A confutacion of that popishe and antichristian doctryne, whiche mainteineth ye ministracyon and receiuing of the sacrament under one kind made dialoge-wise betwene the prieste and the prentyse by Gracyous Menewe.

A confutacion of that popishe and antichristian doctryne, whiche mainteineth ye ministracyon and receiuing of the sacrament under one kind made dialoge-wise betwene the prieste and the prentyse by Gracyous Menewe.

Table of contents

Title page

To all faythfull readers / that loue Chryst and his doctrine sincerely, Gracyous Menew wysheth grace, peace of conscience & gostly strength from god the father thorowe our Lorde and sauyoure Iesu Christe.

A confutacion of all such argumentes and reasōs, as the popes catholikes doe bring for to proue the mutilate and corrupted receauyng of the sacrament vnder one kynde contrary to the Lordes institucyon and ordeynaunce, made Dialogue wyse betwene the Priest and the Prentyse, compyled by Gracious Menew.

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A confutacion of all such argumentes and reasōs, as the popes catholikes doe bring for to proue the mutilate and corrupted receauyng of the sacrament vnder one kynde contrary to the Lordes institucyon and ordeynaunce, made Dialogue wyse betwene the Priest and the Prentyse, compyled by Gracious Menew.

The Pryeste.

WHy, yonge man, wyl ye not receaue ye blessed sacramēt? Answere me dyrectly, that I may make report to mine ordinary.

Prentyse.

Saynct Paul sayeth playnly, that whosoeuer eateth of thys bread and drynketh of1. Cor. 1 [...] ▪ [Page] thys cup vnworthely, doeth eate & drynke hys owne damnacion.Ambro. in 1. Cor. 11. What is to receaue vnworthely. And the holy father Ambrose, wrytyng vpon that place or text of the Apostel, sayeth playnly, that they doe receyue vnworthely, that doe minister or receaue the sacrament otherwyse, then Chryste hath instituted and ordeyned: but as ye minister it, it is done otherwyse, then the lorde hath appoynted and ordeyned: therefore it cannot bee but an vnworthy receauinge, and so consequently an eatyng and drynkyng of theyr own damnacyon that bee partakers of it.The fautes that are in the ministration of the sacramēt, which is vsed nowe a dayes.

Priest.

I would fayne know, what fautes ye fynde in thys kynde of mynystracyon, that is now a dais vsed in the church.

Prentyse.

First and formest the order of the holye gost is broken, whyche wyll haue nothyng to be done in the congregacyon wythoute edyfyinge. And [Page] what edyfyinge shall the people haue there, where all thynges be done in a straunge tonge, whyche scarcely the Pryest himselfe doeth vnderstande: Secondly the holye goste willeth, that whensoeuer we eate of that bread, and drynke of ye cuppe, we shoulde shewe forth the Lordes death tyll he come: meaning therby, that whensoeuer the Communyon is ministred, ye death of Chryste and the benefytes therof shoulde be preached & set forth vnto the Congregacyon, whereby they should be moued to hate and abhorre synne, and to geue moste earnest thankes vnto god, for their deliueraunce from it, thorowe the death, passion and bloud shedding of his sōne Iesu Chryst. But none of all these thyngs ar done. Wherfore ye must confesse, though ther were none other thynge amysse, yt all that ye doe is moste vngodlye. [Page] And who hauyng a good cōscience would be glad to agree to such an vngodlynes?No man hauing good conscyence ought to agree or sēe to agree to the vngodlynesse of ye papystes. No man, I trowe, yt loueth hys soules health.

Priest.

is thys all, that ye can say, cōcerning thys matter? Is thys al the faute, that ye can fynde? Ye are a wyse mā for south. Ye shalbe made one of the counsell. Ye shall appoynte howe and after what fashyon all thynges shalbe done and vsed in ye ministracion of thys holye sacrament.

Prentyse.

