was the speaker for what intente what tyme and suche other it shal playnlye appeare that the literall sense as the woordes purporte is the true sense that the holy Ghost dyd principally intende As for example Fyrst it appeareth euidentlye the speaker to be Iesus Christ oure Lorde Gods sonne equall and omnipotent God wyth the father that these hys wordes be not wordes of a bare narration teachyng but wordes whereby a sacrament is instituted And for that reason we muste considre that it is otherwise with Christ then with vs for in maÌ„ the woorde is true when the thyng is true wherof it is spoken In God the thing is true when the woorde is spoken of the thing Mans word declareth the thyng to be as it is before Gods worde maketh the thyng to be as it was not before In man the trueth of hys word dependeth of the trueth of the thyng Contrarye in God the trueth of the thynge dependeth vpon the speaking of the woorde as the Psalme sayeth Ipse dixit facta sunt He spake the word the thynges were made And thys thynge the deuill knewe well ynough being sure that yf Iesus were Christe and God he could with his word both create newe thynges and also chaunge the nature and substaunce of any thynge therfore sayd vnto him temptyng him whether he was Gods sonne or no yf thou be Gods sonne speake the woorde that these stoones maye be made bread Wherbi we may learne that although in maÌ„s speache it is not true to saye these stones be breade yet yf GOD should saye so it shuld be true the inferior nature of creatures gyuyng place to the omnipotent power of God the creator After which sort Ireneus reasoneth agaynste those heretikes that denied Iesus Christ to be Gods sonne vsyng that most constantly beleued truth of the sacrament that we hold now grounded vpon Christes wordes for an argumente to conuince Iesus the speaker to be Gods sonne His woordes be these Quomodo autem constabit eis eum panem in quo gratiae actae sunt corpus esse domini sui calicem sanguinis eius si non ipsum fabricatoris mundi filium dicant Howe shall it be certayne vnto them that that breade vpon whiche thankes are giuen that is to saye the Eucharistical bread is y e body of theyr Lorde and the cuppe of his bloude yf they saye not that he is the sonne of hym y t made the world as though he should reason thus These wordes which Iesus spake of the blessed breade sayinge This is my body This is the cuppe of my bloude be eyther true or false If the speaker of them be pure man and not god as they say then can they not be true for mans word chaungeth not the nature of thynges as it is here But yf the woordes be true as they certeynlye beleue then the speaker of theÌ„ must nedes be gods sonne of infinite power able to make the thynges to be as he sayeth they be And also in his 57. Chapiter the fame 4. booke he maketh the lyke argumente in these woordes Quomodò iuste Dominus si alte rius patris existit huius conditionis quae est secundum nos accipiens panem suum corpus confitebatuâ— temperamentum calicis sui sanguinem coÌ„firmauit If our Lord be a pure man of that nature condition that we be of the sonne of an other father then God How dyd he iustly and truely taking bread into hys hande confesse saye it to be his body and confirme that mixture of wyne and water that was in the chalyce to be his owne bloude By these two places of Ireneus that liued within 150. yeares of Christ we are taught not to flye to oure figures of grammer to make these wordes of Christ true which in dede we must nedes do or else say they be false yf Christe the speaker be but only man and not God but we be taught by him to be leue them to be most true and for that reason to beleue also that Christe the speaker is Gods sonne by whose almighty power the thynges be chauÌ„ged and made as he speaketh so that we may iustly after the minde of Ireneus diuerse other olde auctours whiche were longe to rehearse nowe conceaue this opinioÌ„ of these men that say these wordes of christ can not be true except they be vnderstanded by a figuratiue speache that they eyther beleue not them selfes y t Christe is Gods sonne or els gyue occasion to other to reuiue that olde damnable heresye of Arius that denyed Christes Godheade thexperience whereof we haue had of late dayes of some that from Sacramentaries by necessary consequence of that heresye became Arianes The seconde circumstance I spake oâ— was â—o considre to what purpose intent Christ spake these wordes I sayde they were woordes not of a bare narration teaching some doctrine but the woordes of thinstitution of a Sacrament of the newe Testamente And then it foloweth that yf they be the forme of a Sacrament as they be in dede then muste they nedes be that instrument whereby Gods almightie