OVR Lord and maister Iesus Christe, that night that hee was betrayed, into the hands of the highe preiste to con­tinue in his Church a solemne remem­brance of his blessed passion, which hee was shortly to suffer: instituted at his last supper with his disciples; after that hee had finished the lawe of the pascall Lamb, in place there of a newe Sacra­ment in the Elementes of Breade and Wine. In this and with this after an vn­speakable maner, be a secret diuine ef­ficacie, hee deliuered also to their Faith his precious Bodie and Blood, to vnite them, and al that should succeede them [Page 2] to be bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, to nourish their soules vnto eter­nal life. In this mystery there is such a se­cret cōiunctiō betweene the elements and his precious flesh, that in al ages it hath exercised the hearts and minds of men in the deep contemplation thereof some to life, and some to eternall death and condemnation. For seeing the glo­rie, and excellencie of our omnipotent God, consisteth in the highest perfecti­on of mercie, and iustice: his infinite wisdome hath tempered his worde and Sacraments to minister matter to both. Therefore betweene his elect, whose heartes he illuminates with the light of his spirite: and those whome he hath left to the iudgment of their owne fenses, and illusions of errour, there hath risen out of this cloude greate stormes to ex­ercise his Church, that it might not lye sleeping in the sonne of securitie. It is fortie yeares and mor [...], since the Lord [...] beganne to sowe in this countrie being then ouerwhelmed in the mists of igno­rance the seede of his eternall trueth. Now seeing our vnthankfulnes, hee suf­fereth the enemie to repaire home a­gaine, [Page 3] and to sowe darnel in his haruest He is busie, and we are secure. Where­fore to meete his practises, and to arme the simple against his sophismes, I haue chosen this argument of reall presence as of greatest importance to confute all papistrie. For if the naturall bodie of our Sauiour is not in the sacrament (as they call it) of the altare, they haue no sacrifice for the quick, and deade, and wanting that, their market of masses this fiue hundreth yeares hath beene a faire of false wares. In this disputation I will vse no rethoricall colloures, to fill mens eare [...] with wordes: but shortely will ayme my arguments to the poynt, hoping that in all sounde iudgementes weight of reason will be more effectuall then the ratling sound of emptie words. I will deduce the truthe of this poynte out of the well of truth, and then will proue the Church to haue receiued it from Christ and his Apostles: and not­withstanding the craft, and crueltie of the enemie to haue kept it sincere, and pure to our times. Lord shew to me the the light of thy truth: put weight in my wordes, and force in may arguments to [Page 4] beare thy truth through the middest of thy enemies and to confounde the wis­dome of the wise.

Our Lord and Sauiour at the insti­tution of this Sacrament, tooke breade: and after that hee had giuen thankes broke it, and gaue it to his disciples say­ing, Thus is my body, which is broken for you this doe ye in remembrance of me.

The wordes this is my bodye, the Church of Roome taketh literallie, [...]f­firming that the breade is turned into the very natural, & reall body of christ, hauing no nature thereof but collour, sauour, taste, and other inseparable ac­cidents.

Wee on the other side, take them fi­guratiuelie, denying that there is anye change of the substance: but that the bread remaineth bread representing to our soules the bodie of Christ to feede our soules to eternall life.

As for the wordes them selues with­out other inforcements, they are capa­ble of both senses, we grant that if both scripture & nature did not denye, they maye be taken literallie. Againe that they may be taken figuratiuely, if the [Page 5] peruersnesse of the aduersarie will not grant, other scripturs in the same forme will easilie conuince.

He that saide of the bread This is my bodie, saide likewise of him selfe I am a vine, I am a doore, and Paull saith the rock vvas Christe. But these words inforces not a literall sense, that hee is a verye doore, vine, or rocke. Ergo, these wordes inforce not literallye that the breade is his bodie, The speaker is one, the forme is one, and there is nothing in the one which is not in the other, to inforce a literall sense. Of this see more in the an­swere of Maister William Reinoldes fourth replye to Maister Robert Bruce cap. 19. hereafter pag. 96.

This ground being laide that these wordes are as opportune [...]o a figure, as to the letter wee ioyne with these men vpon a new conclusion, that the figure is moste consonant to the truthe, and a­greeable with the scriptures.

To begin then, my first argument is taken from the name, and nature of a Sacrament. No sacrament is the same thing, which it signifieth. The bread & wine in the Lordes Supper are sacra­ments [Page 6] of Christs body and bloode. Er­go, they are not the thing which they signifie: that is, they are not the body, & blood of Christ, The first part of this ar­gument is a rule of nature deliuered vs be a common consent of all the learned before the dayes of ignorance, and pa­pistrie. Let August. serue for all sacra­menta (saith he) sunt signa rerum aliud ex­istentia, [...]ntra maxim lib. 3. cap, 2 [...] ▪ aliud significantia. Sacraments are signes of thinges being in deede one thing, and in signification an other. The answere here that the accidents are the signe, and that the substance is changed is a tricke of Romane iuglarye without warrant of the word, or testimony of a­ny father, for eight hundreth yeares after the institutiō of this sacrament. Of this see more hereafter in defence of Maister Robert Bruce against Maister William Reinold. cap. 19. reason. 2.

My next reason shal be from the a­nalogie of the sacraments of the new & olde couenant. The sacraments in the new couenant, are the same to Christe now commed, that the sacraments of the olde couenant were to Christe to come, But the sacraments of the old co­uenant [Page 7] were types, and figures of Christ to come. Ergo, the sacraments of the new couenant are types and figures of Christ alreadie commed.2. Cor, 10▪ 3. [...] The proposi­tion Paull confirmeth. The fathers did all eate the same spirituall meate, and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke. And Aug. sacramenta iudaeorum in signis diuersa fuerunt a nostris, in rebus significatis paria. That is, the sacraments of the Iewes did differ from ours in signes; but are the same in signification.Ioan [...] 26. The assumption the aduer­sarie cannot denye.

Thirdly, I reason out of Christs own words after that hee had absolued the hole action, and his disciples had al eate of the bread, & drunk of the wyne: I wil (saith he) no more drinke of this fruite of the vine, Ma [...]. 14 25. while I drink it. laying this foundati­on which I hope no man can denie, that the breade is no other wayes his bodi [...] then the wine is his blood. The fruite of the vine is not the naturall bloode of Christ. But that which he had consecra­ted, & his disciples had drunken, he cal­leth that the fruite of the vine. Ergo, that which hee consecrated, & they had drunken was not his naturall blood, & [Page 8] be like reason that which they had eat­en, was not his naturall and reall bodie. The proposition being a negatiue of things disparate, and diuerse is not de­niable, and the assumption is a text vt­tered be the mouth that could not lye.

Fourthly, the order of the institution Iesus the night that hee was betrayed tooke breade, and giuing thankes broke it, and saide take eate this is my body that is broken for yow, yealdes vs this argument. That which hee broke, was the same which they did eate. But Christ tooke breade and broke it, not his essentiall bodie: Ergo that which they did eat was bread and not his essentiall bodie. The propo­sition is manifest in the wordes as they lye. he tooke bread, hee brake it that is breade: hee bade his disciples eate that same bread, and of it saide, this is my body which is broken for you. That which hee tooke hee broke: that which hee broke he gaue them: that which he gaue them they did eate; and that which they did eate, he calleth it his bodie. To applye the verbes following, to an other thing thē that, which the first verbe is ioyned with, is to teare Christs wordes in sun­der; [Page 9] and to parte the thinges, which hee spake coniunctly. The assumption is the very text. And further, when hee broke the breade, Christ had not vt­tered the wordes, bee vertue whereof these men holdes that the breade is changed into the bodie of Christ.

Fifthly, out of the same wordes we [...] drawe this argument. The thing which he gaue them was his essentiall bodie, as the breaking of it, was the breaking of his bodie. But the breaking of the bread was not the breaking of his body for our sinnes, as it was done vpon the crosse. [...]rgo, the bread was not that same essentiall body, which was broken on the crosse, but in a figure. The proposi­tion is true▪ because as hee saith of the breade it is his bodie: so hee saieth with one breath, that it is his bodie broken, this is my bodie broken for you. The assump­tion is true, because the bodie of Christ was not broken before his passion: and because the breade was broken in pee­ces, which his bodie was not.

Sixtly, it is saide in the sixt of Iohn He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him. Which words [Page 10] yealdes vs this reason: Hee that eat­eth the flesh, and drinketh the bloode of Christ dwelleth in Christ; and Christ in him. But all that eate the sacrament dwelleth not in Christ, nor Christ in them. Ergo, not all that eateth the sa­crament, eateth the flesh, and drinketh the bloode of Christ. The proposition is the text: the assumption the great heap of vnworthie receauers doth proue. This Peter Lumbard the great maister of sentences alleadges out of August.lib. 4. dist. [...]. in A. Qui discordat a Christo, non manducat car­nem eius, nec sanguinem bibit: et si tanterei sacram [...]n [...]um ad iudicium sibi quotidie acci­pit. He that followeth not Christ eateth not his flesh, nor drinketh his bloode: how-be-it hee dailie receaue the sacra­ment, of so great a mysterie to his dam­nation. Which sentence afterward in B. and C. hee laboureth to answere without sense, or sentence. That the wicked eateth the proper flesh of christ which was borne of the Virgine Marie: but not the spirituall flesh of Christ, which is receaued onely, be faith & vn­derstanding. We reade in the scripturs but of one flesh of Christ, which was [Page 11] borne of the Virgine Marie: & suffered on the crosse for our sinnes. Of this flesh saieth Christ, whosoeuer eateth dwel­leth in me, and I in him. But the wicked saith Lumbard eateth this fleshe, and so bee his worthye sentence the wicked dwelleth in Christ, & Christ in thē. The faith which beleeueth, or vnderstanding which conceaueth anye other flesh of Christ then this, beleeueth and vnder­standeth the thing that neuer was. Of the wicked,1, Cor, 11, 27 Paull saith, hee that eateth this breade, and drinketh of this cuppe vnworthely, eateth and drinketh his owne damnation. He saith, not hee that eateth the bodie, & drinketh the bloode of Christ vnworthely. And heare I dare lay my heade, which I will not giue for the popes heade, and his triple Crowne too, that all the Schooles in Roome and Remes, shall neuer proue be the Scrip­ture, that the body of Christ can be eat­en vnworthely. Howe oft doth hee pro­mise himselfe in Iohn,Ion, 6. 33 35, 40, 47 50, 51. 56, 58, eternall life, sum­time to him that eateth his flesh, some­time to him that beleeueth. Whereof it is manifest, that none eateth his flesh vnworthely, seeing that all that eateth [Page 12] of it, shal haue eternal life. This besides the place quoted be Lumbard that worthy Fatder. August, in Iohn tract. 26. striketh dead. Sacramentum quibusdam ad vitam, quibusdam ad mortem sumitur: res ve­ro cu [...]us est sacramentum, omnibus ad vitani nulli ad mortem. That is, some receaueth the sacrament to life, some to death: but that whereof it is the sacrament bring­eth life to all, death to none:

Seuenthly, in the fore cited wordes of Paull.1, Cor, 11. 17. He that [...]ateth of this breade, and drinketh of this cuppe vnworthelie, ea [...]eth and drinketh his owne damnation. We find this argument. The elements in the Sacra­ments remaine that which Paull be the spirit of God doth call chem. But Paull be the spirit of god doth cal them bread and wine, and that after the consecra­tion, or else they coulde not bee recea­ued vnworthely, nor drawe on so heauy a iudgment, as to be guilty of the Lords body, and blood. Ergo, the elements in the Sacrament remaineth, breade and wine, and are not changed into the na­turall bodie and blood of Christ. Heare the base shift, that the Apostle vseth, the names which they seeme for the [Page 13] names which they are will not houlde, for that were to feede the errour of the fenses, and to brangle the foundati­on of faith: which thing bee farre from this Apostle who trau [...]lled so faith­fullye and discreit ye [...] Apostle­shipe.

Heare thou hast seauen argumentes, gentle reader, th [...] weakest of all which, if wee hade no more, were sufficient to beare out this cause with greater pro­bability, then any that our aduersarie hath to the contrary. The firste, thirde, fifth, and sixth, concludeth the negatiue that the breade, and wine, are not the reale, and essentiall bodie of our Saui­our: The second proueth, that they are types an [...] figures of Christ, exhibited for the ransome of our sinnes. The fourth, and seuenth, that the bread and wine, remaineth in their owne natures, and are not transubstant [...]a [...]ted, as the Church of Rome laboureth [...]o earnestly to bring the worlde to beleeue▪ And so of these seuen arguments, four erefutes the aduersarie, and three confirmes the truthe.

[Page 14]Nowe that the Church maintained this truth, as she receaued it from Christ and his Apostles; for more then fiue hundreth years after Christ I wil proue bee the the testimonies of the fathers, who liued, and taught the Church in that age. And heare I woulde praye the reader not to mistake me. I alleadge not these testimonies to confirme this truth as not sufficiently proued already or to ad more authoritie to the testi­monies of the scripture, for we acknow­ledge the authoritie of the word of God to haue that Maiestie, that if all the world did say against it: yet it remained the certaine trueth of the eternall God, who is trueth it selfe, and can not lye. And wee greatly lament the miserie of this age, wherein there is so many foūd and of them some, who knew the truth, to oppose them selues against so mani­fest a light. But seeing bee the peruers­nes of man, and malice of the deuill it is controuerted: in my simple iudgment the consent of the Church is no small inducement to indifferentmen, and a great slap in the aduersaries saill, who beares the world in hand that they saill [Page 15] before the wind, and that all the fathers of the primitiue Church, doth rowe in their bardge. Which confident asserti­on how false it is, I hope with gods good help, to make it manifest: and to proue be their owne wordes, that none of the fathers did euer know that transubstan­tiated monster, which was whelped in the counsell of Rome fiue hundreth yeares after them, and after that foster­ed in the bosome of that Church. To beginne.De resur, [...]arnis.

Tertullian who liued in the yeare two hundreth, saieth, of the eating of Christ in the Sacrament. Auditu deuo­ [...]andus est, intellectu ruminandus, et fide dige­rendus. That is, bee hearing he is to bee eaten,Di variis locis in math▪ ho [...] 9 be vnderstanding chawed, & bee faith digested.

Chrysostom teacheth the same. Mag­nus i [...]e panis, qui replet mentem non ventrem. This is the great bread, which filles the minde, and not the bellie.

And August.in Ioan tract, 25. Quid dentem, et ventrem para [...]? crede, et manducasti. Why preparest thou thy teethe and thy bellie? beleeue and thou hast eaten.

Cyprian saith,De [...]oena dom [...]ni, esus eius carnis e [...]t qua­dam [Page 16] aviditas, et desiderium manendi in Chri­sto. Quod est esus carni, hoc est fides animae: non dentes ad mordendum acuimus, sed fide since­va sanctum panem edinms. The eating of his flesh is a certaine gredinesse and desire to dwell in Christe. As eating is to the flesh, so is faith to the soule. We sharpe not our teethe to bruse: but faith to eate that sacred bread.