Now master persōe, in thyngs, that belonge to this holy and blessed sacrament,Cipria. ad Pompeïū we nede not to goe to man for to haue instruction in the matter: for as the holy martyr S. Ciprian saieth: if ye trueth wauereth, or is doubted of, in any poynt, we ought to flye to ye originall of the lorde, and to the Euangelicall and Apostolical tradition. And therefore Saint Paul, [Page] beeyng aboute to set forth to the churche and congregacyon of Corinthus the ryghte vse of thys sacramente, goeth to the very institution it selfe,1. Cor. 11. saying: that thyng, whyche I haue receaued of ye lord, I haue delyuered vnto you. And thys dyd he speake .xxvi. yeares after the ascension of the lord, hauīg trauailed through many countries of the world, and hauyng seen many churches, that the Apostles had planted in that space, both in Asia and in many other regions besids.

Priest.

But I prai you now, what is the institution of Chryste.

Prē tyse.

The institution of Chryste is set forth at large in the xxvi chap of mathew,Math. 26. Mark. 14. Luke. 22. 1. Cor. 11. in the xiiii. chapter of Marke, in the xxii. of Luke, and in the xi chap. of the first to the Corinthiās, wher we haue these words: The LORDE Iesus in the [Page] same nyght, that he was betrayed, toke bread, and when he had geuen thankes, he brake it, and said. Take ye and eate. Thys is my body, whyche is broken for you. This do ye in the rememberaunce of me. After the same maner also he toke the cup, when supper was dō, saying: Thys cup is the newe testamente in my bloud. Thys doe, as ofte as ye drynke it, in rememberaunce of me. Thys faute then doe I fynde besydes all other fautes, yt I haue rehearced alredye, that ye robbe ye congregacion of halfe the sacramente, taking awaye from them, & that moste treaterously, the mistycall cup.

The Papystes doe robbe the cōgregaciō of half the sacrament.Wherefore I muste nedes condemne in thys poynte your proceadynges, as most vngodly and detestable. And verely I cā not iudge thys to be the sacramente of the body and bloud of Chryste, but rather [Page] an apishe counterfeytynge of the same,The Papistes vngodly communion, is an apyshe counterfeityng of Christes sacramente. seeyng that ye do, besids the idolatrye and other innumerable blasphemyes, that are committed about it, take awaye the chefest part of it, that is to say, the cuppe, whyche is a moste lyuely rememberaunce and playne certyficat of the free remission and forgeuenes of our synnes, that we haue in the bloud of our sauyour Iesu Chryst. Therefore who, hauyng one crome of godlynes in hys heart, woulde not detest & abhorre your doings? Who, beholdyng your presumptuous boldnes, would not tremble & quake for feare of the vengeaunce of god, that he threatneth vnto all them, that adde any thyng vnto hys worde or minyshe any thynge from it?Sacrilegeously, yt is to say with robbing of gods glory Or that do sacrilegeously take vpon them to alter & chaunge hys institucions and ordinaūces?

Priest.

What payne is it to heare [Page] vnlearned and rude people talke? Ye do not perceiue nor vnderstād why nor wherefore thys is done: & that is the cause that ye dooe so shamefully erre.

Prentyse.

I wold fayne heare of you some probable reason, for the satisfying of my cōscience.

Priest.

Ye shal vnderstand yonge man, that when the churche was yet rude,The firste obiection of the papistes which they make to maintayne their vngodly manglyng of ye sacrament. it did vse both kids but afterwardes when it dyd perceaue that the one kynde myghte suffise the lay people, that the errour of some myght bee stopped, whyche peraduenture wold haue thought that the body of Chryste in the sacrament is geuen beeynge separated from the bloud, and the bloud beeyng seuered from the body: it hath ordeyned, that ye Prists onelye shoulde in their masses vse both kyndes, and that the one only shoulde be ministred to the lay people, Dooe ye not heare nowe [Page] why and wherefore it hath been done?

Prentise.

Ye say, master person,An answer to ye firste. obiectony. that the church dyd at the begynnyng, when it was yet rude, vse both kyndes.

