made against the hoste of God of a good zeale hauyng sure trust in my lord God whose cause for my powre I wolde gladlie defende hanyng some stones gathered together in my sheperdes bagge I come in the name of God against thys Goliath and for thys tyme putting thys stone oute of my bagge into my slyng I cast yt at hym whiche I trust shall so hytte hym in the forehead wher ys the seat of shamefastnesse yf anye be in the man that he shall be ashamed so to reuyle the wholl churche of God agayn I saie the wholl Churche for theise hys lucyferouse woordes be not spoken onelie against soche as were or be of the catholique Churche in Englōde but to the contumelye of all the wholl catholique Churche of Chrystendome whersoeuer ys or hath ben professed and taught the reall presence of Chrystes blessed bodie and blood in the holie Sacrament And for that hys cheif force ys bent agaynst that Sacrament whyche ys our comforte foode and nutryment to euerlasting life I haue also bent my self therin cheiflie to withstande hym not medling moche with anye other matter Wherunto yet when I prepared my self and consydered one of the Articles of hys proclamaciō wher in effect he saieth that neuer mā was condemned as an herytyke for saynge that the Sacrament was a fygure a pledge a tokē or a remēbrance of Chrystes bodie I began to be abasshed First at his craft ād subletie vsed in so weightie matter of faith wher all symplycitie and playn dealing shoud be vsed for if he referre theise his woordes to the syxe hondreth yeares next after Chryst that in those ther was neuer man cōdemned for ā heretike that saied that the Sacramēt was a figure a pledge a tokē a remēbrāce yt ys true for in all that tyme neuer was ther heretike that so saied in that sense that this proclamer ād his likes doo saye yt wherfor that ys but a craftie toye to bleer the eye of the hearer to make him beleue that mē in those daies were not for so saing cōdemned wher in dede none did so saye and where none did so saie none coulde be condemned for yt Moche like argumēt might a felō make for hym self in these daies saing that Chryste in whō after his resurrectiō was the fullnesse of auctoritie and power as he hym self wittnesseth dyd neuer cōdemne anye of his Apostles or dysciples to deathe for felonye wherfore he being a chrystian man aught not be condemned for felonye This argument hath a trueth for Chryste cōdemned none of them for none of them were felons but yt lacketh force for though they not so offending were not condemned yet thys felon so offending maye iustly be condemned Likewise though none with in those syxe hondreth years for as muche as they so saied not were not condemned yet this proclamer so sainge maye wel be condemned And here I will ioyn issue with hym that if he can bring one within those sixe hondereth yeares that saied as he saieth was not condemned I will subscrybe Secundly I abasshed at hys impudencye for if the man be so impudent as to saie that neuer man was yet hitherto indged and condemned for an heretyke that saied the Sacrament was a figure in that sense that he and hys complyces do take yt namelie to be a figure withoute the verie presence of the bodie of Christ the contrarye whereof ys knowen to all the worlde and
therfor not vnknowen to hym what shall yt awaill me to buckle with so impudent a man For soche saiers haue ben condēned by eight Coūcells all readie as heretykes and theyr heresie so detested hated and abhorred of all christians Sacramentaries condemned hyeight Councels that the catholique learned men yf they had but a suspicion of anye that dyd in anie one title swarue from the verytie of Chrystes bodie in the Sacramēt they furth with addressed them selues to their pennes and with the swoorde of Gods trueth vanquyshed and ouerthrewe yt Thys as yt ys thought moued Paschasius towryte in the matter of the Sacrament for that Bertramus had in the tyme of kyng Charles wrytten therof Paschasi ' Bertramus wrote obscurclie and suspiciously of the Sacrament suspycyouslie and yet in suche sorte as no mā coulde be certē what he assuredlie ment Nowe that the treuth of the matter of the Sacramēt shoulde not be obscured with soche doubtfull wryting Paschasius wrotte a booke of the presence of the verie bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament in soche expresse and playn woordes as the symple man maye preceaue what was the faith of the Chruche in that tymeof that matter And for that he was so playn Gastius one of thys proclamers faction hauyng gotten an olde exemplar of that worke as yt ys appertynent to the syncerytie of soche men he raced yt he blotted yt yea he cutte oute wholl chapiters of yt and that doen that yt might to the woorlde appeare that Paschasius who wrotte so long agone wrotte yet nothing against the Sacramentaries he sett yt furthe so mutylated so torn and so defaced to be prynted But to return to speake of thys proclamer consydering as I saied the Artycle wherin he saieth neuer man was condemned for an heretike that affirmed the Sacramēte to be a figure sign c. I was so abasshed at hys impudecye that I was partelye mynded not to haue ioyned with hym But remembryng that yt was more impudencye to denye Chrystes presence in the Sacrament whiche ys taught by Chrystes owne woordes delyuered by saincte Paule beleued in the primytiue Churche so receaued of holie men wrytten by an infynyte nombre of learned wryters confyrmed by Councells and embraced and staied vpon by all chrystyan nacions I corrected my self sayng that yf I wolde not spare to ioyn with hym in thys wicked assertyon moche lesse shoulde I spare to ioyn with hym in that other Wherfore resumynge my former pourpose I wyll in thys also ioyn with hym and shewyng from the begynnyng of the fyrst Aucthour of thys heresie euē vnto thys Proclamer that they were all iudged for heretikes whiche affyrmed and taught that the Sacrament ys a figure as thys Aduersarie and hys complyces do I shall with all open the vanytie of hys bragge wherin he saieth that the catholique Churche ▪ haith not one scrypture not one doctour c. for the mayntenance of their faith For the playn openyng of whiche mattter yt ys certen by testymonye of manie learned mē that though some dyd so cōfusedlie wryte in thys matter that they might be suspected or dyd secretlie as men fearyng the goodnesseof their cause whisper in corners whiche were very fewe yet amonge all that rightlie beleued in Chryst as God and man Berengarius was the fyrst that dyd openly wryte and teache denyeng as thys proclamer doth the Berēgarius first openlie impugned the sacrament reall presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode in the Sacrament Whiche Berengarius was about the yeare of our lorde a thousande ād three score and So by computacion fyue hondreth yeares agon more a man as sundrye wryters testyfie neither excellent in learnyng nor commendable Berēgarius neither excellent in learning nor cōmēdable in life Leo nonus Platina in life who publyshing thys doctryne by poure scholers to whome he gaue stypende for that pourpose he spredde yt abroad in corners Whiche when yt came to the knowledge of Leo then Pope a man as Platina saieth of syngular sanctymonye and holynesse of life he condemned Berengarius in a Councell The woordes of Platina for the certen declaracion of the matter I shall not refuse to reporte Thus he wryteth Ad Leonem redeo virū certè pietate innocentia benignitate gratia hospitalitate adeô insignem vt eius Domus peregrinis pauperibus semper patuerit Nam cum semel ante fores suas leprosum pauperem inuenisset cunque prae miscricordia collocari in lecto suo mādasset apertis mane foribus à ianitore nusquā pauper inuentus est Christum pauperis nomine eo loci recubuisse creditum In rebus praeterea ad religionem pertinentibus tanta diligentia solertia vsus est vt in Concilio Vercellensi Berengarium hereseos autorem damnauerit I come agayn to Leo a man trulie in godlynesse in innocēcye benygnytie grace and hospytalytie so notable excellent that to straūgers and poure people hys house was allways open For when vpon a tyme he fownde a poure man a leapre lyeng before hys gate and through mercye had godlie commaunded hym to be layed in hys bedde in the mornyng when the gates were opened of the porter the poor man was in no place fownde And so yt was thought that Chryste in the maner of a poor man was layed ther. Besydes thys in matters apperteynyng to religyon he vsed so moche dyligence and wyse cyrcumspection that in the Councell at Vercells he condemned Berēgarius condemned in the Coūcell of Vercells at Rome ād two other Coūcells Berengarius the Author of an heresye Thus farr Platina This condēnacion notwithstandyng the wicked man persysted in hys impyetie wherfore an other Councell was holden at Towres wher by dyuerse learned Fathers he was conuynced and so abiured hys heresie And in à Councell holden at Rome wher were cxiij Byshops as Lanfrācus who then lyued testyfieth he recanted also hys heresyes Berēgarius recanteth and abiureth And yet all thys notwistāding though thys cākre of heresie semed in the outwarde parte to be cured yet yt fretted inwardlie and grewe to an newe sore that wher before he had taught that the Sacrament was but onelye a figure of the bodie of Chryst as thys proclamer also tracheth nowe he begā a newe doctryne affyrmyng that in the Sacrament was the verye bodie of Christ but that ther was also the Substāce of bread with the Substāce of the bodie of Chryst Wherupon ther was an other councell called vnder Gregorye the vij in the whiche the said Berengarius beyng conuinced dyd Gregorius 7. acknowledge hys errour and by expresse woordes recanted the same Not onelie these foure Councells condemned the heresye of Berengarius against the Sacrament but also the learned men that were in that tyme peyned them selues to wryte wholl bookes to the confutacion of the said Berengarius and hys heresies For against hym wrote Lanfrancus somtyme Archbyshope of Cantorburye of whom Tritemius saied that he was vir in
former sentence semeth to teache that yf a Christian fall in to mortall sinne after that he ys christened and hath receaued the giftes of God therunto appertaining that he can not be reconciled by penaūce and so were all hope of mercie for the remission of sinnes clean taken awaie Which thing one Nouatus by occasiō of this scripture vnderstāding yt in the Nouatus sense that yt semeth in the first face to haue taught verie stoutelie and so becam the Authour of a wofull and wicked heresie Against whiche Athanasius wrote an epistle to Serapio wher he declareth that the same saincte Paule receaued the incestiouse Corinthian and also the Galathians that had erred Athanas in faith to whom he saied O insensati Galatae quis vos fascinauit non obedire veritati O insensate Galathians who hath bewitched yowe that ye shoulde not obey the treuth And yet afterwarde he saied Filioli mei quos iterum pariurio donec Galat. 3. Ibid. 4. formetur in vobis Chrystus O my litle children of whom I trauaill again in byrth vntil Chryste be fashyoned in yowe The second sentence also semeth vtterlie to denie all means to atteign to gods mercie after we haue wilfullie fallen to sinne whiche sentence yf yt shoulde be vnderstanded as it sowndeth desperaciō shoulde reign and hope shoulde be abandoned What shall I saie for the vnderstanding of the scripturs by the common people vnlearned when not onelie manie other learned men through their euell or wrong vnderstanding of them haue swarued and fallē into sundrie and diuerse heresies But also saincteHierom and saincte Augustin two lightes and pillers of the Christian orbe haue dissented vpon the vnderstanding of a sayeng of saincte Paule to the Galathians wher he saieth When Peter Galat. 2. was comed to Antioche I withstoode him openlie bicause he was wourthie to be blamed In the which their disagrement ther was nothing committed that either charitie betwixt thē was empaired or yet anie heresie obstinatelie defended but raither the trueth learnedlie enquired and searched Wherfor Reader I saie vnto thee Noli altū sapere sed time Be not high minded but feare For arrogācie is mother of errour Put on therfore an hūble spirit and in reading of the scriptures submitte thy self to the teaching of thy Rom. 11. Arrogācie mother of errour Mother the churche For the loulie bowing man maie easelie go withoute harme wher the stowte high looker shall breake his browe Be humble therfore and feare to trust thine owne iudgement in the exposition of the scriptures and so will the Spirit of God rest vpon thee For vpon whome saieth he Esay 66. shall my Spirit rest but vpon him that ys humble and fearing my woordes THE FIFT CHAPITRE DECLARING THE MINdes and Iudgementes of the Fathers and doctours vpon the difficultie of the Scriptures YT nedeth not to trauaill anye more in this matter when as I suppose the Reader ys by this that ys allreadie saied so perswaded that he wil with hand and foote as they saie go with me and ioin with me in one sentence and minde Yet that the arrogancie of the stoute ignorant and vnlearned and the vntrueth of the learned maie be confownded and suffer their wourthie shame the Reader shall heare the iudgement of the famouse learned Fathers and doctours as touching the difficultie and obscuritie of the scriptures Wherbie the impudencie of soche arrogant persons maie clerlie and manifestlie be perceaued and they if they haue not as the Prophet Hieremie in the voice of God saieth of the people of Israell gotten an whoores forehead and will not be ashamed maye then in dede be ashamed Hierem 3. Origen a man both auncient and famouse in learning handeling this place of saincte Paule to the Galathians Vos in libertatē vocati estis fratres Bretheren ye Galat. 5. Orig. 19. li. Storm are called vnto libertie saieth thus Difficilis locus est et ita à nobis disserendus videtur An hard place this ys and thus vnto me yt semeth to be expownded And after along discourse in the exposition of the same texte he saieth thus Quamobrem spiritum scripturae fructusque quaeramus qui non dicuntur esse manifesti Multo quippe labore et sudore et digno cultu in scripturis fructus spiritus inuenitur Vnde arbitror Paulum diligenter et cautè de scripturae sensibus dixisse carnalibus Manifesta sunt opera carnis De spiritualibus vero non vt ibi posuisse Manifestus est fructus Sed ita Fructus autcm spiritus est charitas gaudium pax etc. Wherfore let us seke the Spirit of the scripture and the fruicts of the same whiche are not saied to be manifest For trulie the fruicte of the Spirit ys fownde in the scriptures with moche labour and swette and wourthie trauaill Wherfore I Scripture must be studied withe moche labour thinke Paule diligentlie and warelie of the carnall senses of the scriptures to haue saied the workes of the flesh are manifest But of the spirituall senses not to haue putte as in the other The fruicte of the Spirit ys manifest but thus The fruicte of the Spirit ys charitie ioye peace c. Hitherto Origen In the whiche saing first by expresse and plain woordes ye perceaue hym to saie of that place of saincte Paule ther alleaged that yt ys an harde place And asterwarde he concludeth of the wholl scripture that the spirituall senses and vnderstandinges therof are not manifest but are to be sought with moche labour swette and wourthie trauaill Whiche he proueth by saincte Paule Nowe thinges that be easie and plain are acquired and gotten with moche facilitie without Laboure or with verie easie labour hard thinges be not so gotten but contrarie wise Wherfor by Origen yt maie be concluded that forasmoche as the right senses whiche he calleth the spirituall sense or vnderstanding of the scripture are to be gotten with moche labour swette and wourthie trauaill they be not easie but raither hard Sainct Hierom exhorting Paulinus to the studie of the scriptures as well by the exāples of Ethnickes and Philosophers as Plato Pithagoras Apollonius and soche other whiche for knowledge trauailed ouer seas and contries as also by the examples of christians as of Saint Paule Timothie Tyte and soche other maketh it not an easie matter but raither teacheth howe moch difficultie ys therin To the whiche pourpose he saieth Aperiebantur coeli Ezechieli qui populo peccatori clausi erant Reuela inquit Dauid oculos meos et considerabo mirabilia Hieron ad Paulinū de lege tua Lex enim spiritualis est et reuelatione opus est vt intelligatur ac reuelata facie gloriam Dei contemplemur Liber in Apocalypsi septem sigillis signatus ostenditur quem si dederis homini scienti literas vt legat respondebit tibi Non possum Signatus est enim Quanti hodie putant se nosce literas et tenent signatum librū
consummantes verum mysterium sequi figuras quae praedicta sunt demonstrant Neque enim est eiusdem temporis Sed aliud quidem pertinere ad figuram aliud autem ad veritatem qui vtraque sanciuit praecepit Propter quod Christus primùm celebrauit figuratum Pascha Pòst caenam autem intelligibilem tradit angustante eam tempore pro die horā immutauit vel magis etiam diem Sic enim ad vesperam quartae decimae diei caenae Iudaicae Paschalis festiuitatis celebratur Post hoc autē Christus propriam tradidit caenam The thin ges therfore which are afore saied doe declare that we hauing present and doinge the true misterie maie not folowe figures Neither ys yt apperteining to the same time But he that ordeined both cōmaunded one time to appertein to the figure an other time to the veritie Wherfore Crist also did first celebrate the figuratiue passeouer but after supper he deliuered the intelligible Supper and the time straicting the same he chaunged an howre for a daie or raither also the daie For so in the euening of the fourtenth daie the Supper of the Iewish Paschall solemnitie ys celebrated And after this Christe deliuered his owne Supper Thus farre Isychius In whose woordes yt maie be perceaued first what was the Iewish Paschall offring whiche was an oxe or à shepe whiche were a figure of Christ our Paschall oblation Secondlie he teacheth that we nowe hauing the true misterie maie not folowe figures In whiche wordes note gentle Reader that he saieth that we nowe haue the true misterie wherby we are taught that we haue in our Paschall solemnitie the verie or true presence of Christe For he putteh here this terme true misterie to answere the figuratiue presence in the figure Paschal lābe ād christ compared The figure hath but the shadowe of the thing but that that ys figured hath the thing yt self The Paschall Lambe of the Iewes eaten in their Passouer was a figure of Christ our Paschall lambe eaten in our Passouer Wher for as the Iewes had a verie earthlie lambe the figure in their supper So we haue the verie heauenlie Lambe Christ the truthe of that figure in our Supper Whiche thing this Authour in the woordes folowinge doth plainlie declre For saieth he one time serueth not for the figure and the thing figured Verie Christ in oure Passouer but ther ys one time for the figure an other time for the veritie Note then again that he calleth the thing figured the veritie what ys the veritie but the verie thing in dede that the figure did perfigurate The lambe the figure did perfigurate Christ Wherfore verie Christe ys in our passouer This ys not fallen from this Authour as a thing vnwittinglie spoken but proceading aduisedlie in the matter and applieng the thinge figurated and declaring the accomplishing of the thing by Christe he saieth Wherfore Christ also did first celebrate the figuratiue Passouer But after supper he deliuered the intelligible Supper What ys meāt by the intelligible Supper ye shall better perceaue by other places of this Authour wher he vseth this woorde whiche he doth almost in every leaf As in his same chapiter shewing wherof Aegipte ys a figure he saieth Etenim AEgyptus intelligiblis praesens mundus quia AEgyptus cōtenebratio inter Isych Ibid. pretatur The intelligible Aegipt ys this present worlde For Aegipt by interpretacion ys called a darkning Likewise vpon this text of Leuiticus wher Allmightie God saied to the children of Israel by Moyses When ye shall come into the land whiche I will geue vnto yowe and reape downe the haruest therof ye Iebitic 23. shall bring a sheife of the first fructs of your haruest vnto the preist who shall waue the sheife before the Lorde to be accepted for yowe First teaching who were figured by the sheiues he saieth Illi enim sunt Jsic li. 6. ca. 23. Matth. 9. messores et intelligibiles segetes ad quos Dominus dicebat Messis quidem multa operarij autē pauci etc. They be both the reapers and the intelligible sheiues to whom our lord said The haruest trulie ys great but the woorkmen or reapers are fewe And likewise opening who was figured by the preist that shoulde make their oblacion accepted of God for them he saieth Manipulum autem primitiarum intelligibilis sacerdos Christus corpus proprium offerebat The intelligible preist Chryst did offer his owne bodie a sheif of first fruicts Again in the same chapiter vpon this text And ye shall offer that daie when ye waue the sheife an he lambe withoute blemish of a yeare olde for a burnt offring vnto the Lorde he saieth Volens nos in die qua celebramus Domini resurrectionem et manipuli intelligibilem oblationem celebramus non obliuisci dominici sacrificij ex quo nobis est oblatio manipuli sed caedere agnum immaculatum anniculum in holocaustum Domino intelligibilem agnum Domini traditionem immolantes mysticè et offerentes ipsius autem vt sacrificium caedentes memoriamfecit Owre Lorde willing vs in the daie wherin we do celebrate the resurrection of him and do celebrate the intelligible oblacion of the sheif not to forgett our Lordes sacrifice of the which we haue the oblacion of the sheif but to offer vppe a lambe withoute spotte of one yeare olde for a burnt sacrifice to our Lorde mysticallie sacrificing and offring the intelligible lambe being the tradicion of our Lorde in the doing of this sacrifice he hath made his memoriall In an other place also wher almightie God saied A man that hath sinned Isich li. 7. ca. 5. through ignorance and hath doen against the lawe and knoweth himself giltie shall offer an vnspotted Ramme vnto the preist Rectè intelligibilis aries Christus huius peccatum in sacrificio pro eo oblatus diluit Euen verie wel Chryste the intelligible ramme being offred for him in sacrifice wipeth awaie the sinne of this man In all these places these woordes the intelligible Egypte the intelligible sheiues the intelligible preist the intelligible oblacion the intelligible lambe the intelligible Ramme what doe these ells signifie but the verie thinges shadowed and signified by the figures Wherby we maie conclude by this authour that the legall Supper and the lambe therin eaten were the figures of Chrystes Supper and the lambe therin eaten beinge the verie thinges in dede that ys Chrystes owne Supper and hys owne blessed bodie whiche ys the intelligible lambe that was and ys therin eaten And that this shall be so plain that the Aduersarie shall not against saie Leuit. 24. yt heare this Authour clerelie opening the matter Expownding howe Aaron and hys children were touched with the bloode of the Ramme Isich in Leuit li. 2. ca. 8. that was sacrificed for them and applieng yt to that that yt was a figure of he saieth Sed tamen primus sacerdos sanguine post eum filij eius secundùm
legem vngebantur quia ipse Dominus primus in coena mystica intelligibilem accepit sanguinem atque deinde calicem Apostolis dedit Sed ecce legislator hic post vnctionem Aaron filiorum subdidit De sanguine reliquum fudit super altari per circuitum Quod et Christum fecisse inuenimus Bibens enim ipse et Apostolis bibere dans tunc intelligibilem sanguinem super altare videlicet suum corpus effudit Corpus autem Christi Ecclesia est et omnis plebs eius Quod specialiter dicentem Marcum inuenimus Et sumens gratias agens dediteis et biberunt ex eo omnes et dixit eis Hic est sanguis meus noui testamenti qui pro multis effusus est But first the preist and after him his Sonnes were according to the lawe anoincted with blood For our Lorde him self also first in the misticall Supper did take the intelligible blood and then gaue the cuppe to hys Apostles But yet lo this lawgeuer after the enoincting of Aaron and his sonnes saieth The rest of the blood he powred rownde aboute vpon the Altar Whiche thing also we finde Chryst to haue doen. For he drinking and geuing his Apostles to drinke then he powred the intelligible bloode vpon the altar that ys to saie vpon his bodie The bodie of Chryst ys the Churche and all his people Whiche thinge we finde Chryst drāke his owne blood and gaue yt to his Apostles Marke speciallie sainge And he tooke the cuppe and gaue thankes and gaue yt to them and they all dranke of yt and he saied vnto them Thys ys my blood of the newe Testament whiche ys shedde for manie Thus moche Isychius I shall not nede to note any thing in this place of this Authour wher euery parte of his saieng ys so plain Yt ys verie manifest that he saieth that Why Christ first drank his owne blood Christ gaue vnto the Apostles his bloode whiche he calleth as before ys declared the intelligible bloode Which ys as moche to saie as the bloode of Chryst figured by the bloode of the lambe and also of the Ramme offred for Aaron ad his Sonnes Whiche bloode as Chrysostō also together with this Author wittnesse Chryst himself because his Apostles beleuing yt verilie according to the woorde of their master to be bloode shoulde not therfore loathe to drinke of yt dranke first vnto them and then dranke all they Yf Chryst dranke his owne blood he dranke yt either spirituallie or corporallie Spirituallie he could not wherfore he dranke yt corporallie As touching this wittnes of Chrysostome more shall be saied in the second booke And although this place conuinceth the Proclamer who saith Li. 2. ca. 55 that we can not bringe anie one olde catholique Doctour or Father Yet in the thirde booke shall be brought oute of this father diuerse and many places more plainlie teaching Gods truthe then this doth Wherfore leauing him with his ioint felowe who haue plainly testified Chrystes verie presence in the Sacrament for that the figure must be aunswered by the verie thing and truthe wherof yt ys the figure I shall cal two other mo wittnesses to testifie the same THE SEVENTENE CHAPITER PROCEADETH in the same matter by sainct Cyprian and Euthymius SAincte Cyprian martir Bishoppe of Carthage a man in learninge and vertuouse conuersacion most excellent and in propinquitie of time to Chryst right aunciente as Eusebius doth testifie whom sainct S. Cyprian his commēdacion Lab. 7. eccl li. Hist. c. 2 Cypriā de coena Augustine in his workes doth moche reuerence who liued aboute 256. yeares after Chryste whome I make to folowe emong the latines Tertullian for that he so moche esteemed and loued him as ys before saied In this matter he speaketh after this sorte Coena itaque disposita inter sacramentales epulas obuiarunt sibi instituta noua antiqua consumpto agno quem antiqua traditio proponebat inconsumptibilem cibum magister apponit discipulis Nec iam ad elaborata impensis et arte conuiuia populi inuitantur sed immortalitatis alimonia datur à communibus cibis differens corporalis substantiae retinens speciem sed virtutis Diuinae inuisibili efficientia probans adesse praesentiam The Supper therfore beinge ordered emonge the sacramental meates their mett together the olde ordeinances and the newe And when the lambe was consumed or eaten which the olde tradition did sett furth the master did put before hys disciples the inconsumptible meate Neither nowe be the people bidden to feastes prepared with conninge and charges but here ys geuen the food of immortalitie differing from common meates reteining the forme of corporall substance but prouinge by the inuisible efficiencie the presence of Gods power to be therin Thus sainct Cyprian Christ gaue his disciples inconsumptible meat Sacramentaries giue ther disciples ccnsumptile meat In the which woordes of this holy Father ye perceaue first the comparison of the two passouers Which he calleth the olde ordeinaunce and the newe that mette together emong the sacramentall meates Secondarelie ye maie perceaue the difference of thē bothe For the olde Passouer was a lābe which was cōsumed Whiche he teacheth when he saieth Et consumpto agno and when the lambe was consumed which the olde tradicion dyd sett furth The other ys a meate whiche neuer ys able to be consumed whiche he plainlie vttereth thus The master meening Chryst did put before his disciples inconsumptible meat Nowe note howe different the Sacramentaries be from this holie elder Sacramentaries glose vpon S. Cyprian ouerthrowen of Chrystes church They saie ther ys put or sett before vs but bread which ys consumptible as the paschall lambe was but this Father saieth The master put before hys disciples inconsumptible meat Neither maie they here vse their feigned glosing sainge that we do receaue inconsumptible meate in the Supper of the Lorde for we receaue Chryst spirituallie that ys the merite and grace of his passion For neither these Meate of Christes supper differeth frō common meates woordes will beare that glose neither the woordes that folowe For these woordes saie that the master did putte before them inconsumptible meate He did not putte the merite of his passion before them For yt ys not a thing of that nature that yt maie be taken by hand and laied before men in seight but yt ys taken by the inward man onelie But this meate was put before them H. 3. Bread of the hereticall cōmunion differeth not frō common bread Christes meat reteining the forme of corporall substāce cānot be the spirituall meat of the Sacramentaries And the woordes that do folowe do yet more clearlie shewe the matter and wype awaie their glose for yt foloweth that this meate whiche Chryste putte before his disciples did differ from cōmon meates and yet yt reteined the forme of naturall substance Yf yt did differ from common meates then yt can not be taken for the bread vsed