Basilius saith, est quoddam spirituale os interni hominis, Psal. 33. quo pascitur recipiens panem vitae, qui descendit do caelo. There is a spiritu­all mouth of the inward man, bee which he is fed who eates the bread that came downe from heauen. Be the testimonies of which fathers, it is most cleere, and apparant that the Church then tooke the eating of Christs flesh, and drink­ing his bloode to bee a spirituall ac­tion of the soule, not a bodily action of the mouth: that it is eaten be faith, not with the teethe: and digested into the minde, not into the bellie, and foull [...]sto­mache of the receauer.

Of sacraments in generall, August. saith,contrae maximi­num. in sacramentis videndum est, non quid sint, sed quid ostendant: signa enim rerum sunt, aliud existentia, aliud significantia, in sacra­ments [Page 17] it is to bee noted, not what they are, but what they meane: so they are signes of thinges signyfiing one thinge, and in deede an other.

Of figures that they are vsuall in the scripture,Super levite. 56, quest. and that the name of the fi­gure, is set for the thinge figured, and contrariwayes of the thinge for the fi­gure, he saith. Solet res quae significat, eius rei, quam significat nomine appellari. Hinc dic­tum erat petra erat Christus. Non dixit petra significat Christum: sed tanquam boc esset quod [...]vti (que) per substantiam non erat. The thinge which signifieth, vseth to be called ma­ny times be the name that it signifieth Hereupon it is saide, that Christ was the rocke: he saide, not that the rock signifi­eth Christe, but as if it were the thinge, which it was not in substance.

To the same effect he saith.Ioa [...], [...] 36. Non dic­tum est petra significat Christum: sed petra erat Christus: it a enim scriptura solet loqui. It is not said that the rock did signify Christ: but that the rock was Christ: for so the scripture vseth to speake.

This forme of speach,Psal, 3 [...] he and sundrie other of the fathers acknowledges in the sacrament. Ad▪ hib [...]t Iudam ad conui­uium [Page 18] in quo corporis sui figuram discipulis commendauit. Christ admitted Iudas to the Supper, in which he commended to his disciples the figure of his bodie.

And againe,contra ad [...]mant▪ 12 Non dubitauit dicere hoc est corpus meum, cnm daret signim cerporis sui. Hee doubted not to saye, This is my bodie, when hee gaue to his disciples the signe of his bodie.

Chrysostom saith, Christus mortuus non est, Mat hom [...]3 cuius symbolum ac signum hoc sacrificium est. Christ is not deed, of whome this sa­crifice is a symboll and a signe.

Theodoret saith,Dial, 1 Qui seipsum vitem ap­pell at, ille symbola, et signa, quae videntur, ap­pellatione corporis, et sanguinis honor auit: non naturam mutauit. He who called himselfe a vine, honoured the signes, and sym­bolles, which are seene with the name of his bodie and bloode, not changing their nature.

Nazianzenus calleth them [...]oon megaloon mysteerioon antitypa, [...]pitaph f [...]atris The figures of great mysteries. And in another place tou timiou soomatos antitypon, The figure of his glorious bodie.lib. 3 cap 16

Tertullian to proue against Marcion that the bodie of Christ is not a fantasie [Page 19] taketh an argument from the Sacra­ment in these wordes. Acceptum panem, ac­distributum discipuilis corpus suum illum fecit hoc est corpus meum dicendo, id est figura cor­poris mei: figura autem non [...]uisset, nisi verita­tis fuisset corpus. That is, taking breade and diuiding it among his disciples, hee made it his bodie, saying This is my bodie. That is, this is a figure of my body. Now it coulde hot haue beene a figure of his bodie, if his bodie had not beene a very bodie: because men vseth not to make figures of phantasies.

August.lib, 4 de doctrina teaching in a long discourse, that the scriptures alwayes implyeth some figure, when they seeme to command, facinus or flagitium. That is as he him self expoundeth it, an ill turne to him selfe, or to an other: in the ende bringeth for example, the place out of the 6. of Iohn. The letter whereof these men vrge so instantlie, and concludeth it to be a figure, in dispite of the pope, & the counsell of Rome, which did in can­non it eight hundreth yeares after him to be catholick doctrine to grinde and rend the sacred bodie of Christ with sa­crilegious teeth. Nisi manducaueritis car­nem [Page 20] filii hominis, et sanguinem biberitis, &c. Facinus (saith he) vel flagitium videtur iube­re, figura ergo est. Except thou eate the flesh of the sonne of man, and drinke his blood, seemeth (saieth August) to command a foull turne: and therefore is a figure.

In these places of August. Chrysos­tom, Theodoret, Nazianzen, and Ter­tullian: and many moe, that might bee alledged to this effect, it is manifest that these fathers, and the Church in their times, tooke the wordes of the instituti­on this is my bodie, figuratiuely.

Origen saith. Si secundum literam acci­pis id, [...]omil▪ 7 in le [...]itquod dictum est, nisi manduca [...]eritis car­nem filii hominis litera illa occidit. If thou vnderstand after the letter, the wordes of our sauiour (except you eate the flesh of the sonne of man, &c.) that letter kil­leth.

Hyeronimus saith. De hac quidem hostia quae in commemor atione Christi mirabiliter fit, De consee [...]ift, [...], edere licet: de illa uero quam Christus in ara crucis obtulit secundum se nemo potest edere. Of that oblation which was made won­derfullie in remembrance of Christe, a man may eate but of that which was of­fered [Page 21] vpon the alter of the crosse, of it self no man can eate.

Chrysostom saith, Si carnaliter accipis, Ioan hom 27. nihil lucraris. If thou receaue it carnallie, it will doe thee no good.

Of these places it is plaine, that the flesh of Christe is not eaten with our teethe, and that the eating the flesh of the sonne of man, is not to bee vnder­stood literallie.

Cyrillus saith,Ioan, lib, 4, cap, 14, Christus credentibus disci­pulis fragmenta panis dedit. Christ gaue to his beleeuing disciples, peeces of bread.

Hieronymus saith. Christus in typo san­guinis sui non obtulit aquam, ad ioui [...]i anum, lib▪ 2, sed vinum. Christe in the type of his blood offered not water,lib, 1, epie [...] 6, but wine.

Cyprianus saith. Dominus sanguinem suum vinum appellauit de botris, et acinis plu­rimis expressum. The Lorde called wyne pressed out of many clusters, & grapes his bloode.

And againe,lib▪ 2▪ epi [...] 3 Inuenimus vinum fuisse, quod dominus sanguinem suum dixit. Wee finde that it was wine, which the Lorde called his bloode.

Of these places it is cleare, that it was bread and wine, which Christ gaue [Page 22] to his disciples: bittes of bread, & wine wrong out of grapes.

Irenaeus saith,lib, 5 cap 1 panis eucharisticus carnis nostrae substantiam auget. The bread of the eucharist (that is of the Lordes supper) turneth to the substance of our flesh, & augumentes it.

Origenes saith.mat cap. 15 Ille cibus, qui sanctifica­tur, iuxta illud, quod habet materiale, in ven­trem abit, et in secessum e [...]citur. That meate which is sanctified (that is consecrated to a holie vse) according to the matter or substance of it goeth downe into the bellie, and is cast out into the iakes.

Be these two fathers it is plaine that the breade in the Sacrament doth nou­rish the body, passeth through the belly, and auoydeth into the draught, which were an absurd thinge, to speake of the precious flesh of our Sauiour.

Cyrill saith, Christus cum discipulus suis etsi non corpore: lib. 9. cap 22 tamen virt [...]te deit atis semper futurus. Christ will be with his disciples howbeit not bodilie: yet bee vertue of his diuine power alwayes. And in an o­ther place.

Christus non poter at in carne versari cum apostolis, Ioan, lib 11 cap 3 post quam ascendisset ad patrem [Page 23] Christ coulde not in his flesh conuerse with his disciples, after that hee was as­cended to his father.

Athanasius saith,De peccat in spirit, sanctum Quomodo vnius homi­nis corpus vniuerso mundo sufficeret? Quod tanquam in illorum cogitationibus versatus Christus commemorat. A quibus cogitationi­bus, vt eos auocaret, quemadmodum Paul [...] an­te suae descensionis de coelo mentionem fecit, ita nunc reditus sui in coelum. How can the bo­dy of one man suffice the whole world? which thinge hee recordes, as if hee had beene in their heartes. From which thoughts to drawe them, now hee ma­keth mentiō of his ascending into hea­uen, as hee had done before, of his des­cending from heauen.

By these two fathers yow maye see, that Christ is ascended into heauen, as concerning his bodie. And to perswade the Capar [...]aites, saieth Athanasius, that hee ment not, that they should eate his very bodie: he telleth them that it shuld returne to: heauen againe, and that they should not haue it to eate. Which thing August▪ setteth down most plainely an­swering the same Capernaites. Si ergo videritis filium homi [...]is ascendentem, vbi erat [Page 24] Prius quid est hoc? hinc apparet vnde fuerant scandalizati. Illi enim put auerunt illum eroga­t [...]rum corpus suum [...]ille autem dixit se ascen­surum in coelum, v [...]i (que), integrum. Cum videritis filium hominis ascendentem, vbi fuerit prius certe vel tunc videbitis, quia non eo modo quo putatis erogat corpus suum. Certe vel tum in­telligetis▪ quod gratia eius non absumitur mor­sibus. That is, if you see the sonne of man ascending, where he was before, What is that? heerof appeareth the ground of their offence. For they thought that hee would exhibite to them his owne bodie. But he telleth them, that hee was to goe whole to heauen (as if he woulde saye) when you see the sonne of man as­cending where hee was before, then shall you see that he will not so bestowe his bodie, as you thinke, then shall you vnderstand that his grace can not bee consumed peecemaall, or bit and bit. This is that Christ him self teacheth, The poore shall you haue alwaies, but me you shall not haue alwayes, & that which Peter teacheth. That the heauens must hould him, while al things be restored. This is that which our beleefe teacheth, That he sitteth at the right [...]and of his father. Heere their distinction [Page 25] of his visible and vnuisible presence is a dreg of mans braine. Christ him self ne­uer taught vs of that vnuisible presēce. And wee will not learne such deep my­steries at men, who may deceaue, and be disceaued, that Christ can doe it, we de­ny [...] not: but that he will doe it, we will beleeue no man but him self, of whome we are sure,in paeda­gogio lib, 2, cap. that he will not lye.

Clemens Alexandrinus saith, Duplex est sanguis domini, alter, carnalis, quo redempti [...] sumus, alter spiritualis quo uncti sumus. Et hoc est bibere Iesu sanguinem participem esse in corruptionis domini. There is two sortes of the Lordes blood, the one carnal, where with we are redemed: the other spiritu­all, wherewith wee are anointed. To drinke the Lords blood is to bee parta­ker of his puritie, and incorruption.

Cirill saith,contr [...] nestor anathe [...] 11 Num humanae carnis cōmesti­onē hoc nostrum sacramentū pronuncias, et ad crassas cogitationes vrges irreligiose mentes [...]orum, qui crediderunt. Et attentas tu huma­nis rationibus tractare ea, qu [...] sola et purafide accipiuntur. Callest thou our Sacrament caniball barbaritie, and presest irreli­giouslie the minds of them that beleeue to grosse thoughts? and aseyes thou to [Page 26] handle that with humaine reason, which is receaued by pure faith onely.

Ambrose saith. Fide tangitur Christus, [...]ide videtur: Lue, lib 10, non tangitur, Corpore non oculis comprehenditur. Christ is touched be faith, and seene be faith. Hee is not handled with the handes, nor seene with the eies.

August. saith,lo [...]n tract 2 [...]. Dominus dixit se panem qui descendit de c [...]lo, hortans, vt credamus in illum, hoc est manducare, panem vivum, qui credit in illum manducat. The Lorde saide that he is the bread which came downe from heauen, exhorting vs to beleeue in him: for that is to eate the breade of life, that came downe from he [...]uen. He that bele [...]ueth in him, eateth him. Bee these places you see, that to eate Christ is to beleeue in Christ, and pertake his puritie, and that hee is eaten onely be faith not with the teethe.Dial, 2, c [...]p 24

Theodoret saith. Christus naturam pa­nis non mutat, sed naturae addit gratiam. Christe changeth not the nature of the breade:Dial, 1, cap [...], but to nature addeth grace.

And againe, Post consecrationem mysti­ca signa non exuunt naturam suam: manet e­num prior substantia, forma, et species. The [Page 27] mysticall signes after consecration put­eth not of there owne nature? for the former substance, forme, and shape a­bideth.

Ambrose saith, Sunt que eraut, et sn ali­ud commutantur, De iis qui initiantur they are the same thing they were before (that is, breade and wine) and are turned to on other, that is turned to an other vse, to present to vs the bodie and bloode of our Sauiour to feede our soules spirituallie.contra eu [...]icha [...]

Gelasius saith in sacramento manet pa­nis, et vini substantia. In the sacramentes the substance of breade and wine re­maineth.

Irenaeus saith [...] Quemadmodum qui est aterra panis percipiens vocationem domini iam non est communis panis, sed eiu haristia ex. duabus rebus constans terrena et celest [...] ▪ sic et corpora nostra percipientia cucharistiam iam non sunt corruptibil [...]a spem resurrectionis ha­bentia. lib, 4. cap 34 As the breade growing out of the earth, receauing the Lords institution, is no more common breade: but the eu­charist consisting of two things the one earthlie, the other heauenly. So our bo­dies receauing the eucharist, are no more corruptible hauing hope to rise [Page 28] againe.

Be these fathers it is cleere, that the substance of the bread abideth: and that the eucharist, that is the communion of thankes giueing consisteth of an earth­lie, and a heauenly thing.

To conclud this matter, Chrysostom saith in Vasis sanctificatis non ipsum corpus Christiest: sed mysterium eius continetur. In the sacred vessels, the verie bodye of Christ is not but a mistery thereof.

And August, saith more peremptori­ly. Non hoc corpus, quod videtis, manducaturi estis: non bibituri sanguinem, quem fusuri sunt qui me crucifigent: sed sacramentum vobis ali­quod commendaui. You are not to eate the bodie which you see: nor to drinke the blood, which they are to shed, who will crucifie me. But I commended a cer­taine mysterie to you, &c.