Woulde god we were as wel learned in thyngs, that belong to true chrystyan religion, as they were in the primityue churche, when they folowed onely the lyghtsōe worde of god for theyr guide. The churche, saye ye, dyd afterwardes perceaue that the one kynde was sufficient for the laite. What cold, I pray you, your Pope catholikes see and perceyue, that ye Apostles and fathers of ye primitiue church, whych were all indued with so aboundant a spirite, had not perceaued and seen? What is our knowledge in comparison of their knowledge, but mere darkenesse, & blīd supersticion? ye say furthermore that it hath ben don to cause vs to [Page] putte awaye the erroure of them, whyche peraduenture woulde beleue or thynke that the bodye of Chryste is geuen separatly from the bloud, asthough the body shold syt in heauen at the ryghte hand of the father wythout bloud. These bee your monsterous inuencions: for no heretikes,We oughte not for taking away of heresies mangle the sacraments of god. sence the cōminge of Chryste, dyd euer imagine this kynde of erroure and blasphemye. But graunte, that there hath been such an heresye: coulde it be put awaye none otherwyse, but by mutilatyng, mangling and deprauatīge the sacramente, and takynge halfe of it awaye? There maye aryse many pernycyous opynions touching that other parte, whyche is leafte: woulde ye therfore take it awaye cleane? how muche rather oughte we to take hede, that we doe in no wyse swarue from the institucyon of Chryste, nor preache otherwyse [Page] then Chryste & his apostles haue preached?The chiefe principle in diuinite. Thys oughte to bee the chiefe principle in diuinite, whervnto all thynges must be resolued. The Lord hath spoken: this is the worde of god, that remayneth for euer.

If we shoulde be called from it to mens constitucions and ordeī naunces, whyche are alwayes mutable, we should haue no stablenes in religion, but shoulde be dryuen from that whyche is moste certain and sure, to that whyche is moste vncertayne and vnsure, mans autorite beeyng made equall wyth gods autorite.

It is wrytten in the Epistle to the Galathyans: if we, or an aūgel from heauen, shoulde preache otherwyse than ye haue heard,Gala. 1. lette him be accursed. If Paul wil haue neyther aungels nor apostles to be harkened vnto, if they teache anye [Page] thyng or appoynte anythyng cō trary to the gospell: shall we geue eares to a sorte of beastes, ye dare presume to peruerte and altere Chrystes holy institucion in hys sacraments?The secōd obiectyon. The answere to it. Why the coūcel kept at Cōstāce was not obeyed of ye vniuersall churche

Priest.

Was not this confyrmed in the counsel of Constance? And ye knowe, that we ought to be obedyente to generall Counsels.

Prentyse.

The Greeke churche dyd neuer obeye thys coū sell nor all the Easte parte of the worlde, and not wythoute a good cause: for there they made decrees directly agaynst goddes worde. Besydes that, it is not vnknowen, that many tymes counsels haue erred, as it is playne of the counsell kept at Ariminum, at Calcedone, & at Ephesus the seconde tyme, and of the counsell kept in Aphrike vnder Ciprian, and of many other. Yea, dyd not in Chrystes tyme ye counsell of the Pryestes, and the [Page] churche of that tyme, erre moste shamefully,Why counsels dyd not alwais set forth ye trueth. when they dyd refuse Chrystes doctryne, condemnynge both hym and hys Apostles? Besydes that, coūsels did not alwais set forth the trueth: because yt there the greater part dyd ouercome the lesse, and the worse the better.

Priest.

Hath not our churche the holy gost?The .3. obiection. Howe can it erre then?

Prentyse.

Heare ye are not a litell deceaued:The answere to it. for thei, that haue the holy gost, doe not alwayes worke accordyng vnto the same. As a carpentar, in that he is a carpentar, he committeth no faulte in makīg vp hys building, but because he is geuen to other thynges, or is otherwhyles drunken: therfore doth he many tymes amysse.

Pryeste.

But the churche hath a promyse of the holy goste,The .4. ob. and that it shal neuer be forsaken.

Prentise.

That doe I graunt,The ans. and [Page] truly this promyse is fulfilled: for there be alwayes many in ye church that are of a good iudgement: as in the moste corrupted tymes in the churche of Iurye there were Symeon, Zacharie, Elizabeth, Iohn the Baptist, the virgin Mary and Ioseph, Nathanael and many other, that wer partakers of that promysse.

Yet it foloweth not by the vertue of thys promysse, that the counsels dooe neuer erre.

Prieste.