most plain sentence haue gon aboute to elude yt with a glose vpon this woorde Sacramētaries glose vpon S. Cyprian ouerthrowen nature saieng that nature ys here taken for the propertie of nature and not for the substance of nature that glose ys ouerthrowen by these woordes ther immediatelie folowing Factus est caro was made flesh Nowe ye haue heard holie Cyprians faith in this matter so plainlie vttered that his testimonie alone were sufficient to make the aduersarie to rubbe his forehead for shame yf anie shame be in him ād to cal in his proclamaciō for asmoche as he heareth the matter so clerelie and so manifestlie spokē ād vttered as neither he ne anie of his likes can well fasten any darke or blinde glose to take awaie the clearnesse of this sentence But trusting that the thing yt self confowndeth sufficiently the arrogancie of the Aduersaries I will procead and bring furth one of the other side of Chrystes Parliamēt house who shall be Euthymius a man so auncient and so famed emong learned men that I nede not here to stand moche in his commendacion As touching this matter he saieth thus speaking of our Sauiour Chrystes doing in his last Supper Egit gratias nunc ante panē postmodū ante poculum Euthym in Matth. 26 docens quòd gratias agere oportet ante huiusmodi mysterium quod perfectum est ad praestandum naturae nostrae beneficium Si enim agni figuratiui immolatio ab interfectione liberationem à seruitute libertatem Iudaeis praestitit quanto maiora praestabit Christianis veri agni immolatio Simul etiam ostendens quòd vltroneus ad passionem veniret praeterea docens nos gratias agere in omnibus quae patimur Sicut autem pictores in vna tabula lineas supponunt picturas adumbrant et colores superinducunt ac formant ita quoque Christus in eadem mensa et figuratiuum ac vmbratile Pascha subscripsit et verum ac perfectum apposuit He gaue thankes bothe nowe before the bread and afterward before the cuppe teachinge that we must geue thankes before soche a mistery as was doen to geue a benefet to owre nature For yf the sacrificinge of the figuratiue lambe gaue vnto the Iewes deliuerance from being slain and libertie from seruitude Howe moche greater benefettes shall the sacrificing of the trew lambe geue vnto the Christians Shewing also withall that he came willinglie to his passion and besides that teaching that we shoulde geue thankes in all thinges that we suffer As painters in one table first drawe their lines and shadowe their paintinges and then laie on their colours and sett yt oute in forme or fashion Euen so also Chryst in that one table sette oute the figuratiue and shadolike passouer an then putte vnto them the true and perfect passeouer Hitherto Euthymius In whose sentence ye maie first perceaue that he teacheth that the lambe eaten of the Iewes was the figure and shadowe of the true paschall lambe that Chryst gaue to hys Apostles Secondarelie that yt ys to be cōsidered that he calleth Chrystes Passouer in respect of the Iewes passouer a perfight and true Passouer Nowe the Aduersaries teache that the good Iewes eating their Paschall Sacramentaries opinions Lambe receaued Chryste Spirituallie And they saie likewise that the good Chrystians eating the sacramentall bread as they terme yt receaue Chryst also but Spirituallie They saie also that the Iewes receaued Chryste in a signe or figure They saie that the Christians likewise receaue Chryste but in signe or figure Howe then riseth thys difference that their Paschall feast ys called but a shadow or figure and owre ys called the true and perfecte paschall feast And yet according to the Aduersaries doctrine ther ys no more in the one then in other but bothe be figures bothe be signs and Chryst but spirituallie receaued in bothe Wher ys then the trueth that maketh our paschall feast a true feast And wher ys the perfection that maketh yt perfecte as thys authour tearmenth yt Yt can not be but that in Christes Supper ther must be the trneth and verie thing of that that was figured in the iudaicall Supper And that perfect Christ in the iudaicall feast imperfectlie in our feast perfectie thinge in perfecte maner whiche in the Iewes Supper was vnperfectlie as ye haue hearde that that lambe and Supper was a figure of Chryste oure lambe and our Supper Wherfore then yt must nedes folowe that as Chryst was in that Supper but in a figure and therfore vnperfectlie So must he be present in our Supper more then in a figure euen by verie true and reall presence and so perfectlie And that this Authour as I haue declared meant of soche a perfectereall presence of Chryst in the sacramēt not onelie his own woords allreadie rehersed do wel proue but this his saieng also in the same chapiter Sicut vetus Testamentum hostias et sanguinem habebat Ita sanè et nouū corpus videlicet et sanguinem Domini Euen as the olde Testament had sacrifices and bloode So trulie hath the newe also that ys to witte the bodie and bloode of our lorde Thus Euthymius Ys not this saieng plain ynough can the Proclamer finde anie tropes or A plain place for master Juel darke figures to saie that this ys not a plain sentence declaring the verie real presence of Christes blessed bodie and bloode in the Sacrament forasmoche as he saieth not onelie that the newe Testament hathe the bodie and bloode of Chryste But yt hathe them as the propre sacrifice of the same Neither maie the Proclamer drawe this saing pinche yt to meen the sacrifice of the crosse For this authour proceadeth immediatelie in the proif of Christes reall presence in the Sacrament by Christes owne woordes This ys my bodie And teacheth that not onelie signes of Christes bodie and bloode be ther But his verie bodie and blood as in the second booke where we shall haue a more apte and couenient place to speake of these woordes more at large oute of this Authour Yt shall be declared And for this place supposing enoughe to be saied as cōcerning the minde of these two Authours for the applicacion of the figure of the Paschall Lābe to Christe our Paschall Lambe and howe the one ys but the figure the other the veritie And that therfore the thing in dede that was figured whiche ys Christes verie bodie ys otherwise present then in a figure I will leaue these and call other two of Christes Parliament house to heare ther testimonie also what the enacted trueth of this matter ys THE EIGHTENE CHAPITER TREACTETH OF the same matters by saincte Hierom and Chrysostome Amonge the elders of the latin churche whiche remain I will first heare saincte Hierom a man in fame so excellent in learning so deape and profownde in liuing so holie in time so auncient as being born the yeare of our Lorde 331. of diuerse
simplicitie he iugleth with craft and subtletie For the better perceiuing of this sleight yf ye do not remembre what ys alleaged oute of Tertullian and saincte Ciprian in the xxiiij chapiter of this booke haue recourse thither and reade them This Proclamer being pressed with those places for they make mightilie and directlie against him in this matter enombring diuerse and sondrie abuses of the Sacramentes of Baptisme of the bodie and bloode of Chryst yt liked him to putte that that Tertullian and Ciprian spake of the Sacrament reserued and receaued of good women among his abuses wherin in dede he moche abuseth himself His woordes be these A sleight of the Proclamer to abuse Tertul. and S. Cyprian In the time of Tertullian and saincte Cyprian whiche was a thousande and foure hundreth yeares agon women commonly tooke the Sacrament home with them in their napkins and laied yt in their chestes and receaued a porcion of yt in the morning before other meates See ye not howe by this sleight he wolde dasell the eyes and iudgement of the reader that when he shoulde happe to read these places he shoulde repute and esteem thē not as good examples but as abuses and so shaddowe the matter of reseruacion whiche they proue But dothe he finde this spoken of Tertullian as an abuse Dothe Tertullian so terme yt Naie I am sure he doth not Yf Tertulliā doo not so accōpt yt whie dothe this newe maker of abuses so terme yt Tertulian speaketh of yt as a thing well doen what commission then aboue Tertullian had this man to saie yt ys euell doen. As for saincte Ciprian the Aduersarie perhappe wolde glose yt a litle and proue yt an abuse bycause the woman whē she opened her coafer wher the holie Sacrament laie ther sprang oute a fire that feared her that she durst not touch yt But let the Proclamer veiue that place of saincte Cyprian well and he shall finde none other abuse mencioned ther of him but that the woman wolde haue presumed to touche the holie thinge of our Lorde as he termeth yt with vnwoorthie hādes This ys the abuse that S. Cyprian reherseth ther. But that she reserued yt he accompteth yt no abuse For ther ys no soche woorde in saincte Cyprian Wherfore Reader be ware of soche sleightes and by this perceaue that all ys not trewth that this man so gloriouslie setteth furth And yf he accompt yt an abuse bycause they caried yt home what will he saie to the vse of the Churche in the time of Iustinus Martyr was not then the Sacrament caried home to soche as were absent This holie man so testifieth saing thus Cùm autem is qui praeest gratias egerit totus populus Just. in Apologia approbauerit hi qui vocantur apud nos Diaconi distribuunt vnicuique praesentium vt participent de pane in quo gratiae actae sunt et de vino et aqua et ijs qui non sunt praessentes deferūt domū Whē he that ys cheif hath geuē thankes and all the people hath cōsented to yt these that with vs be called Deacons do distribute of the cōsecrated The Sacramēt caried home to thē that were absent bread and of the wine and water to euery one that ys present to receaue and to those that be absent they carie yt home Thus Iustinus Sainct Basill also wittnesseth that holie men liuing in wildernesse did reserue the Sacrament in their Cells and as deuocion moued them receaued yt Thus he saieth Epist. ad Caesariam Patriciam Omnes in eremis solitariam vitam agentes vbi non est sacerdos Cōmunionem domi seruantes à seipsis communicant All that lead solitarie liues in the wildernesse wher ther ys no preist keping the Sacrament in their houses receaue yt by them selues Thus sainct Basill The Sacr. reserued in Rome in S. Hieroms time Saincte Hierom also in his Apologie against Iouinian testifieth that the people of Rome in his time vsed to kepe the Sacrament in their houses and receaued yt by them selues Nowe yf the Sacrament were caried to the houses of soche as were absent as appareth by Iustinus and of diuerse kept to be receaued as deuocion serued as ys wittnessed by saincte Basill and saincte Hierom And so to doo was thē the vse of the Churche yt doth well appeare that for soche godlie pourposes to carie yt home and to reserue yt ys no abuse Wherfor in this that the Proclamer accompted yt an abuse bycause yt was caried from the Churche and receaued at home as before ys saied in making that accompte he moche abuseth him self And here Reader beside that good vse to carie the Sacrament to soche as neaded yt ys ther not in Iustine a good argument for reseruacion was not the Sacrament when all the Communion was doen in the Churche reserued to be caried to them that were absent Nowe yf yt maie be reserued but so long time why maie yt not be kept a longer time Yf not a longer time let the Proclamer bring furthe the iust prescript time oute of the Scriptures the Doctours or Councells and we shall regarde the prescription yf he can not as I am sure that he can not let him ceasse with these his vain inuēted trifles to vexe disturbe diuide molest and slaunder the catholike Churche and let him acknowledge that the Churche in these our daies cariēg the Sacrament to soche as be sicke and to soche as cā not come to the Church offendeth not neither abuseth the Sacrament in so doing but foloweth the godlie example of the auncient catholique Churche as nowe ye haue heard to the full testified And wher the Churchc kepeth and reserued the Sacrament on the altar or ells wher let him knowe by saincte Basill and saincte Hierom that so yt The church nowe reseruing the Sacr and sending yt to the sick offendeth not was in their time and from the beginning likewise reserued and kept so that the Churche neither in sending the Sacrament to sicke folkes or other absent in their necessitie neither in keping yt in the churche dothe other wise then was doen in the primitiue Churche Wherfor I wishe thee gentle Reader to staie thy self and not to suffer thy self to be caried awaie with soche vain diuerse and straunge Doctrines but consider well the practise of the Churche declared vnto thee in this matter Consider the vse of reseruacion through oute all the Churche vntill this time of Scisme and heresie to be doen not onelie in Englonde but in all Realms Chrystened whiche being so vniuersallie receaued maie not be thought to be euell doen or anie abuse to be therin committed but yt aught with all humblenesse to be obeied receaued and folowed For two thinges by the doctrine of saincte Augustine must we obserue the one ys what so euer ys taught vs of the Scripture the other what we finde obserued throughoute all the Churche Soche rule gaue he to Ianuarius Si
made hys bodie and that the Apostles receaued his bodie But neuer after was yt geuen to anie This was a verie euell cankre but yt hath encreased since to so moche vngodlinesse and hath Cankrelike fretted so sore that nowe in our time men haue denied the bodie of Chryst to be consecrated and geuen either by the preistes or ministres of the churche or yet by Chryst him self in the last Supper For he gaue saie they but the figure of hys bodie to hys Apostles as the ministres doo nowe to the people But as Chrysostome in hys sentence hath aunswered the Petrobrusians So hath he also aunswered the Oecolampadians Caluinistes and the rest of the vypers that brake oute of Luthers beallie of the which generacion this chalenger ys one who like vipers in dede whiche gnawe and frette their dames beallie chryst doth sanctisie aÌ„d transmute the bread and wine to come from her euen so these impugning the doctrine of ther Father haue endeuoured to destroye bothe him and his doctrin to be ridde therof Qui verò haec sanctificat transmutat ipse est Yt ys euen he saieth Chrysostom meening Chryst that dothe sanctisie and transmute these thinges Owre heresiarke of Englande Cranmer saieth in his booke that the creatures of bread and wine can not be sanctified But by Chrysostomes sentence they be sanctified in to some other thing Which ys so in dede and therfore TransubstanciacioÌ„ auouched he addeth transmutat and dothe transmute or chaunge them For Chryste sanctifieng dothe chaunge the substance of the creatures of bread and wyne into the substance of his bodie and bloode For as Origen saieth the bread ys made in to an holier bodie Nos conditori rerum morem gerentÌ„es pro eius in nos collatis beneficijs vbi gratias diximus oblatis Orig. cont Cels li. 8. The bread ys turned into an holier bodie panibus vescimur qui vtique ex oratione precibus in sanctius quoddam corpus conslantur quod sanè sanctiores hos reddit qui mente integriore hoc ipso vtuntur We obeing saieth Origen the creatour of thinges when we for the benefittes whiche he hath geuen vs haue geuen him thankes we eate the breades that be offred whiche by oracion and praiers are made into a certain holier bodie which maketh them holier which with an wholl minde doo vse the same Thus Origen Do ye not heare that the breades that be offred be made into a certain holier bodie And what a bodie ys yt Soche a bodie as maketh those holier whiche receaue yt withe a pure and godlie minde What bodie ys yt that we receaue hauing power to make vs holier but the holie bodie of him who ys owre sanctificacion iustificacion and redemption Nowe here ys no place for the Aduersaries comon glose to saie that we receaue the bodie of Chryst spiritually whiche maketh vs holier that receaue yt and therby to seclude the receauing of Chrystes bodie reallie For he saieth that the breades whiche be offred be made into an holier bodie And Li. 4. de Sâ—cramentis that bodie that ys made of the bread I vse saincte Ambrose hys phrase Depane fit corpus Christi maketh them holier whiche receaue yt with a good and godly minde Whiche bodie being soche that the bread ys turned or made into yt must nedes be the reall and substanciall bodie of Chryst Vnderstande me not here that I reiecte the spirituall receauing of Chryst in the Sacrament But I wishe bothe the receauinges to go together He can not receaue Chryst spirituallie whiche beleueth not that he receaueth him reallie For as the receauing of Chryst reallie profiteth not withoute the receauing of him spirituallie So he can not receaue him spirituallie that beleueth not him to be receaued reallie And therfor when oportunitie serueth as I wishe bothe the receauinges to go together so must they in dede go together yf the receauer will take and haue anie profitte therbie Albeit these might sussice that be hertofore alleaged to testifie vnto vs what ys the enacted and receaued trueth of Chrystes Parliament house as concerning the preisthead and sacrifice of Chryst after the ordre of Melchisedech Li. 4. de de thod side Melchisedech and his sacrifice a sigure of Chryst aÌ„d his sacrifice yet that S. Augustine maie haue one of the other side of the house that ys of the greke churche ioined with him I will bring yowe Damascen who in fewe woordes saieth thus Pane vino suscepit Melchisedech AbrahaÌ„ excaede alienigenarum reuertenteÌ„ qui erat sacerdos Dei altissimi Illa mensa hanc mysticam praefigurabat mensam veluti sacerdos ille Christi veri sacerdotis figuraÌ„ praeferebat imagincÌ„ Tu es inquit sacerdos in aeternuÌ„ secundùm ordineÌ„ Melchisedech With bread and wine did Melchisedech receaue Abraham returning from the slaughter of the straungers That table did prefigurate this mysticall table as also that preist did bear the figure and image of Chryst the verie preist Thowe arte saieth he a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Thus Damascen In whiche sentence ye see the comparison applicacion of table to table Table signisieth sacrifice as in S. Paule 1. Cor. 10. of preist to preist Damascen teaching the one to be figure of the other Wher I wolde that the Aduersarie did note that the table of Melchisedech whiche all men of learning doo knowe ys taken for the sacrifice as in sainct Paule ye can not be partakers of the table of God and the table of Deuells also In whiche saing what ells ment sainct Paule but that the Corinthians coulde not be partakers of that that was offred to God in sacrifice and of that that was offred in sacrifice to Deuells also The table of Melchisedech I saie whiche ys the sacrifice of Melchisedech did prefigurate the table that ys the sacrifice of Chryste The sacrifice I saie which he offred after the ordre of Melchisedech Nowe see o thowe Aduersarie the concorde and plain testimonie of these right auncient elders and famouse learned Fathers of Chrystes Parliament house howe all they with one mouth as yt were haue reported what was the receaued trueth in the house of Chryst in their tymes which tymes were the times of pure and sincere knowledge in this matter a time wheÌ„ ther was no heresie nor controuersie to moue theÌ„ to writte of yt but quietly and godlie for the instruction of Gods people in the trueth of his faithe and to leaue certain both monumentes and munimentes of the same to the posteritie they haue expressed their faithe in this and other diuerse matters And not onelie their priuate faith but the vniuersall faith of Chrystes catholique Churche And left the same in writing for the staie and confirmacion of them that remain in the faithe and for the calling home again of them that haue erred Therfore wher thowe erring from the true faith hauest taught that Melchisedech
offertur nomini meo oblatio munda quia magnum est nomen meum in gentibus dicit Dominus exercituum I haue no pleasure in yowe saieth the Lorde of hostes And as for meat offring I will not accept yt as your handes For from the rising vppe of the sunne vnto the going downe of the same my name ys great emong the gentiles yea in euery place shall ther be sacrifice doen and a clean meat offring offred vppe vnto my name For my name ys great emong the Gentiles saeth the Lorde of hostes This prophecie hath moche tormented the Aduersaries and therfore all Protestantes tormented with the propheâ—… 〈◊〉 howe â—…ey wrest yt their ingines hookes and all their fetches haue be sett vpon this place to drawe yt to their sense and pourpose but yt will not be all will not serue that they can doo for trueth will shewe yt self and preuaill This prophecie in dede inuinciblie proueth the Sacrifice of Chrystes Churche as hereafter shall be shewed But first let vs see howe the Aduersaries wolde wrest this place and let vs make yt plain to the reader that the sence whiche they wolde haue the scripture vnderstanded in ys not the right and full sence but a distorted sence a wrong sense and soche a sense as the place can not beare a sense disagreing from the expositions of all the holie Fathers bothe of the latin churche and of the greke churche Occolampadius in a booke that he did write of the Masse vnto the Senate of Basille saieth that by this prophecie of the Prophet Malachie was Prophecied Occolamp that the ministres of the newe testament shoulde make a faithfull people oute of all nacions as a pure and an holie oblacion and sacrifice to God And this saieth he ys the minde of the Prophet Martin Bucer not moche differing from him in his aunswer that he made to Latomus saieh that hy this Prophecie ys cheiflie promised the preaching of the Gospell by the whiche God shall be euery whear acknowleged and Bucer the fruicte also of the same preaching that ys faithe and the confessing of the same faithe And he saieth also that by the incense and oblacion are to be vnderstanded the sacrifices of chrysten men whiche be saieth he the praising and calling on the name of God wherunto ys allwaies annexed the geuing vppe of our selues to the will of God and the declaracion of our thaÌ„kefull minde towardes God by the doing and shewing of loue and mercie to the poore And thus dothe he expownde the Prophete Bullinger an other of the same secte and sorte saieth that the lawde and prayse of God his name ys the pure sacrifice that the Prophete speaketh of Bullinger Vrbanus Rhegius But Vrbanus Rhegius writing against Eckius his master in his firstbooke saieth thus The sacrifice that Malachias prophecied of ys the mortificacion of the flesh and the calling on the name of God with godlie prayer And this was his phantasie whiche so I terme as I might the rest for that eche of theÌ„ hath vnderstanded the prophecie as him listeth and not as the full mening of the same hathe required And although other haue vttered their conceptes and coniecturs vpon this prophecie Yet these being the standarde bearers of that wicked armie that hath so maliciouslie fowght against Gods truthe maie fuffice to be rehersed for this time presupposing that the rest do folowe their standerd bearers But let vs nowe examin and weigh their expositions Yf ye marke they do all agree in this that this prophecie ys to be vnderstanded of the sacrifice of praise and thanks geuing which thei call the pure sacrifice Yt ys to be considered here that Allmightie God by his Prophet declaring that the sacrifice of the Iewes which was onelie doen in Hierusalem shoulde be reiected abolished and lefte signified also that an other sacrifice shoulde be substituted in the place of the same whiche shoulde be a pure and clean sacrifice whiche shoulde not be doen onlie in Hierusalem as the other was But in euery place Nowe as for the sacrifice of a contrite heart of lawde praise and thankes geuing who doubteh but that they were vsed and offred of diuerse holie Psal 50. and vertuouse men in the olde lawe and well accepted whiche thing Dauid was not ignorant of when he saied Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus Psalm 49. cor contritum humiliatum Deus non despicies A troobled spirit ys a sacrifice to God a contrite and humble heart o God shalt thowe not despice Of the sacrifice of lawde Dauid also speaketh Immola Deo sacrificium laudis Offer to God the sacrifie of lawde c. praise And in the same Psalm Sacrificium laudis honorificabit me Who so offreth me thankes and praise he honoureth me The hereticall expositions of the prophecie of Malachie cannot stand Therfore wher the Aduersarie wolde that these kinde of Sacrifices shoulde be they of the whiche the prophet Malachie spake that shoulde come into the place of the sacrifice of the Iewes whiche God wolde abolisshe their exposition can not stande For these can not nowe be placed as newe sacrifices whiche were placed and vsed from the beginning of the first good man that offred sacrifice to God Abel who withe the sacrifice of the fruictes of the earth whiche he offred offred also praise and thankes geuing to God These sacrifices then be not newe placed but being of olde time vsed God wolde haue them so continued Neither doo I meen that these be separated from that sacrifice that God wolde place in stead of the sacrifice of the Iewes For their ys no extern sacrifice Sacrifice of laude separated from the extern sacrifice but yf yt be rightlie and duely offred yt bringeth with yt the sacrifice of lawde and praise and of other also But that the Prophet dothe meen of these onelie and not raither of some extern sacrifice to be vsed offred and frequented among the Chrystians and that he ment not cheiflie and principallie of an extern sacrifice to be placed in the place of the Iewes extern sacrifices that ys most vntrue And that maie be perceaued by the difference of the newe sacrifice from the olde What ys that That yt shall be a pure sacrifice Why were not theirs pure sacrifices before in the olde lawe Was ther not a sacrifice of expiacion and a daie of expiacion assigned in the whiche the clensing sacrifice shoulde be offred Read the xvi chapter of Leuiticus and ther shall ye finde that Allmightie God saeth thus In hac die expiatio vestri erit Leuit. 16. atque mundatio ab omnibus peccatis vestris coram Domino mundabimini In this daie shall be your expiacion and cleÌ„sing and ye shall be made clean from all your sinnes before the Lorde Was not this then a pure sacrifice that purified and clensed the people from all their sinnes before God Ys yt not a pure sacrifice that ys
a swete sauoure to God were not the sacrifices of the olde lawe soche Doth not Moises from Gods mouth so terme them Yt can not be denied but the scripture doth so call them But as Chryste saieth Nemo bonus nisi solus Deus Ther ys no man good but God alone And yet again he saieth Bonus homo de bono thesauro prosert bona The good Man oute of good treasure bringeth Luc. 18. Matth. 12 God good by nature man by participacion furth good thinges So though God alone of him self and of his diuine nature be onlie good yet men be good also not of them selues nor of their owne natures but by participacion of the goonesse of God So ther ys one sacrifice whiche onely ys pure for that yt ys pure of yt self whiche sacrifice ys the bodie and bloode of our Sauiour Iesus Chryst Other sacrifices that be called pure and clensing sacrifices they be so called by participacion that they doo please God and purifie men by the vertue and merite of that pure Sacrifice Iesus Chryst who ys the lambe that was slain from the beginning of the worlde geuing vertue to all sacrifices that were yet offred from the beginninge of the worlde And therfore when the Prophett putteth Apoc 13. this difference to this sacrifice that shall succead the sacrifices of the Iewes that yt shall be a pure sacrifice Yf yt were pure but by vertue of other as the sacrifices of the Iewes were then were this woorde pure no woorde of difference but raither a superfluouse woorde making no distinction betwen the two sortes of sacrifices But for so moche as the Prophet hath put yt as a difference seing the other were pure by vertue of other this must nedes be the sacrifice that ys pure of yt self whiche as ys before said ys the bodie and bloode of Chryst Neither maie this nowe be drawen to that most blessed Sacrifice of the bodie and blood of Chryst vpon the Crosse For that Sacrifice in that maner was offred in one place onelie that was vpon the mounte Caluarie But this Sacrifice saieth God by the Prophet ys offred in euery place Wherfore of necessitie this must be vnderstanded of the pure Sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and blood offred on the Altar which ys offred not in Hierusalem not on Sacrifice of the crosse and of the altar al one in substāce but diuerse in maner Caluery but in euery place where Chryst ys knowē and receaued Whiche sacrifice although in maner of offring yt differeth from that offred vpon the Crosse yet in substance yt ys all one Nowe ye maie perceaue that the expositions of the stāderd bearers of the wicked armie of the enemies of gods trueth ys but a violēt or a wrested exposition and will not be born of the text THE FOVRE AND THIRTITH CHAP. EXPOwndeth the Prophecie of Malachie by Martialis and Irenaeus THat the Aduersaries shall not saie that I am iudge in mine owne cause although I am certen that I builde vpon the rocke Yet to the better contentacion of the Reader and more manifest confutacion of these Aduersaries I will reporte the Iugement of the right auncient Elders of Chrystes Parliamēt house as touching the enacted trueth of this matter by their owne woordes Sanctus Martialis a great auncient in Chrystes house as being one of Chrystes disciples and after the death of his and our master almost continuallie in the Companie of the Apostle Peter ys a notable wittnesse of this trueth and wourthie to be credited This holie man maketh menciō of this prophecie of Malachie after this maner S. Martialis Martyr epist. ad Burdegalē cap. 3. Sacrificium Deo creatori offertur in ara non homini neque Angelo Nec solùm in ara sanctificata sed vbique offertur Deo oblatio munda sicut restatus est cuius corpus sanguinem in vitam aternam offerimus dicentes Spiritus est Deus eos qui adorant eū in spiritu veritate oportet adorare Ipse enim corpus habens immaculatum sine peccato quia conceptus est de Spiritu sancto natus ex Maria virgine ipsum in ara crucis permisit immolari Quod autem Iudaei per inuidiam immolauerunt putantes se nomen eius à terra abolere nos causa salutis nostrae in ara sanctificata proponimus scientes hoc solo remedio nobis vitam praestandam mortem effugandam The sacrifice ys Chrystes bodie and blood ys offred euerie wher a pure oblacion to euerlasting life offred vnto God our creatour on the altar not vnto men nor vnto Angell nor onelie on halowed altar but euery wher ys offred to God a pure oblacion as he hath wittnessed whose bodie and blood we offer to euerlasting life sainge God ys a spirit and they that adore him must adore him in spiritte and trueth For he hauing an immaculate bodie and withoute Sinne for he was conceaued by the holie Gost born of the virgen Mary he suffred that same bodie to be sacrificed on the altar of the Crosse And that that the Iewes did sacrifice by enuie thinking to abolishe hys name from the earthe we for cause of our health doo sett furth in the sanctified altar knowing that by this onelie remedie life ys to be geuen and death to be driuen awaie Thus moche this holie Martyr Martialis What a notable sentence ys this Do ye not see that he maketh mencion of the saing of the Prophet Malachie saing Euery wher ys offred the pure oblacion or sacrifice And perceaue ye not that immediately he saieth that we offer the bodie and blood of Chryst vnto euerlasting life And that this his mening should not be wrested nor mystaken he declareth what bodie of Chryst we offer and what bodie we offre in what place and to what effect wher The bodie of Chryste whiche we doo offer ys that bodie that the Iewes offred by enuie The place that we offer yt on ys the halowed altar The effecte that the Iewes sought by the offring of Chrystes bodie was to take life from him and therby to abolish his name from the earth The effect that we chrystians seke by the sacrificing of his bodie on the altar ys to magnifie hys name and by that sacrifice as by the only remedye to gett vs life and to driue awaie death Note well that this holie Martyr and auncient Father teacheth that pure doctrine that the primitiue church of the Apostles did professe and teache And iudge yf the church that nowe ys which the Aduersaries haue so vilely reuiled and so maliciously railed on hath taught anie other doctrine then this holie disciple of Chryste hath taught The Churche hath taught and doth nowe teache that the bodie of Chryst ys in the Sacrament of the altar reallie This holie man teacheth that the same whiche the Iewes crucified we sett furth vpon the holowed altar The Iewes crucified the reall bodie of Chryste Wherfore we sett
rites and sacrifices of the Chrystians Among theise Ceremonies what ys ther that can be proprely called the pure or clean sacrifice but the pure sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and blood whiche as befor ys saied ys a pure sacrifice in yt self ād of yt self and ys able to purifie all other That the bodie and blood of Chryste be a sacrifice among the chrystians S. Hierom in this same chapiter declareth who speaking to Bisshopps Preistes and Deacons and other that necligentlie come to the Altar of God saieth Offertis inquit super altare meum panem pollutum Polluimus panem id est corpus Christi quando indigni accedimus ad altare sordidi mundum sanguinem bibimus Ye offer saieth Allmightie God defiled bread vpon mine Altar We defile the bread that ys the bodie of Chryste saieth S. Hierom when we being vnwourthie come to the Altar and being filthie drinke the clean blood of Chryst In this exposition of S. Hierom ys geuen vs to vnderstand not S. Hierom expowndeth the scriptures contrarie to the Sacrvmētries onelie that the bodie and blood of Chryst be the sacrifice of vs that be chrystians whiche we offer vpon the Altar but also we are taught an other maner of exposition then the Aduersaries teache yea euen a clean contrarie For they where in the scriptures or doctours they reade these woordes the bodie of Chryst they expownde yt to be bread a figure of the bodie of Chryste contrarie S. Hierom declaring howe we offre defiled bread and howe we defile yt expowndeth the bread to be the bodie of Chryste Neither can the Aduersarie shifte him self from this saing of S. Hierom with the inuented glose of his owne head that we defile and doo iniurie to the bodie of Chryste when we take the Sacramēt of his bodie vnworthilie For he doth not onelie saie that by the bread ys vnderstanded the bodie of Chryst but he also by most plain woordes saieth that we drinke his blood He doth not saie that we defile the bloode of Chryste when we drinke the Sacramentall wine but he saieth we defile the bloode of Chryst when we being defiled doo drinke the same So that by sainct Hierō we doo not take one thing ād doo iniurie to an other but receauing a pure thing whē we be defiled we doo iniurie to the same Wherfore receauing the bread that ys the bodie of Chryst we doo iniurie to the same receauing yt vnwourthilie and drinking the pure blood of Chryst we doo iniurie to the same yf we receaue yt being vnpure our vnclean our selues Yf ther were not the bodie and bloode of Chryste in the Sacramēt wolde S. Hierom who in this place taketh vpon him to be an expositour which ys to make thinges clear and plain that be darke and lie hidden wolde he trowe ye so handle the matter that the thinges he speaketh of shoulde implie more difficultie more darknesse and harder maner of vnderstanding then they had before Yf ther were not the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament S. Hierom wolde haue saied we defile the bread when we take that bread whiche ys the Sacrament of Chrystes bodie vnwourthilie And we defile his blood when we take the Sacrament of yt vnpurely And this were the plain maner of an expositour to speake liuely and plainlie to vtter the matter with oute anie tropes or figures but saing as before ys saied and speaking yt as an expositour we must vnderstande that he teacheth that the bread on the Altar ys the bodie of Chryste and that ther ys also his very bloode whiche two be the sacrifice of the Chrystians also after the minde of S. Hierom. Damascen also breflie commeth to the point and affirmeth all that ys saied by S. Hierom. For he speaking of the verie reall presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament and teaching that yt ys the sacrifice that Malachie spake of saieth thus Haec est pura illa hostia incruenta quam ab ortu solis vsque Damasc li. 4. ca. 14. ad occasum ipsi offerri per prophetā Dominus loquitur corpus videlicet sanguis Christi in stabilimentum animae nostrae corporis inconsumptū incorruptum non in secessum abiens absit enim huiusmodi imaginatio sed in nostram sustentationem conseruationē omnimodo nocumenti reparatio sordis omnis purgatio This ys that pure sacrifice and vnbloodie that our Lorde speaketh by the Prophet to be offred to him from the rising of the sunne to the going downe of the same that ys to saie the bodie and bloode of Chryste vnto the inconsumed and incorrupted stablishment of our bodie and Sowle not going into secesse God forbidde that any soche imaginacion shoulde be but yt ys a purgacion of all maner of filth and a reparation of all maner of hurte vnto our sustentacion and conseruacion Thus Damascen this saing nede no exposition yt ys so plain that euery childe maie perceaue that the pure sacrifice that the Prophet speaketh of ys the bodie and blood of Chryst which maie not be wrested to be saied that the sacramentall Sacramētaries gloses ouerthrowen by Damascen bread as the Aduersaries terme yt ys figuratiuely the bodie of Chryste For this Authour excludeth all soche interpretacions when he saieth that the bodie and bloode he speaketh of goeth not into secesse which can not be verified of their bread whiche they saie and confesse that yt goeth into secesse Wherbie ye maie perceiue that this Authoure who ys an auncient of Chrystes Parliament house not to be contemned reported to vs that enacted trueth that Chrystes bodie and bloode be reallie in the Sacrament and that that bodie and blood ys also the sacrifice that was prphecied of the Prophet Malachie to be the Sacrifice that should succeade the sacrifice of the Iewes and to be offred vnto the God of the Chrystians wherby his blessed name shoulde be glorified among them And thus this Authour agreing which the rest alleadged for the declaracion of this matter whiche other be of the most auncient and famouse men of Chrystes Churche men of holy life of great learning and withoute corruption of iudgement methinke men shoulde raither appoint them selues to folowe their iudgements then the light and rashe sainges of soche as neither integritie of life neither incorruption of iudgement nor auncientie of time doth commende but raither the contraries of these do them discommend Nowe as ye haue hearde this prophecie So haue ye heard other Prophecies and figures that did prophecie and figurate this blessed Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode duely iustlie and truelie applied to the thing In the doing wherof I claime not creditte to be geuen to me as to my self for so moche as I am in the wicked time in the time of corruption in the time of Controuersie But I claim creditte to be geuen to me for the trueths sake whiche I folowe Whiche trueth hath ben in auncient time before this time of