In these places which I haue quoted, you haue plainely without any glosse al that we teach, and beleeue of this sacra­ment. That the words of the institution are figuratiue: That the action of eating and drinking these mysteries is spiritu­all: That the bodie of Christe, is recea­ued b [...] faith, not be the mouth: That the [Page 29] wordes of the institution are to bee ta­ken literallie: That the body of Christe which suffered for our sinnes, is in hea­uen, & not in the Sacramēt: That to eat the flesh of Christ is to beleeue in him: That the substance of the breade, and wine abideth, and is not transubstanti­ated: And lastly, that the body of Christ is neither in the holie vessels, nor eaten be them, who receaueth this sacrament. All these thinges I haue heere proued (I saye) in plaine categoricall wordes, which the aduersaries can not avoide, without most odious and absurd gloses, which the actours neuer knewe, nor thought. Yet not-withstanding, they vendicat these fiue hundreth yeares, as the other fiue hundreth also, vntill the dayes of Berengarius, and beareth the ignorant in hand, that all is theirs with­out contradiction. They haue such a confident grace in shamelesse lyes. But heere I would beseech the diligent rea­der to iudge betweene vs, and them in­differentlie. Bellarmine the great Rab­bi of the seminarie at Rome, and the go [...]ah of that vncircumcised congre­gation gathereth what euer hee could [...] [Page 30] find with his owne trauels or the trauels of the whole seminary which bee report serued him, what euer had anye shew for his purpose. Hee hath gathered to­gether aboue a hundreth and nine pla­ces of all which I dare promise the dili­gent reader, that hee hath not two which speaketh the thing, which hee woulde haue. In them all hee hath nei­ther founde transubstantiation of the e­lements, nor accidents without sub­iects: nor subiects without accidentes, nor the bodie of Christ rent with teeth, nor that the accidentes are the out­ward signes in the sacrament: nor that [...]he bodie of Christ, is at one time, both in heauen and all other places where the sacrament is ministred: nor any o­ther of these new theoremes of the Ro­maine faith without a glose, and that sometimes impertinent; sometimes ob­scurer then the text, sometimes repug­nant to the text, and alwayes per­uerting the true sense of the author. I hope that no man will count these alle­gationes equiualent, except they proue all the theoremes, and appendices of transubstantiation as cleerelye as wee [Page 31] haue done. Notwithstanding whate uer they or we can doe in this kinde, is no proofe of the truthe, but a witnes of the consent of tymes.

Nowe in this place followeth next to be considered howe this monstrouse o­pinion of transubstantiation began to insinuate it self into the heartes of men in the ages following, for from this time forth it beganne dailye to grow, and to gather strength. In the mysterie of the sacrament, there is such a secrete, & sa­cred coniunction of Christs blessed flesh, with the seales as we can not well vnderstād, nor is lawful for vs curiously to enquire: but reuerentlye to beleeue: that his bodie is the bread, which came downe from heauen, and giueth life vn­to the worlde. On Christs parte by the secret and vnseene efficacie of his diui­nitie hee conuaieth him selfe into our soules to feede them vnto eternall life. On our parts there is an action iointly of the soule and bodie, the one recea­uing the elementes with the mouth of the bodie: the other receauing the body and bloode of Christe bee the mo [...]th of f [...]ith. In this action the whole powers of [Page 32] the soule, and body are occupied at one instant applying all the comforts of the senses to the soule. The mouth tasting sweetnes, presents sweetnes to y^e soule: the stomach receauing refreshment, mindeth the soule of refreshment: The vitales receauing strength, comfort, & life offers to the soule, the strength, comfort, & life: that floweth from the bread, of which, who-so-euer eateth, shall ne­uer hunger nor thirst againe. To printe this analogie into our heartes, and to lift our senses from the sensuall consi­deration of these present obiects, to the spirituall contemplation of his absente flesh, it pleased the wisdome of our Sa­uiour, to name the figures of breade and wine his bodie, and blood, broken and shed for the faithfull partakers of these mysteries. And that he doth not chang­ing the substance as these men woulde haue vs weene: but turning the vse of bodilie meate to present to our deepe speculation, the meate that feedeth the soule to eternall life. This besides the places alredie cited, Theodoret about foure hundreth yeares after Christ tea­cheth as resolutelie as euer did either [Page 33] Zuinglius or Caluin, his wordes ar these faithfullie translated because they are ouer long to set downe in his owne lan­guage. Our Sauiour changed the names, to the bodie giuing the name of the signe, and to the signe giuing the name of the bodie. His purpose is mantfest: for he would haue them, who did participate his diuine mysterie to haue no eye to the thing, which they sawe: but bee chang­ing the names to apprehēd the change made be grace. For calling his naturall bodie bread, & meate, and calling him self a vine, hee honou­red the signes with the names of his bodie and blood, not changing their natures, but adding grace to nature.

This example of our Sauiour, all true preachers in all ages, who laboured to instruct the heartes of men in these mysteries followed: & when they sawe the mindes baselye contented, with the externall action, manie tymes they amplifyed the presence of Christe, with hyperbolicall argumentes of his diuine power, to lift the heart from the elements, to the thing presented be the elements. For as mariners, betweene two dangers in the seas, beareth of that which they moste feare, towardes [Page 34] that which they leaste suspect: euen so these teachers drew the people frō the elements subiect to the sense towards a bodely presence, contrarie to sense, ne­uer surmizing, that men woulde bee so credulouse as to take such hyperbolical amplificationes for simple suthes. The deuill who hath alwaies beene red­die of good to take occasions of ill, wa­tered this weede with all helpes. Firste hee bred in the heartes of men such a colde regarde of these holye mysteries, that few resorted to them, as it appea­reth be the grieuous complaintes of the fathers of that age, and lawes made be sundrie emperours to mende that fault. Be this meanes he so incensed the harts of them, who had the hādling of them, y^• no man thoght his eloquēce suf [...]iciēt to amplify the presēce of Christ in y^e sacra­ment, & with high speeches to imprint a reverent estimatiō of these sacred my­steries in the dull heartes of the people. This continued well nye three hun­dreth yeares, without suspition of ill. With the opinion of a corporall pre­sence the deuil drew in be little and lit­tle, that the verie bodie of Christ offer­ed [Page 35] to the father in the masse was a sacri­fice propitiatorie for the quick, & dead: and the people (as wee are all borne to superstition, and idolatrie) imbraced that more gredelie then any truth. The Clargie spying the masses to become good marchandise, and hopeing for greate cheates to the kitc [...]in bee that market, put to their shoulders, & lifted the sacrifice aboue the sacrament. So this weede grewe dailie, as weedes commonly growes fastest, till few could find the truth, & that onely such as dili­gently sifted the Scripturs, and fathers of former times. It was long before men grew so brasen faced, as to denye the fi­gure in the words of the institution. The first that wee reade to haue commed so farre was Damascene, about the yeare eight hundreth. After him followed Pas casius, and Theophylact wel nye a hun­dreth yeares. These men broke the yce to them that followed: but pearsed not into the depth of this diuinitie, Tran­substantiation of the elements, acci­dents without subiects, and subiects without accidēt [...] the monstruous brude of the Romane Church were not yet [Page 36] clecked. She had not yet sit vpon that egge, neither was these men yet so well resolued as vpon all occasions to sing one song. They dissēted in many things from them that followed, and in sundry thinges from themselues. At this tyme and before this monster grew to a head the Lord raised vp one Ioannes Scotus besome tearmed Erigena paedagoge to the worthye Emperour Charles the great, a man of great learning, and well red both in Greeke and Latine. This man wrote a learned work, against this erroure, and in the beginning of it be­gan to descry the firste conception and whole genealogie of this mōster. Soone efter followed an other called Bertram a preist, or as some thinkes a monke of Corsbie in saxonie, where Pascasius al­so was bred. This booke is yet extant, wherein hee learnedly cites the fathers, mightely vrges the scriptures, and pro­vidently preuents the whole matter of transubstantiation. This worke and the author also Tritemius highlie com­mendeth, both for life and learning. It escaped, I can not tell bee what diuine prouidence, the fyrie purgatorie of ver­selles, [Page 37] in the flames whereof the booke of Ioannes Scotus was quite consumed. Yet there was an other prouided for it be the Doctors of Louan, & be the counsel of Trent called index expurgatorius, not to consume all (for that would haue beene a discredit to the holye Church) but to raze such sentences as were vncureable and where it woulde serue the turne to charge no thing but the affirmatiue in­to the negatiue, substance into acci­dents, temporall into eternall, &c. That is to saye, white into blacke, lighte into darkenes, and truth into a lye. These two book [...] were then published not in a nooke, but in the open light and face of the world, & the one of thē at the cōman dement of the Emperour Carolus mag­nus. They continued from aboute the yeare eight hundreth to the troubles of Berengarius, which fell out aboute the one thousand and fiftie yeare, without condemnation or accusation of heresie: which wa [...] an argument that the weede had not then ouerrshadowed the corne, Bertram maketh mention of [...] eate contention the [...] in Fra [...]e aboute this matter, which arg [...]s that the right [Page 38] side was yet a partie. They who had hard the reuerent Beda or his schollers, for the moste parte, swaied that waye. Heere Maister William Reinolds in his booke against Maister Robert Bruce seemeth to leaue his reader to thinke that these two men, are either theirs, or neuters. They wrote darkely (saith hee) of the truth of this Sacrament, and so doubtfully, that the Zuingliās vse their authoritie, against the Catholickes, and the Lutherans againste the Zuinglians. In which wordes, hee woulde leade the reader to thinke that Scotus, and Ber­tram wrote for transubstantiation but in such obscure tearmes, as might bee drawne to [...]ny sense: so lothe are they that wee haue the shadowe of any anti­quitie, before the dayes of Berengari [...]s. [...]t that time (because it is written in the Reuelation, that after a thousand years, the deuill should be let loose) he is con­tent to grant that opposition was made to the veritie of Christs bodie, in the sa­crament, and cites for witnes, to blot it no [...]withstanding with a note of new­ne [...], [...] Foxe whome hee tearmeth the Martyr [...]ker. But to let him goe [Page 39] with his tantes (for we must beare worse then that, if neede bee) if that prophesie be to be referred iuste to that tyme, let them see if it maye not better be vnder­stoode of the Church of Rome. Which at that time began to persue their bre­thren with fire and fagott: and made Lawes, to compell all men to beleeue vnder paine of both deaths temporall, and eternall, that a rounde wafer, with the picture of Christe in it, was the very essential body of Christ, that was borne of the virgine Marye. This was more like to haue beene the loose deuill and the lying deuil to, which euer since hath raged in these partes, then that of Be­rengarius, which was soone bounde a­gaine, and vnder paine of burning com­pelled to fing tongue thou lyed. If that was the deuill, who is daylye rosted in the eternall flames of the f [...]re of hell, hee was fell fleed for a fire that woulde haue beene done in one day. But if these books were not plaine with vs, I would aske of Maister Reinolds, why the pope burned the one, & the index expurgatori­us mangled the other. But wee are much beholden to him, how-be-it [Page 40] he denieth vs this antiquitie: yet hee would faine haue it beleeued, that our doctrine was condemned of heresie, in the very daies of the Apostles. To proue this,Dial3 cap 19 he quotes Ignatius out of Theodo­ret, who saith, that some acknowledged not the eucharist to be the flesh of christ that suffered for our sinnes. These some heritiekes he woulde haue taken to bee men of our minde, that in those times denyed transubstantiation of the bodie of Christ. Yet if he had marked with ad­vised iudgmente the drift of Theodoret (for out of him the meaning of Ignatius is to be gathered) hee might haue seene that Ignatius spake of such heritickes as Theodoret alledges him againste: or else the allegation of Ignatius had been impertinent. But Theodoret alleadged him against Valentinian, Marcion, and Manes, who denied Christ, to haue suf­fered reall paines in a reall bodie. Ergo Ignatius spake of heritikes, who denied Christ to haue suffered reall paines in a reall bodie. For as odious as wee are in Maister Reinolds eies, it will be as hard for him to conuince vs of this erroure, as to make the place of Ignatius other [Page 41] wayes to bee spoken of vs. This argu­meut of Ignatius was common amongst the fathers againste that heresie: that if Christ had not a true body, and suffered not reall paines for our sinnes, the sa­crament could not bee a figure thereof. As Tertulliā reasons before, because mē vse not to make figures of phantasies. And heare it will be harde for Maister Reinolds, to clenge his hart, and hands of falshoode, and forgerie, for alledging Ignatius out of Theodoret against that which Theodoret plainely & frequent­ly teacheth: that the sacraments are Tou pathous typoi, Dial, 3 cap 15 figures of the passion: and,Dial [...] cap 8 symbola cai typo [...] ou tees theoteetos, allatou s [...] ­matos, cai haimatos. Signes and figures not of his deitie: but of his bodie, & bloode. But to returne to our storie. Wee reade after Bertram, aboute the yeare nine hundreth and fiftie, that their rose [...] greate controuersie likewise in Ingland about this question, which is a proofe that a hundreth and fiftie yeares after the debate in France, which Bertram maketh mention of, that the right side was then also a partie, and that, the bet­ter part. For transubstantiatiō (for now [Page 42] that tearme was clecked) stoode Odo Archbishope of Canterburie garded with a greate armie of rascall ignorante preists, who woone their dayly drink by a disceatfull market of breade, for flesh. On the other side, was the rest, & better parte of the Clergie. The Bishope was so armed with multitude, that maior pars picit meli [...]rem, the greater part conque­red the better with arguments which in those times were growen to a greate hea [...] [...], vniuersalitie, and false miracles. A hundreth yeares after that aboute the yeare one thousand and fifty Berengarius deacon of Sainte Maurice in Angieres, wrote a letter to Lanfran­cus abbat of Bec-heloin in Normandy, declaring the abuses of the Sacrament, and commending vnto him Ioannes Scotus his learned work vpon that que­stion. It fell out that Lanfrancus himself was then absent, and his conuent ope­ning the letter sent it to the pope. There the Pope summoned a counsel and condemned the man being absent of here­sie and commanded Lanfrancus at that tyme being his freind, to answere him vnder no lesse paine then to be as great [Page 43] an hereticke as he. Lanfrācus following the swaye of the worlde, for afterwarde hee was made Bishop of Canterburie in England, performed the charge laide vpon him, without all regarde [...]fformer freindshipe. Berengarius not-withstan­ding, abiding constante Pope Leo the ninthe summoned him to a counsell at Verseles and there damned▪ him a­gaine, being absent, and burned the booke of Ioannes Scotus, which he had cōmended to Lanfrancus before. After this Victor the second seeing Berenga­rius for all this in high estimation, and account, both with the Nobiliti [...], and people, for he was a man of singulare graces, g [...]ue direction to the French Church to summon, & take order with him. They therefore assēbled at Toures, whether the Pope also sent his legate Hilde br [...]nd, who afterwarde was Pope himself, one of the cursedeft that euer was clecked. Before them Berengarius appe [...]red, and for as ill as the worlde was, satisfied them & Hildebrand also, prouing his doctrine be the Scriptures, fathers, and counselles to haue beene the ancient faieth of the Church. But pope Nicolas the second, not conten­tented, [Page 44] with this summoned him to Rome againe, to a counsell helde in the Castle of Lateran there: and drawing him thither with faire promises, gaue it him to his choise, whether he would re­cant or burne. Where the cowardlie man, now in his oulde age, for feare of that, which was moste spent, made that beastly recantation, which is yet extant in Gratian, a perpetuall argumente of his dasterdlye courage, and the brutishe ignorance of that counsell, of which the fyner papistes since hath beene ashamed, and their owne glosse saith in the decreits, that if it be not wel taken, it is a fouler erroure, then was that of Berengarius. Thus was that sillie man counted before (as recordeth Fuldebert bishop of Cenomanum) both for life and learning, the flowre of his age, compelled againste his conscience bee a hersel of ignorant mules to con­demne and curse the truth, to his great [...]reife, and terroure in the houre of his death. After this the truthe beganne to sinke, and ignorāce ouerwhelmed al­most the whole Church. The knowledg of tongues decayed and he was counted [Page 45] the greatest clarke that coulde speake most barbarous Latine: and teare out of whole peces, such distinctions as would haue troubled all the schooles in Athe­nes to vnderstand. Notwithstanding this cruell dealing with Berengarius Benno Cardinall of Hostia recordes, that Gre­gorte the seauenth, before called Hilde­brand, who at the commandement of Victor the second, had hard Berengari­us him self in the counsel of Towres, re­mained so vnresolued heereof, that hee sent to Anastatius, to praye, and com­manded his Colledge to fast, to get some secret reuelation from heauen, of this mysterie. By which doubt of the pope himself, it should seeme, that the reasons of Berengarius were not lighte, that sunke so deep into his heart (as hard as it was) that the hole sea of rome [...]uld not wash them awaye. After this, this truth was still persecuted, till these our times be the wolfes of Rome, that gote the custodie of Christs sheepe, bee hooke, and crook, and forged falshood. The first that we reade of, to haue abide the flames of this purgatorie (for now it was growen hotter, & burned not one­ly [Page 46] bookes, but both booke, and bodie, was one Peter Bruce, aboute the yea [...]e one thousand two hundreth. Hee was a doctour in Tolouse of great account at that time, and many flocked to his les­sons, of all degrees. Hee for his laboure was burned quick, for that was now be­come the stipend of truth, how-be-it it had beene as cleare as the sunne, if the pope of Rome allowed it not. Notwith­standing the fall of his Maister, one Henrie his scholer tooke the [...] in hand, and boldely sustained i [...]. Their followers, which were manye, and the more bee the cruell handling of Peter (for sanguis sanctorum semen ecclesiae, the the bloode of the saintes, is the [...]eede of the Church) were in dispi [...]e called Pe­tro-Brucianes, & Henricianes, as these men are euer reddie to nik-name whosoeuer dissents from them. Aboute the same time, there was an abhot in an other part of France, I cannot finde the name of the place, and a prieste at Lis­moore in England of the same opinion▪ The centuries calleth them sacramen­taries that they might no more goe without a nikname, then their fellowes. A­bout [Page 47] the yeare, one thousand one hun­dreth & three score, there was in Lyons one Waldus a Merchant, for welth and wisedome of good account. This man walking in the fields, for repast as some writeth, or on the counsell of the towne as other recordes, sawe one in the com­panie fall downe deade. With which spectacle entring into a deepe specula­tion of the frailtie of this life, and the vanitie of our cares s [...]t on a thinge so fraill, hee turned his studies to prouide for the life that lasteth without ende. Wherefore hee got him a Bible which booke in those times was rare in the handes of the Laitie, & not so frequent in the hands of the Cleargie, as worse bookes: and like the man in the gospell [...]o buye the Iewell of the kingdome of heauen, spent the rest of his trauels (for hee was learned) to seeke out of it the true water of life. The thinge which hee learned him self, hee imparted to his fa­milie and catechised it. His maner of teaching was so familiare, & effectual, that sundrye of his neighbours, resorted to his house to heare him. This congre­gation grew frequēt, & the priests grew [Page 48] angrie. Wherefore like dogs in a man­ger, that neither can eate the haye, nor will let the horse, they charged him, to let that labour alone, and not to put his hooke in their haruest, except hee would doe worse. The man caried more with conscience, which straited him; then caring for their boaste, whome he sawe doe no other good, but roare in a Church: followed his godly course, and his neighbours for all the feare refrai­ned not his house. Whereupon they excommunicated and cursed him with bell, booke, and candle, and al his follo­wers, and confiscated al their substance. There they sundred some seeking this waye, and some that, where they coulde finde any succour: and woone where e­uer they came the praises of good life, and godly learning, being named com­monly in waye of pittie, pauperes Lugdu­nenses, the poore of lyons, as they were in deede stripped out of al and left as pure as Irus. Some of them went into Lom­bardy, some into Boheme, & some set­led at home in Prouince, Guien, Lan­gue [...]ock, &c. In Bohem being delated to the King bee ane Doctour Austine, [Page 49] they wrote to him a confession of their faith most sounde, and Catholicke, mis­take me not, I meane not Romane Ca­tholicke, but that which Christ deliue­red to his Apostles, and the Apostles to the Church, and the Church to this houre hath kept pure, and cleane, as they receaued it, and vnmingled, with the dregges of mans witt. But to our purpose, they who setled at home gote noe long rest. They were dayly and heauely persecuted, by the Bishopes Arelatensis, Narbonensis, Aquensis, & Albanensis. They possessed two townes called Cabriers, and Merindoll till our dayes, that is to saye, till the yeare, one thousand fiue hundreth fortie fiue, and the vaile of Angroingu [...]. The Bishope had accused thē to the Parliment of Aix for defection from the Catholicke faith. The Parliment had giuen out sentence that they should haue beene destroyed, man, woman, and childe. And their Towns, & Trees, euerted be the rootes. This bloodie sentence, laye ouer fiue yeares, and was once attempted be the President Casson, and afterwa [...]de for­bidden be the King, as ouer c [...]uell a­gainst [Page 50] innocent people. At last one Mi­neres, Lord of Opede, a bloody tyrant, and their mercilesse enemie, at the re­quest of the Bishope, delated them to y^e King falsly, that they were all in armes against his Maiestie, and bee moyen of the Cardinal Turnonius, got the Kings letters patent, to take the forces provi­ded for the English warres, to meete them. This bloodie monster, atchiued with crueltie the thinge, which hee had begunne with a lye, and put to the sworde, those two townes, and two and twentie villages about, without mercie of sex, or age. It were horrible and tedi­ous to tell the perticulares. Let them who would know that, read Sl [...]idan or she booke of Martyres. Onely for a taste: hee burned fortie wemen, in a barne, of which, many were with child▪ The like crueltie was vsed againste the rest of them in Piedmōt & in Vallies of Angroing, Lucern, Perouse, and Sainte Martynes. Aboute the same time, An­no one thousand fiue hundreth fortie fiue. Thus were that innocent people with the greate regrate of their neigh­boures, destroyed among whome the [Page 51] Lord till then had preserued to him­selfe a Church, worshiping and ser­uing him, according to his owne word. Nowe hauing deduced this doctrine to our owne times, it remaineth to open the hidden mynes, through the which these men hath drawen this rotten wa­ter, as out of the well of life, where-with this eight hundreth yeares they haue poysoned many milliones of soules.