But how shal we knowe, whether they erre or not?

Prentis.

All thynges muste be tryed wyth the touchstōe of the scripture and worde of god: for if an aūgel frō heauen shoulde set forth vnto vs any other doctrīe than is comprehended in the boke of god, we ought in no wyse to receaue it, but to counte it accursed: much lesse then, if men take vpon them to make decrees contrary to [Page] the expresse worde and commaundemente of god, oughte they to be harkened vnto. Yea except thei can wyth a good and an vpright conscyence say with the blessed apostle S.1. Cor. 1 [...]. Paul: that we haue receaued of the lorde, the same haue we deliuered vnto you, folowyng onely and solely the lordes institucion in the matter of the sacramentes, it is to be iudged of all Christians, yt they are not of god, but of the aduersary Sathan the deuil.

Priest.

It is not vnknowen vnto you, if at least ye haue red the scriptures throughly, that the commaundementes of god are deuyded into .2. kyndes. Some of them are fyrme and stable for euer,The 5. obiection. so that they can or mai neuer be chaunged or altered: and these are called Morall preceptes. The other perteyne to externe and outwarde thynges, as to cerimonyes and sacramentes, and these [Page] be not so necessarye, but that they may, for the necessite of the place and time, be chaūged and altered. Therfore the church, in takinge awaye the one parte of the sacramente from the laye people, hath not done amysse, seeing the time doth so require.

Prentyse.

Where as ye say that the preceptes and commaundements,The answer to it. that appertain to externe and outewarde thyngs, as to ceremonies and sacraments, are not so firme, stable and strōg, but that they maye, vpon a iuste occasyō, be chaunged and altered: S. Ciprian in his Epistell contra Aquarios,Ciprianus li. 2. episto. epi. 3. cōtra Aquarios. is directly agaynst you callynge there the cōmaundemēts and preceptes of thys sacramente grandia, yt is to say: greate & not lyghtly to be estemed and taken. Chryste also sayeth, that he shalbe ye lest in the kyngdome of heauen,Math. 5 that breaketh the lest of hys commaundementes. [Page] And in the forth of Deuteronomy,Deute. 4. the lorde hymselfe speaketh these wordes: nowe harken, O Israel, vnto the ordinaunces (whereby doubtlesse he vnderstandeth ceremonyes) and lawes, which I teach you for to do them: ye shal put nothing vnto the word which I commaunde you: nether dooe aughte there from. Which onely precept and commaū dement oughte to beate downe our presumptuousnesse, that we wil not only haue our inuencyons to be had in high estimacion and regarded of all men, but also to be preferred before gods worde. In the xv.Nume. 15. Chapter of the numbers it is wrytten, that the children of Israel were commaunded to haue rybondes of yelowe sylke vpon the vttermoste gardes of theyr garmentes, that they, lokynge vpon [Page] them, myght remember al the commaundementes of the Lorde, and not seke after their own hearte, or after theyr owne eyes, after the which they went a whoryng. And in the Epistell to the Romans, Paul doeth greatly reproue or rebuke the heathen,Roma. 1. because they wer waxen foolyshe in theyr own imagynacyons, and woulde not worshyp god, as thei learned to know hym, by hys creatures. Wherfore, sayeth he, they were geuen ouer in to filthy cōcupiscence. And it is no doubt, but that thys manglyng of the Lordes supper doeth appertayne to that kynde of transgression or faute.

Notwythstandyng I graunte, that there is a certayne difference in the preceptes and commaundementes of god. For some there be, that we are alwayes bounde and subiecte vnto, as are the morall [Page] commaundementes, or those that the lawe and the prophetes do depende vpon, whyche are: to loue god wyth al our heart, with al our strength, wyth all our soule, and our neighboure as our self. Other there bee, that we are not alwayes bounde to folowe, excepte it bee, when the tyme and place & other circumstaunces appointed in the worde of god doe require. For the Hebrewes myght not offer sacryfices euery where, and at al times, but vpon certayne dayes: and in ye place, that god had ordayned and appoynted.