corruption and controuersie taught beleued and folowed I claime also creditte to be geuen to the holie aunciēt Fathers whom I haue alleaged who being in that pure time when faith was purely taught do cōmunicate to vs soche doctrine as the Churche of God then had whose doctrine howe moche yt ys different from the doctrine of this wicked teacher that hathe thus exclamed and howe repugnāte his doctrine ys to the teaching of these Fathers yt ys as easie to discerne as darknesse frō light or white frō blacke Wherfore gentle Reader nowe being by me aduertised after soche sorte as yt hath pleased my lorde God to imparte his grace vnto me yf thowe hauest not erred reioice in God and be confirmed Yf thowe hauest erred repent before God and be reduced And thus moche of the scriptures of the olde Testament THE SEVEN AND THIRTITH CHAP. MAKETH a breif Recapitulacion of thinges before written with thapplicacion of them to the Proclamacion of the aduersarie and so concludeth this first booke ALthough I am not ignorante gentle Reader that in the Psalmes be diuerse other prophecies whiche according to the minde of saincte Hierom do speake of this blessed Sacrament and sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and bloode that shoulde be offred in the Churche of Chryst and of the whiche the poour in spiritte shoulde eate and be satisfied as in the xxi xxij lxxj cx psalmes Yet for that the figures of this Sacrament be allreadie aunswered by prophecies to them aunswerable And these that be lefte maie by iust occasion be spoken of hereafter I shall for the Readers ease disauauntage my self of the allegacion of them to the setting furth of the matter here taken in hand by me to be defended and so cōclude this booke with a breif recapitulacion of some thinghes bfore saied to the entent they maie be applied to aunswere some one or mo mēbres of the Aduersaries proclamacion not yet spoken of I did of pourpose omitte to applie that ys saied as aunswer to that parte of his wicked proclamacion whiche yt doth fullie confute by cause I wolde not to moche trouble my processe but thought yt best to reserue yt to this place as in other matters I haue also doen the like in this booke Wherfor that yt maie well be perceaued that this that ys saied doth clean ouerthrowe this mans doctrine vnderstand first what ys his doctrine Thus in his proclamacion he crieth Yf any one of all our Aduersaries be able plainlie and clerely to proue by soch authoritie of the scriptures the old Doctours and Councells as ys before saied that the preist had then authoritie to offre vpp Chryst vnto his Father c. In which his proclamaciō he denieth the Sacrifice of the Churhe which ys the bodie and blood of our sauiour Chryst which he saieth the Churche hath none authoritie to offre to God in sacrifice Against this his false doctrine call to minde what ys in this booke saied speciallie in the setting furthe of the prophecies of the preisthood of Chryst The deuell hath bewitched the Proclamer after the ordre of Melchisedech of the prophecies of Daniel and Malachie wher but that the deuell hath bewitched this man and to his perdition hath cast a mist before his eies that he shoulde not see the trueth he coulde not ells but see that the bodie and blood of Chryste were of him self offred in his last supper and ther and then instituted and ordeined to be offred and continued in his Church as the memoriall of his passion and death S. Ciprian as yt ys alleaged saieth that our Lorde Iesus offred the same Cyprian that Melchisedech offred that ys bread and wine that ys to saie saieth he his bodie and blood Isychius saieth that we haue the sacrifice of Chryst the intelligible Melchisedech Isychius whiche sacrifice was perfectlie doen in bread and wine when Chryste saied This ys my bloode that shal be shedd for yowe S. Hierom saieth that as Melchisedech offred bread and wine so shall Chryste Hieron offred his bodie and blood the true bread and true wine S. Augustin saieth Chryst did institute the sacrifice of his bodie and blood according to the ordre of Melchisedech to succeade the sacrifice after Augustin the ordre of Aaron Wher note that he saieth Chryst did institute the sacrifice of his bodie and bloode after the ordre of Melchisedech Yf he did institute the sacrifice then ys ther authoritie by the same institution geuen to the Church to offre the same Whiche well appeareth by the saing of Origen whiche foloweth in this processe We saith Origen being obedient to the Creatour of thinges when we Origen haue geuen thankes we receaue the breades that were offred whiche be turned into a certain holier bodie whiche bodie trulie maketh them holier that with a sownde and pure minde vse yt Note then that our obedience standeth not onely to eate the bread but to eate the bread that ys offred and therforre we must both offre and eate The church must both offre and eate yf we will be obedient Yf yt be our obedience to offer then ther ys commaundement geuen to offre Yf commaundement be geuen then Authoritie also Theophilact saieth that the oblacion conteining Chryste our Lorde Bishoppe and Sacrifice ys continuallie offred by the ministres of God Seing that Chryste ys offred Theophila as Theophilact saieth by the ministres of God yt ys euident that yt ys doen with authoritie For withoute authoritie can none offre him Martialis one of the disciples of Chryste saieth that we for our health offre that vpon the holie Altar that the Iewes did offre vpon the Crosse for enuie And yf ye S. Martia We offre ou the altar that the Iewes offred on the crosse Irenaeus require by what authoritie we do it he saieth that our Lord cōmaunded vs so to doo in the remembrance of him And yf ye will vnderstande howe the authoritie cometh ordrely to vs to offre the bodie of Chryste to God the Father Irenaeus will teache you For he saieth that Chryste geuing instructions to his Apostles to offre sacrifice to God tooke the creature of bread and gaue thankes and saied this ys my body And the cuppe also he tooke and confessed yt to be his bloode and so of the newe Testament taught the newe oblacion whiche the Churche taking of the Apostles offreth yt yn all the worlde to God according to the prophecie of Malachie Can not nowe this Proclamer or raither Blasphemer see or perceaue what authoritie the preist hath to offre Chryst to God the Father Yt ys deriued from Chryst to the Apostles from the Apostles to the Church and so vsed through out all the worlde S. Augustine saieth that the pure and clean sacrifice that Malachie speaketh of that shall be offred in euery place ys the sacrifice after Augustin the ordre of Melchisedech What the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech ys by the minde of S.
seruus minor patre crucifigendus sed voluntariè inquit Ego dabo carnem meam pro mundi vita Manifestlie doth Chryst speake vnto vs of the mysticall communion of hys bodie For the bread saieth he whiche I will geue yowe ys my flesh which I will geue for the life of the worlde And shewing his power that he should be crucified not as a seruaunt and lesse then the Father but willinglie he saieth I will geue my flesh for the life of the worlde Note here that Theophilacte doth not onelie folowe and agree with Chrysostome but also he semeth to signifie that yt was a clere matter a plain matter a matter receaued of all men of Chrystes Churche in his time withoute controuersie when he saeth that Chryst in that text spake manifestly of the communion of his bodie A merueilouse matter that that Chryst did speake so manifestlie and of these Fathers was coÌ„ceaued so clerly shoulde nowe a daies be taken of these peruerters of Gods scripturs so obscurelie By this ye maie see that in the cler light they are blinde and can not see For blinde maliciouse ignorance hath vtterlie blinded them Therfore an other daie except in time they repente Sap. 5. they shall saie and lamentablie confesse as in the booke of wisdom ys saied in the persons of soch Errauimus à via veritatis et iustitiae lumeÌ„ noÌ„ illuxit nobis c. We haue erred from the waie of trueth and the light of righteousnes hath not shined to vs and the Sunne of vnderstanding rose not vppe vpon vs. We haue wearied our selues in the waie of wickednesse and destruction Tediouse waies haue we goen but as for the waie of the Lorde we haue not knowen Whiche maner of lamentacion God auerte from them and geue them grace in time to repent that the Sunne of vnderstanding maie rise vpon theme To procead and therby to trie whether soch as haue writen of late years I mene whiche were within these three hundreth years or ther aboute whiche haue ben so vilie estemed of these singular phantasied men of our time did dissent from these elders in the exposition of this scripture And whether the Church these two or three hundreth years last past did otherwise vnderstand the scriptures then the fathers did by the hearing of someone we shall perceaue And to speake here what I thinke verilie I thinke the subtle and craftie conueighance of the Aduersaries and this Proclamer also was and ys to contemne and despise these late authours first bicause they wer as they saie not cloquent and therfore Erasmus moche inueigheth against Lyra. Then these are not auncient and therfor not to be alleaged Last they open theÌ„selues a litle more and saie these authours are not to be alleaged but reiected bicause their doctrine ys not sownd but corrupted And they haue corrupted saie they and peruerted and destroied Gods woord with the inuentioÌ„s of meÌ„ And by this were al the learned writers which were within these sixe or seuen huÌ„dreth years defaced and reiected as S. Tho. Aquinas S. Bonauentura Petrus Lombardus Dionysius Carthusianus Hugo Cardinalis Holcot and N. Lyra Fathers in olde time spake of the mysteries couertlie with a great noÌ„bre mo of that age which are not esteemed nor accepted as of authoritie nor none that haue writen within the compasse of these thousand years can be allowed by some of the Aduersaries And why was this Bicause they wrote so plainlie that they coulde not be wrested As for other Fathers that were before a thousand years though manye of them did writte verie plain as occasion did serue when they did write to christen men Yet oftentimes when they did preache to the people or write to soche as were weake in faith as in those daies the Churche was mingled with those that had not receaued the faithe then bicause PerfectoruÌ„ est solidus cibus strong meat ys for them that be perfecte and Paruulis in Christo lac dandum To â—onglinges in Christe milke ys to be geuen therfore they oftentimes as yt was necessarie that the mysteries of our faithe shoulde not be vttered to them that coulde not beare them did speake of the same couertlie and closelie and therfore they were fain oftentimes to knitte vppe ther talke of the Sacrament with this or like saieng Norunt fideles the faithful do knowe And by like occasion did in manie places write obscurelie in this matter and did not so manifestlie and plainly vtter yt bicause ther was no occasion geuen them by heresie in that matter but all were of one minde in yt hauing most godlie peace and quietnes in the same And therfore the Aduersarie more delighted with obscure places which he thinketh better to drawe to his sence then the plain places whiche will Heretikes â–ª how they alleage the fathers not suffer them selues to be drawen hath laboured to reiecte soche as did write since the Churche was well settled and staied and might therfore write plainly what their faith taught them in this mysterie But cheiffie all them that did write since the time of Berengarius whiche vpon occasion of heresie were enforced to write plainly in this matter But God be praysed the eldest and auncientest Fathers haue yet in diuerse places written so moche in plain maner that yt ys able to conuince and ouerthrowe the heresies of the Aduersaries as partelie ye haue heard allreadie And yet for all the pretensed auncientie they sought refusing these learned men that were within a thousand years yet one of them wolde alleage Like to lik Zuinglius slain in a rebellioÌ„ begoÌ„ by himself an other as Bullinger alleaged Zuinglius in his exposition vpon sainct Paules epistles whiche Zuinglius was so holie and so auncient a father that he was slain in a sedicion raised by him and his disciples against the magistrates of hys contrie And this ys as good a chaung as the heretiks made in the beginning of this wicked time of heresie when they putte the holy saincte and Polycarp put out of the KaleÌ„der Martyr Policarpus that was saincte Iohn the Euangelistes disciple oute of the kalender and putt in the heretike Thomas Hutten that was bournt for heresie Nowe notwithstanding their craftie iniquitie in reiecting these good catholique authours I will vse plain simplicitie in the accepting of them that the trueth which they professe being auncient though the authours be of late daies and the consonancie of these with the most auncient authours in teaching and vttering the same trueth maie be perceaued For yf these of late yeares agree with them of the olde time in the truerh Thautoritie of late writers approued by good reasons and teache the same trueth that thother do what shoulde lette vs to heare them and accepte them Yf none shoulde be receaued but soche as were a thousand years since and soche also as be of this our time shal be refused theÌ„ preachers must ceasse For of what more
to maintien his heresie the reader he here vttereth a manifest and shamefull vntruthe and abuseth the Scripture for the maintenaunce of his heresie to wickedlie For he to make the readers beleue that the coming in of Chryste into the house and the goinge of the Apostles out of prison was of one maner saieth that the goinge oute of the Apostles and the coming in of Chryste were bothe the doores being shett Which ys verie false and directlie against the truth of the scripture For as concerning the going oute of the Apostles out of prison Looke the actes of the Apostles and ye shall finde that they went not oute the doors being shett as this man vntrulie reporteth but the doores being open Whiche thing the holie Goste lefte not vndeclared For thus shall ye reade ther The cheif preist rose vppe and all they that were with him which ys the secte of the Saduces and were full of indignacion and laied handes on the Apostles and putt them in the common prison But the Angell of our Lord by night opened the prison doors and brought them furth and saied Go and stande and speake in the temple to the people all the woordes of life When they heard that they entred earlie in the morning and taught But the cheif preist came and they that were with him and called a councell together and all the elders of the children of Israell and sent men to the prison to fetch them when the ministers came and fownde them not in prison they returned and tolde saing The prison trulie we founde shette with all diligence and the kepers standing withoute before the doores but when we had opened we fownd no man within In this scripture first note that when the Apostles were committed to prison the Angell of God came by night and opened the doores of the prison and not onelie opened the doores but also brought the Apostles oute Then ys yt false that this man saieth that the Apostles went oute of the prison the doores being shett Trueth yt ys that the doores were made fast again after their departure For the messengers that came in the morning to fetche the Apostles reported that they fownd the doores shet with all diligence and the kepers standing before the doore And herin wolde the holie Goste the miracle to be noted that the Angell opened the prison doores and shett them again and brought furth the Apostles and the kepers standing at the doore perceaued not But yet he wolde not this miracle of their going oute to be like the miracle of Chrystes Cominge in For as touching the Apostles the holie Goste plainly reporteth howe they went oute by the helpe of the Angell opening the doores But in Chrystes coming in ther ys no meanes declared howe he came in but yt ys absolutely spoken Venit Iesus ianuis clausis Iesus came the doores being shette signifieng that he came in Chryst entred in to his Apost the doores being shett more miraculouslie by the power of his Godhead not requiring the aide of the opening of any dore But that ye maie perceaue that I do expownd and vnderstand this facte and miracle of Chryste as the holie fathers doo and that ye maie the better credite the matter ye shall heare howe they vnderstand this place of saincte Iohan. Chrysostom to proue the Mother of Chryste a virgen both before and after his birth alleageth this place and saieth thus Sancta Maria beata Maria mater et Chrysost homil de Ioan. Bapt. virgo Virgo fuit ante partum virgo post partum Ego hoc miror quomodò de virgine virgo natus sit post nationem virginis mater virgo sit Vultis scire quomodò de virgine natus sit post natiuitatem mater ipsa sit virgo Clausa erant ostia ingressus est Iesus Nulli dubiū quin clausa sint ostia qui intrauit per ostia clausa non erat phantasma non erat spiritus verè corpus erat Quid enim dicit Respicite videte quia spiritus carnem ossa non habet sicut me videtis habere Habebat carnes habebat ossa clausa erant ostia Quomodò clausis ostijs intrauerunt ossa caro Clausa sunt ostia intrat quem intrantem non vidimus Vnde intrauit omnia clausa sunt locus non est per quem intret tamen intus est qui intrauit Nescis quomodò factum sit das omnipotentiae Dei Da potentiae Dei quia de virgine natus sit The holie Marie the blessed Marie mother and virgen she was a virgen before birth a virgen after birth I merueil at this howe of a virgen a virgen shoulde be born and after the birth of a virgen the mother shoulde be a virgen Will ye knowe how he was born of a virgen and after the birth howe she was both mother and virgen The doores were shett and Iesus entred in No man doubteth but that the doores were shette He that entred by the shett doors was no phantasie he was no spirit he was verilie a bodie For what saied he Looke and see that a spirit hath no flesh and bones as ye see me haue He had flesh he had bones and the doores were shette Howe did slesh and bones enter the doore being shette The doores be shette and he goeth in whome we sawe not going in How did he go in all thinges are closse ther ys no place by the which he might go in and yet he ys within that went in and yt doth not appeare howe he went in Thowe knowest not and doest referre yt to the omnipotencie of God Geue this also to the omnipotencie of God that he was born of a virgen Saincte Hierom vseth the same argumēt to the same pourpose and saieth Hieron in Apologia cont Jouin. Respondeant mihi quomodò Iesus ingressus est clausis ostijs cùm palpandas manus latus considerandum ossacarnemue monstrauerit ne veritas corporis phantasma putaretur Et ego respondebo quomodò sancta Maria sit mater virgo virgo post partum mater antequà m nupta Let them aunswer me saith saincte Hierom howe Iesus entred in the doores being shette when leste his bodie shoulde be thought a phantasie he shewed both flesh and bones and his handes to be felt and his side to be considered And I will aunswer them howe the holie Marie maie be bothe a mother and a yirgen A virgen before birth a mother before she was knowen of man In bothe these Autours we maie perceaue not onelie by their woordes but also by the argument whiche they make that the doores remained still shette both at the entring in of Chryste in to the house and after that he was entred in wherbie they proue that the clausures of the virginitie in the virgen Marie remained closse both before the birth in the birth and after the birth of Chryste Nowe yf the doores did open at the going
in of Chryste to his Apostles as some haue wickedlie taught raither seking to shadow the miraculouse worke of Chryste and to falsifie the scriptures then they wolde forsake their erroure or haue yt conuinced then coulde yt not proue that the clausures of the virginitie of the mother of Chryste notwithstanding his birth remained allwais closed whiche as ye maie perceaue they intended to proue Yt maie be that the Aduersarie being pressed with the authoritie of these graue and learned fathers will graunt that Chryste went in to this Apostles the doores being shett But yet he went not he will saie through the doore nor no other body so as there shoulde be two bodies in one place at one time That he went in the doores being shett he will graunte But howe he went in he can not tell To make this matter plain to the Aduersarie and thee Reader we will heare Chrysostom in an other place geuing some cause how he might so go in DignuÌ„ autem dubitatione est quomodò corpus incorruptibile formam clauorum acceperit Chrysost homil 86. in Joan. mortali manu tangi potuerit Sed hoc te non perturbet hoc enim permissionis fuit Corpus enim tam tenue leue vt clausis ianuis ingrederetur omni crassitudine earebat sed vt resurrectio crederetur talem se exhibuit Et vt ipsum crucifixum fuisse neminem alium pro eo resurrexisse intelligas proptered cum signis crucis resurrexit Yt yt woorthie of doubte howe the incorruptible bodie did take the forme of the nailes and Chrystes bodie was so void of grossnesse that yt might enter the doorees being shett coulde be touched with mortall hand But let not this trooble thee For this was doen of permission For that bodie being so subtile and light that yt might entre in the doores being shett was void of all grossnesse But that the resurrectioÌ„ might beleleued he shewed him self soche a one and that thowe mightest vnderstaÌ„d that yt waseueÌ„ he that was crucified and no maÌ„ ells did rise for him therfore he rose with the figures and tokens of the crosse Thus moche Chrysostome The cause whiche ys geuen here to helpe vppe the weaknesse of oure faith the sooner to beleue that Chryste passed through the doore ys that he had after his resurrection a pure clear and subtile bodie void of all corruption and grossnesse euen a spirituall bodie that might to oure own iudgement and reason the easelier so do and yet was yt a perfecte bodie of a man in substance and lineamentes But that he came in to his Apostles through the doore and howe and by what means he so did Chrysostom by expresse woordes in an other place declareth speaking in the person of Chryste after this maner Non est meum meos ludificare phantasinate vanam imaginem visus si timet veritatem corporis manus Chrys de resarrect sermon 9. digitus exploret Potest fortassis aliqua oculos caligo decipere palpatio corporalis verum corpus agnoscat Spiritus inquit carnem ossa non habet sicut me videtis habere Quòd ostia clausa penetraui sola est virtus diuini Spiritus non sola carnis substantia Yt ys not my propertie myne to delude with a phantasie Yf the seight feare a vain image Chryst entred trough the doores that were shett let the hand and fingar trie oute the veritie of the bodie Perchaunce some mist maie deceaue the eyes let the corporall feeling acknowledge a true bodie A spirit saied he hath not flesh and bones as ye see me to haue That I entred through the doores that were shett yt ys onelie the powre of the diuine spirit not the onelie substance of the flesh Thus Chrysostom As this place geueth goodlie instruction to the reader so doth yt fullie and mighteilie stoppe the mouthes of theÌ„ that speake wicked thinges against God in denienge the miraculouse workes of our Sauiour and master Chryste That Chryst with his perfecte bodie entred in to his Apostles Chrysostom proueth by Chrystes owen saieng being in the middest of them when he saied A spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me haue Howe this bodie being a perfecte bodie of a man entred he declareth when he saieth in Howe Christes bodie entred through the doores shett Amb. in Luc. li. 10. cap. 14. the person of Chryste that yt entred through the doores Yf ye will learn by what mean he saieth yt was not by the substance of the flesh but by the vertue or power of the Godhead Of this matter also sâ—inct Ambrose ys a goodlie wittnesse who vpon the Gospell of sainct Luke saieth thus Habuit admirandi causam Thomas cum videret clausis omnibus per inuia septa corporibus inoffensa compage Christi corpus insertum ideo mirum quomodò se natura corporea per impenetrabile corpus infuderit inuisibili aditu visibili conspectu tangi facilis difficilis aestimari Thomas had a cause to merueill when he sawe all thinges being shetvppe and closed the bodie of Chryste by clausures without all waies for bodie to entre the walls being vnbroken to be entred in emong them And therfore yt was wonder howe the corporall nature passed through the impenetrable bodie with an inuisible coming but with uisible beholding easie to be touched hard to be iudged Thus sainct Ambrose Yf ye note this testimonie yt varieth not from Chrysostom For yt testifieth that oure Sauiour Chryste came in to his Apostles the doores being shett And that notwithstanding he went through the clausures of the house they not being broken And herevpon saieth saincte Ambrose ys the great wonder how his naturall bodie coulde entre through an impenetrable bodie Wherby bothe these Fathers declare the trueth of the doctrine of the Churche that Chryste thus entring ther were two bodies in one place There be manie that beare verie plain testimonie in this matter But we will heare but two mo onely Whiche I suppose with these before alleaged being all men of soche grauitie holinesse authoritie and learning maie suffice not onelie to counteruaill these fond bablers void of like grauitie holinesse or learning but also with them that haue any sparke of grace and wisdom take soch effecte as to cause them flee these leude teachers and to hisse them oute of all chrystian companie forasmoch as they teache soche learninge as none of the holy Fathers doo teache but soch raither as ys contrarie to them But let vs heare saincte Augustine in this matter thus he saieth Nec eos audiamus qui negant tale corpus Domini resurrexisse quale positum August de agone Christi cap. 24. est in monumeÌ„to Nec nos moueat quòd clausis ostijs subitò eum apparuisse Discipulis scriptuÌ„ est vt proptereà negemus illud fuisse corpus humanum quin contra naturam huius corporis videmus illud per clausa ostia intrare omnia enim
and allmesses be not desiled with the contagion of erroure For then ys bothe the oblacion of the sacrifice clean and the geuing of almesse holie when they that doo these thinges vnderstand what they doe For when our Lord saieth Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drink hys bloode ye shall haue no lyfe in yowe Ye shoulde so communicate of the holie table that ye shoulde nothing at all doubte of the veritie of the bodie and bloode of Chryst For that ys taken and receaued by mouthe which ys beleued in faithe And in vain ys Amen aunswered of them of whom against that that ys receaued The mouthe receaueth that faith beleueth argument ys made Thus moch Leo. Who as ye maie perceaue so certenlie tooke this texte to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament and of the verie presence of Chrystes bodie in the same that he vseth yt for an authoritie to prooue the same and saieth that for asmoche as our Lord did saie yt we shoulde nothing at all doubte of the veritie of Chrystes bodie and bloode Wherby this also maie be gathered that he vsing this as an authoritie against heretiques did vse yt as a scripture receaued and so vnderstāded throughout all the catholique Church which I saie he vsed against heretikes not against them in the matter of the Sacrament for ther were no soche in those times but against Eutyches and hys disciples whiche most pestilētlie taught that the nature of man which the Sonne of God did take of the virgen was turned Eutiches his heresie into that nature of God And so destroyed the cōiunctiō of the two natures in that one persō of Chryst Against the which heresie this holie mā brought this sentence of scripture as a sentence receaued of all men for the veritie of Chrystes flesh in the Sacrament therwith to prooue that forasmoche as the verie flesh of the manhead of Chryste was in the Sacrament Chryste had still the verie nature of man in him Thus ye maie perceaue that the truthe of this matter of the Sacrament that ys to saie that Chrystes verie bodie and blood be reallie in the Sacrament Reall presence so certenlie beleued that aūciēt fathers vsed yt for authoritie in cōfuting of heresies was in those daies so clear withoute doubte and controuersie so substanciallie beleued that yt was reputed esteemed and accompted an authoritie sufficient to confute the heresie of Eutyches and to defende and maintein the true catholique faithe that in Chryste was both the natures of God and man Now yf the verie flesh and blood of Chryst were not trulie verilie and reallie in the Sacrament the matter of the Sacrament coulde proue nothing against this heresie but raither make with yt But forsomoche as ther ys the verie flesh of Chryste yt proueth very well that the verie nature of man ys in Chryst directlie against the heresie of Eutyches This alone in my opinion might suffice to reduce men from erroure considering that thys was a trueth thus receaued a thousand yeares agon in the whiche time we be well assured that the Church was withoute errour in this matter and men so zelouse in the trueth of the catholike faith that an heresie did not so soone appeare and shewe yt self but yt was furthwith impugned as to the learned yt ys well knowen But this matter of the Sacrament was neuer yet impugned of anie catholique writer that hath liued since Chryst as the learned also do knowe wherfore yt ought to be taken as an vndoubted trueth But omitting to make any further prooff herof by thys authour I will according to my ordre prescribed ioin vnto him Euthymius a greke authour who in hys exposition of this texte geueth vs thus to vnderstand yt saing Nisi comederetis carnem filii hominis biberitis eius sanguinem non habebitis Euth in 6. Joan. vitam in vobis Illi quidem hoc impossibile iudicabant ipse verò omnino possibile ostendit neque id tantùm sed necessarium quod etiam fecit ad Nicodemum Addit autem de sanguine significans de pane ac poculo quae vt dictum est daturus erat Discipulis in vltima coena Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke hys blood ye shall not haue life in yowe They meening the Iewes thought this vnpossible but he meening Chryste declared yt alltogether to be possible and not that onelie but also necessarie Whiche thing he also did to Nicodemus He speaketh also of hys blood signifieng that he speaketh of the bread and the cuppe whiche he wolde geue as yt ys saied to his Disciples in his last supper Thus Euthymius I haue thought good in this exposition first to note to yow that thys authour notwithstanding the wicked wresting of the Aduersarie vnderstandeth thys scripture with the other holie Fathers of the Sacrament For by plain woordes he saieth that our Sauiour speaketh here of the bread and cuppe that he wolde geue in the last supper And signifieng that he forgatt not what he had saied in the same matter before referreth himself to that that he had before saied saing Sicut dictum est as yt ys allreadie saied For before he saied that Chryst ys called bread two waies that ys after hys deitie and after hys humanitie Therfore after he had spoken of the Chryst called bread two waies bread whiche ys hys deitic nowe in thys place he speaketh of the bread whiche ys hys humanitie of the whiche bread he saied not whiche I do geue yowe but I will geue yowe for he wolde geue yt in his last supper but when when he tooke the bread and after thankes geuen brake yt and gaue yt to his Disciples saing Take eat This ys my bodie And therfor yt ys withoute al scruple or doubte that seing Chryst speaketh here of the bread and cuppe that he wolde geue in his last Supper therfore these woordes be spoken of the Sacrament Neither maie the Aduersarie here cauille vpon these woordes bread and wine that this authour doth meen that in the Sacrament ys nothing but bread and wine as figurs of the bodie and blood of Chryst For so farre wide was this from his meening that he plainlie denieth the substance of the Sacrament to be a figure signe or token of the bodie and blood of Chryst but the verie bodie and blood of Chryst as shall better and more at large appeare by this same authours exposition vpon the xxvi of Matthew in the lviii chap. of this booke Euthimius denieth that which the Sacramentaries affirme ād affirmeth that they de nie So then thys ys first certen that this sixt chapiter of S. Iohn ys by this authour vnderstanded of the Sacrament which ys one thing that ys denied by the Aduersaries So likewise this authour denieng the substance of the Sacrament to be a figure or signe of the bodie and blood of Chryst but the verie reall and substanciall bodie and