The foundation that they laye to raze this monstruous worke on, is the wordes of the institution. This is my body▪ which is broken for you. To mentaine in these wordes a literall sense, they per­vert the true sense, of many places of scripture, and to null a figure in this place, they force many monstruous fi­gures on other places, they denye com­mon sense, they pervert nature, and at one worde, they mingle heauen and [...]arth together. Before I buckle with their arguments, I hope this reason shal satisfie any minde, that will heare rea­son, that these wordes are not evident ynough, to lead our faith to such a mon­struous [...]. Noe scripture that will [...] anad [...]t [...]ther meaning is of [...]uf­ficient [Page 52] importance to lead the heart of a Christian, to a persuasion contrary to sense, and abhorring from nature. But these words of the institution, wil beare an othe [...] meaning. Ergo, these words of the institution, are not of sufficient im­portance, to leade the heart of a Cristi­an to a persuasion contrarye to sens [...], & abhorring from nature. That the words will beare an other meaning, admitting both a figure, and the letter, is proued alreadie. That the persuasion is mon­struous no man seeth not. That [...]eeing breead, feeling bread, and tasting bread it is not bread, which thou eatest, but the very flesh of Christ, which thou nei­ther seest, feelest, nor tastest, is againste sense. To rend with thy teethe, and put downe into thy foule bellie, the preci­ous bodie of Christ, which was broken for thy sinnes, beside Cannibal crueltie, were impious inhumanitie. And there­fore the scripture, that must induce the faith to beleeue a thinge so contrarie to faith should be single, simple, pregnant, and vncontrouleable. And now to their arguments.

The first is, that all sacraments shuld [Page 53] consist of simple,M, Iohn hammiltō con, and plaine wordes without ambiguitie, but figuratiue wordes, are not plaine and simple with­out ambig [...]itie. Ergo, Sacraments shuld not consist of figuratiue wordes. Firste this argumente destroyeth vtterly the na [...]ure of a Sacramente. For as August. teacheth, all Sacramentes are visible signes, of vnvisible graces, that is seene figures of graces, which are not seene. As for plainesse, figuratiue speeches are many tymes playner then they, which are without all figure. As for the wordes whereon we stand, there is no speeche more vsuall, when men presentes them­selues be lots, then this is I, and that is thou. Mistake me not, I haue proued al­redie sufficiently, that the sacrament is not a naked figure. As for ambiguitie, will these men set the eternall worde of GOD to the schoole, and [...]each him to speake? What if the spirite of God will haue his word so tempered, that it may be the sauoure of life, to them that liue, and the sauoure of death to them that dye. Doubtlesse his sheepe knowes his voice, and hee goeth in and out before them. He maketh them rest in greene [Page 54] pastores, and leadeth them to the still waters As for his enemies, he hath tem­pered their cuppe with galle, and mad [...] the worde of life to bee a block in their way. He hath left ambiguities for heri­tickes to waken his Church out of the dreame of securitie. It is good (saith he,) that offences be: but woe to them bee whome they come. And in this poynte it is a wonder, to see how God hath in­fatuated the [...]ense of these men, to seeke a knot in a rushe, and to force a sens­lesse sense on his worde against sense.

Secondly out of the same words they make this argument. That which Christ divyded amongst his disciples, was his bodie broken for them. But his essential bodie was broken for them. Ergo, that which he deuided among his disci­ples, was his essential bodie. All this we confesse to be most true, as our Saui­our spake it, that is sacramentallie. That which he deuided amongst his desciples was sacramentally or figuratiuelye his bodie, which was broken for them, that is his reall and essentiall bodie in a fi­gure but not bee transubstantiation or mutation of the bread into his bodie.

[Page 55]Thirdely, they vrge hard this letter I am the bread that came downe from heauen.Ioan, 6, And againe, my flesh is meate in deede, ga­thering that therefore his essentiall bo­dy is in the sacrament. This enthymem I haue done what I can, to caste into a syllogisticall moulde, for I wou [...]defaine playe faire playe, and displaye their ar­guments in their best geere. But it will not bee for mee without a manifest, and seene blemish. Yet if it can bee (for I ac­knowledge my owne weaknesse) the answere is cleare, and reddie. Christes flesh is the meare of the soule, and not of the bodie, of the minde, and not of the mouth. It is eaten be hearing,De res [...] carnis chaw­ed bee vnderstanding, and digested bee faith, saith Tertullian. This our Sauiour teacheth him selfe, who knew it better then the pope without sauing his holi­nesse, and all the Iesuites to helpe him. I am the breade of life (saith he) he that com­meth to me shall not hunger, Ioan [...] 53 and hee that be­leeueth in me shall neuer thirst. Out of which words this argument floweth. To come to Christ and beleeue in him, is to eate the breade of life, that thou neuer hun­ger nor thirste againe. But to come to [Page 56] Christ, and beleeue in him is not to eate with thy tethe the reall flesh of Christ, which was borne of the Virgine Marie. Ergo, to eate the reall flesh of Crhiste which was borne of the Virgine Marie with thy tee [...]h [...], is not to eate the bread of life, that thou neuer hūger nor thirst a gain. [...] 48, And a little after, he that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life. I am the bread of life. Which Syllogisme adding the propo­sition, may haue this forme. Whosoe­uer beleeueth in the breade of life hath euerlasting life. But I am the breade of life. Ergo, Whosoeuer beleeueth in me hath e­uerlasting life, where you [...]ee beleeuing for eating. But that which followeth in the rebuke of them, who tooke him to speake of a carnall, and fleshlie eating is most pregnant. It is the spirit which quickneth: [...], 63 the flesh profiteth no thing: the wordes that I speake are spirit; and truth: That is to saye it is the spiritual eating of my flesh, that quickneth, and giueth life: the fleshlye and carnal eating of it, can doe you no good. For my wordes are spiritu [...]ll and liuelie, that is effectual to life. In all that cap. he that will marke attentiuely shal finde that whole discourse with the c [...] ­pernaites [Page 57] to be spiritual: and the differ­ence betweene them and him, to bee their carnall concept, of his spirituall wordes. Hee shall finde the meate spiri­tuall: the life that it feedeth spirituall: and the teethe that eateth spirituall. There he shall finde,vers▪ 53▪ that hee that eateeth not his flesh hath no life in him,vers, 47, that is,vers, 33. no spirituall life: and hee that belee­ueth in him hath eternall life, that is to eate the breade of life that came downe from heauen, and giueth life vnto the worlde.

Thirdlye,cap, [...] ▪ sect, [...], Maister Rainolds againste Maister Robert Bruce reasoneth thus. Christes bodie is there present, where it is broken. But it is broken in the sacra­ment. Ergo, it is present in the Sacra­ment. To the maiore we answere that it is present in the Sacrament, as it is bro­ken in the Sacrament. But it is broken onely in a figure, and therefore is pre­sent onely in a figure. But to the faith­full Christ presents in deede bee a di­vine communication with the Sacra­ment his verie bodie to feede the soule. Bvt if he wer bodily in the Sacrament, then the wicked would also participate [Page 58] his bodie: which thing Christ himselfe denieth, in Ioan. c. 6. v. 56,

Fourthly.Exod 24, 8 [...] 22 2 [...] the same man in the same place reasoneth out of the wordes of Moses concerning the olde couenante, and the wordes of Christe concerning the newe thus. That whereof Christe spoke is the bloode of the newe Testa­mēt, as [...] whereof Moses spoke, was the blood of the olde. But y^• whereof Moses spake was the verie bloode of the olde Testament. Ergo, that whereof Christe spoke, was the verie bloode of the newe Testament. Of this argument, we deny the minor. The blood of both couenants wa [...] one, the bloode of Christ Iesus, who made the vnion in the olde Lawe, be­tweene god & them, & maketh the vni­on in the new Testament betweene god and vs. The blood of be [...]es in the olde testamēt, was not the very blood of the covenant. And therefore this man hath founde a knife, to cut his owne throate. The wine of the newe Testament is the bloode of the newe couenant, as the bloode of [...] beues and sheepe, was the bloode of the olde couenant. But the bloode of beues and sheepe, was not [Page 59] the very blood of the olde couenant, but a figure thereof. Ergo, the wine in the new Testament, was not the very blood of the couenant, but a figure thereof.