power assistinge the dewe ministration of his priest worketh that grace inwardly that the wordes purport outwardlye For so it is in al other Sacramentes In Baptisme these wordes Ego baptizote I baptise thee and so forth lyke as outwardly to the eares of the hearer they signifie a washing so almightie God assisting the due pronouncing of theÌ„ dothe inwardlye worke the grace of washynge the soule of him to whome the wordes be spoken yf there be no stoppe or impediment of his partye And likewise in penaunce as the woordes of the Prieste saying Ego absoluo te ab omni bus peccatis tuis in nomine Patris filij spiritus sancti I absolue thee from all thy sinnes in the name of the father and the sonne and the holye ghoste do signifie forgiuenes so God doth inwardly forgiue yf the partye be truelye penitent Likewise in mariage that knotte the man knitteth with the woman in takynge hir to his wife she him to hir husband God also inwardly doth knitte the same which manne can not lowse and so forthe of al other Sacramentes Now to our purpose The grace whyche is included in these wordes This is my bodye This is my bloude is not only accidental grace as in the other but the body of Christe to be our Sacrament whiche is the substaunce of grace the aucthor fountayne and well of al grace as S. Bernarde sayth Dicitur Eucharistia per excellentiam In hoc enim Sacramento non solum quaelibet gratia sed ille à quo est omnis gratia sumitur This Sacramente is called Eucharistia for some excellencye aboue al other for in this sacrameÌ„t is receaued not only anye other grace but he of whome procedeth al grace Then it foloweth y t whereas the grace of this sacramente which the wordes purport to the outward
the fleshe of an holy man ioyned to the word of God by vnitye of dignitye nor as the fleshe of hym in whome God dwelleth but as the flesh only propre to gods sonne verely giuing life to the receauer By this determination of this general couÌ„cel we learne that in the mysticall benediction by whyche word is meant thys blessed Sacramente we receaue Christes owne propre fleshe and of it we receaue sanctification and lyfe before the receypt whereof we celebrate the vnbloudye sacrifice of the same in our churches declaring our Lordes death resurrection and ascension and by this place we plainly perceaue that the doinges and wordes whych be vsed daylye in oure Masse were also vsed in the time of this councel muche aboue a thousand yeares agoo This doctrine also was determined in the general councell holden at Constantinople in the time of Iustyniane y e Emperoure the yeare of our Lorde 552. where be wrytten these wordes Omni sensibili creaturae supereminet is qui salutari passione coelestem nactus digni tatem edens bibens ChristuÌ„ ad uitam aeternam perpetuo coÌ„iungitur anima corpore diuinae participatione gratiae saÌ„ctificatur and so forth He farre excelleth euerye sensible creature that by the passion of our sauioure obteynyng heauenlye dignitie eatyng and drynkyng Christ is continually ioyned to eternal lyfe and is sanctified bothe in soule and body by participation of the heauenly grace Thys place is notable declarynge the dignitie of hym that eateth Christ and the effecte of that eatynge to be euerlastynge lyfe and sanctification bothe of bodye and soule Likewyse the general couÌ„cell called Lateranense holden at Rome the yeare of our Lorde 1215. determyned thys matter in the same termes that we expresse it nowe Vna est fidelium uniuersalis Ecclesia extra quam nullus omnino saluatur in qua idem ipse sacerdos sacrificium Iesus Christus cuius corpus sanguis in Sacramento altaris sub speciebus panis uini ueraciter continentur tran substantiatis pane in corpus uino in sanguinem potestate diuina There is one vniuersall churche of all faythfull people wythoute the whych no man is saued at anye tyme in the which Iesus Christ hym selfe is both the priest and the sacrifice whose bodye and bloude be truely conteyned in the sacrament of the aultare vnder the forme of breade and wine the breade beyng transubstantiate into hys body the wine into hys bloude by the power of God This forme of doctrine after this sort in these termes hath bene taught professed beleued throughoute y e whole catholike Churche euer sence that tyme howsoeuer some he retikes forsaking their fayth procedynge from Gods omnipotent word and the vnitye of hys churche and leanynge to their sensualitye and blind reason agaynst fayth haue repyned and barked agaynste the same But I put no doubtes but by Gods grace yf the time wolde suffer me â–ª to make thys matter oâ— transubstantiation as playne as the other of the reall presence The generall councell also of Constance holden of latter dayes the yeare of our Lord 