flesh of Chryst was to be estemed by faith But I wolde the Aduersaries and all that be doubtful of the presence of Chrystes blessed bodie and blood in the Sacrament wolde regarde and folowe the counsell of this auncient father to let all doubte of infidelitie departe from them Which counseill yf they wel weigh was geuen for the beleuing of a weightier and greater matter of faith then to beleue that the bread maye be or ys the figure of Chrystes bodie A chrystian man shall do no great matter to beleue soch a thing which shall be no higher aboue reason nor no more repugnaunt therto then that ys But the authour speaking these woordes vpon the saing of Chryst which ys our text now in hand ment a greater matter to be beleued whiche reason can not atteign to whiche ys that the flesh and blood of Chryste in the Sacrament which thinges are estemed by faith ther to be though not so to be iudged by the outward seight are verily meat and drinke And to shewe vs by whome this great matter ys wrought he addeth Qui authour est muneris ipse est testis veritatis He that ys authour of the gift he ys the wittnesse of the trueth Chryst ys the wittnesse of the trueth wherfore he ys Bread and wine turned not into Sacramentall bread and wine but in to the bodie and bloode of Chryst the authour of the gift that ys of the Sacrament And yet that he wolde certifie the weake beleuer he teacheth by what meās the authour doth woork this miraculouse gifte and worke saing Inuisibilis sacerdos c. The inuisible preist doth turne the visible creaturs of bread and wine into the substance of hys bodie and bloode Note that the bread and wine be turned not to be a sacramentall bread as the Aduersaries wolde glose yt but into the substance of the bodie and blood of Chryst O merueilouse God what be they that will sticke still in the filthie mire of detestable heresie when they heare the trueth so plainly so simplie so expresly spoken and vttered as they be not able to against saie yt and that not of one of this time neither of the time since the heresie against thys Sacrament beganne but of one being aboue a thousande years agon when the Church was in most godly and quiet peace in thys matter Open yowr eyes and see and beholde yowr filthinesse and in time seke to gett oute of yt Now that this authour being on the one side of Chrystes Parliament house hath so manifestly declared this our text to be vnderstanded of the very reall and substanciall flesh of our Sauiour Chryst in the Sacrament to be our verie meat we will heare the other which ys S. Augustine who vpon the same Tractatu 26. in Ioā text saieth thus Cùm enim cibo potu id appetant homines vt non esuriant neque sitiant hoc veraciter non praestat nisi iste cibus potus qui eos à quibus sumitur immortales incorruptibiles facit id est societas ipsa sanctorum vbi pax erit vnitas plena atque perfecta Propterea quippe sicut etiam ante nos intellexerunt homines Dei Dominus Iesus Christus corpus sanguinem suum in eis rebus commendauit quae ad vnum aliquid rediguntur ex multis Namue aliud in vnum ex multis granis conficitur constat Aliud in vnum ex multis acinis confluit Forasmoche as by meat and drinke men do this desire that they shoulde neither hunger neither thirst this doth nothing truly geue but that meat and drinke which maketh them of whom yt ys receaued immortall and incorruptible that ys the feloshippe of saincts wher shall be peace and vnitie full and perfight Therfore truly as also before vs the men of God haue vnderstanded this our Lorde Iesus Chryst hathe commended hys bodie and blood in those thinges which to one certen thing be brought of manie For the one ys made into one of manie graines and so consisteth the other cometh into one of manie grapes Thus he Three thinges in the Sacrament to be considered Yf ye call to remembrance what was saied of a certain authour vpon this text The bread whiche I will geue c. Yt will helpe yow well to vnderstand S. Augustin here Yt was saied ther that in the Sacrament be three things The first ys the sacrament onelie which doth signifie or ys the sign of an holie thing and that ys the forme of bread The second ys that that ys signified ād cōteined which ys the verie bodie of Chryst The thirde ys signified but not cōteined which ys the mysticall bodie of Chryst that ys the cōpanie of all hys electe ioined to Chryst the head by faith ād charitie for the which thing this sacramēt ys called the sacramēt of vnitie bicause manie be made one ād ioined in vnitie So yt ys called the sacramēt of loue bicause yt signieth that by loue this vnitie should be brought to passe Now forsomoch as these three thinges be in the Sacramēt a mā maie speak of eche of thē seuerallie and yet whē he speaketh but of one he denieth not the other So S. Augustin here speaking of the societie of Sainctes speaketh of the thirde thing of the Sacramēt but denieth not the other For by the learning of the Aduersaries the Sacramēt ys as wel a sacrament of Chrystes bodie brokē vpō the Crosse as yt ys of the vnitie of Chrystes bodie mysticall And that ye maie perceaue that S. Augustin excludeth not the bodie ād blood of Chryst frō the Sacrament but raither includeth yt note he saied that our Lord Iesus Chryst commended his bodie and blood in these thinges which be made one of manie that by the bread made of manie graines nowe turned into one bodie of Chryst and by the wine made of manie grapes nowe turned into the bloode of Chryst all we as S. Paule saieth eating of this one bread and drinking of this one cuppe might be one bodie in Chryste and eche of vs one an others membres That S. Augustin denieth not the very presence of Chryst in the Sacramēt though here vpon S. Iohn he speaketh moch of the effect of the same the consideracion wherof we haue declared in the exposition of the last text before this yt doth appear in a great nombre of places of the whiche manie haue ben allready alleaged and mo by Gods helpe shall be As this Hoc est quod dicimus quod modis omnibus approbare contendimus sacrificium Ecclesiae August lisentē Pros duobus modis confici duobus constare visibili elementorum specie inuisibili Domini nostri Iesu Christi carne sanguine sacramento re sacramenti id est corpore Christi Sicut Christi persona constat ex Deo homine cum ipse Christus verus sit Deus verus sit homo quia omnis res illarum rerum naturam
iust cause to mistrust them and flie from them And cleaue to that cōpanie wher ye see the auncient trueth taught by auncient fathers as here ye haue doen And not by prowde arrogant will as the other haue doen flie from the trueth Their doctrine ys to be suspected that flie from the common vnderstanding of the scripture receaued in the Churche as yt ys nowe to be perceaued that these singular men haue doen by their single sigularitie As our Sauiour Chryst saied to the Iewes Si non venissē locutus eis non fuissē peccatū non haberent Nunc autem excusationem non habent de peccato suo Yf I had not Ioan. ca 15. comed and not spoken vnto them they shoulde haue had no sinne but nowe they haue no excuse of their sinne Yf then soche as haue heard the woorde of Chryste teaching thē his promesse of the geuing furth of his verie bodie and bloode and do not beleue yt haue no excuse to saue them frō eternall dānacion moche more when they haue the same woorde expownded and declared by the holie Churche of the whiche the holie Gost ys the master the guide and leader in to all trueth and yet wil persist in peruerting the scriptures and through arrogancie will credit none but them selues they be not onely voide of all excuse but their damnacion ys greatlie encreased Wherfore ye that haue erred staie and looke vppe in time beholde all the chrystiā worlde professing Gods true faith and religiō and come to the same Lurke not in the corners of darkenesse whiche will bring yowe to extreā darknesse but com to the light which Chryst hath lefte in his Churche which shall lighten yowe the waie to that light that euer hath shewed and shined and neuer was darkned nor shadowed THE ONE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. BEGINneth the exposition of these woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie after the minde of the Aduersaries GReate and manifolde are the maliciouse inuencions and deuiseis of the graund enemie of mankind against the same Whiche enemie perceauing man to be in that state to come and enioie the glory and felicitie that he was fallē frō enuied him and subtellie vnder the countenāce or pretēte of a cōmodtie brought him to a most miserable incōmoditie vnder the colour of their aduaūcemēt dignitie and great exaltaciō he wrought vnto thē their deiectiō ouerthrowe and dānacion Ye shall not die saieth the enemie to the womā but God doth knowe that the same daie that ye eate therof yower eies shall be opened and ye shal◠be as Gods knowing good and euel To whiche his perswasiō and false assertiō the womā geuing place by to light Gen. 3. creditte seing also the fruit of the tree to be delectable and pleasaunt to the eies not regarding the certē and most true woorde of her Lorde God who before had saied that in what daie they did eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and Jbid. 2. euell that they shoulde die the death she tooke of the forbidden fruit and did eate therof and gaue to her husbande who did eate of yt also and so not beleuing the woorde of their Lorde God but transgressing his commaundemēt they were not onely expelled oute of that pleasaunt garden of Paradise but also being fallen vnder the heauie burden of gods wrathe and iustice were nowe banished from the eternall felicitie and glorie of heauen and made bonde to hell and euerlasting damnacion Euen so the same enemie seing the chrystiā people redemed with Chrystes most preciouse bloode and restored to that felicitie and ioie whiche by his Temptaciō of our first parentes and of Christians in these daies compared meās he had once caused thē to lose ād that they were nowe quiet ād in godlie order in the eartlie Paradise of Chrysts Church he not bearing their happinesse in the vnitie of faith and godlie cōuersaciō hath vsed his like subtletie and craft to make vs trāsgresse the cōmaundemēt of our lorde God as he did our first Parētes to the entēt he wolde cause vs to be banished frō the inheritāce of the glorie of God wherunto by Chrystes bloode we are made free And will ye see howe like his subtilties be Owre first Parentes had an order appointed to thē what meat they shoolde eate in the Paradise wher they liued The builder of our Paradise hath appoincted vs what the meat shall be that we shall eate saing Take eate this ys my bodie The enemie tempted them to breake their order about their meat and foode he tempteth vs to breake our order about our meat and foode Their meat was the fruit of euerie tree in Paradise sauing the tree of knowledge of good and euell God saing Of euerie tree that ys in the gardē thowe shalt eate but as touching the Gen. 2. tree of knowledg of good and euell thowe shalt not eate of yt Owre meat in the Paradise of Chrystes Churche ys his verie bodie and bloode he him self saing Take eate this ys my bodie Take drinke this my blood The enemie not withstāding gods owne saing to our Paretes In what daie soeuer ye eate of that tree ye shall die the death he directlie cōtrary saied Ye shall not die The same enemie notwithstāding Chrystes owne saing This ys my bodie This ys my blode directlie cōtrarie saieth yt ys not his bodie yt ys not his bloode yt ys but a peice of bread but a cuppe of wine figures signes or tokēs of his bodie and his bloode and to cōpasse that this his perswasion and assertiō maie be receaued as to our first parētes he saied that yf there did eate of that fruict they shoulde be as Gods knowing both good and euell pretēding a great cōmoditie so nowe he saied Esteem this no better thē a peice of bread ād a cuppe of wine and not as the bodie and bloode of Chryst For so foramoch as Chrystes bodie ys in heauen and therfor can not be here ye shall not cōmitte idolatrie whych ys yower great commoditie And as to the furtherance of the temtacion of owre Parētes the pleasing of their senseis in seing the fruict fair and pleasaunt and not regarding the woorde of their Lorde God did moche prouoke thē so in this our tēptaciō he willeth vs not regarding the woorde of Chryst our Lorde God to folowe the pleasant iudgemēt of our sensies And for somoche as we see nothing but bread and wine we tast nothing but bread and wine we feell nothing but bread and wine Therfore we must beleue nothing to be ther but bread and wine By whiche maner of iudgement we are moche prouoked the sooner to assent to his temptacion Nowe if we so assent and eate of the meate which the enemie perswadeth vs to eate of and not of the meat whiche our Lorde and God hath appoincted we shall not onely be expelled oute of this Paradise of Chrystes Church by the Angell of God but also being disherited frō the inheritāce of
oblacion woorthier then this but this excelleth all other whiche ys to be offred to our Lorde with a pure conscience and to be receaued with a pure minde Among the Chrystians ther ys no sacrifice to be offred and with pure minde to be receaued but the sacrifice offred on the aultar And thus of necessitie yt foloweth that this Authour graunteth the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament and that yt ys a sacrifice and that the woordes of Chrystes supper are to be vnderstanded without figure The thirde note ys that when he had taught that the sacrifice must be of Adoracion of the Sacrament auouched fred with a pure cōscience and receaued with a pure minde he teacheth also that yt must be woourshipped and honoured and that with no lowe degree of woorshippe and honour but as this sacrifice saieth he doth precel al so it ys aboue all to be honoured By whiche doctrine yt maie appeare that yf the thinge of the sacrifice dothe excell all other and ysaboue all other to be honoured and the onely sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and blood excelleth all other ys to be honoured that then that blessed bodie and blode are there present to be honoured wher they be offred They be offred wher they be receaued they be receaued in the Sacrament wherfore they are to be honoured in the Sacrament Now when all this disputacion of this holie Father ys graunted vpō these woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie this ys my bloode yt can not be but that these woordes of Chryst must be vnderstanded simplie and plainly in their propre sense with oute figure or trope And thus to conclude for these two great Seniours of Chrystes schoole and Parliament house ye perceaue that they vse Chrystes woordes in ther propre sense And also thervpon testifie to vs the enacted trueth of Chrystes very presence in the holy Sacrament whiche ys the cheifest matter here sought THE FOVRE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. BY occasion of the woordes of Alexander treacteth of the adoracion and honouring of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament BVt occasion being geuen by this holie Father Alexander to speake of the adoracion of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament I can not ouerpasse somewhat more to saie of yt to the confutacion of the most impudent and blasphemouse vntrueth spoken and vttered by this Proclamers woordes against adoracion recited and cōfuted Proclamer for thus he saieth Chryst that best knewe what aught to be doen herein when he ordeined and deliuered the Sacrament of his bodie and bloode gaue no commaundement that anie man should fall dowen to it or woourshippe it S. Paule that tooke the Sacrament at Chrystes hande and as he had taken it deliuered it to the Corynthians neuer willed adoracion or godlie honour to be geuen vnto it The olde doctours and holie Fathers of the Churche S. Cyprian S. Chrysostom S. Ambrose S. Hierom S. Augustine and others that receaued the Sacrament at the Apostles hands and as it maie be thought continued the same in soche sorte as they receaued it neuer make mencion in any of all their bookes of adoring or woourshipping of the Sacrament Yt ys a verie newe deuise and as it ys well knowen came but lately into the Churche oboute three hundreth yeares past Honorius then being Bishoppe of Rome commaunded the Sacrament to be lifted vppe and the people reuerentlie ta bowe downe vnto yt After him Vrbanus the fourth appoincted an holie feast of Corpus Christi And graunted oute large pardons to the kepers of it that the people shoulde with the better will resorte to the Churche and kepe it holie This ys the greatest antiquitie of the wholl matter aboute three hundreth yeares ago it was first fownde oute and putte in practise But Chryst and his Apostles the holie Fathers in the primitiue Churche the Doctours that folowed them and other godly and learned men what soeuer for the space of a thousand and two hundreth yeares after Chrystes ascension into heauen this woourshipping of the Sacrament was neuer knowen nor practised in any place within the wholl catholike Churche throughout the wholl worlde Thus moche the Proclamer Whē I readde these his woordes I staied as one astoined considering that they coulde not proceade from anie man but either by ignorance or ells by peruerse malice that wittinglie wolde al shame set apparte vtter soche an vntrueth as the meā learned I suppose of all the catholike Churche knoweth it so to be And the more did I merueill that it was so impudētly setfurth with a repeticiō as therbie with moch boldnesse to auouche the matter Nowe for that the Authour of the woordes ys not vnlearned I coulde not asscribe thē to ignorance And considering his callinge ther shoulde be in him no soche peruerse malice But remembring howe Macedonius Nestorius and diuerse soche other leauing the doctrine of the catholike Church and the mociou of the spirit of God in the same and folowing the doctrine of priuate men according to the mocion of the spirit of Sathan did forget their calling and peruersedlie vsed them selues So likwise I perceaue this man doth the more ys the pittie But that we maie perceaue howe farre wide he ys from the trueth we will examen his woordes His first argument ys that Chryst neuer gaue commaundement to woourshippe the Sacrament Ergo yt ys not to be doen. To this first I saie to him as to one exercised in schooles that an argument of negatiues concludeth The ngatiue argumēt of the Proclamer concludeth nothing nothing But for more large declaracion to the vnderstanding of the Reader yt ys not redde in the Gospell that Chryst commaunded anie bodie to adore him while he here liued in the earth yt ys therfore a good argument that he was not to be adored The three wise men of the east came with their giftes and offringe them adored the babe Chryst They had no cōmaundement of Chryst so to do shoulde they not therfore haue doen yt or did they offende in so doing Diuerse that were cured of Chryst came and adored him but not commaunded of Chryst so to do Yt ys not redde in the Gospells that the Apostles during their familiare conuersacion withe Chryste before his passion that they fell down and adored him Shall we therfore frame an argument that Chryst in his mortall state was not to be adored by cause the Apostles be not readde to haue adored him And that Mary Magdalen the woman of Canaan and the Leeper that did adore him did offende Yt ys a faint kinde of argumentacion I will in like maner reason with this disputer in his owne kinde of disputacion Chryst gaue the Sacrament of his bodie to his Apostles onelie and gaue no commaundement that all people indifferentlie shoulde receaue the same as nowe they doe Wherfor yt aught not to be doen. Yf this argument be good then ys his good But the trueth ys this argument ys naught and so ys his but this disputer knewe well
astruant si haec vniuersalis Ecclesiae fides vera ad salutem non extitit aut nunquam catholica fuit aut perijt Sed aut non fuisse aut perijsse Ecclesiam nemo catholicus consenserit Nam cùm Ecclesia Prophetia Euangelijs instituta sit vbi est quod Abrahe veritas promisit In semine tuo benedicentur omnes gentes Itemue vbi est quòd eadem veritas Apostolis ait Docete omnes gentes qui crediderit saluus erit Cùm enim onmes gentes ita se credere glorientur si salutis benedictione carent vtrobique veritas Dei in prophena in Euangelio perichtatur Euen the same that Chryst did testifie of the veritie of his bodie did Peter testifie also and hicause he spake for the other Apostles the other Apostles testifie with him What then can more assuredlie be saied of the veritie of the bodie and bloode of Chryst in the Sacrament except we wolde see the verie same flesh with our eies In whiche thing yet our Lorde hath not left vs but hath in all poinctes holpen our litle faith For although by the testimonies of Chryst him self and so manie holie men and also by the catholique faith of the vninersall Churche which from the beginning of her conuersion hath so beleued and ys so saued yt be sufficiently taught or auouched that the verie flesh of Chryst and his verie bloode be sacrificed in our Lordes table The vniuersal Church from the beginning of her conuersion hathe euer beleued the presence and sacrisice leest yet anie ouerwhart man shoulde otherwise vnderstande or expownde yt ther haue ben doen of God certain miracles agreable to this our faith when or wher or to whom he hath vouchesaif to reuele the mysterie Which truly to be doen no man shall be ignorant that shall read the workes of the holie Fathers whiche do testifie that the Sacrament of the bodie and bloode of Chryst the formes of bread and wine taken awaie to haue shewed yt self flesh and blood in his naturall forme as yt ys wont to be Seing then the faithfull that be past and goen and they also that be nowe liuing in euery place of the worlde do this beleue and this teache Yf this faith of the vniuersall Churche be not a true faithe to saluacion then either the Church was neuer catholique or ells yt hath or ys perished But that the Church hath not ben or that yt hath decaied or perished no man that ys The church neuer yet perished catholique will consent For forsomoche as the Churche was sette vppe bothe with Prophecies and Gospells wher ys that that the trueth promised to Abraham In thy seed shall all nacrons be blessed Likewise also wher ys that that the same trueth saieth to the Apostles Teach all nacions he that shall beleue shall be saued Forasmoch then as all nacions glorie that they so beleue yf they arteign not the blessing of saluacion the trueth of God in both partes both in prophecie and in the Gospell ys in daunger Thus farre Algerus By whose testimonie ye see that the vniuersall Church professed this faithe of the presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode in the Sacrament which faith was good to saluacion or ells we must saie that ther was neuer anie catholique Church or ells yf ther were anie that yt ys decaied perished and goen Which maie not be saied For Chrystes Churche abideth for euer And as all the Churche beleued Chryst in the Sacrament to be present so no doubte they adored him ther whom they knewe ther to be present Before this Authour was Paschasius more then twoo hundreth yeares Who reporteth the same faith vniuersallie to be professed in the Churche of Chryst vntill his time of all that trulie beleued in Chryst Thus he writeth Discant diuinis verbis in omnibus acquiescere in nullo de ijs dubitare quia vsque in praesens nemo in â—ijs errasse legitur nisi qui de Christo errauerit Quin potiùs admiremur profundissimum Dei consilium quòd magni consilij Argelus instituit qui vult omnes saluos fieri homines Admiremur saudemus atque mâ—elligamus in his quòd beatus Hilarius intellexit quo artificio vt ita loquar nos Christus in se collegit vel quo mysterio vnum in se nos esse naturaliter voluit non per concordiam solummodò voluntatis sed per naturam carnis suae sanguinis Ideo verum est quod Ambrosius ait sanctissimus Quia ipsa eademue caro est sanguis quam accipimus communicamus quae nata est de Maria quae pro nobis pependit in cruce Vnde si quis negat hoc ita esse quia Sacramentum vocatur erit ei sicut sanclus Augustmus testatur mors non vita qui mendacem putauerit vitam Et quia Christus suum dicit esse corpus suumue sangumem non oportet etsi carneis non videmus oculis quod credimus mente dubitare in aliquo Audiuimus quid sanctus Cyrillus cum vniuersis coepiscopis in Epheso congregatis sentiat Quid Graecia cum ijsdem quid Aegyptus sanctus Hieronymus presbiter Et ideo quamuis ex hoc quidam ex ignorantia errent nemo tamen adhuc est in aperto qui hoc ita esse contradicat quòd totus orbis credit confitetur Quapropter charissime nihil in hoc dubites mysterio quod veritas-Christus de se largitus est nohis quia etsi sedet in dextra Patris in caelis non dedignatur suo sacramento quotidiè per manus sacerdotis vt vera hostia non infidèliter sed fideliter immolari Let them learn to agree to the woorde of God in all thinges and in no one poinct to doubte For vnto this present no man ys redde to haue erred but he that hath erred aboute the person of Chryste But raither let vs reuerence the depe secrettes of God whiche the Angell of great secret hath instituted who will all men to be saued Let vs honoure and praise and also vnderstand in these thinges that Sainct Hilarie hath vnderstanded by what workmanshippe or cunning yf I maie so spcake Chryst hath gathered vs into him or by whatmysterie he wolde vs naturally to be one in him not onely by concorde of will but also by the nature of his flesh and bloode Therfor yt ys true that the most holie Ambrose saied that yt ys the same Notable proues of the reall presence verie flesh and bloode whiche we receaue and communicate whiche was born of Marie and which hanged for vs vpon the Crosse Wherfore who soeuer denieth this so to be bicause yt ys called a Sacrament yt shall be to him as Sainct Augustine dothe testifie death and not life that will thinke life to be a liar And bicause Chryst doth saie yt to be his bodie and bloode although we doe not see yt with our fleshlie eies that we beleue with
whiche ys naturally life ys made quickning or geuing life when we eate that flesh then Jn 15. Ioan Our corruptible bodie can not atteign to incorrup and life except the bodie of Chryst be ioined to yt haue we life in vs. For as he saieth in an other place Non poterat aliter corruptibilis haec natura corporis ad incorruptibilitatem vitam traduci nisi naturalis vitae corpus ei coniungeretur This corruptible nature of our bodie coulde not otherwise be brought to incorruptibilitie and life except the bodie of naturall life should be ioined to yt So then ye maie nowe likewise perceaue the force of this argumente of Irenaeus to consist vpon the corporall receipt of the bodye of Chryst in the Sacrament whiche as Cyrill saieth being the flesh of life and incorruption when yt ys ioined to our corruptible and mortall flesh whiche maner of coniunction ys by none other mean doen but by the Sacrament yt maketh this naturall bodie of our to be apte to incorruption and life Yf in the Sacrament we doe not receaue the verie reall bodie of Chryste but a figure of the bodie whiche geueth not life to our bodies howe standeth the argument of Irenaeus what trueth ys ther in the saing of Cyrillus howe shall these our mortall and coruptible bodies be made immortall and incorruptible yf the flesh of life the flesh of our Lorde Chryst be not ioined to our flesh The nourishing of our slesh to incorruptibilitie by the flesh of Chryst proueth inuinciblie the reall presence And here note Reader that these maner of speaches of these two authours improue the phantasie and erroure of the Sacramentaries and inuinciblie proue the true catholique doctrine of the Churche As touching the false doctrine of the Sacramentaries wher yt teacheth that we onely receaue Chrystes bodie spirituallie that ys the meritte and vertue of Chrystes passiō ād death this receipt toucheth not our bodies this spirituall Chryst ys not ioined to our flesh but this receipt toucheth our soules thys spirituall Chryst ys ioined to spirittes But these authours saie that the flesh and bodie of Chryst ys receaued and so ioined to our flesh and bodies Which receipt and coniunction proueth inuinciblie that for as moch as the spirituall receipt ys ioined onely to the soule that ther must nedes be an other receipt of the reall and substanciall flesh and bodie of Chryste whiche maie be ioined to our substanciall flesh and bodies And so shall the argument of Irenaeus be of great force and strenght against the heretiques against whome he disputed So ys the testimonie of Cyrill true So ys the doctrine of the catholique Church fownd auncient substanciall and well grownded So ys the doctrin of the Sacramentaries improued and fownd false as yt ys in dede And wher the Proclamer required but one plain place of anie one auncient Plain places and argumentes against M. Iuell doctour he hath nowe one not onely plain but also strong and mightie so ouerthrowing the green wrought walls of hys late inuented heresie that well he maie hang vppe some painted cloathes paincted like strong walls whiche maie deceaue simple eies and weake seightes but they shall be in dede but painted cloutes This Irenaeus ys not onely taken of the catholiques to be as I haue saied plain and strong but also of heretiques For Melancthon against Oecolampadius this proclamers late fownder alleageth the same Irenaeus as one most plain and auncient and ther for not to be against saied Thus hauing brought furth an auncient scholer of Chrystes schoole and a graue counseilour in Chrystes Parliament house who hath declared vnto vs the true doctrine of Chrystes schoole and the enacted and receaued trueth of his Parliament house that the woordes of Chryst teache vs the presence of his verie bodie in the Sacrament and that they are to be vnderstanded in their propre sense Now foloweth Tertullian a man verie nere the time of Irenaeus whome the Aduersaries seme to make the patrone of their figuratiue doctrine but yt shall be well perceaued that he ys against them and fauoreth them not Thus he writeth Professus itaque Tertullian li. 4. cont Marc. se concupiscentia concupiscere edere Pascha vt suum indignum quippe vt quid alienum concupisceret Deus acceptum panem distributum Discipulis corpus suum illum fecit dicens Hoc est corpus meum id est figura corporis mei Figura autem non fuisset nisi veritatis esset corpus When Chryst therfore had saied that with desire he desired to eat the Passouer as his owen for yt was Chryst made the bread his bodie saieth Tertull vnsemelye that God should desire anie straunge thing the bread that was taken and distributed to hys disciples he made yt his bodie sainge This ys my bodie that ys to saie a figure of my bodie But yt had not ben a figure except yt were a bodie of trueth As Irenaeus against Valentinus So Tertullian against Marcion vsed hys argument taken of the Sacrament Marcion the disciple of Cerdon whose heresies S. Augustine reherseth wickedlie taught as hys master did that Chryst had no August li. Aduers Heres c. 28 Heresie of Marcion very true bodie when he was here conuersant vpon the earth but a phantasticall bodie Nowe Tertullian to proue that he had a verie true bodie bringeth in the institucion of the Sacrament sainge that Chryst made the breade that he tooke and distributed to hys disciples hys bodie saing This ys my bodie Wherbie as he stronglie proueth by Chrystes owne facte who made the breade hys bodie and by his owne woorde who saied of the same that he had so made This ys my bodie that Chryst had a verie bodie Whiche coulde not well haue proued the pourpose of Tertullian yf that that he made hys bodie and saied to be hys bodie had not ben a verie bodie Euen so saing that Chryst made the bread hys bodie when he saied Thys ys my bodie prooueth against the Sacramentaries bothe the presence of Chrystes verie bodie in the Sacrament and also that the woordes of Chryst are to be taken in their propre sense But here reclaimeth the Aduersarie and saieth that not withstanding this that ys saied Tertullian addeth and saieth that yt ys a figure of hys bodie I wishe that the Aduersarie wolde here ioin with me as I will with him that both of vs accept the wholle saing of Tertullian as yt ys here alleaged and that he whose doctrine repugneth against anie parte of yt to confesse that hys doctrine ys not good and he that confesseth the whol that hys doctrine be accepted as sownde and good Let ys then open the partes of Tertullian his saing Ther be in yt twoo partes The one ys that he saieth that Chryst made Tertullian opened and deliuered from the Sacramentaries the bread that he tooke in hys handes hys bodie The other that he saieth This ys my bodie that yt ys to