Lastly, they cast vp to vs incredulity, and not beleeuing the omnipotencie of Christ.M, Iohn hammiltō of the L. supper They beare the worlde in hande that wee denying Christe to turne the bread into his bodie, are more incredi­lous then sath [...]n, who beleeued, that he coulde make breade of stones. To cast this sweete simile into the teethe that it came from: These men are as capti­ous as the devill. Hee reasoned a potentiae ad actum, If thou arte the Sonne of GOD command that these stones bee made breade: they follow the same [...]rade: hee was the sonne of God▪ Ergo, he changed the breade into his flesh. The question is not heare, what Christ could doe, but what he would doe. We know and con­fesse as wel, as they, that Christ can doe what he will: but will not doe all that he can. To proue that Christs will was to doe a thing▪ (as I haue said) so contrarious to nature, & so refuted bee sense, it behooueth the testimonie to be with­out exception: That Christ was borne [Page 60] of a virgine, that he walked on the wa­ters, that hee turned water into wine, (these are the exemples of their induc­tion) the spirit of truth that cannot lye, hath t [...]stified in plaine tearmes. If that spirit had testified as plainely, that in his last Supper hee turned the breade into his bodie, and left nothing to our taste; but accidents, we should beleeue this as well as that, and bee Gods good helpe haue stoode as surely to it, as all the Ie­suites since the first Iesuit Ignatius Lai­ola.

But seeing these proofes are no [...] thing, but figured scriptures turned to their naked skinne: wee hope that all Christians will abhore that vgly sinne, to rend with mercilesse teethe, his flesh, that hath borne the horrour of hell,M, Iohn hammil [...]on ibid. [...]o purchase mercie to vs.

Heare they woulde faine buckle on vs an absurditie out of the words of the institution, which we may not passe by. In the worde [...], This is my body which was broken for you. The prononne (this) de­monstrateth that which was broken for the sinnes of the elect. But in our opini­dion the pronoune (this) demonstrateth [Page 61] the breade. Whereof (say they) it will follow, that breade was broken for the sinnes of the elect. Firste the maiore is not true, for the pronoune (this) demon­strates not the thing, but the figure of the thing, tha was broken for the elect Secondly, there is a parte of the maiore left out of the conclusion, which should haue been, expresse [...]: Ergo, the bread is the bodie which was broken for y^• elect, which conclusion is true in a figure. And heare it is a world to see the blindnesse of these men: for of their li [...]erall sense, this absurditie will followe without a warde. The pronoune (this) demon­strates, that which was broken for the elect. But the pronoune (this) demon­strates, the bodye of Christe vnder the shape of bread. Ergo, the bodie of Christ vnder the shape of breade, was broken for the elect.

This is al to my remembrance, which they can drawe from the scriptures. with any shew of reason, or probability. But heare to get more elbowe-roome, and m [...]e startling holes, they appeale to the Church, & all writers of all ages. A large forrest in deede, where their is [Page 62] many bushes to hide a lye. First for the Church, they will prese vs to accept the Church of Rome. If they had anye such promise as Ierusalem hath manye, that. The spirite of the Lorde shoulde neuer departe from her: and that hee woulde set his tabernacle their for euer: the worlde woulde bee ouer little to holde them. But seeing Ierusalem is fallen not-with-standing these promises: wee may well doubt of Rome that hath no promise. And seeing Rome hath had 7. Kings, was set on seauen hilles, was drunken and is drunken with the blood of the saintes, and was the greate citie which regned ouer the Kinges of the earth: it is verie suspitious that she is the seate of the scarlet whoore. And there­fore let them set their harts at rest: for wee will not admit the shadowe of her name. As for the writters of all ages we will not refuse them on certaine condi­tiones. We acknowledge the scriptures the onely well of truth and life. If any man bring vs water out of their cesterns we haue example of him that sent vs to the scriptures onely, to suspect poyson, We will ken noe strange fire that is [Page 63] no new doctrine in the Lords sanctua­rie, without the warrant of the wo [...]de of truth. For wee count [...] authoritie of man, no not of all men sufficient to giue lawes to the conscience. Onely God is Lord ouer i [...], and able to con [...]roll i [...]. He that seeth not the hearte, can not binde the heart to any lawe, if these men, who woulde so faine laye on vs the yocke of mans authoritie, can produce one man with warrant from him, that made man not to be a man, that is, in no thinge to erre, and be disceaued. we will take his worde. when wee haue seene, and tryed his warrant. But if he dwelleth in neigh­boure rowe among his brethren: they must pardon vs to trye his golde with the true tuich stone, which cannot de­ceaue, nor bee disceaued. Of this minde was August. that hee woulde trye all mens writtinges,ad [...] epist, [...]. were their names ne­uer so Catholicke be the scriptures▪ and wisheth others to doe the like with his. On this condition then we will admitt the testimonies of men, to proue that this light (as I haue saide) be Christ and his Apostles, once kindled in the Church, for all that his enemies coulde [Page 64] doe, was neuer extinguished since. For the Church of God his true spouse maye be banished to the wildernesse: but ne­ver vtterly destroyed. It is true that our aduersaries heare, musters the names of the fathers, and bragges of al antiquity. It woulde bee long and tedious to exa­mine all their particulare allegations. Therefore to be shorte, I will set downe two obseruations, which cutteth off what euer seemeth to make for them for six hundreth yeares after Christe, of which I haue touched the one alredie, declaring the causes, how transubstanti­ation crap into the hearts of men. That is, that it is our parte, when wee receaue these holy mysteries, to lift our senses so from the elementes, that we neuer let it enter into our thoughtes, that wee re­ceaue breade and wine: but assure our consciences, that Christ bee the secrete ministerie of his divinitie doth feede our soules with the true breade of his bodie to et [...]rnall life.in Genel, [...]omil, 24, That is, that which Chrysostom teacheth. Oculifidei. quando vident haec in effabilia bona, ne sentiunt qui­dem h [...]c visibilia. When the eyes of [...]aith beholdeth these vnspeakable good [Page 65] thinges, they no wayes feele the sensi­ble thinges, which are set before them. This then being harde for our senses to mount aboue their owne obiects, and to set their intention on graces so vn­sensible to our corrupted instrumentes: the fathers to stirre vppe this spirituall consideration in vs, faleth out manye times in hyperbolycall speeches, which they neither ment them selues, nor any man of indifferent iudgment conside­ring y^e drift of their words can suspect to haue bene their meaning. In this forme Hierom saith.In Psal 97 Christus nobis quotidie cruci­figitur. Christ is dayly crucified vnto vs. Gregory saith.De conse [...] distinct 2 quid sit▪ Christus iterum in hoc my­sterio moritur, eius caro in populi salutem pa­titur. Christ dieth in this Sacrament: his flesh suffereth againe for the life of the people. Chrysostom saith, In his mysteriis mors Christi per [...]icitur. In Act hom 2 [...] In these mysteries the death of Christ is perfited. August. saith, Vos estis in mensa, vos estis in calice. You are on the boorde,De conse, dist [...]nct 2 quia pass, you are in the cuppe. Chrysostom in an other place saith, Ecce agu [...]m dei mactatum a principi [...] mundi: De sace [...] lib, 3. I am hauriture latere eius sanguis: I am [...]otus populus eius sanguine sparsus et r [...]bore [Page 66] persusus est. Beholde the Lambe of God slaine from the beginning. Euen nowe the bloode is drawne out of his side: e­ven nowe the whole people is sprinkled with his bloode and spotted with the rednesse thereof. Who can bee so grosse headed as to thinke that these men did meane as they spake: That Christe is crucified, that Christe is slaine againe: that Christ suffereth in the Sacrament; that the blood is drawen out of his side, and that the people are sprinkled and made red there with. Seeing then the fathers are some-times extraordinarie in this kinde of amplification: we would pray the modest and discrete reader, when he meeteth with such speeches in them, either in his owne rerding, or al­leadged bee the aduersarie, to weigh them with their owne circumstances, and other places of the same authores, to see if they haue anye hyperbolicall weight, to settle them deeper into the hearte of the hearer. The other thinge which I would commend to the discre­tion of the reader is the name (nature) which is not alwayes taken for sub­stance, b [...]t sundry times for the natur­all [Page 67] power, vertue, or vse of thinges. So Chrysostom saith of Elizaeus potuit vnda­rum mutare naturam, vt ferrum sustinere cogeret. De virt [...]e [...] vit, [...]om, 5. He had power to change the na­ture of the water, and to force it to beare yron. Where you see that the water was not changed into a more so­lide bodie, but the naturall liquiditie was altered that against nature it stood together, and bore the yron. So speaketh Ciril of the water in Baptisme. Quem admodum viribus ignis intentius ca­lifacta aqua, In Ioan lib, 2, cap 42, non aliter, quam ignis vrit: sic spritus sancti operatione, aquae ad diuinam reformantur naturam. As water who [...]e bee the power of the fire burneth as sore as fyre it self: so the water be the working of gods spirit is changed to a heauenly nature▪ I am persuaded that these men will not saye that the substance of the water is also changed in Baptisme into the bloode of Christ, how-be-it the rea­son be as good to saye this as that. Bee these examples I woulde haue the cir­cumspect reader warned, that when he readeth in any of the fathers, that the nature of the breade is changed in the Sacrament hee take it not for sub­stance [Page 68] alwayes. I will giue the an ex­ample or two of the moste peremptorie places that these men hath, and which maye beg [...]le a wise and circumspect reader. Harding against Iewell allead­ges out of C [...]prian these wordes. Panis iste, Articul 10 sect 2, quem dominus discipulis porrigebat, non effigi [...], sed natura mutatus omnipotentia verbi factus est caro. This breade which the Lord gaue to his disciples changed not in shawe, but in nature be the omnipo­tencie of the worde was made breade. Where firste note that hee calleth it breade, which hee gaue his disciples, which thing, as this day, were heresie in Rome. Secondly, that hee saith not the substance of the bread is changed: but the nature of it, which being created to feede the bodye of man to temporall life, is now changed be the omnipoten­cie of the worde, that is Christ, to feede the soule to eternall life. Thirdelye, where hee saieth the breade was made flesh it proues not a chāging of the one substance into the other.Cap 1 For Iohn saith of the sonne of God. that the worde was made flesh, which not-withstanding was not turned into flesh. Lastly, the hyper­bole [Page 69] of the omnipotencie of the worde sundrie of the fathers vseth of the wa­ter in Baptisine, which abideth wa­ter still, and is not changed into the blood of Christ. Beda saith,In octa [...] epiphan Panis, et vini creatura in sacramentum [...]arnis, et sanguinis Christi ineff abili spiritus sanctificatione trans­f [...]rtur. The creature of breade and wine, be the vnspeakable sanctification of the spirite is translated to the Sacrament of Christes bodie and bloode. Where you see as hyperbolicall wordes, not to change the breade and wine into the bodie, and blood of Christ, but into the Sacrament of his bodie and blood.

Maister William Rainold, againste Maister Robert Bruce,Cap [...] sect 5 alleadgeth two places out of Ambrose, which being weighed in these confiderations will proue no transubstantiation.De iis qui untiantur cap. 9 Ambrose comparing the efficacie of Christes wordes with the words of Elias, at laste concludeth if his wordes were of such force that they caused fire to come downe from heauen: shall not Christes speach be of sufficient force, to alter the nature of the elements. First the La­tine worde (which hee interpreteth na­ture, [Page 70] is species elementorum, The shapes of the elements which it is certaine to the sense remaineth vnchanged, and so the wordes beareth a manifest hyper­bole. It is true that Ambrose in that place vseth sundry high amplifications, not to persuade the breade, to be tran­substantiated into the essentiall bodie of Iesus Christ, but from the authoritye and power of the consecratoure, to set­tle into the heartes of men, a dreadefull account of the consecration. That this is his drift, it is plaine in the same place, Where he saith, ante benedictionem rer­borum coelestium alia species nominatur, post consecrationem corpus Christi significatur: Before the celestiall blessing, an other forme is named, after consecration Christs body is signifyed (saith hee) not in deede transubstantiated. For that which doth signifie his bodie, can not be the same thing which it signifieth.