1415. doth agree and testifye the same in that they condemned Iohn Wyclefe the heretike all his errours agaynst this blessed Sacrament Thus haue I shewed you the consente of the churche by the determinations of the generall councels It shal not be nedeful to rehearse any particular and prouincial councels which al in this doctrine agre with the other generall Furthermore the consente of the churche appeareth by y e condemnation of the heretykes of al ages whych hold any false opinion in anye poynte agaynst the veritye and the institution of Christ concerning this blessed Sacrament The first heretike that euer we reade of in this matter father to all the Sacramentaries that lyue nowe was one in the time of Ignatius by and by after y e Apostels whose name we know not but what he and his sect that folowed him did Theodoretus in his thyrd dialoge maketh mention sayinge that Ignatius who lyued within one hundreth yeare of Christ writeth in an epistle ad Smyrnenses in these wordes Eucharistias oblationes non admittunt eoque non confiteantur Eucharistiam esse carnem seruatoris nostri Iesu Christi quae pro pecâ—atis nostris passa est quam pater sua benignitate suscitauit They do not allowe and admitte our Sacrament offerynges because they do not confesse the Sacrament called Eucharistia to be the fleshe of oure sauioure Iesus Christe whych fleshe suffered for oure synnes and which the fathers goodnes dyd rayse froÌ„ deathe agayne By this we learne what was the fayth in the primitiue churche both that the Sacramente was the verye fleshe of Christ whych suffered for vs also that it was offered for vs by the priestes which thinges those heretykes denyed then as their scholers nowe springing vp vpon their ashes denye nowe that they were condemned as heretykes by the primitiue churche then as these most worthely be condeÌ„ned by the catholike Churche nowe And where as the due matter wherein this blessed Sacrament is coÌ„secrated oughte to be vnleauened breade of wheate and wine myxed with water accordyng to the scriptures the example of christ there were one sort of heretykes called Artotoritae of whome speaketh Epiphanius contra Quintillianos whych were so called for y â— they vsed not in their sacrifyces the necessary and due matter but in their mysteries dyd coÌ„secrate and offer bread and cheese An other sort of heretikes were called Fermentarij because they did consecrate in leuened breade as our men of late dyd commaunde to be done â–ª who were condemned by the generall councell at Basyll Other were called Aquarij or Hydroparastae for that they preteÌ„dyng sobrietye did consecrate in water only wythout wine agaynst whome wrytte saynt Cypriane Chrysostome other who also were coÌ„demned by the generall councell of Constantinople in trullo cap. 32. Other were called Armenij who in their sacrifices consecrated and offered wyne onelye wythoute water agaynst whome wryteth Theophilactus All these helde false opinion agaynste the necessary and due matter of the Sacramente There were other heretykes that denyed the effecte of the Sacrament as Messaliani who as it is wrytten by Theodoretus sayd that the heauenly foode whereof our lorde spake he that eateh my fleshe drynketh my bloude shal lyue euer more dyd neyther profite nor hurte any man Nestorius also the pernicious herytyke and Archebyshoppe of Constantinople destroyed the vertue of the sacramente as Theophilactus writeth for y t he graunting christes very fleshe to be really and truely present in the Sacramente denyed that fleshe beynge receyued in to our bodyes to be the propre fleshe of gods sonne and therfore to haue no vertue to giue life to our mortal bodies this heresy was condemned by the generalcouncel holden at Ephesus And where as thys sacrament can not
maiestate By the fleshe and bloude of oure Lorde Iesus Christ both beynge in the sacrament inuisible spirituall intelligible is signified the visible body of Christ and palpable full of the grace of all vertues and of the godlye maiestye And euen so likewise very Christ is offered in the mysterye in signe and commemoration of him selfe offered vpoÌ„ the crosse as S. Augustyne sayth Christiani iam peracti sacrificij memoriam celebrant sacrosancta oblatione perticipatione corporis sanguinis Christi Christen menne nowe do celebrate a memorye of Christes sacrifice alreadye paste by the most holy oblation and partitipation of Christes body and bloude The lyke saying hath S. Gregorye diuerse aucthors whyche I omitte to rehearse because the tyme is paste They say that neyther the Apostles nor none in theyr tyme dyd offre Christes body in sacrifice And yet I haue shewed you before that Dionisius Areopagita S. Paules disciple of whome mention is made in the .17 chapiter of the Actes of the Apostles dyd offre the sacrifice of Christes bodye alledgyng Christes commaundement for his warraunt Ireneus that lyued wythin fiftye yeare of saynte Iohn the Euangelist and Polycarpus scholer doth make mention of this offerynge sayinge Ecclesiae oblatio quam Dominus docuit offerri in uniuerso mundo purum sacrifiâ—ium reputatum est apud Deum acceptum est eâ— The oblation of the Churche whych our Lord taught to be offered in the whole world is reputed of God a pure sacrifice and acceptable to hym And in the same chapiter confutynge them that denied the immortalitye of the fleshe by this reason that oure fleshe was nourished with Christes fleshe to eternall lyfe concludeth thus Aut sententiam mutent aut abstine ant offerendo quae praedicta sunt Eyther let them chaunge their opinion or elles absteyn from offering the same bodye and bloude of Christ we spake of Also the generall councell of Constantinople sayth that saynt Iames dydde write the forme of a Masse I omytte the Latyne the woordes in Englyshe be thus faythfullye translate Saynt Iames brother to Christ our God accordynge to the fleshe to whome the churche of HierusaleÌ„ was first committed Basilius which was Bysshop of Caesarea whose fame is knowen throughoute the worlde â–ª whiche deliuered in wrytynge the mysticall celebration of y e sacrifices haue declared that the cuppe in our holye ministerye oughte to be of water and wyne mengled And the holye fathers that were assembled at Carthage haue thus lefte in wrytynge that in the sacrifices nothinge els be offered but the bodye bloude of oure Lorde as oure Lord him selfe hath ordeyned so forthe I neuer redde S. Iames his booke my self nor I thinke it be not nowe to be had but I tel you so much as I knowe that S. Iames dyd write the forme of a Masse as S. Basill did which we haue in greke now If this greate and learned generall councell doth truelye reporte as I beleue doth Let no man therefore beleue them that saye the Apostles did not sacrifice theÌ„ selues nor none in their time except they can proue the negatiue which they shall neuer do There be other some that wyll graunte the sacrifice but denye that it is propitiatorye for the synnes of the quycke and the deade And therefore they disalowe the last senteÌ„ce of the Masse Where the priest sayeth graunt good lord that this sacrifice whyche I haue offered to thy diuine maiestie be propitiable or a meane to obteyne mercye to me to al for whome I haue offered it And surely these be most foolishe of al for yf it be a sacrifice it must nedes be a propitiatory sacrifice taking propitiatory as it ought to be taken not coÌ„foundyng the meanynge of it by sophistrye but vnderstanding the diuerse acception of y e word but these men dally seduce the people with amphibologies and doubtful sayinges Distinctions they admit none nor can not abyde to haue the matter opened and wyth a confuse general saying sclaunder the churche Thys is their priuate sophistrye and yet they call other men sophisters that detecte open their collusions that diuyde the sentence that men might see howe it is true and howe it is false For example They crye out of this that we saye the Masse is a sacrifyce propitiatorye By the worde Masse maye be vnderstanded two thynges the thynge it selfe that is offered and the acte of the priest in offeryng of it If ye take it for the thynge offered whych is the bodye of Christ who can iustly denye but that the body of Christe is a sacrifice propitiatory seyng saynt Iohn sayeth he is the propitiation for our synnes euer was and euer shall be and neuer cease so to be tyll oure synnes be ended and deathe the last enemye be ouercomed in vs hys mysticall body and as Oecumenius sayeth Caro Christi est propitiatorium nostrarâ—Ì„ iniquitatum The flesh of christ is the propitiation for our iniquities But yf by the word Masse be vnderstaÌ„ded the acte of the priest and the vse of the sacrament as they would haue it then it is not propitiatorye in that degree of propitiation as Christes body is but after an other sorte And therefore I must diuide the word propitiatory whyche is taken two wayes also First for that that worthely deserueth mercy at Gods hand and so the acte of the prieste in offerynge is not propitiatorye of it selfe deseruyng mercy as Christe doth Nexte for that prouoketh God to gyue mercye and remission alreadye deserued by Christ. And so the oblation of the priest is propitiatory mouyng and prouokinge God to applye hys mercye vnto vs. So Prayer is a sacryfyce for synnes as Saynte Iames sayeth Oratio fidei saluabit infirmum fi in peccatis sit remittentur ei The Prayer of fayth shall saue the sycke and yf he be in synne they shalbe remitted vnto him