will therfor leaue him and heare the minde of his yocke felowe whom we Hieron ad He did q. 2. haue in this place appointed to be S. Hierō who writeth thus Nos autem audiamus panē quem Dominus fregit deditue Discipulis suis esse corpus Domini saluatoris ipso dicente ad eos Accipite comedite Hoc est corpus meū calicē illū esse de quo iterum locutus est Bibite ex hoc omnes Hic est sanguis meus noui testamenti qui pro multis effundetur Iste est calix de quo in Propheta legimus Calicē salutaris accipia alibi Calixtuus The bread which our Lord gaue was his bodie ād the cuppe hys blood inebrians quà m praeclarus est Si ergo panis qui de coelo descendit corpus est Domini vinum quod Discipulis dedit sanguis illius est noui testamēti iudaicas fabulas repellamus c. But let vs heare that bread which our Lord brake and gaue to hys Disciples to be the bodie of our Lord our Sauiour forasmoch as he saied vnto thē Take and eate This ys my bodie And the cuppe to be that of the which again he saied Drinke ye all of this This ys my blood of the newe Testament which shall be shedd for manie This ys the cuppe of the which we read in the Prophete I wil receaue the cuppe of saluacion And in an other place Thy cuppe inebriating ys verie noble Yf therfore the bread that descended frō heauen ys the bodie of our Lord and the wine which he gaue to his Disciples ys his blood of the newe Testament let vs repell the Iewish fables Thus moch S. Hierom. For the better vnderstanding of this saing yt ys to be considered that a certain vertuouse woman named Hedibia sent to sainct Hierom to be resolued in certain questions Among the which she desiered to be instructed how the saing of Chryst in S. Matthew was to be vnderstanded wher he saied I will not from hencefurth drinke of this generacion of the vine vntill that daie in whiche I shall drinke yt newe with yow in the kingdome of my Father To the answeringe wherof he declareth vnto her first the fond opinion of some that vpon that place inuented a fable that Chryst shoulde reign a thousand yeares corporally in which time of his reign he shoulde drinke wine and so shoulde be fullfilled hys saing that he wolde drinke no more wine Heresie of the Millenaries vntill he dranke yt in the kingdom of his Father in the whiche he shoulde then reign But sainct Hierom well vnderstanding howe great and howe weightie a matter was spoken of in the place wher from these woordes were taken namely of the bodie and blood of Chryst and being greued that yt being so great a worke of God so great a benefitt to man shoulde be intermengled and obscured with soche vain inuentions of soche fables he openeth the true sense of the place and moueth the good woman Hedibia that all soche phantasies reiected and forsaken she shoulde regarde the woordes of Chryst and credit them and that the bread and wine that Chryst spake of in that place were no soch thinges as vpon which soch vain fables should be grownded but they were the bodie and bloode of Chryst forasmoch as he that can speake but trueth saied Thys ys my bodie Thys ys my bloode Now cōsider with me yf Chryst had geuē to hys Apostles but Bread ād wine S. Hierom his woordes weighed ād conferred with the doctrine of the Protestātes as figures of hys bodie and blood wolde S. Hierō being required to geue the true vnderstāding of the scriprure ād he taking vpō him so to doe wold he trowe ye haue saied Let vs vnderstād that the bread which our Lord gaue to his Disciples was his bodie ād that the wine which he gaue was hys blood except we should beleue ād vnderstād thē so to be in dede Were this an opening of the true vnderstanding of the scriptures Were yt not raither an hiding or a darkning of the scriptures to bid vs to beleue one thing ād the scripture biddeth an other He biddeth vs beleue that yt ys the bodie ād blood of Chryst that Chryst gaue to his Apostles ād the scriptur as the Aduers saieth biddeth vs beleue that they be but figurs Wold S. Hierō being alwaies an enemie to heresie teache soche an heresie Wolde not he raither if the trueth had ben so haue taught this vertuouse woman the trueth of the matter that she sought at his hand and saied vnto her This vnderstand that the bread and wine which Chryst gaue to his Apostles were but figurs of the bodie and bloode of Chryst and not the thinges themselues And alleaging Chrystes woordes This ys my bodie This ys my bloode wolde he not if they had ben so to be vnderstanded haue saied these woordes are spoken by a figure they be figuratiue speaches and are thus to be vnderstanded this ys a figure of my bodie this ys a figure of my bloode To instructe thē that Nomenciō of figuratiue speache in S. Hierōs woordes wolde learn the true vnderstāding of this scripture if yt were so to be vnderstanded this were the right waie of teaching But here ys no soche woorde here ys no soche maner of teaching And yt ys to be thought that S. Hierō was not ignorant howe to teache neither was he ignorāt of the trueth that in this place shoulde be taught Wherfor seing he knewe the trueth and knewe howe to teache yt and nowe he was in place to teache and had good occasion being as ys saied therunto required for somoche as he willeth vs to vnderstande that the bread and wine whiche Chryst gaue to this Apostles were his bodie and bloode and the cause why we shoulde so vnderstāde thē ys the woorde of Chryst saing This ys my bodie This ys my bloode Let vs thinke and beleue that the trueth of this matter ys that his bodie and bloode be present verilie in the Sacramēt and that the woordes of Chryste are to be vnderstanded withoute figure simplie and plainlie as they lie And that yt ys the bodie of Chryst the woordes which S. Hierom vseth as the conclusiō of the matter dothe also prooue For thus he concludeth Si ergo panis qui de caelo descendit c. Yf then the bread that descended from heauen be the bodie of our Lorde and the wine that he gaue to his Disciples be his bloode of the newe testamēt let vs cast awaie Iewish fables As who might saie forasmoche as these woordes of Chryst speake of no cheering nor banquetting that the Iewes doe dreame shall be in Chrystes worldlie kingdom but they speake of the bread which Chryst gaue to his Apostles which they saie to be his bodie and of the wine which they saie to be his bloode therfor let vs cast awaie soche vain fables and cleaue to the true
he ther ys no soche thing of beleife ther. for aboute other thinges to be beleued either Chryst him self or the Euangelistes doe stand in the declaracion as in the matter of the incarnacion and birth of Chryste of his baptisme of his passion and death of his resurrection of his ascension and soche other Wherfor saieth he their ys no soche great worke of faith wrought in the Sacrament But see howe the spirit of erroure blinded this man and whether he Crammers spirit and Chryso stomes compared led him Yf he had ben led by the same spirit that Chrysostom was led by he shoulde haue seen that that Chrysostom did sec Chrysome as ye haue hearde saied that Chryst had spoken manie and great thinges of this Sacrament before to the Apostles and therfor nowe when Chryst went to the perfourmance of his promisse made before and in fewe woordes saied Take cate This ys my bodie Theie were mindefull of his promisse made before and of his great instruction geuen vnto them for their beleif in that behalf so that being sufficientlie instructed and therfor redilie prepared when Chryst spake the woorde and commaunded them to eate his bodie they were not troubled for their saith was staied So that Chrysostom coulde see manie and great thinges that Chryst had spoken of this matter But this other man blinded with the great mist of heresie coulde se nothing wher Chrysostom sawe manie thinges and great thinges Therfor yowe that be yet or haue ben seduced here by this great piller of that sect be aduertised that if he being a learned man and yet the wicked spirit so blinded him that wher Chrysostome saied that Chryst did speake manie and great thinges of this Sacrament whiche yet this learned man coulde not see one of them yowe that be learned see one of yowr best learned meÌ„ blinded and beware in time But yowe that be vnlearned of this moche more doe yowe be ware Foryf the learned be deceaued by the Deuell and blinded and led oute of the waie of trueth moche more the vnlearned maie be deceaued and blinded as was yowr first fownder in this our time Luther by name who saied that the sixt chapiter of S. Iohn was whollie to be set a part as in whiche ther was no sillable that spake of the Sacrament Yet Chrysost saieth Chryst spake manie and great thinges of the SacrameÌ„t And in all the Gospell ther ys noplace that speaketh of yt before the supper but the sixt chapter of S. Iohn Wherfor Luther gropeth also in the darke and can not see one sillable of S. Iohns sixt chapter speaking of the Sacrament which speaketh moche of yt whiche thing also ys by expresse woordes testified of S. Augustine who saieth thus speaking of the supper of Chryst Ioannes de corpore sanguine Domini Aug. li. 3 â–ª de Conseuse Euang. Chryst spake of his bodie and blood plentisullie in the sixt of S. Iohn hoc loco nibil dixit sed planè alibi multo vberiùs de iis Dominum locutum esse testatur Iohn spake nothing in this place of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde But in an other place he plainly testifieth that our lorde verie plentifullie spake of these thinges Wher note breiflie by the waie that S. augustine saieth not that S. Iohn spake of the Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode but of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde by expresse and plain woordes and ther with fignifieth the same bodie and blood to be spoken of both in the sixt of S. Iohn and in the other Euangelistes wher they treacte of the last supper of Chryst And thus ye haue perceaued the authour of that booke not onely blinded but also directlie saing contrarie to Chrysostome in these two places iointly alleaged and also to S. Augustine And therfor once again I wish yow to be warned that seing the sainges of your cheif masters be clean contrarie to the sainges of the cheif masters of Chrystes Church beware of them suspect them flie farre from them Ye haue good cause so to doe yf yowe consider the matter well And now to yowr farder instruction in this poinct and to the more confutacion of the aduersaie and declaracion of the trueth I will craue yowr pacience to heare one other place of the same Chrysostom wherin ye shall both more plainly perccaue both that the vi of Iohn and also the woordes of the supper doe manifestlie speake of the bodie and bloode of Chryst in the Sacrament Thus he writeth Hac de causa desiderio desideraui hoc Pascha vobiscum Chris homil 83. in 26. Math. comedere qno vos spirituales faciam Ipsequoque bibit exâ—… ne auditis verbis illis dicerent Quid igitur sanguinem bibimus carnem comedimus ac ideo perturbarentur Nam quando prius de iis verba fecit multi solummodò propter verba scandalum passi sunt Ne igitur tunc quoque id accideret primus ipse hoc fecit vt tranquillo animo ad commumcationem mysterioram induceret For this cause with desire haue I desiered to eate this passeouer with yowe by the whiche I maie make yowe spiritual He also dranke of yt lest when they had heard these woordes they shoulde saie what therfor doe we drinke bloode and cate flesh And ther for they shoulde be troobled for when he did first speake of these thinges also manie alonlie for his woordes were offended Lest therfor that also shoulde then happen he himself first did this thing that with quiett minde he might induce them to the partaking or communicacion of the mysteries Thus moche Chrysostome In whiche saing I will first note to yowe for the sixt of S. Iohn that after I maie the more at large open his minde to yowe for the presence That Chryst spake of his bodie and blood in the SacrameÌ„t IoaÌ„ 6. Chryst spake of his bodie and bloode in the sixt of S. Iohn these woordes of this authour doe teach vs wher he saieth Quando de iis prius verba fecit multi solummodò propter verba scandalum pasi sunt When he first spake of these thinges manie euen alonely for the woordes were offended Wherby yowe maie perceaue that Chrysostome sheweth here that Chryst spake before of this mysterie of his bodie and bloode in that place wher manie onelie were offended for the woordes Wher that was yt ys clere to all men that can read the Gospell that yt was ther wher they saied Durus est est hic sermo quis potest eum audire This ys an harde saing who can abide yt wher yt ys manifest Joan. 6. that they were according to Chrysostoms saing offended onely for the woordes of Chryst whiche made them to saie that yt was an hard saing So that wher Chrysostom in the other sentence saied that Chryst had spoken great thinges of this mysterie but opened not in what place here by circumstance he sheweth the certen place This I
sense and vnderstanding of them Wherfor we maie verie well conclude that the woordes of Chryst are to be vnderstanded withoute figure or trope accordinglie as this learned auncient hath taught Perchaunche the Proclamer will saie that although this authour denieth a figure in Chrystes woordes yet he doeth not as by him ys requested in his proclamacion saie plainlie by expresse woordes that Chrystes naturall bodie ys in the Sacrament To see the vanitie of this shift let vs searche howe manie thinges be called Chrystes bodie and by applicacion we shall perceaue that yt can not otherwise be but that this authour speaketh of the naturall bodie of Chryst Ther be foure thinges that be called the bodie of Chryste The figure the Churche the meritt fruit or vertue of his passion and his bodie naturall Foure thinges called the bodie of Chryst. The figure ys called the bodie of Chryst For S. Augustine saith that figures oftentimes haue the names of the thinges of the whiche they are figures This maner of bodie ys not here to be vnderstanded for yt ys by expresse woordes denied of this authour Yt ys not the Churche which S. Paule calleth the bodie of Chryst For to all men yt ys euident that the Sacrament ys not the Churche other wise then bicause the Sacrament ys a figure of the Churche Yt ys not the spirituall bodie of Chryst I meen the meritte vertue and grace of Chrystes passion For the bread and wine cannot be transmuted into yt as the Aduersarie him self doth graunt Yt remaineth then that yt must nedes be spoken of the naturall bodie of Chryst And wher of necessitie one thing must be vnderstanded and none other can ther be vnderstanded that place must nedes be called plain To be short wher a thing ys spoken of and if yt can not be applied to the figure of the thing yt must nedes be applied to the thing yt self speciallie Plain tearmes for proof of reall presc̄ce when the circumstance shall also fully prooue the same as here yt doeth For the transmutacion of the bread and wine into the thing and these terms his owne verie bodie and his own verie bloode with the comparisons of the propreties of the breade and wine to the propreties of the bodie and bloode of Chryst maketh the matter so plain that yt can not be but confessed so to be but as a man in a bringht Sunne shining daie will maliciouslie saie that the Sunne shineth nott But what doe I stande so long vpon so clere a place Yt ys time that the other that shall declare the faith of the latin Churche be produced who shall be Isidore This Isidore although he be not with in six hondreth yeares of Jsidorus cōmended Chryst yet he ys verie neare For he liued the yeare of our Lorde 626 I haue yet produced him to make vppe the coople with Euthymius both that he ys the eldest of the latin Church of them that remain and treact of the woordes of Chryst and also that he ys one that liued before anie controuersie Isydor de offic eccle cap. 18. was risen in the matter of the holie Sacrament Wherfore I might produce him as a sufficient and a meet wittnesse in this matter this ys his testimonie Sacrificium quod à Christianis Deo offertur primum Christus Deus noster magister instituit quando commendauit Apostolis corpus sanguinem suum priusquam traderetur Chryst instituted the sacrifice of fred of the Chrystiās sicut legiturin Euangelio Accepit Iesus panem calicem benedicens dedit eis The sacrifice that ys offred of the chrystians vnto God Chryst our Lorde and Master did first institute when he gaue to his Apostles his bodie and bloode before he shoulde be betraied as yt ys redd in the gospell Iesus tooke the bread and the cuppe and blessing them gaue them vnto them Thus Isidor In this breif saing of this authour ye learn not that Chryst gaue vnto his Apostles a figure of his bodie and bloode but that he gaue them his bodie The blessing of Chryst of great force and power and bloode We be here also aduertised of the time that yt was before he shoulde be betraied as yt ys readde in the Gospell whiche was in his last supper at which time as this authour maketh mencion he tooke the bread and the cuppe and blessing them gaue them to this Disciples Great ys the prowe of the blessing of Chryst And as the power ys great so ys the Matth. 14 Ioan. 6. Matth. 15 effect answerablie great He blessed the fiue loaues ād two fishes and by that blessing they so multiplied as they fedde fiue thousande people And when they were satisfied ther were gathered vppe twelue baskettes full of the fragmētes that they had lefte He blessed vii loaues and a fewe fishes and by the Effect of Chrystes blessing of the breade power of his blessing they were sufficient not onely to feede and satisfie foure thousande people but also to fill seuen baskettes after they had doen. Great therfor I saie ys the power of Chrystes blessing Wherfor taking in his last supper the breade and the cuppe and blessing them he wrought ther by soche and so great an effect the he saied This ys my bodie This ys my bloooe This great effect ys aunswerable to so great a power Yf by this blessing he had made the bread and wine onelie figures of his bodie and blode and not his verie bodie and bloode the effecte in respect had ben very small For manie Ioan. 3. To saie Chryst made but a figure of hys bodie by blessing the bread ys a derogacion of his power and honour thinges were figures without the expresse blessing of God The lambes the calues the oxen that were slain in the lawe of Moyses The brasen Serpent as Chryst him self testifieth was a figure of himself exalted vpon the Crosse And yet we read not that yt was blessed to be made a figure yt ys therfor but a vain dreame of the aduersarie and an abasing of Goddes power and a derogacion to his honour to saie that Chryst blessing the breade and wine did no more but make thē figures of his bodie and bloode Therfor acknowleadging the great power of Chrystes blessing with this holie Bishopp Isidore let vs saie as he saieth that Chryst gaue to his Apostles after he had blessed the bread and wine not nowe bread and wine in substance but the bodie and bloode of himself according to the trueth of his owne saing This ys my bloode As who might saie before I blessed yt yt was bread Amb. li. 4 de Sac. c. 4 Ang. de verbis Do. serm 28. Consent of doctrine among the holie and auncient sathers and wine but nowe that I haue blessed yt and by my blessing chaunged yt nowe I saie to yowe Take and eate This ys my bodie Take and drinke this ys my bloode This like maner of vnderstanding as ys
infunditur irrorat mentes piorum obdulcat fauces corum Thowe askest me why the Lord God did rain Manna to the people of the Fathers and nowe he doth not rain Yf thow knowest he raineth now and dailie he raineth Manna froÌ„ heauen vnto them that serue him And in diuerse places the same corporall Manna ys nowe fownde but yt ys not nowe a thing of so great miracle for that ys comed that ys perfecte But that perfecte ys the bread from heaueÌ„ Howe moche more excellent are these then the other aboue rehersed whiche ys the bodie born of the virgen of the whiche the gospell sufficient lie teacheth Howe moche more excellent are these then the other aboue rehersed Who soeuer did eate that Manna that ys that bread they are dead But this bread whosoeuer eateth shal liue for euer But this ys a spiritual Manna that ys the spirituall rain of wisdom whiche ys powred into them from heauen that be wittie and do seke yt and yt dothe dewe the mindes of the Godlie and maketh swete their Iawes hitherto S. Ambrose Of whom we maie learn as ys before saied that not onelie the woord and Oecolap his shaÌ„ful abusing of the auncieÌ„t Fathers namelie of S. Ambr. wisdom of God ys called Manna but also the bodie of Chryste whiche was born of the virgen whiche he calleth perfecte Manna And here yt ys not to be ouerpassed that Oecolampadius the enemie of this Sacrament who of indurate malice wrote a booke against the same in the whiche to the entent he might more easilie deceaue the vnlearned and simple as to make them beleue that the holie fathers were of his side he vseth to alleage diuerse of theÌ„ but so that somtime he doth wrest them shamefullie some time he falfifieth them somtime he corrupteth them somtime he truncateth them somtime alleaging them and taking vpon him trulie to reporte them he doth mutylate them in the middest of their sainge as impudenilie and wickedlie he doth vse S. Ambrose here in this place last alleaged of the whiche for that he perceaued yt made against him he left oute a sentence whiche I haue noted in the margen both the latin and the english to the entent ye shoulde perceaue the sentence alone and with all see howe that wicked man ioined the rest of the sentence to gether mutilating and cutting this awaie This ys the sinceritie of heretikes in handling of matters of faith and religion And thus maie ye see what credite they be wourthie of By this ye maie perceaue also whether they offende of ignorance of simplicitie or ells of deuelish malice Ys not this deuelish malice that seing a sentence in the middest that impugneth his heresie he cutteth yt of and peiceth yt together again as though ther were nothing lacking Did not his conscience trowe ye reprehend him wheÌ„ he did yt Ys not he the childe of his father Sathan that seeth and perceiueth that this waie ys naught and wicked and yet by gile and crafte will trauaill to induce men into yt and bringing manie to damnacioÌ„ aggrauate his owne euen as his father doth I haue thought good reader here to aduertise thee of their impostures that though they sett oute their doctrine with neuer so good a countenance of holinesse learning and consent or testimonie of holie Fathers yet be well assured that vnder the faire countenaunce of the enemie of mankinde tempting our mother Eue ther was a mortiferouse serpent vnder his swete woordes which to well liked the hearer was most bitter falshood and vntrueth Vnder the sweet woordes of Heretiques lieth bitter poisoÌ„ of falshead In that goodlie pleasaunt and delctable aple was cruell and horrible death and damnacion so in their faire countennance ye shall finde serpentine infection in their woordes falshead errour and heresie and in the taking of their doctrine or consenting to yt plain damnacion But nowe that ye maie perceaue howe moche this sentence whiche denelishlie he cutt of dothe impugne his doctrine and make for the trueth I will somwhat open the same and so shall ye perceaue that of sett pourpose and of very malice he left yt oute S. Ambrose answering Irenaeus saieth that Manna nowe a daies though yt be fownde in many places at this present time yt ys not a thing of so great miracle He addeth the cause bicause saieth be that ys nowe comed that ys perfect as who might saie The figures of the lawe though manie of theÌ„ when they were in vse were great thinges and semed to be merueilouse yet when the thinges came of the whiche they were figures they were not so merueilouse like as the light of a torche in the night time semeth to be a great light a very perfect light yet in the daie the brigth beames of the Sunne shining and glistering yt ys but an vnperfecte and almost no light so the figures of the olde lawe compared to the thinges figured in the newe lawe Wherfor Manna being but a figure of that perfect thing the bodie of Chryst when that once came in place Manna appeared to be but an vnperfect thinge When S. Ambrose had made this comparison of the figure to the thing figured and sawe the perfectioÌ„ of the one and the impefection of the other the excellencie of the one and the weaknesse or basenesse of the other he brought in this senteÌ„ce which OecolaÌ„padius left oute Quanto sunt praestaÌ„tiora haec superioribus Howe moche more excellent are these then the other aboue rehersed howe moche more excellent ys the bodie born of the virgen our verie true Manna and the right bread of heauen whiche we feade vpon in the Sacrament then Manna whiche the Iewes did eate And here note SacrameÌ„taries to maintein their heresie denie the excellencie of the Sacramentes of the newe lawe again gentle reader that this wicked man and other his complices who denie as ye perceaue the presence of Chryst in the blessed Sacrament do also as wickedly teache that the Sacramentes of the newe lawe geue no grace And to maintain these two euell and wicked opinions they take the third against the trueth that all Chrystes Churche receaued whiche ys that the Sacramentes of the newe lawe are of no more excellencie then the Sacramentes of the olde lawe For yf they shoulde graunt that they were more excellent then must they nedes also admitte the Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode to be more theÌ„ a bare sign figure or token of his bodie And so must be enforced to graunt the presence Nowe by cause Oecolampadius impugneth that presence and fowde in S. Ambrose that he taught that the Oecolamp his best soliâ—cion to S. Amb. argumet thinges of the newe testament are more excellent then thinges of the olde and sawe that he was pressed with the weight of S. Ambrose his argument he had no better solucion then clean to leaue yt oute and so to shippe yt ouer I trust ye perceaue that this litle
of the true vnderstanding of this scripture of S. Paule and of the matters depending vpon the same yet to the entent I maie by a nombre of woorthie wittnesses all with one consent and as yt were with one mowthe testifieng the auncient receaued treuthe prouoke some to folowe I will by gods helpe produce three or foure cooples mo that shall teache al one trueth though they were not all in one time but some fiue hundreth yeares after the other and some more and some lesse The first coople of these shall be S. Hierom and S. Cyrill whose fame and auncientie I nede not nowe to sett furth For I haue of yt allready saied and they are also well knowen But for that Sainct Hierom ys the elder his sentence shall be first hearde Expownding this scripture he saieth thus Et omnes eandem spiritualem escam manducauerunt c. Manna figura corporis Christi Hieron in 10. 1. Cor. ◠fuit And all did eate of one spirituall meate Manna was a figure of the bodie of Chryste Although these woordes be full enough and teache that that ys here sought for saing that Manna was a figure of the bodie of Chryst they teache that as the Iewes did eate Manna as the figure So nowe the figure being gon we eate the bodie of Chryst as the veritie of that figure yet more at large he openeth the wholl matter somwhat after saing Omnia enim quae in populo Israel illo tempore facta sunt in figura nunc in nobis in veritate celebrantur Sicut enim illi per Moysen ex Aegipto liberati sunt Sic nos per quemlibet sacerdotem vel doctorem de seculo liberamur Deinde christiani facti ducimur per deserta vt per exercitium contemptus mundi abstinentiae in obliuionem nobis eant Aegypti voluptates ita vt nesciamus ad seculum repedare Cùm verò Baptismi mare transimus tunc nobis Diabolus cum suo exercitu tanquam Pharao demergitur Deinde Manna cibamur potum accipimus de Christi latere emanantem Claritas quoque scientiae tanquam columna ignis in nocte seculi demonstratur in tribulationis aestu diuinae consolationis nube protegimur All thinges saieth S. Hierom whiche in that time were doen in the people of Israell in figure nowe they are celebrated in vs in veritie As they by Moyses were deliuered oute of Egypte So we by euery preist and doctour are deliuered from the worlde Then being made Chrystians we are ledde through the desertes that by the exercise of the contempt of the worlde and of abstenence the sleshlie pleasures of Egypt maie be of vs forgotten so that we shall not knowe to go backe again into the worlde When we passe through the sea of Baptisme then the Deuell with all his armie euen like as Pharao was ys drowned Thē we are fedde with Manna and take drinke flowing oute of the side of Chryste The brightnesse also of knowledge ys shewed in We drink◠drinke flowing oute of the side of Chryst the night of the worlde as the piller of fire and in the heat of tribulaciō we are defended with the clowde of diuine consolaciō Thus moche S. Hierom. In whom we see the wholl applicacion of the figurs mencioned in Sainct Paule to the thinges figured whiche thinges as by other before so by him they are called veritates the verities And therfore he saieth in the beginning of his sentence thal all thinges doen in the Iewes in figures are fulfilled in vs in veritie So that soche thinges as we haue whiche were prefigured in the Iewes As we haue not nowe Moyses but Chryste in dede not a figure of Baptisme but Baptisme in dede not the holie Goste in figure but in dede So not the figure of Chrystes bodie but his bodie in dede Hiero. ibi they be not with vs bare signes or figures as they were with them But although they be figures in some respecte yet they are also verities and the very thinges in dede Wherfor as Moyses was a figure of Chryst and nowe again we haue not a figure of Chryst but Chryst himself as the veritie or verie thing of the figure and as the sea was the figure of Baptisme and nowe we haue not an other figure of Baptisme but Baptisme yt self in very dede And as the clowde was a figure of the holie Gost and nowe we haue not an other figure of the holie Gost but the holie Gost in very dede so Māna as S. Hierō saieth here being the figure of the bodie of Chryst of like consequēce yt must folowe that nowe we hauing the veritie of the figure haue not an other figure of the bodie of Chryste but the very bodie of Chryste in dede that as the Iewes did verilie eate Māna and drinke verilie the water as the figures of the bodie and bloode of Chryst So as Chrysost saied in the last chap. thowe doest verilie eate his bodie and drinke his bloode Wherfore also S. Hierom in this applicacion of the figures to the verities coming to Manna saieth Cibamur Manna et potum accipimus de latere Christi emanantem We are sedde saieth he with Manna but that ye shoulde vnderstand him of the true Manna the bodie of Chryste he addeth And we take drinke slowing oute of the side of Chryst. What drinke slowed oute of that blessed side yt ys well knowen to be the preciouse bloode of our Sauiour Chryst So that ye see that Sainct Hierom as he dothe yt godlie and learnedlie So also simplie and plainlie and faithfullie confesseth and teacheth that as the Iewes did eate Manna and dranke the water of the stone So we eate the veritie of that figure and drinke the veritie of that figuratiue water whiche be the verie bodie and bloode of the spirituall stone Iesus Chryst And note that the masters of figures can not place their figure in Sainct Hieroms woordes For he contented not himself to saie onelie the bloode but to declare the realitie and substance in dede he saied the bloode that flowed oute of Chrystes side not a figure but that bloode in dede But peraduenture the Aduersarie will reiecte this authoritie bicause yt ys doubted of some whether yt be Sainct Hieroms worke or no that this authoritie ys taken oute of Whether yt be or no two thinges moue me to regarde and esteem the authoritie The first and the cheifest bicause yt ys a catholique saing not disagreing from the like sainges of the good catholique and auncient Fathers The second bicause yt ys no newe worke but of soche auncientie that yt might as yt appeareth be ascribed to Sainct Hierom yf yt be not his in dede But that the Aduersarie shall not cauill that we alleadge Sainct Hierom where in dede yt ys not Sainct Hierom we will alleadge Sainct Hierom that he shall not refuse to be Sainct Hierom. And this ys his saing Si panis Hieron ad Hedibiam quest 2. qui