In the other place,De sacr [...], lib, 4, cap, [...] Ambrose teach­eth that the consecration is made bee the wordes of Christe, the selfe same whereby all things were created, and after a long induction concludeth, it was not the body, but breade before [Page 71] secration: but after when Christs words came there to, then was it the bodie of Christ. (and addeth) thou seest then how many wayes, the speach of Christe is able to change all thinges. This long induction of Christes power (as I haue saide) is to noe other ende but bee the powerful consecration of the elements, to settle a resolute persuasion in our heartes of Christs presence, which is the vnseene subiect of our faith. That Am­brose knewe not transubstantiation of the elementes, it is plaine in that same cap: also. Where he saith, Si tantavis in sermone domini fuit, vt inciperentesse, quae non [...]rant, quanto magis operatorius est, vt sin [...] quae erant, et in aliud commutentur. If there was such power in the worde of the Lorde, to make thinges beginne to bee that they were not: howe much more powerfull is it to make thinges byde that which they were before, and to be changed into an other. Where note that he saith the bread, and wine abid­eth the thinge, which they were, that is, breade and wine, which these men de­nieth. And a little after warde hee saith, similitudinem pretiosi sanguinis bibis. Thou [Page 72] drinkest the l [...]kenesse of that precious bloode. In the cap. following also hee calleth it figura corporis, et sanguinis, A fi­gure of the bodie and bloode of our Sauiour Iesus Christe. If Ambrose had thought the elementes of breade, and wine, to be the essentiall and reall body of Christ, hee woulde neuer haue called them similitudes, and figures thereof. If these men woulde buckle that opinion on Ambrose, or anye other father, let them produce him in his monstru­ous coloures of accidents, without their naturall subiects, and subiectes without their naturall accidents, and substance changed into substāce. For we are sure­ly persuaded that transubstantiation was neuer beleeued before these strange theoremes were vniuersallie receaued. And if they cannot find these theoremes, which muste haue rung in all the pulpits and schooles, if that doc­trine had beene receaued, before the counsell of Rome, which condemned Berengarius: let them pardon vs to thinke that, that doctrine was not till thē knowne in the own complexion. To conclude this matter of the fathers: it is [Page 73] no wonder, that these men presum [...]g on the ignorance of their readers, draw the amplifications of the fathers to their bent: seeing they blush not to take Cal­vin, and Maister Robert Bruce, whome all men knoweth to dissent from them at such stottes. Maister Rainolds,Cap, [...] sect, 2 quot­eth out of Caluines instituti [...]ns foure or fiue places, which if hee had written a thousand yeares before, would make a greater shew for their transubstantiati­on, then anye thinge that father Robert Bellarmine, hath founde among all the fathers, and more pregnant then these places, which I haue answered of Cy­prian, and Ambrose. The firste is in the mysterie of the Supper (saieth Caluin) Christ,Insti [...]u [...]. 4, lib cap, 17 sect, 10, [...], 11. that is Christs bodie, and blood, be the signes of bread and wine is truly deliuered vnto vs. And al-be-it it may seeme incredible, that in such distance of places, he shoulde passe downe to vs: Yet let vs remember howe farre his power exceedeth our sense, and that our minde cannot comprehend, let our faith conceaue.Ibid, sect 31, Againe, in his holy sup­per, hee willeth me vnder the symboles of breade and wine to take, eate, and [Page 74] drinke his bodie and bloode: I no thing doubt, but hee truely giueth it, and I re­ceaue it. The like [...]e playeth with Mai­ster Robert Bruce.Cap, 6, sect, [...], To the ende (saieth Maister Robert) that this sacrament maye nourish thee to life euerlasting, Thou must receaue in it thy whole Sa­uiour, whole Christ, GOD and man, without separation of his substance from his graces,Ibid, sect [...] or of one nature from an other. And againe, It is not ynough to see Christ in heauen be faith: but he must bee giuen to vs, or else hee can not worke health and saluation in vs. These places hee quotes, and sundry o­thers as pregnant as these, not that hee woulde haue it thought that these men did beleeue transubstantiation: but producing other places of theirs, a­gainst transubstantiation to stayne their constancie with contradiction. But if Ignatius had wrote these wordes within one hundreth years after Christ: Had they not beene as purpose-like, as the words which I haue answered page. 40. Or if Cyprian or Ambrose had writ­ten them what had they beene behind the places▪ which I haue euen nowe an­swered [Page 75] In which practise it may appeare that al is not gold y^• these men can make glister. And y^• al men meaneth not [...]ran substantiation. whose wordes these men can make sounde that tune. As for Cal­uin, or Beza, or Maister Robert Bruce, it is as easie for men of this facultie to qualifie any thinge written bee them a­gainst this heresie, sauing the denying the name of transubstantiation, and o­ther newe the oremes, which the fathers neuer harde of: As sundry places of the fathers which our men hath alledged against them. In which it woulde set ones teethe an edge to see their shiftes, August. meaneth not this: Cipryan speaketh not that: nor no father what e­uer he saieth, speaketh anye thinge. but that which they put in his mouth, how­beit, he neuer knew any such thinge as they father on him. For example, Mai­ster Robert Bruce alledges in his Ser­mon the place of August. which I haue cited page, 20. to proue the wordes of Iohn: Except ye eate of the flesh of the sonne of man figuratiue. Out of which wordes thus it may bee gathered. All script [...] which seemeth to command a foule [Page 76] deade, is figuratiue and not literall. For that is August. drift, in all that place teaching to knowe the scripture, where it implyeth a figure, and where not. But this scripture, Except you eate the fl [...]she of the sonne of man &c. S [...]emeth to com­mand a foull deed. Ergo, this scripture, Except you eate the flesh of the sonne of man &c. Is figuratiue, and not literall. To this Maister Rainolds answereth with a boulde face, as if it straited them not. Saint August.Cap, 19 [...], [...]. wordes answereth them selues: and so hee doth in other places, and euen heare the seconde place an­ [...]wereth the firste: because it notifyeth how farre forth this speach is figuratiue. Onely this may be added to the first &c and the reste of it, no thinge to the pur­pose. This answer woulde trouble as good a witte as his that made it to vn­derstand it. For my parte I muste con­fesse my ignorance except his meaning be that August. woulde haue this place partely figuratiue, and partlye plaine for so his wordes soundeth howe farre forth these wordes are figuratiue. If this be his meaning, it is an other new lesson such as nature neuer bred. August. that [Page 77] sillie man had neuer beene at this schoole. In all that booke De doctrina Christana hee knowes no other senses of wordes but figuratiue, or proper. The wordes of Christe, Except you eate the flesh of the sonne of man▪ he denyeth to bee pro­per, and so concludeth them to be figu­ratiue. Now commeth in Maister Wili­am Rainoldes with howe farre figura­tiue: as if they might bee three or foure inches in the tope, or the bottome figu­ratiue, and all the reste of them proper. This is strange diuinitie. It maye goe in the Church of Rome, among their false miracles: but wee admitt noe miracles nowe, and therefore Maister William Rainlods, muste make this place either all together figuratiue, as doth August. or else altogether proper which August. denyeth. Let him laye his hande to his heart, and take which hee will. Marie if hee will take that which August. deny­eth, hee must pardon vs to follow Aug. and let him goe.

Now hauing deduced this cause to our owne times, and opened how these men pulleth the mouthes of the fathers aside, to make them speake their phan­tasies: [Page 78] it remaineth, because I heare that some men braggeth of Maister Will. Rainolde his sharpnes against Maister Robert Bruce, to lay open his quicknes: For my part I wonder what sharpnesse they see, except it be y^e bitternesse of an vncleane mouth, spitting not onelye on the men that hee dealeth with, and ne­uer sawe▪ the galle of an vncircumcised heart [...] but also tantinglye scoffing at Chri [...]es blessed ordinance,Cap, 3▪ sect, 1 calling it a beggerly bitt of breade, which vnreue­re [...]t worde, coulde neuer haue fallen from a hearte that reuerenced Christes institution, how euer men might misuse it. But to let alone his bitternesse, and taste his sharpnes.

Maister Robert Bruce reasoneth thus.Cap, 18, sect, 1, No finit body can be at one time in sundry places. Christes bodie euen now glorifyed is finite. Ergo, Christes bodie now glorified can not be in sundrie pla­ces at once. To this and other two argu­ments takin from visibility, and palpa­bility, hee answereth without anye au­thority, but his owne, That these things are no more necessary to the bodye of a man, then to eate, drinke, sleepe, reste, [Page 79] increase, decrease, & weare to corrup­tion. Now marke his sharpnesse, to eate, drinke sleepe, &c. are no longer neces­sarye to a mans bodie, then it lyueth a life subiect to alterationes. But to bee finite, visible, and palpable, are necessa­rie to a bodie being deade, risen againe, and euen glorifyed in the kingdome of heauen. Our Sauiour after his resur­rection, was seene of moe then fiue hun­dreth. Thomas and sundrye others felt him, and when he was at Emaus with the two disciples: he was not in Ierusa­lem with the other nyne, for as neare as it was: and when hee was in Ierusalem with the eleuen, hee was not in Ierico nor no other place of Iudea nor of the worlde. And heere the ingenious rea­der maye see, that his sharpe answere shutteth beside the marke, and hitteth no part of the argument.

To three places of August.Ad Da [...]d In Ioan tract, 3, that the bodie which is not in some place, is not at all. That the bodie, in which the Lord rose, must be in some place. And that all bodies bee they greate or small must be in some place. To one hee an­swereth, that hee speaketh of common [Page 80] bodies: to an other that he speakes no [...] of Christes bodie in the sacrament. This laste is easie to bee beleeued. Au­gustine neuer thoughte Christes reall bodie as it was borne of the Vir­gine Marie, to bee in the breade of the sacrament: and therefore it is liklie that hee spake not, of the thinge, which hee knew not. Yet this man saith, that hee euerie where acknowledgeth it, but produceth no where. Thou hast harde August.In Psal, 98 say page 28. that they who re­ceaueth the sacrament, eateth not the bodie, which his disciples sawe, And page 18. that Christe doubted not to saye. This is my bodie. When he gaue the figure of his bodie. And therefore I woulde praye thee, not to take Maister Wil. Rainolds naked worde against seene proofe. If he can produce one where of this euerie where, where Aug. saith plainely, that the bodie of Christe is in the Sacrament as it hanged on the Crosse, I shall giue him my hand. That Christe is in the Sacrament wee grant and places out of August. or any other to that effect maketh no thing againste vs, nor no thing for their presence flesh [Page 81] bloode, and bone. The scripture teacheth of Christe, that hee was like vs in all thinges, sinne onely excepted: and so his bodie must bee in all thinges like our bodies. Now in the place quo­ted bee Maister Robert Bruce Saint August. speaketh of all bodies in gene­rall, and therefore of Christes bodie al­so euen in the sacrament, if it were in the sacrament. And heare I woulde praye the reader, to marke a tricke of Romaine Logicke, to haue no excepti­on from an vniuersal axiome, but onely the thing in question where of the doubt is whether it be or not.

To a text out of the Actes of the A­postles,Actes, [...] vers, [...] that the he auens must containe Christ till all thinges be restored, hee answereth with a perhapes (such credit these men giueth to the eternall truth) that it may proue Christes bodie to bee in heauen: but that it is no where else, hee vtterly denyeth it to proue,Cap, 1 [...] sect, [...] except it bee in the reprobate sense of a sacramentarie. This you see is well sayed to it. And yet for all this boulde face, I hope this argu­ment will holde in the sanctified sense of a chosen Christian. He that saith the [Page 82] finite bodie of Christ is in heauen, de­nyeth it to bee any where else. But Pe­ter in this place saieth, that The finite bo­dye of Christ is in heauen. Ergo Peter in this place denyeth the body of Christ to be in anye other place, till all thinges be restored. &c. This answere it seemeth that he mistrusted, and therefore fleeth to a better shift, and denyeth the text. The wordes are translated verbatim out of the greeke and latine also. For in these words the fintax of bothe langua­ges agreeth. Hon dei ton our anon deches­thai. Quem opertet caelum capere. Whome the heauens must containe. In deede they are not thral in english to the per­uersnesse of a wrangler, as they are in greeke & latine. If that be a falt it is the falt of the language, & not of the tran­slator. And therefore that these wordes were neuer spoken be Peter, nor writ­ten be Luke: but forged bee Maister Robert, or some phanaticall brother of his sect: is a thudde of Maister Rai­nold his choller, which manye times blowes lowder then his loue. As to the English Bible of Kinge Edwardes time we are not bounde to it. That Christe [Page 83] muste containe the heauens vntill the time that all thinges be restored, which he must containe also after that restitu­tion, is ouer impertinent and vnproper a sense to shoulder out the other lyeing so plaine to the wordes, and containe­ing an assertion, that the aduersari [...] can not denye. Moreouer it is to be marked that to bring in that sense, the accusa­tiue Onranon which praeceedeth the verb, must violently be cast behinde the verb, which thinge to auoide an incon­venience were tollerable: but to bringe in a nedlesse and imperfect sense is per­versnesse.

Next Maister Robert reason­eth.Cap, 1 [...] sect, 3 Euerie humaine bodye is visible, and palpable. Christes bodie if it be in the Sacrament is a humane bodie. Ergo Christes bodie if it be in the sacrament, is visible, and palpable, This argu­ment he calleth the weakest of all, for it is a parte of these mens facultie to crye when they are sorest bitten, that they feele no thinge. But I hope to make this argumente sticke as fast to their skinne, as the best in the packe.Luk, 24 vers, 39 To our Sauiour (saieth hee) to proue the veritie [Page 84] of his body, this argument was forcible▪ but to Maister Robert to proue the negatiue that Christes bodye is not in the sacrament it hath no force at all. And this hee exemplifyeth in his spite­full maner with A. B. a minister that preacheth heresie (he might haue taken William Rainoldes for example, for except I am deceaued hee was a mini­ster, or at least a preacher of that, which nowe hee calleth heresie) of whome it will follow (saith he) affirmatiuly that he is an heriticke: but of that hee is no mi­nister, and preacheth no heresie, it will not follow that he is no hereticke. But his simile, if he had anye of that sharpe­nesse, with which some slandereth him, holdeth not. It is common to all hu­mane bodies to be visible, and palpable but it is not common to all heritikes to to be ministers, and preachers. But that M. Roberts argument holdes both ne­gatiuely & affirmatiuely, thus I proue. All negatiues of inseparable accidentes proues the negatiue of the subiect. But visibilitie, and palpabilitie are insepara­ble accidents of a humane bodie. Ergo, the negatiue of visibilitie, and palpabi­litie, [Page 85] proues the negatiue of a humane bodie. This argument, for as weake as it is, it will passe the cunning of all the Ie­suites in Rome, and Remes to answere without an instance in the question, that the naturall bodie of Christe in the sacrament, is neither visible, nor palpa­ble. Which assertion is contrarie to sense, damned bee reason, and without warrant of the word, except an ambigu­ous place which I haue proued the fa­thers for 500. yeares to haue taken figuratiuelye. If any amongst them be­leeueth the fable of Gyges his ringe which hee there alledges let them be­leeue lyes, that wil. We admitt no such proofe in maters theologicall.

After this Maister Robert alledges the articles of the Beleefe, not as an o­ther argument, then that of Peter in the thirde of the Actes, as this wrangler pretendeth: but as an other testimonye againste their monstruous presence. The argumente is the same that be­fore. That Christ seeing he is in heauen, is not in the Sacrament. To eleuat this place, this wrangler alledges Cal­vines interpretation of sitting at the [Page 86] right hand of God: and supposeth Mai­ster Robert to gather his conclusion thereupon, that therefore, because hee hath all power giuen him in heauen, & earth, he is not in the sacrament. But this is wrong libelled, hee leaueth out the tongue of the trumpe, and then scorneth, because it will not playe. Mai­ster Roberts argument is, that Christ is in heauen, at the right hande of his fa­ther, as it is in the beleefe. Ergo he is not chowed, and champed amongst the teethe of men in the Sacrament. The force of the argumente is not from his sitting, at the right hande of his father: but from his being in heauen. And there fore Caluins interpretation of his fit­ting at the right hand of his father, is an vntimely birthe. The same waye he mis­shapeth the argument of the Actes but of that alredie.

Lastly, hee answereth three places of Iohn, with an answere, and that (as wee saye)1 [...], 28, [...]17, 11, 14, 12, [...], 16, hough inoughe. The firste place is I leaue the worlde and goe to my father. The second is, I am no more in the worlde. The thirde is, I goe to my father, and will praye [...]im to send an other comforter to abide with [Page 87] you. All this he answereth, that Christ be the worlde meaneth his conuersation in the worlde with men, to giue or take anye bodily helpe, as hee did before his pa [...]sion. It is true that be the world hee maye meane that: but that hee meaneth that onely, is as vntrue. For hee left the worlde, as hee went to his father: so the text speaketh plainlye. But hee went to his father body, and soule. Ergo hee left the worlde, and as hee speaketh in the second place, he is no more in the world bodie and soule. The last place yealdeth an other argument, which how-be-it he is answered sufficientlye, yet I can not omitt. Christ going to his father, did not that in his humanitie, which hee sent the other comforter to doe. But hee sent the other comforter to abide with them for euer. Ergo Christe in his manhoode bideth not with them, that is with his Church for euer [...] which he most needes doe if he were daylye receaued in the Sacrament.

The 19. cap. he beginneth with a great contempt of the arguments which he is to deall with. Calling them Iudaicall, heritical, & founded vpon manifest lyes [Page 88] some derogatorie to Christs glorie, and all without pith or power. The peeuish ignorance whereof (as hee speaketh in the former chap.) he imputes to Maister Robert, as the onelie author of them. M. Robert is better knowne amongst them, to whom I write, then that the la­uishing tongue of a railing Romane priest, whose mouth runnes ouer with y^e venome, of the whoores c [...]ppe, can im­paire an hair-breadth of his name. As for the arguments, which hee in spyte calleth peeuish, there is in them more quicknesse, and sound pith to beare the conclusion through all the Popes semi­naries: than there is colour of probabi­litie in all Maister Reinolds booke à ca­pite ad calcem, that is, from the first word before, to the last word for euer. But to the purpose.