And christ taught vs to praye thus forgyue vs oure trespases as we forgyue them that trepase agaynste vs. And also promised to gyue vs that we aske in CHRISTES name Then ye see that prayer beynge a sacrifyce is a prouocation of GOD and a meane to atteyne remyssion of oure synnes and therefore maye be well called propitiatorye So is a contryte hearte a Sacryfyce propitiatorye and almose as appeared by the story of the Niniuites of Daniell For all good workes y t we do both fastynge prayer almose forgyuyng of my neygâ—bourâ— is done for thys ende to mitigate Gods angre agaynst our synnes and to prouoke hym to haue mercye of vs for christes merites Euen so the Mosse taking it for the acte of the priest is a sacrifice propitiatori for sinne Whych I shal proue vnto you by the holy fathers Origen writeth thus Si referantur haec ad mysterij magnitudinem inueni es commemorationem istam habere ingentem repropitiationis effectum Si redeas ad illum panem propitiationis quem propo
wordes and reasons without probabilitye agaynste all rule and forme of true reasonyng Moreouer the nature of a sacrament dothe moue me very muche to beleue styll as I do For whereas euery sacrament of the newe Testament is a visible forme of an inuisible grace as S. Augustyne sayth it can not be a sacramente of y â— newe Testamente excepte it haue a promise of some suche grace to be gyuen to the worthye receauer as is signifyed by the outwarde forme of the sacrament As in baptisme the water which is the outwarde forme signifieth the grace of saluation and remission of synnes whych grace is bothe gyuen to the worthy receauer is also promised in scripture to be giueÌ„ by the mouth of christ saying Qui crediderit baptizatus fuerit saluus erit He that beleueth and is baptized shalbe saued Euen so the outwarde element of this sacrament which is bread and wine doâ—h signifye the grace of the vnitye of Christes misticall bodye that lyke as one breade is made of manye graynes one wyne is pressed out of many grapes so one mysticall body of Christ is compact vnited of the multitude of all Christen people as S. Cypriane sayeth Nowe yf our sacrament be breade and wine as they saye then shal they find the promise of this grace or of some other in the scriptures made to the receauer of breade and wine And yf there be no promise in all the scriptures made to the receauing of bread and wine then be they no sacramentes But yf they wyll loke in the sixt chapiter of S â–ª Iohn they shal find thys grace of the mysticall vnitye promised not to the receauynge of breade and wine but to the worthye receauyng of Christes body and bloude where Christ sayeth he that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloude he abydeth in me and I in hym and so is ioyned and incorporate into one mysticall bodye wyth him Oure sacramente therfore that hath the promise annexed vnto it is not breade wyne be they neuer so muche appoynted to signifye heauenly thynges as they saye but the very body and bloude of oure Lord Iesus Christ the bread that came from heauen Luther and suche as be of hys sect as take hys dreames for the ground of their fayth were muche pressed with this argument deduced of the propertye of the sacramente and sawe playnly that it could not be a sacrament of the newe testameÌ„t except it had a promise annexed to the worthy vsyng of it And yet for al that he would not condescende to say as the Churche sayeth that res SacrameÌ„ti the thing of the sacrament signified and not conteyned whych is the vnitye of the mystical body were that grace whych by Christ in S. Iohn was promised to the worthye receauer of it but went and sought about for an other promise and after much pooringe at laste he broughte forth a promyse as he thoughte mete and conueniente which is the wordes of christ Quod pro uobis tradetur which shalbe gyuen for you And in this poynt he shewed w t what violence he handled other matters of our fayth that in thys greate matter so muche ouershotte himselfe Fyrst wyth what face could he call that a promise whyche hathe no apparaunce of anye promise but that the wordes in Latyne be spoken in the future tense whych in Greke be wrytten in the present tense both in Saynt Paule and in S. Luke Quod pro uobis datur whyche is gyuen for you And yf they were spoken in y e future tense as they were not yet they be wordes not promising a thyng to be done but declaryng what shalbe done And further yf we shoulde graunt them to be wordes of a promise yet they promyse not the grace of the sacrameÌ„t whyche is to be gyuen to the worthy receauer â–ª For the passion of Christe or the giuinge of Christes body vpon the crosse is not a grace giuen by the sacramente to the receauer but it is that worke that hath