enim naturae vitis palmites sunt Ita spiritualiter corporaliter nos palmites Christus vitis est Maie not the manheade of Chryst be very wel called the vine and we the braunches for that we be all of one nature for the vine and the braunches be of one nature So both spirituallie and corporallie Chryst ys the vine and we be the braunches Thus Cyrill Wherfore Isidore to proue that that ys in the cuppe to be the bloode of Chryste as the wine or iuice whiche shoulde be receaued of vs the naturall braunches of Chryst the true vine did very well alleadge the sainge of Chryst I am the true vine And by this also yowe maie perceaue the minde of S. Cyrill that we be not onely of one Spirit with Chryst by faith but we be also of one nature with him not onely that he hath taken our nature vpon him wherby he ys one with vs but that we receaue his naturall flesh and bloode wherby we are of one nature with him This his natural flesh and bloode we receaue not but in the Sacrament Wherfor the Sacrament conteineth the naturall flesh and bloode of Chryste And nowe that we haue hearde Isidore who was of the latin churche so breifly and plainly expownde this text we will also heare Oecumenius who was of the greke churche howe he breifly expowndeth the same He saieth In. decins 1 Cor. Poculum voeat benedictionis poculum sanguinis Christi quod benedicimus quod prae manibus habentes benedicimus eum qui gratiosè sanguinem suum nobis largitus est He calleth the cuppe of the bloode of Chryst the cuppe of blessing whiche we blesse whiche hauing before vs we blesse him who hath graunted vs his bloode The cuppe of blessing ys the cuppe of the blood of Chryste Is not this as plain an exposition as yt ys breif ys yt not wonderfull that anie man wolde open his mouth against a trueth so plainlie vttered as this ys Here maie ye see what maner of cuppe yt ys that S. Paule calleth the cuppe of blessing Yt ys saieth this authour the cuppe of the bloode of Chryste And when he hath expownded to yowe what yt ys than he geueth yowe a cause why yt ys called of S. Paule the cuppe of blessinge being in dede the cuppe of Chrystes bloode Yt ys so called saieth he because hauing yt before vs we blesse and geue thankes to him that hath graunted vs his bloode ▪ and woorthily we blesse him both for that he hath commaunded vs that as oftē as we eate of that breade and drinke of that cuppe we shoulde shewe furth his death vntill he come and also for that besides an infinite nombre of benefittes whiche he hath pourchased vnto vs by his passion and bloode shedding ther ys graunted vnto vs as a pledge of his vnspeakable loue towardes vs as this authour saieth his bloode For asmoche then as the cuppe of bloode conteineth his bloode who hath wrought vs so great mercie and quickneth in vs the liuelie remembrance of the same we are prouoked to The cuppe of the blood why yt ys called the cuppe of blessing lawde praise and blesse him by whom these mercies were wrought and therfor yt ys very well called the cuppe of blessing that ys to saie the cuppe that moueth stirreth and prouoketh to blesse Chryst our Sauiour whose bloode yt ys And here Reader to commend this trueth better to thee I meen that the cuppe which S. Paule calleth the cuppe of blessing that yt ys as this authour saieth the cuppe of Chrystes bloode call to thy remembrance the saing of Chrysostome what he saied expownding this text dothe not he saie this ys the meening of S. Paule that that ys in the cuppe ys yt that flowed oute of the side Nowe this ys a cōmon maner of speache that the vessell ys named by the thing that yt conteineth as a cuppe conteining wine ys called a cuppe of wine a cuppe conteining water ys called a cuppe of water Nowe whē Chrysostom saieth that the bloode that flowed oute of the side of Chryst ys in the cuppe and Oecumenius saieth that yt ys the cuppe of bloode what difference ys ther in the thinge that they speake of ▪ ys yt not all one Therfor thowe maist see that these authours agree and haue consent bitwixt thē For this authour though he differ in maner of speach from Chrysostom yet in the thing that they speake he saieth euen the same that he dothe And nowe as for these two wittnesses Isidorus and Oecumenius let not the Aduersarie attempt to corrupt them with his wicked glose for they be allreadie alleadged and again shall be withe soch euident and strong sentence declaring their faith that they can not be altered THE TVENTETH CHAP. PROCEADETH vpon the same text by Haymo and Theophilacte THis being true that our Sauiour Chryst saieth In the mouth of two or three wittnesses standeth all trueth these that be alleaged might suffice to testifie this trueth that I haue taken in hand to settfurthe Neuerthelesse for that yt hath pleased him who ys the verie trueth him self who neded no testimonie to call twelue and when one of them the childe of perdicion perished to haue an oiher chosen that the nombre of twelue might be continued yt shall like me tofolowe his example and as I haue doen in the exposition of the first text of S. Paule wher I haue produced twelue wittnesses to do the like here in the exposition of this text And allthough the trueth of this matter ys soche that being spoken of him that ys the trueth him self as ys saied yt nedeth no other commendacion yet to the confusion of the enemie and the comforte of the fauourer and louer of gods catholique faithe twelue be and shall be cauled that yt maie beseen howe largely this trueth hath ben spred and receaued and in what diuersitie of times yt hath ben euer cōtinued as I do not hing doubte but yt shall be continued to the worldes ende But to go a boute that that here ys entended that the rest of this nombre which remain maie geue also their testimonie and shewe their mindes in the vnderstanding of S. Paule we shall first heare Theophilacte whose exposition Theoph. in to prioris ad Corin. of this text ys this Calix benedictionis hoc est gratiarum actionis In manibus namque habentes gratias ei haud dubiè agimus qui nostri gratia sanguinem sum effuderit dignatutue nos sit bonis ineffabilibus Non enim participatio dixit sed vt plus alialiquid exprimat summam scilicet coniunctionem Quod autem dixit tale est Sanguis enim iste qui calice continetur ille est qui Christi è latere profluit Hunc ipsi cùm sumimus participamus Cōmunication vsed of S. Paule to expresse a nearer coniūction betwen Chryste and vs then participacion cā signifie hoc est Christo coniungimur The cuppe
sub speciebus panis sumimus nonne participatio corporis Domini est id est nonne declarat nos partem bahere cùm corpore Domini in illud consentire The cuppe of blessing which we blesse that ys whiche we receaue with thankes geuing ys yt not a Commucacion of the blood of Chryst that ys do not we taking the cuppe of Chryst and drinking his bloode communicate with him and declare vs to haue an entredoing with him And the bread whiche we break that ys the bodie of Chryst which we vnder the formes of bread do receaue yt ys not a participacion Communicacion and participation of Chrystes bodie and blood what they be of the bodie of our Lorde that ys dothe yt not declare vs to haue part with the bodie of our Lorde and into yt to consent Hitherto Gagneius Who although he wrote but last daie yet he agreeth in the expownding of S. Paule with them that wrote aboue thousand yeares agon And teacheth as they did that S. Paule in this place spake of the very reall presence of the bodie and bloode of Chryst in the Sacrament which we receaue and by the which we are made partakers of the same bodie and bloode For wher S. Paule saieth The bread whiche we breake that ys to saie saieth this authour the bodie of Chryst which we receaue vnder the forme of bread maketh vs to haue part with the bodie of our Lorde Nowe reader if thowe wilt gather together the expositions of all these famouse Fathers and learned men which to shewe thee the vnderstanding A breif rehersall of the doctours alleaged for this text of S. Paule vpon this text ▪ I haue here alleaged and laie them in a breif before thy face thowe shalt I suppose see soche a plain declaraciō of the trueth so euident so manifest so clere so consonant so agreing and so consenting one with an other although spoken in diuerse ages in sondrie churches and in moche difference of times that I thinke thowe wilt wonder with me that euer men coulde be so stubbornlie blind that they will not see an opē treuth whiche can not be so couered and hidden with their deuelish glooses but yt will allwaie lie aboue of all men readie to be seen Chrysoste Chrysostome saieth that this ys the meening of S. Paule that that which ys in the cuppe vs yt that flowed oute of the side S. Hierom saieth that we partake of the bloode of Chryst as he him self saieth He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloode c. Hieron Whiche saing of Chryst as ther ys declared ys spoken of the eating of the verie bodie of Chryst and drinking of his verie blood wherfor S. Hierom so vnderstādeth S. Paule Damascen who can not abide these woordes of Chryst Damascen This ys my bodie to haue a figuratiue sense saieth that in the participacion and the communion of the bread we partake the flesh of Chryst and his Godhead also S. Augustin saieth that S. Paule speaking this text did shewe them to August what sacrifice they shoulde pertein which was to the sacrifice wherby they shoulde be partakers of the bodie and bloode of Chryst Oecumenius saieth that S. Paule calleth the cuppe of the bloode of Chryst the cuppe of blessing So that he Oecomen taketh yt for a cuppe of Chrystes bloode Isidore saieth that the bread whiche we breake ys the bodie of Chryst He saieth not yt ys called but yt ys the bodie Theophilact saieth that the blood whiche ys cōteined in the cuppe ys the same that Isidorus Theophil flowed oute of the side of Chryst Haymo saieth that the bread whiche we breake in the aultar although yt seem bread in very dede yet yt ys the bodie of Chryst Anselmus saieth that the bread whiche we brake and diuide to manie ys the verie bodie of our Lorde Bruno saieth are we not by the bloode receaued vnited to Chryst Haymo Anselm Bruno and ys not the bread that ys the very bodie of Chryst whiche semeth to be broken and ys not in deed do not we by this bodie receaue God into vs and incorporate him to vs Dionise saieth that that ys conteined in the cuppe ys the bloode of Chryst by the which bloode we are blessed So that yt ys verilie the bloode of Chryst Dionys geuen vnto vs making vs to haue communion with Chryst and to be partakers of the merittes of the effusion of the same his bloodd And last Gagneius saieth that the bread whiche we breake that ys to saie the bodie of Chryst Gagneius whiche we receaue vnder the forme of bread doth yt not declare vs to haue parte with the bodie of our lorde Doth anie of these twelue finde anie trope or figures in the saing of S. Paule No they do all teach yt to be a plain speache and a plain assercion of the verie bodie of Chryst and not a bare sign of yt And here to conclude this matter and to make an ende of this expositiō of this text I haue thought good to heare the minde of the right godlie and learned Father Roffensis who as all thinges that he did so doth he handle this text learnedly and pithilie Roffen in proem li. 5 Thus he saieth Poculum benedictionis cui benedicimus nonne communicatio sanguinis Christi est Panis quem frangimus nonne communicatio corporis Christi est Quid hic audimus figuras ne corporis sanguinis Christi Nequaquam sed veritatem corporis sanguinis quibus nos verè communicare Paulus asserit Profectò si figuram solam hic indicasset Paulus non adeo frequenter haec nulla vspiam figurarum habita mentione vocasset corpus sanguinem Domini Sed nec arbitratur Oecolampadius nos per panem et vinum suum communicare corpori sanguini Christi sed fidem solam buius communicationis causam esse contendit Et certè qui fieri potest vt merus panis aut vinum eam efficatiam habeat vt nos veri corporis sanguinis Christi reddat participes Quare consentaneum est vt quum huius panis esu liquoris eius qui in poculo est potatione verè corpori sanguini Christi communicamus eiusdem corporis sanguinis veritatem hic adesse ceu compertissimum habeamus The cuppe of blessing whiche we blesse yt ys not a communicacion of the bloode of Chryst the bread whiche we breake ys S. Paule in all his processe of the Sacra maketh not one title of mencion of anie figure yt not a communicacion of the bloode of Chryste What heare we here Figures of the bodie and bloode of Chryst Not so but the veritie of the bodie and bloode of Chryst which Paule affirmeth vs verily to cōmunicate Truly yf Paule had iudged hero to be an onely figure he wolde not so often haue called these thinges the bodie and bloode of Chryste no mention in anie place beinge made
blessed and honourable Sacrament we on the other side labour to open and declare them vnto thee that thowe maist according to thy duetie more reuerentlie prepare thee to the recept of them and also more thankfullie accept them For we teache thee by the authoritie of these scriptures and holie fathers alleaged that thowe woorthilie receauing the Sacrament doest not onely enioie the vnion vnto Chryst by faith whiche onely vnion the Aduersarie teacheth but also the vnion by the flesh of Chryst by the which thow arte verilie vnited to him being nowe of his flesh as he by his incarnacion ys of thy flesh as this authour hath saied These two poinctes then I trust be made clere that in the Sacrament ys The natural flesh of Chryst in the B. Sac. couseth natural vnitie of vs to Chryste the very substanciall and naturall bodie of Chryst and that the woorthie receauers of yt are vnited and incorporated to Chryst spirituallie by faith and also naturallie by the flesh of Chryst Whiche coniunction ys taught of sainct Cyrill to be so necessarie that he thinketh that our mortall bodie coulde not atteign to immortalitie yf yt shoulde not be so ioined to this liuing and immortall flesh of Chryst Non poterat aliter corruptibilis haec natura corporis ad incorruptibilitatem vitam traduci nisi naturalis vitae corpus ei coniungeretur This corruptible nature of the bodie saieth he coulde not otherwise be brought to incorruptibilitie and life except the bodie of naturall Cyrill 15. cao in 6. Ioac life shoulde be ioined to yt And saieth he if thowe beleuest not me saing these thinges I beseche thee beleue Chryst saing verilie I saie vnto yowe Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloode ye shall haue no life in yowe Whether that sainct Cyrill here speaketh of this naturall coniunction of the naturall bodie of Chryst to our naturall and corruptible bodie yt ys more manifest then yt nedeth either probacion or declaracion As for Euthymius yf the Aduersarie wolde wrest him and corrupt him yt can not be suffred For wher he speaketh these woordes here alleadged within a verie fewe lines before he speaketh of the transmutacion of the bread and wine into the bodie and bloode of Chryst and therwith expownding the woordes of Chryst This ys my body denieth by expresse woordes anie figure to be in these woordes of Chryst Wherfore as he ys a stowte auoucher of the trueth of the catholique Churche and a mightie vanquisher of the Aduersarie so can not he by anie engine be drawen from his assertion But the Aduersarie maie waxe red for shame when he shall see so manifest testimonie against him that he can not once open his mouth to auoide yt And nowe that this grecian hath so notablie testified the trueth and opened the verie true faith of Chrystes Parlament house what yt was in his time and before Beholde here cometh one of the latine church being of these later daies which to trie concorde and consent in faith to be in both their sides and in both their times and ages sheweth what was professed throughoute the latin church in his time who in the exposition of this text of S. Paule saieth thus Dico quod vnum sumus cum Christo per sumptionem sacramenti Eucharistiae Quoniam omnes quidem participamus id est participes efficimur vel quoad speciem vel quoad effectus cōmumonem vnde benè dicit participamus propter diuisionem quae fit aliquando in specie panis vel propter effectus diuersos quos habent ipsi sumentes Altam enim gratiam recipit ille aliam ille sumendo dignè Sacramentum illud Qui de vno pane id est de corpore Christi de vno calice id est de sanguine Christi licet multi sumus participamus Non dicit omnes quia non omnes qui sumunt hoc sacramentum effectum Hugo Card in Dec. 1. Cor. illius recipiunt ideo non sunt vnus panis quo reficiatur Dominus nec vnum corpus cum Christo. Licet inquam multi tamen sumus vnus panis per vnionem fidei spei charitatis Quae vnto initiatur in fide consummatur in charitate Et vnum illius capitis quod est Christus I saie that we are one with Chryst by the receipt of the Sacrament of the aultar For we do all partake that ys to saie we are made partakers either as touching the forme or ells as touching the effect of the communion Wherfore he saieth well that we partake for the diuision All we partake of one bread that ys the bodie of Chryste and of one cuppe that ys the blood of Chryst. whiche ys doen somtime in the forme of bread or ells for diuerse effectes whiche the receauers haue For he receaueth one grace and he another receauing the Sacrament woorthilie which although we be manie do partake of one bread that ys to saie of the bodie of Chryst and of one cuppe that ys of the blood of Chryst He doth not saie all for all that do receaue this Sacrament do not receaue the effect of yt And therfore they be not one bread with the whiche our Lorde maie be fedde neither one bodie with Chryst Although I saie we be manie yet we are one bread by the the vnion of faith hope and charitie which vnion ys begōne by faith and ys consummated by charitie and we are one bodie of that head which ys Chryst In this authour as in the rest before alleadged owre two cheif poinctes whiche are here sought are plainly taught For he dothe bothe teache the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament and also that by the receipt of that bodie we are made one with Chryst As touching the first as the other authour last before alleadged expownded these woordes The bread and the cuppe to be the bodie and bloode of Chryst so this authour likewise expowndeth the bread and the cuppe to be the bodie and Bloode of Chryst Wherfore betwixt them ys goodlie consent soche as although they were so farre distant in time and place yet in this they be not a finger breadeth a sondre but euen iointlie together I nede therfore no more to trauaill in this the matter ys clere in yt self The other poinct ys likewise as plainlie settfurth to vs. For in the first entrie he saieth that by the receipt of the Sacramēt we are made one with Christ yf by the Sacrament then not by faith onely yf by the Sacrament not by bare bread For onelie bread can not make all Chrystians whersoeuer they be abiding to be one with Chryst and among them selues And the Aduersarie himself saieth that bread hath no soche powre And all Chrystians can not be made one but by that that ys one thing to vs all of the which all we be partakers And in the Sacramēt can nothing be imagined to be one to all the Chrystiā church
he did sanctifie and blesse yt The catholique Churche folowing them saieth likewise that he gaue not onelie thankes but also that he blessed yt The Proclamers Church saieth no more but that he gaue thanks and liketh not to saie that Chryst blessed yt or sanctified yt And wote yow whie Bicause they feared that the trueth might be sooner perceaued that by the blessing and sanctificacion of Chryste his verie bodie and blood were consecrated as they were in dede which by all shiftes and meanes they labour to hide But I wishe the wholl woordes of S. Iames Masse not onely to be well noted but also continuallie to be remembred that he saieth that Chryste gaue thankes he sanctified he blessed and fylled the cuppe with the holie Gost For these woordes not onelie impugne the wicked assertion of the Sacramentarie but also commende to vs the excellencie of the B. Sacrament and Woordes of S. James Masse proue the presence of that blessed bloode whiche the catholique Churche teacheth there to be present For who can saie that after these great doings of Chryste of sanctifieng blessing and filling with the holie Gost that ther ys nothing ells made but a bare hungrie figure This godlie acte of Chryste the Apostles and Fathers foloweing as S. Iames in his Masse S. Basill and Chrysostom in their Mases did not onelie make mencion of his blessiing and sanctifieng but did them selues sign and blesse the Sacrament as in their Masses yt ys plain to see Which acte of Chryst of the Apostles ād fathers the catholike church embrancing signeth with the sign of the crosse and blesseth the Sacrament signifieng the sanctificacion their doen to be doen by the power of him that by his crosse sanctified all the faithfull But these wicked bretheren of the late fownd Church geue as fewe termes of excellencie to yt and vse as fewe gestures and actes signifieng blessing and sanctificacion as they maie that the estimacion of that gloriouse Sacrament maie be impaired Thus nowe ye haue seē the conference made ye see the catholique Churche Conference of the catholeque authoritie of preists withe the lacke of authoritie of newe ministers in euerie poinct agreing with Chryste withe Apostles and with the pritiue Churche Contrarie wise ye see the newe fownd Churche allmost in all pointes disagreing Finallie I thinke yt expedient that as I haue here spoken of consecracion and conferred the doing of the catholique Churche and of the newe Churche with the Apostolique and primitiue Churche So to saie a fewe woordes of the preist of the one and of the minister of the other And here not moche to tarie the reader yt ys to be remēbred that Chryste when he had instituted this diuine and noble Sacrament willing yt to be continued gaue his Apostles and in them to all their successours power authoritie and commaundement to doo that that he had doen. By which commaundement euery catholique preist duelie executing this ministracion doth consecrate the verie bodie and blood of Chryste by vertue of Chrystes ordeinance and woordes duelie pronouced The ministres of the newe churche not being of the catholique succession as they haue no soche power authoritie or cōmaundement from Chryste Newe ministres haue no authoritie to consecrate to consecrate his bodie and blood and as their monstrouse heades neither can geue them soche neither mindeth that they shoulde doe anie soche thing but raither as they finde yt bread and wine so to let yt remain and so to receaue yt they do not so rehersing Chrystes woordes consecrate his blessed bodie no more then they doo that read those woordes vpō the booke in their cōmon studies For if the historie of Chrystes supper rehersed of a minister not endewed with laufull authoritie descending to him by catholique ordre did consecrate then shoulde consecracion haue ben doen in manie a querulouse and contenciouse dinner and supper aswell in Tauerns as ells wher wher the like woords haue ben spokē and rehersed of men of as good authoritie for that pourpose as the ministre Be not deceaued therfor gentle readers to thinke that of sochemens hands yowe receaue the bodie of Chryste Yt ys to moche that yowe receaue ther schisinaticall bread yt were lamentable therwith also to committee Idolatrie And now although this might suffice to prooue the Masse to haue benvsed of the Apostles yet for thy better confirmaciō gentle reader I shall adde Addias hist Apost li. 7. the testimonie of Abdias Bishoppe of Babilon and a Disciple of the Apostles who writeth thus of the Masse and death of S. Matthewe Cumue respondissent amen misteria Domini celebrata Missāsuscepisset omnis Ecclesia retinuit se vt iuxta altare vbi corpus ab eo fuerat Christiconfectum illic martyriū Apostolicū exultaret S. Matt hew saied Masse And when all had saied Amen and all the Churche had receaued the Masse and the ministeries that were celebrated he staied him sem self that by the aultar wher the bodie of Chryste was by him cōsecrated ther should his martidom be solemnised Thus ther. In this place ye heare plain menciō made of the Masse doen and celebrated by S. Mathewe whiche if the Aduersarie wil seke to auoid as put in by the translatour yet he can not denie these two thinges whiche be in effect equiualent that ys the aultar and the consecracion of the bodie of Chryste Nowe if he did clerebrate at the aultar and on the aultar did consecrate the bodie of Chryste yt foloweth that he did celebrate the Masse And here I wish these two thinges to be well noted forsomoch as they were written of one that was disciple to the Apostles and did write diuerse bookes of their liues The one ys that S. Matthew did celebrate at the aultar the other that he did consecrate the bodie of Chryste Yf these two were to be writtē as in vse thē yt maie easelie be iudged who doth offēd he that doth vse both in these daies or he that refuseth both And wher the Proclamer as ys of late saied prouoketh so moche to the primitiue Churche iudge nowe again Reader how well yt liketh him to folowe the order of the primitiue Churche whē he abādoneth and flieth frō these two thinges as frō a serpēt and yet both vsed as ye perceaue of the Apostles and the Primitiue Church Hauing nowe saied sufficiētlie for the vse of the Masse in the Apostles time to cōclude this chapter this maie be saied that as yt pleased our Sauiour Christe to cōmend to the worlde the trueth of his holie Gospell principallie by foure Euāgelistes and S. Paule his chosē vessell So yt hath pleased him to cōmēd the trueth of the holie ministracion of his bodie and blood called the Masse by foure Apostles namelie S. Peter S. Andew S. Iames and S. Matthew and also by S. Paule He of his mercie graūt that as by the Euangelistes his Gospell was receaued and beleued so by the testimonie and doinges
in the Communion of Chrystes bodie and bloode and also that sacrifice shoulde be offred for them This doctrine S. Augustine saith Sith yt can not be denied but that praier for the dead ys good yt cannot again be denied but they be naught that saie yt ys euel shoulde not be doubted of yea yt ys so certen a doctrine that in an other place he saieth yt can not be denied Thus he writeth Neque negandū est defunctorum animas pietate suorum viuentium releuari cum pro eis sacrificium mediatoris offertur vel eleemosinae in ecclesia fiunt Neither ys yt to be denied but that the soules of the dead are releiued by the godlinesse of their frendes liuing when the sacrifice of the mediatour ys offred for them or ells almose dedes be doen in the Churche Yf by the iudgement of S. Augustine yt be not to be denied then yt ys a doctrine to be receaued and holden of a good chrystian And wicked maie he be iudged that reiecteth yt contemneth yt and derideth yt The time shall come that soche shall desire to be refresshed as did the riche glotten but they shall not be heard But that I maie once make an ende of this matter of the value of the Masse to the dead though a iust volume might be made of that that therin maie be saied yet this maie suffice to him that will be satissied For first ys shewed that the praier and sacrifice for the dead was vsed of the Apostles For proof wherof ys produced the praier of S. Iames Masse and to confirme that ther ys added both the testimonie of Chrysostom and also the maner of praing for the dead described by S. Dionise S. Paules Disciple Asterwarde for the farder declaracion of the practise of the Churche the authorities of the Masses aswell of S. Basill as of Chrysostom be alleaged And that the continuance and generall receipt of this practise maie be perceaued to be good and the refusall of yt to be euell aswell in the greke Church as in the latin Epiphanius and S. Augustine be brought furth as wittnesses testifienge that Aerius mainteining the cōtrarie doctrine was reputed esteemed and nombred among heretiques Against soche like persons did the Councell of Carthage publish a decree And that this practise might most clerelie be perceaued to be frequented in the churche the decree reported by S. Cyprian and the practise of the same decree by S. Cyprian vpon Geminius Faustinus and Victor ys added which inuinciblie prooueth praier and sacrifice to be vsed for the dead in the holie auncient churche Finallie for the proofe of the countinuāce of this sacrifice from the Apostles time to the time of S. Ambrose and S. Augustine not onely mencion ys made what S. Ambrose wolde haue doē towarde and for Faustinus sister and what was doen of S. Augustines Mother but also two places be alleaged in the which the certentie of this matter ys so taught that yt ys neither to be denied nor doubted And good cause whie we shoulde neither denie yt nor doubte of yt For yt was receaued ād obserued of the vniuerfal Churche Nowe reader when thowe seist this matter so plainlie and so euidentlie testified to thee that thus yt hath ben taught thus yt hath be doen thus yt hath ben vsed and yet all this not withstanding that the Aduersarie raigeth and raileth against yt and that that by these Fathers was taught to be heresie of him to be taught to be averitie that the Apostles and Fathers commaunded to be vsed that he commaundeth to be refused that the holie Fathers had in reuerence that he hath in contempt I suppose thowe neadest no farder aduertisement but when thowe seist him so stowtlie so arrogantlie and therfor hereticallie impugn this being so certen a trueth thowe maist iustlie thinke that he ys not ledde of the spiritt of trueth who medleth not as ys saied with falsheade but he ys ledde with the lieng spiritt And therfor iust cause hauest thowe to suspect all that he saieth and to no parte of yt to geue creditte as spoken of him but as spoken of other whose doctrine agreeth with the doctrine of the Spiritt of trueth taught in his schoole the holie Churche And nowe to ende I will ioin this yssue yf either the proclamer or anie Yssue ioined with the proclamer for praier for the dead other of his adherentes can bring anie one catholique and auncient Father that saieth that soche as departe in the saith of Chryst are not to be praied for or that sacrifice ys not to be offred for them or that charitable almosse doeth not profitt thē Let them I saie bring one aunciēt and catholique Father so writing and I dare and will not onely for my self but for asmanie as be catholique and learned promisse that we will subscribe Again reader I beseche thee if thowe be learned marke if thow be vnlearned enquire if euer anie Aduersarie in anie booke made anie argument of authoritie against this matter other then mocking lieng denieng and reproouing by voluntarie reason and will warrant if thowe wilt weigh and marke thowe shalt finde none Yf then in that side ys nothing but willfullnes and on this side thowe seist graue auncient and weghtie authoritie call vnto God for his grace and staie wher authoritie ys and flee from thence wher noisom wilfullnes reigneth THE FOVRTETH CHAP. TREACTETH OF priuate Masses as the Proclamer tearmeth them and solueth his argumentes HAuing nowe somwhat saied of two principall partes of the Masse namelie consecracion and oblacion ther remaineth the thirde principall parte to be spoaken of whiche ys receauing As touching that the Sacrament shoulde be receaued ther ys no controuersie betwixt vs and the Aduersarie For on both sides yt ys affirmed that yt shoulde be receaued But the controuersie ys aboute the maner of receauing Which standeth in two poinctes The one whether of necessitie yt must be receaued vnder bothe kindes The other whether of necessitie yt must be receaued of mo then one at once Of the first we haue spoken at large in the second booke Of the other shall be reacted here In this matter for that the catholique Church permiteth preistes in their common ministracion to receaue the blessed Sacrament alone and sekemen for their necessitie to doe the like yt liketh the Proclamer as yt hath doen other his likes with might and main to accuse the Church of transgression and breach of Chrystes ordinance And here we be all that euell ys for our so doinge Here the Proclamer triumpheth vpō vs in his own conceipt pressing and crushinge vs as he suppseth euen to the grownde so lowe that he thinketh we shall neuer be able to stand on foote again against him and hath as to him appeareth so stopped our mouthes with scriptures and the practise of the primitiue Churche and the authorities of auncient Fathers that we shall likewise neuer be able to open our mouthes against him But as