The first is. Of an vnseene & vnheard [...]orporall presence, no spirituall effect can flowe (for that is Maister Rob. meaning) But the effect of the sacramēt is spiritual: Ergo the effect of the sacra­ment can not flowe from an vnseene, & vnheard corporall presence. This argu­ment is in festino in the second figure. so [Page 89] the maior and the minor this Priest lyke a Doctour of the Popes divinity makes no answere. The conclusion he condem neth of Iudaisme, as making as strong­lie against the incarnation, death, and passion of our Sauiour. I would rather there were neither Pope, nor Cardinal in the world, then that were true. Christ came in the flesh to doe a bodely work, not onely a spirituall. To performe the law, to plant the gospell, to suffer death, and at a worde, to offer sacrifice after the order of melchisedech were works to be performed in our flesh. And so it was of necessitie that he tooke our flesh subiect to iniuries, sicknesse, death, and all the illes that hell, and deathe coulde inflict. But Christe in the Sacra­ment hath no bodelie work to doe: and therefore needeth no bodie in the Sa­crament to effect the whole worke of the Sacrament. This argument for as peuish and pithlesse as it pleased Mai­ster Rainoldes to call it, let him doe what hee can will leaue noe roume in the Sacrament for Christs reall bo­die.

The second is that if the breade and [Page 90] wine are changed into the bodie, and bloode of Christe: there remaineth noe signe of feeding, and nourishing, which is a thing necessarie to the essence of a Sacrament. This argument hee calleth false in euerie pa [...]te, and parcell thereof and flat repugnante to the firste. And why for-soothe? because if Christs cor­porall presence can not worke a spiri­tuall effect, what neede we a signe of it? See the wit of a sophist. Is this the sharp­nes that some commendeth? bee the cleane contrarie, if he were present bo­dily wee neede noe signe of his bodie. But now that he is absent in bodie, the signe is giuen vs, to minde vs of his bo­die, and the greate worke of our re­demption, which hee accomplished in his bodie. And so the deepe contem­plation of that bodie, and that worke, moued and wakned in vs be grace from Christ, worketh in our heartes the spiri­tuall eff [...]ct of that Sacrament. But sait [...] he, the accidents moueth the senses, and not the substance, as ordinarie meate doth nourish, bee meanes of the acci­dents. And therefore accidentes are the signe in the sacrament more pro­perlye [Page 91] then the substance. And this hee proueth be the brasen serpent. This is like the rest of it, his collection is quite contrarye to his text. The brasen ser­pent is a figure of Christe. Ergo acci­dents is a figure of Christe without a subiect. Howe so? is a brasen serpent an accident? No, but it hath no thing of a serpent, but the externall figure, which is an accident. Well libelled Sir Wil­liam. Did God ordaine that shape one­ly, to be the figure of Christ? The texte saith, Moses made a serpent of brasse, and set it vp for a signe: not the shape of a serpent. And because it hath no thing of a verie serpent, but an accident, will it follow that it is no thing but a bare accident? Be such Logicke ye may well defende the corporal presence of Christ in the Sacrament, and a greater absur­ditie then that, if a gr [...]sser, and greater coulde be deuised. But to Maister Ro­bert his argumente. That which can not nourish corporrallie, can not bee a sign [...] of spirituall nourishmente. But accidentes of breade and wine [...]an not nourishe corporally. Ergo the [...]ccidents of breade and wine, can not [Page 92] be a signe of spirituall nourishment. To this hee answereth, that meates doth nourish bee meanes of accidentes. But that is doubtfull: and if it were certaine yet that reason can sounde to no sense, but such as haue prostituted their rea­son to serue Antichrist. Meates doth nourish be accidentes. Ergo accidentes doth nourish. If the Pope him selfe or the fattest Cardinall in Rome were so fed but fortie dayes, hee woulde counte accidentes a warish meate. He asketh Maister Robert where he findeth in all the euangelistes, or the writtinges of Paule, that this Sacrament was ordai­ned to signifie spirituall nuriture, which (saieth hee) was indeede apoynted to nourish spirituallie. Heare Maister Ro­bert asketh him againe, where he read­eth in the whole bodie of the Bible, that this Sacramente is appoynted in deede to nourishe spirituallie. As for the firste, Maister Robert needeth no other proofe, then the name of a Sacramente. for the other I doubt me that euer Maister Rainoldes will [...]inde any war­rant from God and his word.

The thirde is, if their had beene such [Page 93] a wonderfull thing in the Sacramente, as they speake of, their woulde haue beene plaine mention made thereof in the scriptures. To which hee answereth that no plainer mention can bee requi­red then this is my bodye which shall be de­liuered for you. And asketh M. Robert if he can with al his studie deuise words more plain [...], more effectuall, and more significāt. This is pertly said to it. These men hath herein a speciall grace. But not-withstanding if wee get no plainer, and more manifest proofe, we are very like neuer to beleeue, that there is any miracle in the Sacrament. For besides that, this text is ambiguouse, and capa­ble of two senses: it hath no mention of changing the substance, nor that the body of Christ is invisible, and vnpal­pable: Nor that there remaineth noe breade, sauing accidents, nor that the bodye of Christ can at once bee in hea­ [...]en, at the right hande of his father, and betweene the priestes handes, at the e­leuation of the masse, with sundry o­ther miraculous mysteries of this diui­nitie, which they neuer learn [...]d of God nor his worde.

[Page 94]The fourth is aboute the pronoune (this) in the wordes of the institution, in which he answereth noe thing, but onelye maketh a bai [...]nelye obiection, that it can not demonstrate breade. His reason is for tharin Latine congru­itie, in (hoc est corpus [...] m [...]um) hoc can not agree with Panis. And in (hicest sanguis me [...]s, hic can not agree with Vinum. In which obiection either he sheweth him s [...]fe a meere ignorant, of the Latine grammer, or else speaketh agai [...]ste hi [...] knowledge. For it is obserued in that tongue that an adiectiue, or relatiue betweene two substantiues, or two an­tecedentes may accorde with either of them. As that of Cicero, Anunal ple­num rationis, quem Vocamus hominem for quod vocamus hominem. Hee woulde bee counted a man either of notable Igno­rance, or peruer [...]e resolution, that woulde denye Animal to bee the ante­cedent to Quem, because it accordeth in gender with H [...]minem. And what may we thinke of Maister William R [...]i­noldes. Who in the words of our Saui­ou [...] den [...]eth Hoc to respect Panis, which Christe did demonstrate because it a­greeth [Page 95] with Corpus. This doubt is not worthy a child in the grammer schoole. But to strike this dead with a syllgisme. In these wordes our Sauiour tooke hreade and after that hee had giuen thankes brake it, and ga [...]e it to his disciples saying, this is my bodye. The pronoune this demonstrat­eth that, which hee tooke and brake. But he tooke breade, and brake it gi­uing it to his disciples. Ergo in these wordes of our Sauiour the worde (this) demostrateth the breade. And so the sense muste bee; This breade is my bodye, which this man pertlye saieth, that Christ neuer spake. That it cannot de­monstrat their Indiuiduum vagum, or the bodie of Christe vnder the shape of breade thus I prove. A pronoune de­monstratiue must demonstrate a thing certaine subiect to sense or reason, But the bodye of Christ in the shape of breade is not a thing certaine nor sub­iect to sense or reason, much lesse their Indiuiduum vagum. Ergo, the pronoune (this) can not demonstrate the bodie of Christ [...], vnder the shape of bread and wine, much lesse Indiuiduū vagum, which it is not possible to english except it [Page 96] be some wandring vagabond.

The fifth and laste aboute the place of August is answered alredie.

Nowe to Maister Iohn Hammilton my olde maister. I beganne with him, and therefore thinke it reason to giue the reader a taste of his reason. The first markable thing that I finde in him is, that since he was made Doctour, hee is become a worse diuine. He hath writ­ten two bookes. The one printed an­no 1581. before his Doctour-shipe bee intituleth of the Lordes Sup­per. And least anye m [...]n should thinke that he giueth it that name, as from the subiect, which he laboureth to confute: he saith in the beginning of it, that of all the controuerted heades, there is none of greater importance; [...]hen that which concerneth the Sacrament of the altar, otherwayes called the Lordes Supper. The words (the Lords Supper) he writ­teeth also in the letters;1, Cor, 11, [...]0. which he sorted for the texts of Scripture, and citations of the ancients remembring belike that Paull giueth it that name. When you come together therefore in one place, this is not to [...]te the Lords Supper. Deipnon Kyriacon that [Page 97] is [...]aules owne wordes. Now he is doc­toured either hee hath forgotten this: or aduising withsome other Doctour of greater account then Paull was;Pag, [...] in his last booke hee condemneth both him­selfe, and Paull of heres [...]e: because this Sacrament was instituted (as hee saith) after that our Lorde Iesus had supped: and therefore is an heresie repugnant to the euangell to call it The Lordes Sup­per. He hath an odde argument for him, to stope euen Paules mouth, if hee were aliue, to speake one worde for him self, ab auctori [...]te negatiue. The fathers called it not the supper of the Lorde. Ergo it is rank heresie to call it so. Bee the same argument no father for 600 yeares after Christ euer knew or wrote the name of transubstantiation, nor accidentes with out subiects, &c. Ergo all these theo­remes of the Romane diuinity are here­sies. But if it were a wonder to see Mai­ster Iohn Hammilton change behold [...] a greater wonder then this. There was nyntene yeare betweene his bookes, and therefore in nyntene yeares hee might well change his concept of Paull who in lesse then nyne-tene monethes [Page 98] (if wee [...]re not mis-informed) changed his opinion of Christe, and of a protes­tant became a papist. But this is stran­ger, for within nyntene dayes, if the printer was not verye slowe, hee chang­eth also the title of this laste treatise.Pag, 286 At the beginning condemning the title of the Lordes Supper for hereticall, and allowing the title of the Sacramente of the alter onely for Catholicke, hee be­ginneth with that,Pag, 34 [...] and for 61. Pages he keepeth it. At last hee changeth that a­gaine, and to the ende which contai­neth 54. pages hee intituleth it of the Holye communion. A wandring minde is inconstant in all his wayes.

But let vs take a vewe of his reasons.Pag, 191 God (saith he) made all thinges with hi [...] worde. Ergo the wordes of Christ (This is my bodye) turned the breade into the bodie of Christe. This saith he the Cen­turion confessed.Math, 8, 8, Saye the worde, and my sonne shall be made whole. And the de [...]ill [...] Math, 4 [...] [...] command that these stones be made breade. [...] this argument Christe him selfe saying,Iohn 6 53 I am the bread that came downe from heauen, is turned into breade,Iohn 15 and I am the true [...]ine, and my father the husband man. He is [Page 99] t [...]rned into a vine, and his father into a husband man, with a snedding knife in his hande to prune him.Ma [...] [...] [...] And where hee saieth to his disciples Ye are the salt of the earth, they were turned into a piller of salte like Lots wife. And to the pha­rasies generation of vipers, Mat 12 [...] they were tur­ned into a nest of young vipers. A [...] for the power of God, & might of his word, we beleeue with the Centurion, that he can doe what he will. But that hee will doe al, that he can, was the faith of the deuill, who persuaded him to make breade of stones because he coulde. As for this question, when Maister Iohn Hammilton can proue to vs, that Christ his will was to create him selfe a new [...] bodie of breade, bee the eternall worde of truthe, we shall addresse our heartes to beleeue it.

Secondlye he argues. It is blasphemy to saye that Christes blessing worketh no thing in the breade: and if it worke anyething, it is no thing but transub­stantiation. To this it maye be replyed, that Christ hath not left vs in the worde that powerfull forme of blessing, and that no other, not the Pope him selfe, [Page 100] can supplye that want, with wordes [...]. As for the words [...] thanks, or (to giue him that) blessing the bread, it containeth onely an asserti­on that he blessed it, not the forme how he blessed it Which thing it may seeme the Lorde left out, foreseeing that these men woulde haue misconstrued it, if they had gotten it. Further they are not yet agreed on it, whether the wordes of the institution, or the blessing, if they had them, worketh this miraculous change. When they are all agreed let M. Iohn Hammilton, if hee like not this answere sende vs word, and wee shall shape him an other.

Thirdely he saith, we giue Christ the ly [...] Pag 295, [...]enying the breade to be turned into Christes bodie. Be that rule (as is saide alredie) hee giueth Christe the lye. that saith he is not a vine, nor a doore. Alace that M. Iohn Hammilton should set his faith vpon such grounds as these.

Fourthlye he woulde proue bee the institution,Pag, 298 that Christ saide masse in his owne person: sitting at the table with his disciples. Masse at a table! [...]ye man [...]oulde he not get an altar, twentie to [Page 101] one that Masse was not Catholike, that w [...]nted an alter hallowed hee some pope. For seeing it is a necessarie in­strument to that action, it was no hard­er for him to haue raised vp a [...] to that ende; then to turne the bread into his bodie, nether hauing two bodies, nor changing the formes of the [...]reade: This doubtlesse was a great ouer-sight. B [...]t heare I woulde aske an other que­stion also: whether he saide masse sec im­dum ordinem sarum, vel Romanum. And what was the forme of his masse [...]loths: whether in the consecration hee keeped the iust number of Crosses, beckes, binges, Ioukes; and turnes prescribed in that action, whether in his memento he prayed for his father and his mother, and in the oblation offered sacrifice for them. And to omitt the rest, for I can no [...] stand on all, whether hee repeted the fiue wordes, hoc est enim corpus meum, with out taking his breath. For if hee o­mitted these murgines, or anye of ma­ny moe then these: he was not so catho­like a preste, I meane so Romane catho­like (and for all my correction pardon my comparison) as for M. Iohn Ham­milton [Page 102] and ten thousand moe, that is [...] and was farre more formal, to mummill [...] Romane Masse, then hee. Heere also might be asked, whether the Masse which Christ saide was perfect, or im­perfect. And if it was perfect as perhaps they may grant, whether all the cros­ses, and kisses in the rubrick of the ca­non of the Masse, and the rest of the ce­remonies prescribed there, be vnneces­sary additions: and if they be, what they were that durste presume to ad to that, which the eternall wisdome of God had praescribed such trashe, and make their inuentiones as necessarie, as his institu­ [...]ion. For now it is growen to that heade that if M. Iohn Ham. for as catholike as he is, or the highest headed Bishope within the Popes precincts woulde ac­knowledge no other Masse, then Christ ordained, [...] 298 he woulde soone be as odious an heritike, as either Martine Luther, or Iohn Caluin. But to his syllogisme. That Christ said Masse thus he reasons. The Masse is no other thing hut the gi­uing and offering of Christes precious bodie and bloode, contained vnder the externall formes of breade and wine, [Page 103] after the order and ri [...]e of melchisade [...] to theliuing God for the people. But Christ Iesus after that he had consecra­ted the breade and wine in his precious bodie and bloode, gaue the same to God the father for his Apostles, sitting with them at the institution of this holy Sacrament. Ergo Christe saide Masse at the institution of the Sacrament. To the [...] of this syllogisme I haue answered that if M. Iohn Hammilton would saye no other Masse then that, he woulde be condemned of heresie for imitation of Christe. The minor I vtterly denye. The text saieth not that Christe gaue th [...] breade and wine consecrated to his fa­ther for his disciples: But to his disciples for a remembrance of his blessed passi­on. That which hee gaue to his disciples for a remembrance of him selfe: it will passe M. I. his intandement to proue it giuen to God for them. But to finde the Masse in these wordes beholde, how many leapes he takes. Firste that Christ gaue this Sacrament to his father. Se­condly that (he gaue) is that hee offered. Thirdely that hee offered it euen then, when he gaue it. Fourthly that h [...] offer­ [...] [Page 104] a sacrifice fo [...] his disciples:Pag, 287 Fistly that [...]ee o [...]fered it for them, that is not for their redemption (for that woulde bee derogatorie to his bloodie sacrifice) bu [...] to adore GOD for their! redemptioni And therefore as if their were noe mor [...] doubt of these wordes, then the worde [...] of the Masse booke Iube [...] perserri, per [...]ianus [...] sancti angel [...] t [...] &c. Hee runneth out vpou vs as blasphem [...]ers of this holy sacrifice, & pernerters of this holy text [...]