On the Sabboth daye they could not alwayes abstayne from outwarde workes, but were fayne other whyles to fyght, as we read in the bokes of the Machabees. Agayne circumcision coulde not bee ministred afore the eyght day.Gene. 17. In lyke maner, if any man were desyrous [Page] to be baptized, and coulde not obtayne it: his good wil sh̄old be accepted for the dede it selfe. In these thynges therefore, when we muste doe the commaundemēt of god, it is not lawful to innouat, chaūge or alter any thyng of god. And although we be not bounde alwaies to doe the thyng, whiche is commaunded: yet when we doe it, we muste beware, that we swarue not from the Lordes institucyon.

Nadab and Abihu went aboute to chaunge and alter some thynge in the ordinaunces and ceremonies,Leui .10. Nadab. Abiu. 2. Sam. 6. Oza. Ozias. par. 26. that were commaunded of god: and thei wer consumed with fyer.

Oza was punished wyth deathe for hys temerite and rashenesse. And king Ozias, because he wold haue againste gods cōmaundemēt offered incense, was smytten with [Page] leprosie. Why doth not the example of their sacrificinge Pryestes moue them, which are so affrayed to say their masses wythout either stole or phanell, or to omytte any crossing, or such lyke smal tryfles, which neuerthelesse are nothynge els but mere inuencions of men, & abominable vanites? Why doe we not rather take hede, that we omit none of those thynges that God hath commaunded, and his sonne Iesus Chryste instituted? The very heathen theyr selues wer greatly affraied, that the Pryest should in theyr holye ceremonies, eyther stacker or faile in one worde: and if any suche thing had happened, they counted it to be an exceadyng greate faute, and in a maner irremissible. And ye thinke it to bee nothynge, to breake the Lords institucion,

[Page]Prieste.

The .6. obiection.Hath not the churche of Chryst much greater liberte, than the Synagoge had? Therfore we may much better chaunge and alter thyngs in the ceremonyes, thā the auncient fathers myghte. For we are not as bonde seruauntes vnder the lawe, but as free men vnder grace. Whyche thynge appeareth to be moste true by thys, that the churche at thys presente doeth not dyppe them ouer the eares, yt are baptysed, as thys worde baptizei doeth signifie,Baptizein. but ouer sprinkleth them onely or washeth them. And yet it is not to bee doubted, but that they, whyche bee so ouer sprynkled or washed, are truly baptysed.Ciprian. For Ciprian beeynge asked counsell, whether they that were baptized, when they wer drawing to their death, oughte to be taken for true baptized Chrystians. For they lying in theyr beddes, & beeing [Page] oppressed with sickenesse, cold nether be dipped ouer the eares, nor washed, but onely ouer sprīkled: wherefore they mighte seme not to haue been baptized: this mā of god did aunswere, that thei had receaued their ful baptisme.The. 7. ob More ouer, haue not the wordes of baptizme ben other whyles chaūged? For we reade in the Actes of the Apostles that baptizme was ministred in the name of our Lorde Iesu Chryst, whereas notwithstanding the Lorde in the gospell commaunded hys disciples to baptize in the name of the father, of ye sōne and of the holi gost. Finally, what say ye of the order,The. 8. ob. yt Chryste hath prescribed? Is it obserued & kept? Did not Christ cōmaunde to teach first, & than to baptize? But nowe we doe baptize first the infantes, and afterwardes teache thē, when thei be of age. And shal we sai now [Page] that the churche dooeth amisse in al these thynges? God forbidde.

Prentise.

Ans. to the [...]. ob.As touching your firste argument, master person, wherein ye say, that we haue more libertie, than the Israelites had: and that therefore it is lawefull for vs, to chaunge and alter thinges in ceremonyes, which liberte the childrē of Israell had not: I answer to yt, the Chrystyan lybertye dooeth not consiste in thys, that we maye chaunge and alter the institucion of Chryste:Wherin cō sisteth the Christian liberte. but it lyeth and consisteth in thys, that Chryste hath broughte and reduced many laboreus, payneful, and darke ceremonies, into fewe, that are easye and playne.