deserued grace to be gyuen by the sacrament for al our sacramentes take their vertue of y e passion of Christe and do not promise the passion of Christe This may suffise for thys shorte time to shewe vnto you the folye of these men that neyther wote nor care what they affyrme in these weyghty matters I coulde saye more in it but that I haue more necessary matter behynde to be sayd S. Augustyne in diuerse places other auncieÌ„t aucthors haue this doctrine in their bokes E latere Christi fluxerunt duo Sacramenta Two Sacramentes dyd yssue forth of christes syde and in those places he teacheth vs by comparyng the creation of Eue the wyfe of Adam the firste man and of the churche y â— spouse of christe the second man Lyke as god castyng AdaÌ„ into a slepe toke forth a bone oute of hys syde and therof buylded and created hym a wyfe euen so when Christ dyd slepe by death vpoÌ„ the crosse vpon water and bloude that came forth of hys side when it was opened with a speare God dyd forme and buylde the churche the spouse of Christ in that by water we be regenerate by bloude we be redemed and nourished Now concernyng our purpose yf two sacrameÌ„tes came oute of Christes syde we are sure there came out no wyne excepte ye wyll saye the wyne of the true vyne whych christ shall neuer drynke wyth vs any more but after anewe sort in the glory and kyngdome of hys father Therfore it muste nedes be that our sacrament is Christes bloude and not wyne Besyde these circumstancies and argumentes deduced vpoÌ„ the scrypture there be also other of no lesse strength then these able to coÌ„firme any true Christen man in the fayth of the reall presence of Christes body and bloude in the blessed sacrament And these be the effectes of the sacrament expressed in the scripture whych be so great so gloriouse so excellent and heauenly that it were great blasphemy to ascribe the same to breade and wyne whyche be only the workes and effectes of almighty GOD and of suche creatures only as gods sonne hath taken and vnited to him selfe in vnitie of person whych be the body and bloude of our Sauiour Christ. The fyrst effect is that our Sacrament is the confirmation of the newe Testament as S. Mathewe and S. Mark also do wryte Hic est sanguis meus noui Testamenti Thys is my bloude of the newe Testament that is to saye which confirmeth the newe Testament as all holye wryters do expounde Like as the bloude of calues did confirme the old Testament as the booke of Exodus doth declare so the bloude of Christ our prieste sacrifice doth coÌ„firme the new Testament which Testament because it is eternall and shall neuer haue ende is confirmed by the eternall bloude of the lambe of God that euer is receaued and neuer consumed and not by anye corruptible bloude or any other creature
pro eis oremus sed magis ut orent ipsi pro nobis ut eorum uestigijs inhaereamus c. talia enim suis fratribus exhibuerunt qualia de Domini mensa acceperunt Therfore at the verye table of the aultare we do not so remembre the martyrs as we do other other that reste in peace that we praye for them But rather that they shoulde praye for vs that we myghte folowe their fotesteppes For they haue gyuen suche thinges for their brethren as they haue receaued from our Lordes table Here is bothe prayer to sayntes and for the dead in the Masse Thus ye see howe Christes bodye is offered for the deade after what maner it auayleth them Saynt Augustyne also teacheth sayinge thus When the sacrifices eyther of the aultare or of anye almose be offered for the deade that were baptyzed for the verye good men they be gyuynge of thankes for not very euyll men they be propitiations for verye euyll menne although they be no reliefe of the deade yet they be certeyne comfortes of them that be alyue And to them they profyte they profite to this ende eyther that they should haue full remission or at leaste that they shoulde haue more tolerable damnation In thys authoritie is expressed the playne word of propitiatorye howe that the sacrifice of the aultare is a propitiation for suche soules as be not verye euyll or very good toward thatteynynge of full remission or of more tolerable damnation ▪ If I should recyte as muche as I could bryng in for this poynt at large it is not one or two houres that wold suffyse to the rehearsall of the places By thys lytle I haue sayde ye may perceaue after what sorte it is true that the Masse is a sacrifice propitiatorye for synne both for the quicke for the deade Some thynke it a great blasphemye that we shuld saye the prieste applyeth the effecte of Christes passion to whome he lysteth or for whome he maketh hys oblation Good people beleue them not they sclaunder vs in thys for we saye not so nor do not applye the