shewe of woordes and no proofe in dede of that that he alleadged yt for As for the ninthe Canon of the Apostles yt also after the right vnderstanding proceadeth not of necessitie but of condicion For if they or anie of them that attend vpon the Bishoppe in the time of ministracion haue reasonable cause to saie whie they abstein they maie abstein And possible yt might be that when the Bishoppe had but three attendante vpon him or soche like small nōbre they might all haue cause to abstein And so yt ys plain that this Canon geueth vs to vnderstand that wher a nombre ys assembled at the ministracion if all the nombre haue iust cause to astein from the receaving of the Sacrament that the Bishoppe or preist shall neuer the lesse proceade to receaue alone For the sacrifice must be receaued And so by this Canon the preist alone maie receaue though in that place ther be none to communicate with him But whether all or no certen yt ys that some of the attendantes might abstein and so yt foloweth ineuitablie that some might be present and not receaue Priuate Masse vsed in the time of Chrysost And thus ye maie perceaue that wher the Proclamer saieth that he wolde make yt plain to yowe by the most auncient writers that were in and after the Apostles time and by the order of the first and primitiue church that then ther coulde be no priuate Masse yt was a saing more full of ostentacion and bragge then of trueth For though he hath heaped a sorte of places yet ther ys no one sentence in anie of them that prooueth that ther coulde be Jssue ioined with the Proclamer for priuate Masse no priuate Masse And so farre from trueth ys this his saing that in the auncient Churche was no priuate Masse I mene a Masse with sole receauing that in the Masse of Chrysostom ys a plain rule geuen what was to be doen whē the preist receaued alone and what whē the people receaued with the preist But yt ys like the Proclamer had not learned so farre as to knowe this And here to knitte vppe all that he hath saied or can saie in this matter whiche he tearmeth priuate Masses This I saie that if he can bring furthe anie one scripture auncient councell or catholique doctour that saieth that that Masse that ys saied withoute a nombre of Communicantes in the same place ys naught or that yt ought not to be saied except ther be mo then the preist to receaue or that ther ys prohibition for the preist to receaue alone or anie penaltie in anie catholique lawe assigned for the preist that doeth receaue alone or anie like decree forbidding a sicke man to receaue the Sacrament except some receaue with him Let him I saie prooue these or some one of them by expresse woordes in maner aboue saied and I will not onelie subscribe but I will agnise myself his scholer during our two naturall liues TAE ONE AND FOVRTETHT CHAP. PROOueth that the Masse maie be saied and the Sacrament receaued withoute a nombre of communicantes at one time in one place AS yt ys not sufficient for a man to decline from euell but also to doe good the scripture so ioining them together and saing Declina à malo fac bonum decline from euell and doe good So Psal 33. yt ys not sufficient for a man onelie to flie heresie but he must also professe the trueth Wher then I haue in this last chapiter opened the craftie falshed of the Proclamer and solued his argumētes which in dede be not woorthie to be called argumētes for that they haue no force to impugn that that they are forged for and therby geuen occasion as I myself doe flie that wicked doctrine that other men maie doe the like so will Rom. 10. Soche ther be maie nowe in Englond I nowe professe the tueth of that matter that other men maie doe the same Manie in this time of temptacion embrace parte of the saing of S. Paule Corde creditur ad iusticiam but the greater nōbre the more ys the pitie stādeth not to the other part Ore confessio fit ad salutem Thei beleue well in heart but they feare with mouth to confesse the same to saluacion They turne the admonicion of Chryst vppe side downe Chryst saieth Nolite timere eos qui occidant corpus animam autem non possunt occidere sed illum potius timete qui potest Math. 10. animam corpus mittere in gehenuam Feare not them that sleie the bodie but can not sleie the soule But raither feare him who can cast both bodie and soule into hell fire But they saie in their dedes feare him that killeth the bodie and regarde not him that hath power to kill both bodie and soule For lamentable yt ys to saie soche ys the loue of manie to the life of the bodie and to worldlie honour and wourshippe and to the transitorie baggage of this worlde that for the conseruacion of these man ys feared and God the lorde of all power and maiestie neclected God graunt vs to heare the voice of the caller that calleth and saieth Venite filti audite me timorem Domini docebo vos Come ye children and heare me I will teach yowe the feare of our Psal 33. Lorde Yf we feare him and loue him as to our duetie apperteineth we shall neither feare nor be ashamed to confesse him and his holie faith before men S. Paule thought all thinges in the worlde as filth or dunge so that he Worldlie cares kepemen from God might winne Chryst but we are contented to lese Chryst so that we maie wine the worldlie mucke and filth for sauegarde of the which wher Chryst in his last supper instituting the sacrifice of his bodie and bloode to be offred and frequented of his faithfull in the remembrance and for the high and solempn memoriall of his passion and death and we haue heretofore so receaued yt and in heart still receaue yt yet nowe we ioin with them that hate yt we go with them that raill at yt and abandoning yt with them we doe as they doe But mans folie shall come to an ende and the trueth of our Lorde abideth for euer To take awaie this trueh of Chrystes sacrifice Sathan hath taught his Disciples that the Sacrament was instituted to none other ende and pourpose but onelie to be receaued and not to be offred And to make that apparante all their and his endeuoure ys to prooue that yt must be receaued of manie And that that receipt maie be compassed and the sacrifice defaced they exclame against the Masse But when they haue all saied and doen the Masse shall be holie and good and this shall be a trueth that a preist saing Masse or anie other Man godlie disposed sicke or holle maie receaue the holie Sacrament alone For proofe of this first I vse this reason All thinges
yt he forgatt the counsell of Chryste and by like made his left hand of coūsell what the right hand did But whoso will with the right eie looke vpon this place of this holie Martir Iustine shall finde that trueth that before I testified that in the primitiue and auncient churche the people did receaue both in nombre and alone Perhapps the Proclamer being by this place of Iustine driuen to his shiftes will saie that yt was notwithstanding that some of the people did receaue at home a right communion for that both they and the people being at the ministracion did all receaue of one consecrate bread Will yowe see what a bare shift this ys And to ioin with him in his owne termes I will aske him whether by this one consecrate bread he mean one loaf of bread or one Sacramentall breade He can not speake of one loaf of bread For in the primitiue Church when the nombro of people did receaue one loaf coulde not suffice Yf he speake of one sacramentall bread or one consecrated bread as Iustine doth tearin yt ys not the bread consecrated to daie and the bread consecrated to morowe all one consecrated bread all one sacramentall breade ys yt not allwais one Sacrament Ys not the sacrament of Baptisme ministred to daie and ministred to morowe all one Baptisme forasmoch as S. Paule saieth Vnus Dominus vnae fides vnum Baptisma Ther ys one lorde one faith and one Baptisme Likewise ys not the bread consecrate in the morning and at noone all one consecrate bread And to saie more at large ys not the bread consecrated in the Supper of Chryst by Chryst him self and the bread consecrated nowe by his minister and that shall be consecrated in the last daie of the worlde all one bread yf yt be not so why saieth S. Paule that we are all partakers of one breade The reason why yt ys one breade Chrysostome sheweth speaking of the table of Chryst consecrated by the minister Homi 83 in 26. Math. saing Haec enim illa non alia mensa est Haec nulla re minor quà m illa est Non enim illam Christus hanc homo quispiam facit sed vtramque ipse This ys euen the same not an other table This in no poinct ys lesser then that For Chryst did not sanctifie that and this an other man but Chryst did sanctisie both So that the reason whie yt ys one bread ys by Chrysostom bicause yt ys sanctified and consecrated by one Chryst Yf then yt be a communion bicause they receaue all of one consecrated bread and S. Paule saieth that we all doe eate of one bread in somoch that by yt we are made one bread and one bodie ys yt not one Communion that the Apostles and the faithfull that nowe be and shall be in the last daie of the worlde haue made doe Priuate Cōmunion howe and wher yt ys and shall make Yf yt be so then among true Chrystians receauing as becometh them the holie Sacrament ther ys no priuate communion Priuate communion ys among priuate men soche as cutte them selues of frome the vniuersall churche and eate of one peice of bread to daie and of and other to morowe as heretiques doe and doe not all eate of one breade as the faithfull doe This Proclamer alleageth Leo Bishoppe of Rome that vpon consideracion that the churche being litle and not able to receaue the people ther might be three communions in one daie in one churche I wolde nowe knowe whether they that receaued at the first Second and thirde communion whether they did all communicate together or no. Yf they did not then were they not all of one communiō whiche ys not to be saied Yf they did and did not receaue of one cōsecrated bread nor at one time yt shoulde folowe that cōmunion dependeth vpon some other thing then one bread time or ministracion And in dede so yt doeth For yt depēdeth of one thing made common to vs all and which all we being faithfull doe receaue in the whiche we are made one and knitte together as membres of one bodie which thing ys the bodie and blood of Chryst which ys that one bread that S. Paule speaketh of and saieth that all we partake of whiche ys in dede the bread of life nowrishing vs to euerlasting life I haue taried to long vpon this place in opening the vanitie of this mans doctrine and the longer that yt might be perceaued that he alleaging this holie man was so blinded that he wolde not aswell see the one trueth as the other but brought yt as an argumēt to reproue the church wher yt reprooueth him self and to confute the trueth wher yt confuteth his heresie But let vs heare other testimonies and first of Tertullian who liued in the time of Seuerus the Emperour in whose time the chrystian religion not yet being receaued of the Princes of the worlde the chrystians liued vnder great and fearfull presecucion by reason wherof though the people were right godlie affected and well disposed to the seruice of God and the receipt of the blessed Sacrament yet they coulde not freely make their assemblies when they wolde Wherfor at soch time as they came together the Bishopps and pastours wold to soch as were right godlie and holie chystians deliuer the blessed Sacrament to carie home with them to receaue yt at home at soche time as they might bicause they coulde not otherwise when they wolde For the which pourpose as by S. Cyprian S. Basill and S. Hicrom yt maie be gathered the godlie brought with them either a faire cleā linnen cloath or a prettie boxe to carie yt home in The like yt appeareth that Tertullians wief did For he diswading her from the Marriage of anie gentile or heathen man after his decesse and knowing that she did secretlie receaue the Sacramēt at home ād wolde also doe the like though she maried an insidel vsed this for one part of his diswasion Non sciet maritus quid secretò ante omnem cibum gustes et si sciuerit panem non illum credet esse qui dicitur Shall not thy husbande knowe what thowe doest secretlie eate before all meat And Tertulliās wief receaued the B. Sacr alone or solie or priuatelie if he knowe yt he will not beleue yt to be that bread that yt ys called As who might saie As I being yowr housband doe know that yowe doe receaue the Sacrament secretlie So yt can not be but an heathē man being yowr husband shall perceaue also that yowe doe receaue yt secretlie Wherby yt shall come to passe that either he will restreign yowe from that libertie that nowe ye vse in yowr secrete receipt or ells taking and beleuing yt not to be that bread that yt ys he will with irreuerencie abuse yt In this saing of Tertullian yt ys easie to be perceaued that his wief did secretlie receaue the Sacrament at home yf secretlie then with no nombre
assured though reason though senses though hell gates wolde arise against yt this ys and shall be a trueth and euer endure a trueth 3 Reg. 18. In the time of Elias the Prophett when God and his holie faith and religion as nowe yt ys with vs was so farre forsaken that none were fownde that openlie for the feare of the king and wicked Iesabell wolde professe the same although some laie in caues and dennes as nowe I trust ther doe some faith fullie seruing God Elias moued by the spiritt of God to haue the religiō and faith of God discerned frō the religion of Baall wolde the triall of the same shoulde be made by somme miracle from heauen Wher vnto the Kinge and the people agreed that if anie miracle were doen on Baalls side he shoulde be taken for God and his religion receaued yf on Elyas side his God and his religion shoulde be embraced The preistes of Baall laied on their sacrifice they called on their God in their maner no fire came from heauen no miracle was doen. After that they had doen Elyas prepaired the saicrifice he called on his God fire came from heauen and burnt the sacrifice Wherupō the people seing the miracle cried Dominus ipse est Deus Dominus ipse est Deus Owre Lorde ys God owre Lorde ys God Euen so nowe the ministers of Baall haue peruerted Chrystes faith and religion The people in outwarde countenance for seare of lawes haue forsaken the same They are nowe taught that Chryst ys not reallie in the Sacrament duelie ministred They are taught that his bodie ther ys not to be honoured They are taught that the blessed Sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and bloode ys nothing auailable either to the quicke or to the deade with soche other Chryst ys not in the sacramentall bread of the newe ministers but he ys in the B. Sacr. duelie ministred by a preist Nowe let them search all histories of antiquitie and shewe anie one miracle that God hath wrought either in the time of Berengarius of Wicleff and Husse of Zwinglius Oecolampadius or of this Proclamer for the confirmacion and declaraciō of that their faith and if they doe we shall saie that their faith ys good Yf theie doe not and we doe let them yelde and saie that owre waie ys good For like yt ys the trueth ther to be wher yt pleaseth God to confirme the same by miracle And like yt ys no trueth to be on the contrarie side wher God doth not vouchsaffe at anie time to commende yt by some miracle Nowe the catholique Church teacheth the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament The Aduersarie teacheth no bodie but the figure of the bodie The catholique Church teacheth Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament to be honoured Luther and the Sacramentaries teache that yt ys not to be honoured The catholique Church teacheth that Masse ys to be vsed Luther and the Sacramentaries teache that yt ys to be abhorred Nowe as Elyas willed the preistes of Baall first to confirme their waie with miracles So lett the Lutherans and the Sacramentaries bring furth first some Miracle As for miracles for the confirmacion of their doctrine as touching this matter of the Sacrament I neuer did nor coulde heare or reade of anie but onelie of one which ys a miracle meet for the doctrine Of whiche miracle Luther himself ys the reporter Ionas his disciple being interpretour in his booke of priuate Masse wher he saieth thus Ego coram vobis reuerendis patribus Luther sanctis confessionem faciam date mibi absolutionem bonam quae vobis opto quamminimum noceat Contigit me semel sub mediam noctem subito expergefieri Ibi Sathan mecū caepit eiusmodi disputationem Audi inquit Luthere doctor perdocte Nosti te quindecim annis celebrasse Missas priuatas penè quotidiè Quid si tales Missae horrenda essent Idololatria Quid si ibi non adfuisset corpus sanguis Christi Sed tantùm panem vinum adorasses aliis adorandum proposuisses I will before yowe reuerend and holie Fathers make a confession geue me a good absolucion which I wish maie nothing hurte yowe Yt happened me once at midnight sodenlie to be wakened Sathan appeared to Luther ād disputed with him of priuate Masse Ther Sathan beganne this maner of disputacion with me Hearken saieth he thowe well learned doctour Luther Thowe knowest that by the space of these fiftene years thowe hauest saied priuate Masse all most euerie daie What if soche priuate Masses were abhominable Idolatrie What if ther hath not ben present the bodie and blood of Chryst but that thowe haddest honoured onely bread and wine and haddest sett yt furth to other to be honoured Thus moch Sathan to Luther In which talke Sathan goeth aboute to confirme three pointes of their doctrine that ys that Chrystes bodie and bloode be not in the Sacrament but onelie bread and wine That Chryst in the Sacrament ys not to be adored And that priuate Masses are not to be vsed See ye not nowe what a miracle here ys that Sathan wolde vouchesaf to speake with Lurher at middenight ys not this doctrine moche confirmed nowe that Sathan hath perswaded yt who knoweth not that Sathan perswadeth to heresie not to the right faith to euell not to good to falshoode not to trueth Wherfor chrystian reader if thowe wise be flee that he perswadeth thee vnto and embrace that he diswadeth thee from And thus to a good chrystian this doing of Sathan maie be occasion of confirmacion in faith For wher Sathan disswadeth Luther from the Masse from the beleif of the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament from the honouring Ioan. 8. of Chryst ther we maie be certen and sure that the Masse ys good that the presence of Chryste in the Sacrament and the honouring of him ther be holsom and good doctrines For he being as Chryst saieth a liar and 1. Pe. 5. a manisleer from the beginning seketh not to teache vs the trueth nor to helpe to saue ys but raither as S. Paule saieth he being our aduersarie goeth aboute like a roaring lion seking whome he maie deuoure whom God graūt vs stronglie to withstande in faith Thus I saie occasion ys geuen vs to be cōfirmed in that faith from the whiche Sathan wolde disswade vs. But as touching the matters which Sathan wolde perswade by his deuelish apparition to Luther if ther were no more saied a wise reader wolde by these fewe woordes easelie perceaue howe good and true the doctrine of the Proclamer ys which ys soche as Sathan perswaded and euen the verie same This being all the miracles that I can finde of the confirmacion of the Proclamers doctrine I maie thus conclude that forasmoch as this doctrine ys setfurth by the apparition and perswasion of Sathan and not by God that yt ys Sathans doctrine and not gods Nowe for the catholique doctrine let vs see if God hath besides his figures
prophecies plain speaches of his onelie begotten Sonne Iesus Chryst and the great nombre of assertions declaracions and expositions of most holie famouse auncient and learned Fathers shewed anie miracles for the confirmacion of the trueth of the blessed Sacrament And First let vs see for the presence of Chryst in the Sacramēt Sathan perswaded Luther that ther ys not present the bodie and bloode of Chryst but bread and wine let vs trie the trueth therof by Gods worke Amphilochius an holie Bishoppe who liued within the compasse of foure hondreth yeares after Chryst and therfor a good nombre of yeares more Jn vita Ba. The blessed Sacr. deliue red to a Jewe was verie flesh ād verie blood in seight then eleuen hondred agone writing the life of S. Basill testifieth that a certain Iewe desierouse to see the misteries of the chrystians came among an infinite multitude to the churche wher S. Basill saied Masse And feigning himself to be a Chrystian and being among them at S. Basills Masse sawe in the handes of S. Basill a childe diuided Neuer the lesse when the time of the communion came he stoode among other to doe as they did and when the Sacrament was deliuered vnto him yt was yerie flesh And when the cuppe was brought to him yt was verie bloode of whiche both as he might keping some parte when he came home he shewed them to his weif and tolde her what he had seen with his eies Whervpon beleuing that the misteries of the christians were woonderfull the next daie he went to S. Basill and tolde him all the wholl matter and desiered him that he might withoute delaie be christened and so he was and all his housholde Yt ys redd also in the liues of the Fathers that ther was a certain olde mā who although he were a great man yet he was simple and did erre in the matter of the Sacrament and saied that the consecrated bread which we doe receaue ys not the naturall bodie of Chryst but a figure of yt This his errour when two auncient men did vnderstand and knowe that his life and cōuersacion other wise was good they thought that he did yt innocētlie and simplie And therfor they went to him and rehersed his errour to him He graunted that he did so saie They perswaded him that he should not so beleue but as the catholike Church doeth We saie they beleue that that bread ys the bodie of Chryst and that cuppe his bloode in verie dede and not in The blessed Sacr. deliuered to a doubting chrystian appeared flesh figure But as in the beginning God taking a litle earth made man to his owne image and no man can saie but that man although he be made of the earth he ys the image of God Euen so the bread by cause he saied This ys my bodie we beleue that yt ys verilie his bodie The olde man saied except I maie know yt so to be in verie dede yowr reasons can not satisfie me Then they saied Let vs geue our selues to praier this weke that God maie vouchsaffe to reueill this mysterie vnto vs. After their praier they three came to the church And when the time came that they shoulde receaue the one lie porcion of the Sacrament deliuered to that olde man was verie bloodie flesh whiche when he sawe he was afearde and cried saing I beleue that the bread that ys on the aultar ys thie bodie and the cuppe ys thy bloode And furthwith the flesh in his hand was made breade and so he receaued yt and gaue thankes to God Let not the Aduersarie by skorning trauaill to reiecte this miracle or auoide the force of yt by slaunder saing that some papist hath inuented yt For as yt ys testified this was doen as the last rehersed miracle was with in the compasse of foure hundreth yeares after Chryst at whiche time yt were to moch wickednesse for the Aduersarie to think anie vain inuencions to haue ben deuised for the maintenance of the treuth of the Sacramet I omitte to alleadge here soche miracles as S. Cyprian and S. Ambrose reporte aboute the blessed Sacrament for that I haue made some mencion of them allreadie and again by occasion shall Manie goodlie miracles also be reported by S. Gregorie and manie were doen in his time aboute this blessed Sacrament whiche were to long to reherse These two therfor shall suffice to helpe vs to perceaue and vnderstand Gods pleasure and his holie trueth as concerning the presence of Chrystes bodie in the blessed Sacrament Sathan perswaded Luther not to honoure the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament but what the Churche hath doen frō the Apostles time and what the holie Martirs and learned Fathers teach in this matter yt ys declared in the secōd booke Besides whiche knowledge so left vnto vs of God we shall Optatus li. 2. cont Donatist perceaue gods pleasure by miracle that the blessed Sacrament shoulde be honoured In the which matter yt ys verie notable that Optatus reporteth of the Donatistes who being cruell heretiques so farre misliked what was doen by the catholiques that violentlie inuading their Churches they commaunded the Sacrament to be geuen to the dogges But the iudgement of God Dogges after their eating of the Sacrament worowed their Masters that cast yt vnto them not suffring so heinouse an offence to be vnpunished so great contumelic to the dishonour of the blessed Sacrament to be vnreuenged The dogges vnto their owne masters whom before they loued and defended nowe being enemies fell on them as on straungers or theues and with all violence as though they had neuer knowen them waxed feirce on them and worowed them God herby as I take yt signifieng vnto vs that as rabbish men forgatte their duetie and honoure to their Lorde God so the vnreasonable creatures forgatt their loue to their masters Whether they haue offended and displeased God that in this our time haue as wickedlie abused the Sacrament as did these Donatistes they maie by this miracle easilie perceaue And this maie we perceaue also that as the dishonouring of the Sacrament offendeth and displeaseth God and therfor he punissheth yt So in the honouring of the Sacrament neuer anie Idolatrie was committed for we neuer readd yt punished Let anie of the Aduersaries if they can bring furth anie one sufficient example that euer anie one was punished of God for honouring Chryst in the Sacrament and then they haue doen somwhat but they neuer coulde yet nor neuer shall so weake ys their cause Against the Masse also Sathan perswaded Luther and good cause whie For by the Masse his power as well in extern or worldly thinges as in intern Sathan his power abated by the vertue of the Masse or spirituall thinges ys ouerthrowen For worldlie thinges we haue the testimonie of S. Augustine who as be fore ys mencioned testifieth that by the offring of the sacrifice of the bodie and blood of Chryste whiche ys the Masse the wicked power
holie bloode to an vnwoorthie man signifieth that yt maie be geuen to an vnwoorthie man Yf nothing were deliuered but bread and wine what neded Chrysost for small a matter raither to spend his bodie and bloode thē to deliuer yt Perchaunce some one maie obiect that Origen ys otherwise to be vnderstanded in this place then ys here declared bicause he in an other place by expresse woordes saieth that an euell man can not eate the bodie of Chryst To this obiection answere ys made in the xxx chap. of this booke whether for the auoiding of prolixitie I remitte the Reader and procead to heare moo of the auncient Fathers of Chrystes Parliament house to the entent that we maie perfectlie learn the enacted trueth of the vnderstanding of S. Paule in this place THE SEVEN AND FOVRTETH CHAPT PROCEAdeth in the vnderstanding of the same by sainct Basill and samct Hierom. FOr somoche as nothing doth more declare the trueth of anie matter called in controuersie in matters of our faith then doeth the consonant and accorde testimonie of maie holie learned Fathers of sundrie times places and ages as well of the greke churche as the latin churche Therfor shall I proceade to bring furth mo of the holie auncientes of Chrystes Parliament house that their agreement and concorde maie be perceaued in the vnderstanding of S. Paule In the whiche gentle Reader trust me thowe shalt finde so great consent and so euident matter that this alone shall suffice to bring thee or staic thee in the matter of the blessed Sacrament to beleue Chrystes verie reall presence ther if Gods grace hath not forsaken thee that thowe wi lt willfullie or obstinatelie refuse to see the clear beames of the Sunne Wherfor to go to our matter note well this sainge of S. Basill who asketh this question whether yt be withoute daunger that anie man not beinge clean from all filthinesse of bodie and Soule maie eate the bodie and drinke the bloode of our Lorde wherunto he maketh this answere Quoniam Deus Basil li. de Baptis 2. ques 93. in legè supermam paenam constituerit contra eum qui immundicia audet contingere sancta scriptum est enim figuratè quidem illis ad nostram verò commonefactionem Et locutus est Dominus ad Moysen Dic Aaron filiis eius vt attendant à sanctis filiorum Israel non contaminabunt nomen meum quicunque ipsi sanctificant mihi Ego Dominus Dic ipsis in familias ipsorum Omnis homo qui accesserit ab omni semine vestro ad sancta quaecunque sanctificauerint filis Iraël Domino immundicia ipsius in ipso anima illa exterminabitur à facie mea Ego Dominus Tales minae propositiae sunt cōtra cos qui simpliciter accedunt ad ea quae ab hominibus sanctificata sunt Quid verò quis dixerit contra eum qui in tantum ac tale mysterium audèt Quanto enim plus templo hic est iuxta ipsam Domini vocem tanto grauius horribilius in inquinamento animae audere contingere corpus Christi quà m attingere arietes aut cauros Sic enim Apostolus dixit Quare qui ederit panem biberit poculum Domini indignè reus erit corporis sanguinis Domini Vehementius autem simulue horribilius proponit ac declarat condemnationem per repetitionem dum ait Probet autem vniusquisque seipsum sic ex pane hoc edat ex poculo bibat Quienim edit bibit indignè iudicium sibi ipsi edit ac bibit non diiudicans corpus Domini Si verò qui in sola immundicia est immundiciae autem proprietatem siguratè ex lege discimus adeo horrendum habet iudicium quanto magis qui in peccato est contra corpus Christi audet horrendum attrahet iudicium Forasmoche as God in the lawe hath ordeined so greate a pain against him that in his vncleannesse ys so bolde to touche the holie thinges For yt yt written figuratiuelie to them but for aduertisement to vs. And our Lorde saied vnto Moyses Saie to Aaron and his sonnes that they take heed of the holie thinges of the children of Israëll and whatsoeuer they shall sanctisie vnto me they shall not defile my holie name I am the Lorde Saie to them and to their families A plain place for thr proclamer both for the presence and the excellencie of the bl Sacr. aboue the Sacramets of the olde Lowe Euerie man that ys of yowr seed and cometh to the holie thinges what soeuer they be that the childeren of Israell shall sanctifie to the Lorde and his vnelenesse be vpon him that soule shall be putte awaie from my sace I am the Lorde Soche threatinges are settfurth against them that onelie come to those thinges that be sanctified of mē But what will a man saie against him that ys so bolde to come with his vnclennesse to so greate a misterie Looke howe moche greater this mening Chryst ys then the temple according to the verie saing of our Lorde So moche more greuouse and horrible ys yt in the filthinesse of his soule to be so bolde to touche the bodie of Chryst as to touche rāmes or bulls For so the Apostle hath saied wherfor he that eateth the bread ād drinketh the cuppe of our Lorde vnworthilie shall begiltie of the bodie and blood of owre Lorde But more vehemēlie ād also more horriblie he doeth settfurth and declare the condemnacion by repeticion when he saieth Let euery man examin himself and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cuppe For he that eateth and drinketh vnwoorthilie he eateth and drinketh his condempnacion making no difference of our Lordes bodie Yf then he that ys in vncleannesse onelie the propertie of which sigurated vncleānsse we haue learned of the Lawe hath so horrible iudgement howe moche more he that ys in sinne and dareth to presume vpon the bodie of Chryst shall drawe vnto him self horrible iudgement Thus moche S. Basill Whoso doeth but superficiallie note this saing of his maie easilie perceaue the difference betwixt the lawe and the Gospell Betwixt the vncleannesse so reputed in the lawe and sinne reputed for vncleannesse in the Gospell and figured by the vncleannesse in the lawe But cheiflie the difference betwixt the sacrifice of the olde lawe and the partaking of them and the sacrifice of the newe lawe and the partaking of yt the excellencie also of this aboue that and therunto agreablie and to the solucion of his question the greatnesse of iudgement and cōdempnacion to the euell partaker of the holie sacrifice of the Gospell aboue the pain of the euell partaker of the sacrifice of the lawe But leauing the first twoo differences and to speake of the other twoo for that they appertein directlie to the matter that we haue to speake of ye shall note that they be conteined breiflie in this one sentēce wher he saieth Howe Yf Chryste be