Besides that, we are by the power of the spirite made wyllynge and ready to obeye: for we are not compelled by the law, but do most [Page] willingly, whatsoeuer gods word doeth commaunde vs in his true religion. Therefore they can not conclude that, that they woulde, but rather are driuen to the contrary: for if we be so deliuered frō the yoke and heauy burden of ye lawe, that we haue only fewe, easye, and playne ceremonyes, it wer a thyng intollerable and much blame worthy, if we would not fulfyll & perfourme thē without any grudging or murmuring, or if we would alter any thyng in them, seyng they be so fewe, so easye, and so playne.

Pryest.

Yet ye haue not aunswered to that, whiche I brought against you touching the chaunge and alteracion that is in baptisme

Prētise.

I knowledge and confesse,Ans. to the 7. obiec. that ye auncyente fathers, when they [Page] could by the age or health of the persons, dipped them ouer eares and head in the water:What is signified by the dypping in, into ye water. which dipping was prefigurated and shadowed by the goinge of the children of Israel through the reade sea: & yet it is neither necessarie, nor hath any expresse commaundement in ye worde of god.

When it is vsed, it hath a goodly significacion. For when we are dipped in, therby it is signified yt we dye with Christ: and by the cō myng out of the water we are admonyshed, that we rise with him. vnto euerlasting life. Howebeit (as we haue sayd) this signification is not necessarie,What is ye property & nature of baptisme. I meane, so necessary but that it may be omitted: for the true property and nature of baptisme is, our clensing from our sinnes.

Wherfore S. Paul in the Epistle to the Ephesians writeth, that [Page] Chryst hath cleansed his congregation and churche with the lauer of water through the worde.Ephe. 5. This purginge or clensinge from synne, is moste properly signified and represēted by baptisme, whether we be dipped in, or ouer sprinkeled, or by any meane at all washed in the water.

Nor this word, baptize in, doth not onely signifie to be dipped in, but also to be washed by any maner of meane: moreouer it is not al one, to chaunge the maner of washing, and to take all the whole awaye.

For in them, that are ouer sprīkled or washed, the element of baptisme, that is to soye, the water, is kept and vsed, and hath his signification. We doe not contende supersticiously, how we must drynke of the cup, whether we muste drinke litel or muche: so that both partes [Page] of the sacrament doe remayne hole it is inough.

In times passed thei used quils to drynke out of the mistical cup Eusebius.In tymes passed, they vsed to drinke of the mistical cuppe wyth quilles, whych thynge the byshop of Rōe doth yet vse at thys present tyme: some were wonte to dip their bread into the mistical wyne as it is written in the Ecclesiastycall historye of Eusebius. But I would wyshe al thynges to be do, that are moste consonaunte and agreable to the instituciō of Christ.

Pryeste.

But what saye ye of the worde, whych the Apostles haue chaunged in baptysme, vsyng not that prescribed fourme, that was appoynted then by Chryste in the gospell?ans. to the 8. obiec.

Prentyse.

Some there be that graunt, that the wordes were altered and chaunged, but that the fourme and maner, that the Apostels did vse, was all one with yt ▪ that Chryste had prescribed them [Page] in his gospel. For (say they) in the name of Iesu Christ,In ye name of Iesu Christ the names of ye 3. diuine persons ar comprehē ded. Ireneus contra Valētinianos. li. 4. ar the names of the three diuine persons comprehended, that is to saye, of the father, of the sonne, and of the holy gost.

And Ireneus in hys. 4. booke cōtra valētinianos doeth plainely testifie and witnesse the same, saying: in the name of Chryst the thre persons are vnderstanded: for this worde, Chryst, dooeth signifie annoynted, wherein is shewed both he that annoynteth, he that is annoynted, and the vnction it selfe: he that is annoynted is the sonne, he that annoynteth is the father, & the vnctiō is the holi goste. Wherby it appeareth that in thys alteracion nothing at al is taken awaye.The .9. ob.

Pryest.

So may we right wel say, that in this alteracion, which is so sore impugned & spokē agaynst in this sacramēt, nothīg is takē away: [Page] in the one parte or kinde the whole is contayned.

For ye knowe righte well, that the body of Chryst, which is geuē vnto the lay people vnder ye forme of bread, is not wythout blood, so yt as in or vnder ye name of Christe, all three persons, that is to saye, ye father, the sonne and the holy gost ar vnderstanded, so vnder ye forme of bread is both the body & bloud contayned.