merytes and effecte of Christes passion to whome we lyste ▪ we doo but applye our prayer and oure intente of oblation besechynge almyghtye GOD to applye the effecte of hys sonnes passion whych is hys grace and remission of synne to them for whome we praye Onelye God applyeth to vs remissiō of sinne we but praye for it and by the commemoration of hys sonnes passion prouoke hym to applye so that all that we do is but by petition and intercession not by authoritye as God doth They saye we make oblation for messeled swyne for sycke horses for murren of cattell and thus wyth these vyle and odiouse woordes they go about to brynge the Masse in hatred wyth the symple people that canne not tell nor iudge what it is sayinge we haue certeyne peculiar Masses for all those thynges in our Masse booke The matter of thys accusation is true but not the maner For there be not in oure bookes peculiare Masses for these thynges but in certeyne Masses there be some peculiar prayers for these and such lyke thinges and that by good reason For in the presence of Christes bodye when oure prayers be mooste effectuall then we praye for the atteynynge of all goodnesse of soule and bodye and the outwarde felycytye of this worlde is as expedient for vs accordynge to the wyll of GOD and also we praye for the tournynge awaye of all euylles of bodye and soule and wordlye goodes alwayes referrynge our selfes to hys wyl as he our father thinketh mete for vs. Chrysostome telleth howe the prieste in hys Masse prayeth for the whole worlde for the whole citye for the synnes of all menne bothe quycke and deade for the ceassing of warre for the pacifyinge of sedition for peace and the prosperouse estate of thynges for the auoydynge ofall euylles that hange ouer vs. For the frutes of the earth and of the sea and suche other Saynte Augustyne in hys booke De ciuitate Dei telleth a storye of a gentlemanne called Hesperius who hauynge an house and groundes aboute it in the countreye where hys seruauntes and beastes were muche vexed wyth euyll spyrytes for remedye thereof came to saynt Augustynes house and he beynge absente desyred hys priestes that one of them woulde go to the place and praye that thys calamitye myghte cease One of them wente and offered there the sacrifyce of Christes bodye praynge as muche as he coulde that the vexation by the euyll spyrytes myghte cease and by and by throughe the mercye of GOD it ceassed Is not thys as muche yea and more too then we doo nowe Lette not vs therefore feare their vyle and sclaunderouse woordes nor lette not vs cease to do wel because they speake euyll We maye not cease to do as the holye Sayntes haue doone because the membres of the deuyll rayle agaynste vs as thoughe we dyd nought Nowe a lytle of pryuate Masse and then make an ende Manye there be that can well awaye with the Masse but not wyth priuate Masses These menne be deceaued in their owne ymagination for there is no Masse pryuate but euery Masse is publyke It is called in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a publike ministerye Saynte Thomas calleth it sometymes a pryuate Masse but not in that respecte ▪ as it is contrarye to publike but as it is contrarye too solempne Euery Masse is publike concernynge the matter and ministerye but not solempne concernyng the place and other rytes and circumstancies Therefore these men speake agaynste that they knowe not what They haue a new vnderstandynge of priuate They call it a priuate Masse when the prieste receaueth the Sacramente alone And thys they saye is agaynste the institution of Christ. They saye so sine fine and neuer make an ende but they neuer proue it I shall shew you that it is not agaynste the institution of Christe The institution of Christ concernynge this sacrament contayneth three thynges whiche he hym selfe did by hys commaundement gaue authoritie to the churche to do the same The consecration the oblation and the participation To the due consecration foure thynges be required ▪ the matter forme minister intent The necessarye matter is breade of wheate whiche is due as it ought to be yf it be pure swete and vnleuened But our new maysters that crye oute so faste of Christes institution dyd ordayne it shuld not be ministred in vnleuened bread but in common bread and the worse the better with them some sayde horsbread was to good Wel there was more vilanye shewed herein than I wyll expresse at this tyme. And for y e other kind wheras the due matter is wyne mixed with water they notwithstandyng the institution and example of our sauioure Christ commaunded no water to be put in raysynge vp agayne the pernicious rottē and extincted heresies which Fermentarii and Armeni◠dyd mayntayne The forme of the sacrament is y e