To conclude with him in a place he [...] proueth that the wicked eateth not,Pag, 369 no [...] dri [...]keth the bodie, and blood of Christ His argument is the foundest syllogisme in all that worke. But that men may se [...] how lo [...]h h [...] is to speake truth,Pag, 380 or reason for it: [...] [...]teth vp that assertion argu­ment and all at once, and calleth it an impious he [...]e sie, and proueth it bee the in [...]tance of [...]udas, who with the reste of the twelue Apostles rece [...] the Sa­ [...]rament. In which reason the ingeniou [...] reader maye take vp an inc [...]anted, and besotted head with the sot [...]sh poyson of the Romane dregges. The question is whether the wicked in the Sacramente [...]eceaueth the reall bodie of Christ: And [Page 105] for proofe hee alleges the euang [...]listes. Mathew, Marke, and I uke, to proue that I [...]das receaued the Sacramente. That Iudas receaued the Sacrament it is a thing that might haue beene, and some affirmeth, and some denyeth. But that, Iudas did eate the flesh, and drinke the bloode of Christe, it will passe all the schooles of Rome to proue bee the [...]racles of truth. Of that Augustine saith [...] panem dominu [...] [...]das did eate not the breade the Lorde: but the breade of the Lorde. This much to giue the reader a taste of M. Iohn his doctourall learning. For a­nye thing that appeareth in his writ­tinges he might haue beene vndoctor­ed this dozen year [...], and if hee profite no more then he hath done, hee might haue wanted a Doctour. hoode so long as he liueth Of all the vnlea [...]ned books [...] I red: of all the vnconstante, and wand ring stiles running a [...] the [...]ub­iect on euerie [...]ighte occasion I giue it the first place.

Hetherto I [...]aue laide downe what little reason they haue to denye the wordes of the institution to bee [...]igura­tiue. [Page 106] Now beside the seauen argumente in the beginning. And the sounde argu­ments mightely laide in bee M. Robert Bruce, and weakely warded be M. William Rainoldes. I will open, what mater of inconuenience, what forcing of textes, what coyning of figures, what monsters in nature, sense, and reason might haue chocked this monster in the cradle: if a drifte of heresie raised bee the enemie of truthe, had not dazaled the eyes of men, and driuen them into the wildernesse of erroure.

To beginne at the lightest, to main­taine that there is no figure in the insti­tution: they are driuen to force a stran­ger figure on the wordes of Paull. H [...] that cateth of this breade, [...] and drinketh of this cup, &c. Compelling the spirite of God, in which the Apostle wrote, with rashe and inconsiderate [...]duise bee the names of breade and cup for wine, to feede the erroure of the sense, againste the truthe of faith, if it were as they s [...]y not bread, and wyne, but the very body and blood of Christ. As is saide alredie page 13. in my seuent reason.

Secondlye in the wordes of our Sa­uiour, [Page 107] I will drinke no more of the fruite of the vine, Mar [...]424 they shape two monstruous fi­gures leauing it indifferent to take which a man liketh best. Either that bee the wine is vnderstoode the bloode of Christ vnder the shew of wine: or else that the kingdome of God is the time of the gospell, in the which we drinke the verie blood of Christ in the Sacra­ment.

Thirdelye the wordes of our Saui­ourIohn 6 [...]6 He that easteth my flesh, and drinketh my bloode, dwelleth in me, and [...] him. They ar compelled either to mangle miserably, or else to denye them, and make the in­credilous to eate the bodie of Christe, which neither dwelleth in Christe, nor Christ in them.

Fourthly the Article of our beleefe, and the place of the Actes That the hea­uens must containe him, Actes 32 [...] vntil the [...] that all thinges be restored. They are driuen to seeke some defense bee hooke, and crooke, how Christ maye not onely bee in heauen at the righte hande of his fa­ther: but also in the Sacramente be­tweene the handes of a gredie preiste reddie to eate him vp stoup and roupe. [Page 108] These foure textes they are compelled to mangle to maintaine a literall sense in one. But behoulde more absurditie.

Firste they will compell vs, vnder paine of damnation to beleeue that the bodie of Christ hauing all properties of a humane bodie sinne onely excepted is handled and not felt, eaten and not tasted, looked on and not seene in the Sacrament.

Secondlye that the accidentes of bread, that is, sauour, colour, taste, hard­nesse, moistnosse, &c, are in the Sacra­ment without the substance of breade, where to they are inseparablye anne [...] ­ed.

Thirdely that these same accidentes hauing no nature, nor power to feede; are ordained be Christ to bee the signe of the spirituall breade that feedeth our soules to life euerlasting.

Fourtlye that the substance of the breade, is changed into the verie reall and naturall substance of Christs bodie, that was borne of the Virgine Marye, and suffered on the crosse for the sinnes of man.

Fistly that accidentes doth nonrish,W, R. Cap 19, sect, 1, [Page 109] and feede the bodie, because the sub­stance doth nourish bee meanes of ac­cidentes.

Sixtly that the bodie of Christe be­ing finite, and locall, as it was, when hee walked on the waters, taught in the shipe, and died vpon the Crosse, is now in heauen at the righte hande of his fa­ther, and also on all the altares in the worlde, in the handes of all the prestes, in the bellies of all that eateth him, and in the coffers of al, that will keepe him in store for an euill daye.

Seuently that in this mater of tran­substantiation vnder paine of bothe deathes, that is, temporall and eternall, we are bound to beleeue nether nature sense, nor reason.

And that eightly heerefore how-be­it we see it to mould, rott, and consume, we must bee persuaded in faith that it is the immortall bodie of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ.

Nynthly when Aug. or anye other of the fathers calleth it a figure, wee muste beleeue that it is bothe the figure of Christs bodye, and Christes bodye it selfe.

[Page 110]Tenthly that the partes of Christes bodie are not distinguished as eie from eie,Tho Aquinas in 3 quest 76 art 30 hand from hande, heade from foote, or (with reuerence bee it spoken) taile from tongue; but all confused together in the compasse of the rounde wa [...]er.

Eleuenthly that the preist is the crea­tore of his owne creatore,Stella cle [...]icorum and eateth him, when he hath created him.

Twelfthlye that Christe hauing but one bodie, the people consumeth him as many bodies in one daye as commu­nicantes receaueth the Sacramente in all the worlde.

Thirtenthlie that the substance of Christs naturall bodie maye be made of other substance then the substance of his mother the virgine Marie.

My wit can not comprehende the absurdities of this absurditie. On manye they are not yet agreed among them­selues. Firste if an oulde wife or anye o­ther superstitious bodie keepe that sa­cred breade for a neede, and chance to lose it (which may well fall out) Tho­mas Aquinas, Alexander de Hales, and Gerson, holdeth that a mouse, hog, or doge, if they finde it, and eate it, find­eth, [Page 111] and eateth the verie body of Christ: Bonauentura and sundry others count­eth it more honest, and reasonable, that they eate it not. But Peter Lumbard the grand maister of catholicke conclusi­ones leaueth it to God what they eate, and with all thinkes that it may be saide that brute beastes eate not the body of Christ. Some will haue the mouse if shee can be gotten burnt,Anto [...] [...] a [...]d buried aboute the altar: Others will haue her opened, and some well stomached preist to eate that, which is founde in her mawe, or else to reserue it in the tabernacle till it naturallie [...]nsume.Pe [...]us de plaud In this kinde one highlie commendeth one Goderanus a preist for lapping vp the vomet of a le­per man,Hug of clunice who had not long before re­ceaued the Sacrament.

Secondly in the wordes of the insti­tution This is my bodye Gerson saith that the demonstratiue pronoune (this) de­monstrateth the substance of the bread: Occam saith that it demonstrateth the bodie of Christ. Thomas Aquinas saieth that it demonstrateth the thing con­tained vnder the forme of the breade. Hokot saith, that it signifieth a thing [Page 112] betweene the bodie of Christ, and the bread, which is nether this nor that, but common to both. Durand saith, that it signifieth nothing, but is set materiali­ter. After all commeth Steuen Gardi­nar Bishope of Winchester and turning his iudgment (for once hee thought it might stand very well with demonstra­tion of the breade) hee saith it demon­strateth a thing which he calleth Indi [...] ­duum vagum, and to expounde him selfe to the capacitie of the simple he calleth it also Indiuiduum in genere, or Indiuiduum entis, Induiduum insignitum, Indiuiduum Iudiuidui. vnum substantia, and [...] entis. Which deepe diuinitie I can not ex­pounde to men that hath noe other but their mother tongue except Indiuiduum vagum maye bee some wandring vaga­bounde.

In this matter there is much more di­versitie of opinions: which woulde bee tedious to reckon vppe particularlye. Some saieth that the bodie of Christe is rent with the teethe,Gratian de cons, dist, 2, can [...]go Be [...]n [...] and some saith no. Some saith that the accidents of bread, & wyne doth nourish: & some saith no. Some saith that as soone as it commeth [Page 113] to the toothe the bodye of Christ retur­neth bee a miracle, and some saie no. Some saie that Christe is in the Sacra­ment in quantitie, and qualitie,Caie [...]a [...] et alii, as hee was on the Crosse, and some saie no. Some sa [...]e that hee did consecrate be a diuine power, and some saie no. Some saie that he consecrated bee his blessing, and some saie no. And some saie that he did consecrate bee vertue of the [...]iue wordes hoc, est, enim, corpius, meum, and some saie no. To make them siue they added enim of their owne, because the poet testifieth that numero deus impare gaudet God delighteeth in an odde num­ber, how-be-it the poet ment three, not fiue. But to goe fordwarde. Some saieth that the naturall bodie of Christ is in the Sacramente naturallie, and some saie no. Some saith that the substance of the breade, is turned into the substance of Christes bodie, and some s [...]e no: but that it vanisheth to no-thing and that the bodye of Christ [...] succedeth into the place of it.

There are manye moe doubts which I would aske of the Maisters of this the­ologie, to bee resolued me be cleare [...] [Page 114] timonie of scripture.

First whether the breade be chang­ed materia, et forma, or materia onely.

Secondlye if the forme bee changed. whet [...]er it bee changed into the forme of Christs bodie.

Thirdelye if the essentiall forme of breade be that, which maketh bread to be called breade, and distinguisheth it from flowre, and wheate: whether co­lour, [...]auer, taste, substance, friabilitie and vertue to feede be not that essenti­all forme.

Fourthly whether the breade be tur­ned into whole Christ God and man.

Fifthly if into his manhoode onelye, whether that bee not a separation of hi [...] vnseparable natures.

Sixthly if into his diuinitie also, how a peece of corruptible bread can turne into the incorruptible, and eternall es­sence of the deitie.

Seuently if the deitie assumes the hu­mane bodie made of breade, as hee did the fleshe borne of the Virgine Marye: whether there be now as many Christs, as hath beene hostes consecrated since the firste which Christe did con [...]ecra [...]e [Page 115] him selfe.

Eightly if not, what can become of them being all immortall, and incor­ruptible.

Nynthelye whether they haue vni­uersall knowledge of all thinges, paste, present, and to come.

Tenthlye whether Gregorie the se­uenth that sweete birde did sinne ask­ing of it certaine secret matters, and casting it into the fire, because it would not answere.

I coulde here moue many moe que­stions: As whether the bodie of Christe in the wafer cake be formatum, or informe. If it bee formatum, whether it hath the forme of a liuing or deade bodie. If of a liuing bodie, whether it liueth vitam vigetatiuam, without which sensitiua and rationalis can not continue vn fed with­out a miracle. With manye moe such strange conclusiones vpon this strange assertion. But these I will superseede till I haue gotten a resolute answere to the former ten out of the vndoubted truthe of God.

These strange concequences made Cuthbart Tonstall Bishope of Durham [Page 116] a man in his time amongst the learned­est, and wisest, to thinke, and write de modo, quo id fieret (meaning the bodye of Christ in the Sacramente) fortasse satius esse curiosum quen (que) suaerel [...]nquere coniectur [...] De eucha [...]ist, sicut liberum suit ante conciliū later anum. In which words thou mayest first note that before the counsell of La [...]eran no man was troubled for denying the reall pre­sence: and secondly that this wise man, how-be-it, hee dare not condemne the Church of Rome: yet he thinketh it had beene better to haue left it free, as it was before, then to haue bounde men to vnnaturall inconueniences. Scotus subtilis one of the greatest auctoures of the Romane faith, plainelie attributeth this head of their beleefe to the Church of Rome: and proueth it because the scriptures may haue an easier and in all appearance a truer meaning. De sacra­mentis (saith he) tenendum sicut tenst sancta Romana ecclesia. Na [...] verba scriptura possent saluari secundum sensum faciliorem, sentence 4 [...]ist 13 et verio­rem secundum appareatiam. Wee muste houlde the Sacramentes as the holye Church of Rome doth houlde. For the scriptures maye bee salued in an easier [Page 117] sense,De captiv [...] babil. and truer be appearance. Fisher Bishope of Rochester one of their Mar­tyres confesseth the like that the scrip­tures hath nullum verbum quo probctur in missa veram fieri carnis, & sanguinis pr [...]sen­tiam. Not one word to proue the true presence of Christes flesh and bloode in the Masse. Thus thou seest gentle reader that these men who were of greater ac­count in he Romane Church, then M. Iohn Ham▪ or M. Gilbert Broune, or a­ny of our apostat doctours, who neither for [...] nor letters are worthye to beare their bookes, confesseth that, which I haue beene all this while prouing: that the Romane Church neuer receaued this truth out of the scriptures. And therefore seeing this poynte is so cleare that the enemies of it confesseth it: I woulde request all men that hath a care to liue in Christ, & be Christ: to avoide the poysoned doctrine of these masters, who can not denye but that the soule of their religion that is the sacrifice of their Masse is a deuise of mans braine, without witnesse, or warrant from the authore of life, and truthe. Lorde o­pon our eyes to see the truthe, and [...] [Page 118] leeue it: to professe it and obeye its to loue it, and liue bee it through Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiou [...]. Amen.