these Sacramentes vnto some the sauoure of life vnto life and vnto other the sauour of death vnto death For yt ys allwaies meet that the contemners of grace shoulde be destituted of so great benefitte and that so excellent grace shoulde not dwell in vnwoorthie persons Thus S. Ciprian Of whome we learn that allthough the diuine maiestie absenteth not yt self from the Sacrament yet the vnwoorthie receauers be not partakers of the grace of the Spiritte bicause yt ys vnmeet that the coÌ„tempners of grace shoulde haue grace abiding in them For the more full vnderstanding of God and his Spirit in his creatures two waies this note that God and his holie Spiritt be in creatures two sondrie waies that ys by presence and by grace By presence God ys in manie places and creatures where he ys not by grace God by presence ys in hell among the damned soules but he ys not among them by grace Chryst was in the house of Zachaeus by grace But he was in the house of Caiphas and Pilate by presence and not by grace Chryste was in the middest of the Iewes by presence but he was in the middest of his Apostles also by grace The Apostles receaued the presence of Chryst with his grace in his last supper Iudas receaued the presence of Chryst withoute his grace in the same Supper And so yt cometh to passe that the same Chryste who was sett to be a fall and an vprising of manie in Israell ys by the receipt Luc. 2. of his bodie in the Sacrament as Sainct Ciprian saieth to some a sauoure of life to life and to other some a sauoure of death to deathe For the same flesh and blood whiche ys to some receauers as Chryst saieth euerlasting life ys to other some as Sainct Paule saieth euerlasting deathe Of the whiche saieth Sainct Augustine Quid de ipso corpore sangume Domini Aug. cont GesconiuÌ„ vnico sacrificio pro salute nostra Quamuis ipse Dominus dicat Nisi quis manducauerit carnem meam biberit sanguinem meum non habebit in se vitam Nonne idem Apostolus docet etiam hoc perniciosum malè vtentihus fieri Ait enim Quicumque manducauerit panem vel biberit calicem domini indignè reus erit corporis sanguinis Domini What shall we saie of the verie bodie and bloode of our Lorde the onely sacrifice for our Saluacion of the whiche although our Lorde himself doeth Saie Except a man doe eate my flesh and drinke my bloode he shall not haue life in himself Dothe not the Apostle teache that the same also ys hurtfull to them that doe vse yt euell For he saieth Whosoeuer shall eat the bread or drinke the cuppe of our Lorde vnwoorthilie shall be giltie of the bodie and blood of our Lorde By this then I trust yt be made manifest and plain that Chryst and his Spiritt maie of euell receauers be receaued as touching his presence but of soche by grace he ys not receaued bicause they be not meet vessells for grace forsomoche as they doe contemptuouslie reiect yt and by sinfull life withstande yt But yet the same receaue the verie presence of Christ The good receaue Chryst outwardlie in the Sacrament and inwardlie by grace and so the fruict which ys life The euell receaue him outwardlie in the Sacrament but not inwardlie by grace and so forgoinge life they for their abuse gett death whiche ys euerlasting damnacion THE FIFTETH CHAP. SHEVVETH THE vnderstanding of the same text by Esfrem and Primasius AS the mercifull goodnesse of God whiche by the testimonie of the Prophete Dauid endureth for euer and euer vpon theÌ„ that feare him ys declared by innumerable his workes wrought in the creacion redemption and conseruacion of man So the trueth of God Whiche by the testimonie of the same Prophete abideth for euer and resteth vpon soche as be humble searchers of the same ys testified by nombers of wittnesses Wherfor the nombre of wittnesses beinge manie that maie be produced for the true vnderstanding of Sainct Paule in this text I coulde not contein but oute of so manie yet bring some moe Of the whiche I minde here to bring Esfrem and Primasius men of great antiquitie And for that they were of Chrystes Parliament house and therfor well knowing the enacted trueth of the vnderstanding of S. Paule in their times they are the better to be beleued This holie Father Esfrem writing of the daie of iudgement and speakinge of the woorthie and vnwoorthie receauinge of the Sacrament maketh relacion to Sainct Paule sainge the vnpure receauer to receaue the same to his confusion in the daie of iudgement as the pure receauer to his comfort and glorie Thus he writeth Si procul est à nobis Siloë quo missus est caecus sed D. Esfrem tract de die Judic preciosus calix sanguinis tui plenus vita lumine nobis in proximo est tanto propinqutor quanto qui accesserit sucrit purior Hoc igitur nobis restat misericors Christe vt pleni gratia illuminatione scientiae tuae cum fide sanctificatione accedamus ad calicem tuuÌ„ vt proficiat nobis ad remisstonem peccatorum non ad confusionem in die iudicij Quta quicumque mysterijs tuis indignus accesserit suaÌ„ animam ipse condemnat non se castificans vt cae lestem regem atque immortalem Sponsum in sui pectoris purissimum suscipiat Thalamum Nam aâ—…ma nostra sponsa est immortalis sponsi Copula autem nuptiarum caelestia SacrameÌ„ta sunt quia cùm manducamus corpus eius sanguinem bibimus ipse in nobis est et nos in eo Attende ergo tibimet ipsi frater festina thalamuÌ„ cordis tui iugiter virtutibus exornare vt mansionem cum benedicto Patre suo faciat apud te Et tunc coram Angelis Archangeits erit tibi laus gloria gloriatio et cum magna exultatione gaudio ingredieris in Paradisum Yf Siloe whether the blinde man was sent be farre from vs Yet A. plain saing of holie Esfrem for the Proclamer the preciouse cuppe of thie bloode being full of life and light ys neare to vs yea so moche the nearer as he that cometh to yt ys the purer This then o mercifull Christ remaineth vnto vs that we being full of grace and the illuminacion of thie knowledge come vnto thy cuppe with faith and holinesse of life that yt maie auaill vs to the remissioÌ„ of simes ' and not to our confusion in the daie of iudgement For whosoeuer being vnwoorthie cometh to the misteries he condemneth his ownesoule not purisieng himself that he might into the most pure or clean chambre of his breast receaue the heuenlie kinge and immortall Spouse For our soule ys the Spouse of the immortall husbaÌ„d The cooplinge of the Marriage be the heauenly Sacramentes For when we doe eate his We eate the bodie and drinke the blood
bless Sacr. t. ys proued byour Lorde Iesus to be his bodie bodie to be receaued of sinners As touching the Frst the presupposall or cause why a man shoulde be giltie of the bodie and bloode of Chryste when he doeth vnwoorthilie receaue the Sacrament ys saieth Anselmus bicause by the authoritie of our Lorde Iesus yt ys proued that this bread that we speake of here ys his bodie and that the wine here also spoken of in the vse of the Sacrament ys his bloode Note I praie yowe that this Authur saieth that yt ys prooued of Sainct Paule by the authoritie of our Lorde Iesus that the bodie of the same our Lorde Iesus ys in the Sacrament formoche as the bread and wine ther ys no other but the bodie and bloode of Chryst And doe not onelie as by transcourse lightlie reade these woordes but earnestlie note that he saieth yt ys prooued by the authoritie of our Lorde Iesus Yf yt be proued by him who can improoue yt Yf he saie yt who can denie yt Yf he so teache yt why shall we otherwise beleue yt Let the Proclamer nowe let all the Sacramentaries whiche be his companions bringfurth one Authour that saieth that yt ys proued by the woordes of our Lorde Iesus that the bread and wine of the bless Sacrament be not the bodie and blood of our Lorde Iesus but onelie figures of the same bodie and bloode and not the thinges themselues and shewe the place as we doe and they shall haue the victorie But let them painte their matters as well as they can to bleer the eyes of the simple yet Vincit Veritas the trueth ouercometh And so shall yt in the ende faull oute that they shall be perceaued to be destitute of trueth For their vntrueth shall be confownded by the trueth Though vntrueth for a time gett the vpperhand and be mainteined by the princes and mightie of the earthe for that their sensuall libertie ys not by her restreined but by her in that respectt they are moche pleasured yet as all vanitie faileth vadith and vanisheth So yt being of the same kinde shall fall awaie and consume as the smooke and the fauourers of the same shall be as the dust which the winde bloweth awaie from the face of the crathe But so while I am a litle passed the compasse of the ringe my second matter knocketh and calleth me again wherin breiflie to touche moche matter Three sortes of euell receauers this Authour maketh three sortes of euell and vnwoorthie receauers The first ys of them that doe otherwise celebrate or receaue this holie misterie then yt was deliuered of Chryst In the whiche sorte as he touched the Berengarians whiche were in his time So doeth he the Oecolampadians and the Caluinists of this our time whiche both otherwise celebrating and otherwise receauing this holie misterie then yt was of Chryst instituted they make theÌ„selues vnwoorthie receauers Chryst instituted his bodie to be distributed aÌ„d geuen in this holie refection They geue and receaue a peice of bread and a cuppe of wine Chryst instituted a sacrifice to be celebrated They celebrate a beare tokeÌ„ of remeÌ„brance Wherfor by the iudgement of this Authour they altering Chrystes institucion are accompted among the euell receauers An other sorte ys of them that receaue the holie Sacrament without due reuerence Of this sorte be all the Lutherans who although they coÌ„fesse the verie presence of Chrystes bodie in the SacrameÌ„t yet they denie anie honour or woorshippe to be doen vnto yt Which fond and infatuate doctrine I caÌ„ but woonder at wel knowing that whersoeuer Chryst ys either in heaueÌ„ or Philip. 2. in earth he ys as Chrysostome saieth woorthie of most high honoure aÌ„d if God hath so exalted him and geuen him a name which ys aboue all names that in the name of Iesu euery knee shal bowe both of thinges in heaueÌ„ and things in earth and thinges vnder the earthe by what authoritie caÌ„ or will man will or coÌ„maunde no honour to be doen to him but of this we haue alreadie 3 spooken wherfore staing anie more to saie of yt here I come to the third sorte of receauers which ys saieth this authour of them that presume to come to the receipt of the blessed Sacrament before they haue pourged theÌ„selues and clensed their consciences by penance Of this sorte be all they who well beleuing yet not well liuing come with the filthinesse of sinne allreadie coÌ„mitted yet remaing vpon them or ells with pourpose of sinne to be committed by which both they make themselues vnwoorthie receauers Here nowe ye see a varietie of euel receauers and yet saieth this authour that they all receaue the Sacrament And the Sacrament saieth he by the authoritie of our Lord Iesus ys proued to be the bodie aÌ„d the blood of Chryst Which thing this authour yet by more expresse woordes teacheth in the exposition Anselm ibid. of the other text wher S. Paule as by repeticion saieth He that eateth and drinketh vnwoorthilie eateth and drinketh his owne damnacion saing thus Ideo prius se discutiat purget Quia qui manducat bibit indignè id est sine sui examinatione iudicium sibi manducat bibit Sicut enim Iudas cui buccellam tradidit Dominus non malum accipiendo sed malè accipiendo locum in se Diabolo praebuit sic indignè quisque sumens Dominicum Sacramentum vt quia ipse malus est malum sit quod accepit aut quia non ad salutem accipit nihil acceperit corpus enim Domini sanguis Domini nihilominus est sed ille accipit hoc non ad vitam sed ad indicium quia non diâ—uidicat corpus Domini id est non discernit quà m sit dignius omnibus creaturis hoc corpus quod videtur esse panis Si enim cogitaret hoc corpus esse Verbo Dei personaliter vnitum vitam ac salutem eorum esse qui hoc dignè accipiunt non praesumeret indignus accipere sed dignum se praepararet Let him therfor first examine himself and pourge himself For he that eateth aÌ„d drinketh vnwoorthilie that ys without examinacion of himself eateth and drinketh his owne damnacion making no difference of the bodie of our Lord. For as The bless Sacr. ys the bodie and blood of Chryst though euell men receaue yt Iudas to whome our Lorde gaue a morsell not taking an euell thinge but taking yt in euell maner gaue to the Deuell a place in himself so whosoeuer receaueth the Sacrament of our Lorde vnwoorthilie causeth not bicause heys an euell man that thing which he hath receaued ys euell or bicause he receaued yt not to saluacion that he receaued nothing For yt ys neuerthelesse the bodie of our Lorde and the blood of our Lord but he taketh this not to life but to condemnaciou bicause he maketh no difference of the bodie of our Lord that ys he discerneth not howe moch more
wicked assertion of the Sacramentaries who against all trueth that maie be learned in scriptures and the most auncient Fathers teache that neither Chrystes verie naturall flesh ys receaued in the Sacrament neither that Chryst ys naturallie in vs but onely spirituallie The contrarie wherof ys not onely by this Authour in plain woordes taught but also by Chrysostome and sainct Cyrill as before ys shewed That sainct Hilarie intended by his disputacion to confute the Arrians denieng Chryst to be naturallie in vs and also the holie Gost as yt maie be thought left the same to confute the Sacramentaris yt doeth verie well appeare by a conclusion that he maketh vpon the same disputacion thus sainge Haec idcireo à nobis commemorata sunt quia voluntatis tantùm inter Patrem Filium vnitatem haeretici mentientes vnitatis nostrae ad Deum vtebantur exemplo tanquam nobis ad Filium per filium ad Patrem obsequio tantùm ac voluntate religionis vnitis nulla per Sacramentum sanguinis naturalis communionis proprietas indulgeretur cùm per honorem nobis datum Dei filii per manentem in nobis carnaliter Dei filium in eo nobis corporaliter inseparabiliter vnitis mysterium verae ac naturalis vnitatis sit praedicandum These thinges are for this cause spoken of vs that heretiques vntruely saing the vnitie betwixt the Father and the Sonne to be onelie the vnitie of will vsed the example of our vnitie with God as though we being by obedience and will in religion onelie vnited to the Sonne and by the Sonne to the Father no proprietie of naturall communion shoulde be geuen by the Sacrament of the flesh and bloode sithen that both by the honour of the Sonne of God geuen to vs and by the Sonne of God carnallie abidng in vs and we being corporallie and inseparablie vnited in him the mysterie of the true and naturall vnitie ys to be declared Thus moch he By these woordes as S. Hilarie improoueth the Arrians saing that Chryst The Sacramentaries ioin with the Arrians in denieng natural vnion be twè Chryst and vs by the bless Sa ys not naturallie in vs so doeth he the Sacramentaries teaching the same And thus maie we see the sinceritie of them who doe maintein the pestilent doctrine of the Arrians And that that was confuted and reprooued as heresie twelue hondreth yeares agon ys nowe with a litle false skouring and colouring solde to the people for trueth The Proclamer hath promised that he wolde subscribe yf we coulde bringe furth but one that by plain woordes coulde teache the trueth of soche articles as he Proclamed Here nowe be two both right auncient and famouse The first saieth that ower flesh ys nourished withe the cuppe He saieth not as the Sacramentarie doeth with the cuppe of the Lorde but he speaketh as the catholique Churche doeth sainge With the cuppe whiche ys the bloode of oure Lorde Neither vseth he the hereticall phrase sainge that our flesh ys nourished with the Sacramentall bread but the phrase of Chrystes Churche sainge that our flesh ys nourished A plain saing for the Procla with the breade whiche ys the bodie of our Lorde calling them by expresse woordes the bodie and bloode of Chryste Ys not this a plain speache The other saieth that as trulie as the Father ys naturallie in the Sonne So trulie ys Chryst naturallie in vs by the receipt of his naturall flesh in the Sacrament Whiche speach ys also so plain that except men will not As God the Father ys naturallie in the Sōne so ys the Sōne by his naturall flesh receaued in the bless Sacr. naturalie in vs. see or will not heare or hearinge will not vnderstand they can not choose but see heare and vnderstand a merueillouse plain trueth Whiche trueth was so euident plain famouse and notoriouse in the time of these Fathers that they might vpon the same grownde and frame strong argumentes against great and famouse heresies as nowe ye perceaue these Fathers to haue doen. To conclude then seinge the one of these Fathers saieth that we be nourished with the flesh of Chryst by the receipt of the same in the blessed Sacrament And the other that by the same receipt Chryst ys naturallie in vs and we naturallie one with him we maie verie well saie with sainct Paule that we are membres of his bodie of his flesh and of his bones THE SIXTETH CHAP. TREACTETH VPON this text of sainct Paule to Hebrues He haue an Aultar c. IN the xiii chapter of S. Paules epistle to the Hebrues we finde this sainge We haue an Aultar of the which yt ys not laufull for them to eate that serue in the tabernacle Whiche saing I finde so expownded that by the Aultar ys vnderstanded the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament So that the sense of those woordes maie be these We haue the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament of the whiche yt ys not laufull for anie Iewe resting and abidinge in the lawe of Moyses to eate Isich in leuit li. 1. c. 4. That thus yt ys to be vnderstanded I haue wittnesses but I will not trooble the reader with manie but onelie produce a coople which bothe be grecians And they be Isichius and Theophilact the one of the higher house and the other of the lower Isichius saieth thus expownding a text of Leuitic Omnem sanguinem reliquum Vituli fundi circa basim altaris holocausti quod est in tabernaculo testimonii praecepit Altare holocaustomatis rursus Christi corpus intelligamus Sicut enim ipse Sacerdos sacrificium est sic altare est Quia autem intelligibile altare corpus Domini beatus Paulus intelligit ipso dicente cognosce Ait enim habemus Altare de quo edere non habent potestatem qui tabernaculo deseruiunt corpus videlicet Christi dicens De illo enim comedere Iudaeis fas non est He comaunded all the rest The aultar of the which the Jewes maie not eatc ys the bodie of Chryst of the blood of the calfe to be powred oute aboute the foote of the Aultar of the burnt sacrifice which ys in the Tabernacle of wittnesse Let vs again vnderstande the Aultar of the burnt Sacrifice to be the bodie of Chryste For as he ys the preist and the Sacrifice so ys he the Aultar also That sainct Paule also doeth vnderstand the intelligle Aultar the bodie of Chryst know by his owne saing For he saieth We haue an Aultar of the which yt ys not lauful for them to eate that doe serue in the Tabernacle that ys to saie the bodie of Chryst sainge that of yt yt ys not laufull for the Iewes to eate Thus moche Isichius I nede not here moch to saie to open the place for yt ys open enough of yt self and can not well be wrested but that in the literall sense yt must be Hoopers glose edere 1. credere vnderstanded of the
whiche God of his mercie graunt Amen THE ONE AND SIXTETH CHAPITER maketh a recapitulacion of that that ys doen in this worke NOwe gentle Reader haue I goen thorowe all those scriptures that treact of the holie Sacrament speciallie soche as be commonlie alleadged either by the catholiques to proue the same or by the Aduersaries to improoue yt In the hādling of which scriptures so litle haue I geuen to mine owne iudgement that yt beinge suppressed I haue as meit yt ys and as I wolde wish all that liue in this time of controuersies to doe geuē place to the iudgementes of the learned fathers of Chrystes Churche in all ages In the setting furth of which Fathers I haue in sundrie places and matters cōferred the doctrine of the elder and the younger together that the concorde that ys betwixte thē might fullie be perceaued This being trulie and faithfullie doen the iudgement wher of I referre to the catholique Churche and submitte both myself and this ys my worke to the correction of the same yt maie and doeth easilie appeare and maie clerelie be seen howe vain the bragge of the Proclamer ys who wolde haue but one scripture one doctour or one Councell produced for the testimonie of the trueth of the catholique faith And nowe ther be so manie scriptures doctours and Councells brought furth that ther ys not one left to bolstar vppe his heresie The scriptures which he and his complices pretend to haue in their possession are by the iudgement of the Fathers of Chrystes Parliament house prooued neuer to be theirs but are and haue ben allwaies in the possession of the catholique Churche Considre Reader howe manie fathers of the greke churche be here produced as Dionise Iustyne Irenaeus Origen Gregorie Nazianzen Basill Chrisostom Cyrill with other of the elder sort which although they were of one Churche yet they were of diuerse times some of them with in one hundreth yeare after Chryst some two hundreth some three and yet all these agree in one trueth of the presence of Chrystes bodie in the bless Sacrament In the latine Churche were Alexander Tertullian Cyprian Hilarie Optatus Hierom Ambrose Augustine and other whiche although they were farre distaunte manie hundreth of miles from the fathers of the greke Churche yet in consent and agreement together in this matter they ioin and go together Of the greke churche again be produced other that were manie yeares after the other Fathers before rehersed as Theodorete Euthimius Damascen Theophilact Oecumenius and Bessario with other whiche although they liued in great diuersitie of ages hauinge manie hundreth yeares passing betwixt them yet they liued in the vnitie of faith and religion Again also in the latine Churche answerablie to these were produced Gregorie Beda Haymo Anselme Paschasius Thomas de Aquino Lyra and Dionise with other whiche also liuinge with moche difference of times and diuersitie of places were yet with the eldest and the midlest and with the latest all of one minde And here note that these authours as they doe according to the rule of Vincentius Lirinen alltogether teache Chrystes presence in the Sacrament so doe they yt manifestlie commonlie and continuallie For Origen Basill Chrysostome Cyrill Theodoret Euthymius and Theophilact whiche be the greater writers of the grecians are not produced once onely neither speaking obscurelie but they are often and manie times and that with speache most plain and manifest and that commonlie in euerie weightie matter of the booke Likwise be the Fathers of the latine churche whiche in euery place beare agreable testimonie to the Fathers of the greke churche And for asmoche as these fathers haue expownded the scriptures to vs that doe treact of the Sacrament and doe therin agree yt ys meete for vs to accept that sense and vnderstanding that by the handes of so manie Fathers ys so consonantlie deriued to vs. All they vnderstande them of the presence of Chryst in the bless Sacrament wherfor yt ys meete that we also vnderstand them so and not onelie yt ys meete but we aught and are bownde to doe so Nowe therfor let the Proclamer turne his Historie of Mitridates vnto his owne heade and his likes who lainge wicked seige to the citie of Gods Church wolde beare the citizens in hand that the armie of the holie learned Fathers and doctours of Chrystes Churche were on their side But God be praised the contrarie nowe appeareth For this holie armie ys comed down and haue ioined with Gods citizens and haue vanquished Mitridates and his companie and deliuered the citie from their cruel tirannie of he resie and haue declared them selues to all the worlde that they be frendes of Gods citie and defenders of the same and aduersaries to Mitrydates the Proclamer and vanquishers of the same For we haue not by bragge onelie saied that the scriptures doctours and Councells be on our side as this Mitrydates this proclamer did But we haue euidentlie and inuinciblie prooued yt in dede Giezi the lieng and leprouse seruante of Heliseus coulde not when his master was compased aboute with the theues of Syria see anie that were on his masters side but against his Master he sawe manie yet in verie dede there were mo on the Prophets side then on the Syrians part as after yt was well declared So this Giezi this Proclamer the lieng leprouse seruant seeth not what a noble companie ys on Christs side but on the Syrians side the enemies of Chryste he seeth multitudes For hitherto beinge blinded with ambition and as Giezi did lieng for some gain or promotion he hath since fallen into the deapth of the spirituall leprey which S. Austen calleth heresie Leprosi saieth he non absurdè in telliguntur qui scientiā verae fidei non habentes varias doctrinas profitentur erroris Nulla porrofalsa doctrina est quae non aliqua vera intermiseat Vera ergo falsis inordinaté permixta in vna narratione vel disputatione hominis tanquam in vnius corporis colore significant lepram tanquam veris falsisue colorum fucis humana corpora variantem atque maculantem The lepres are verie well to be vnderstanded those whiche not hauinge the knowledge of the true faith doe professe diuerse doctrines of errour For their ys no salse doctrine whiche hathe not some true thinges medled with yt True thinges therfore inordinatelie permixed with false thinges in one narracion or disputacion of a man as yt were appearing in the coloure of one bodie doeth signifie the leprey altering and defiling the bodies of men as yt were with true and false shewe of coloures By these means then this man was so blinded that he could not see one scripture one doctour nor one Councell on Chrystes side or on his trueths side But on the enemies side on heresies side he could see an wholl armie But I compare this armie vnto the people that were with in the walls of Hierusalem at the time of the destruction of the same whiche as Iosephus
preist And if they doe let them be openlie rebuked of the Bishoppe Here we finde soch order commaunded as the catholique church for all the west part of yt obserued namelie that the people shoulde heare Masse euerie sondaie but of communion here ys no title A like decree we finde in an other Concil Aurelian councell in these woordes Cùm ad celebrandas missas in Dei nomine conuenitur populus non ante discedat quà m Missae solemnitas cōpleatur vbi Episcopus non suerit benedictionem à sacerdote percipiat When they be come together in the name of God to celebrate Masse the people maie not departe before the solemnitie of the Masse be fulfilled And wher ther ys no Bishoppe present let them receaue the benediction of the preist This decree commaundeth no more but that the people shall not departe vntill Masse be doen of the communion therys no woorde S. Augustin also made this ordeinaunce as yt ys to be seen in the first distinction of consecracion in these woordes Et hoc attendendum vt missae peculiares quae per dies solemnes à sacerdotibus fiunt non ita in publico fiant vt propter eas populus Aug. de conse Dist 1. cap. ct hoc à publicis missarum solemnibus quae hora tercia canonicè fiunt abstrahatur sed sacerdotes qui in circuitu vrbis aut in eadem vrbe sunt populus in vnum ad missarum publicam celebrationem conueniant And this ys to be obserued that the peculiar Masses that be saied of the preistes vpon the solempn daies be not so openly doen that for them the people be not drawen awaie from the publique solemnitie of Masses whiche be canonicallie doen the thirde howre But the preistes that dwell aboute the cytie or within the same citie and the people also shall come together to the publique celebracion of Masses Thus he In this ordeinanceye first perceaue that peculias Masses were saied in one citie beside the high or cōmon Masse to the which the people might so resorte as that they might not be letted or withdrawen frō the high Masse Ye see again that both the preistes that had saied Masse and the people that had heard thē were appoincted neuer the lesse to come to the high Masse Now if none maie be present as the Aduersarie teacheth but soch as will communicate and these preistes hauing saied their peculiar Masses and ther communicated must yet be present at the high Masse by S. Augustines ordeinance yt foloweth that the doctrine of the Aduersarie ys contrarie to the ordeinaunce of S. Augustin And although the name of Masse be so odiouse to the Proclamer yet ye maie perceaue yt was not so to sainct Augustine bus he aloweth both peculiar Masses and high or publique Masses at bothe the whiche although the people might and aught to be yet ther ys no commaundement for them al to communicate as in his ordeinaunce yt ys to be perceaued What shall I nede anie more to saie in this matter sith yt ys manifest by manie practises of the primitiue and auncient churche that both pristes at the ministracion and other persons as well wholl as sicke did and therfor maie nowe receaue the blessed Sacrament alone withoute a nombre of cōmunicantes And therfor to returne part of the Proclamers woordes home to him and his complices again I saie O mercifull God who wolde thinke ther coulde be so moche wilfullinesse in the heart of man so maliciouslie so slaunderouslie to caluminate the Churche for that she like a good mother doeth suffer her children to take their blessed and holie foode of Chrystes bodie and blood either by nombre or by one alone as deuocion and occasion shall serue sith that both maners haue ben allwaies practised as before ys prooued Wherfor we maie trulie saie O Iustine o Tertullian o Basill o Hierom o Chrysostom o Austen o Leo o auncient councells if we be deceaued ye are they that haue deceaued vs. But sure we are that we are not deceaued but we rest in the trueth that ye haue taught vs. But alas whose heart wolde yt not greiue to see the blasphemie of the Proclamer against Chryst and S. Paule and his detestable slaunder of the holie doctours whom he chargeth to haue taught him his Scismes diuisions and heresies Ys Chryst who ys the trueth the ministre of heresie Ys Paule the doctour and Apostle of the gentiles the teacher of Scismes Be the holie doctours and Fathers of Chrystes Church who haue ben pastours and feaders of Chrystes flocke and kepers of the same with in his folde in vnitie and peace the authours of diuisions and dispersions of the shepe of Chryst Naie yt ys Sathan the first lie maker the father of lies and vntrueth the authour of diuision betwixt God and man that hath taught him heresie Scisme and diuision whose wicked inspiracion the more ys the pitie he foloweth For neither Chryst nor Paule not Iustine nor Basill c. hath taught that the celebracion or ministracion of Chrystes Sacrament ys not godlie or good if ther be not manie communicantes at yt But they haue taught that manie maie receaue yt and that manie did receaue yt and that one alone maie receaue yt and that diuerse alone did receaue yt and both to be true And nowe to ende this matter as the Proclamer hath doen all that he can and yet by no autoritie as ys saied hath prooued that a preist or anie other maie not receaue alone so I saie that neither he nor all his complices though they be ioined all together shall euer bring furth anie expresse place of scripture Councells or doctours that doeth by commaundement forbidde a well disposed chrystian to receaue the Sacrament alone And thus the three principall partes of the Masse being auouched by scriptures Councells and doctours I shall confirme the same by miracle wrought by God in the blessed Sacrament in the Masse time THE TWO AND FOVRTETH CHAP. DROOueth the trueth of these matters of the Sacrament by that yt hath pleased God to confirme the same with miracles ALlthough the cominge of Chryst into the flesh was most certenly taught by promisses figures and prophecies as before in the first booke ys saied yet the same his coming his conception his birth and abode with vs was commended vnto vs by manie protentes miracles and woonders which the Gospell doeth declare Euen so yt hath pleased the goodnesse of God well knowing owre infirmitie and weaknesse to deale with vs in the matter of the Sacrament of the bodie and bloode of the same his Sonne Iesus Chryst The certen trueth wherof although by figures prophecies and by the liuelie woorde of Chryst himself yt be certenlie commended vnto vs yet to the consirmacion of the same trueth to vs warde which otherwise in yt self ys most certen yt hath I saie pleased him to confirme the same trueth to vs by diuerse miracles that we maie be