What haue ye now to say agaīst this?

Prentyse.

I haue to say thys. As for the aunswere that I haue broughte out of Ireneus, I dooe not greatly leane vpon it. For in ye place of the Actes of the Apostles to baptize in the name of Chryste is to baptize by hys commaundement,What is to baptise in ye name of Chryst. and according to his wil and institution.

Wherby we mai rather cōclude and gather, that the Apostles dyd [Page] obserue the fourme and maner, yt Christe had prescribed. Els thei had not baptized in the name of Christ, if they had done otherwise than Christ had commaunded thē, Farthermore it is not to be thoght. that the Apostles, which did with such a diligence and zeale set forth the true religion, dyd caste of the fourme and maner of baptizinge yt Chryst had ordayned and prescribed vnto them.Thomas de Aquino. Why after the scholemen the Apostls baptised in the name of Chryste

Besides all this, when ye schoolemen (as we reade in Thomas de Aquino) doe consent and agree, that the fourme and maner of baptising hath been in some thing chaunged and altered by the Apostles: they wryte that it was done for a tyme, and that by the dispensinge of the holy goste, and that therefore we ought not to mak of it a perpetual lawe.

For why? It was done to thys [Page] ende, saye they, that the name of Chryst myght be the more spreade abrode.

But this ye dooe not obserue, whē ye take away the mistical cup of the communiō from the people. For, as ye doe it without any dispensing of the holy gost, so wyl ye haue your vngodlye and blasphemouse decree to contynewe for euer.

Agayne the Apostles did not condemne as heretykes those, that would vse the prescribed fourme & maner of baptising. But ye do not only condemne al the laye people, as heretikes, that receaue vnder both kindes, but ye doe also moste cruelly burne them.

And who would not, besides al this, deteste and abhorre thys doctryne, which affirmeth, that it lieth in mans power to inuert, turne & chaunge either the mater or words [Page] of the sacrament, as ye haue done most shamfully, not only takyng away the cup from the people, but also the wordes, that are spoken vpon it, whych are most wholsome, and do more playnely declare and set forth the mistery of our saluacion, then the wordes that are spokē vpon the bread? For of or vpon ye bread it is onely sayd.Luke. 22. Thys is my body, which is deliuered for you: but of or vpon the cup, it is sayed: this cup is the newe testamente in my blood, which is shedde for you and for manye vnto remission of your synnes. Weyghe nowe, what Godly and comfortable doctryns are here contayned in these laste wordes, whyche do appertaine vnto the cup.

Priest.

Ye haue not yet proued, but that vnder the forme of bread ther is both flesh & blood cōteined onles ye wil haue a bodi wtout blod [Page] Wherfore ye doe most shamefully belie vs, saying that we robbe the people.

For, they receaue asmuch vnder the one kynde, as they shoulde receaue vnder both.

Prentise.

This is soone said, but not so soone proued master person: for ye must vnderstande,Ans. to the 9. obiec. that the communion of the body and bloud of Chryste in the sacrament is not ye work of nature: whatsoeuer is ther deliuered vnto vs, as it is offered vnto vs by or in the wordes of Christes promises, so is it receaued by faith. And in this externe or outwarde things, God doeth most chiefly and most principally require our obedience. The signes and outwarde affictiō of the ceremonies are thinges trā sitory, but the word of God remaineth for euer: and therfore the sacramentes muste be ministred accordynge to the rule of it. Againe: [Page] we receaue so much there, as God hath appointed to geue vnto vs, of whose will we can not be certified but only by hys worde.

But Chryste hath ordayned ii partes of thys sacrament, saying of the one: This is my body, and of ye other: thys is my blood, meaninge therby, that in the bread being worthely receaued, and accordynge to Christes institucion, we are made partakers of his bodye, and in the wine, partakers of his bloode: and hath left vnto vs expresse wordes, for or touchyng these thyngs: therfore we must rather trust to hym, than to mans sophistications or subtyll argumentes.

I confesse and graunte that the body of Christ,Christes bodi in heauen is not wythout blood. whiche is in heauen, is not wythout blood. I doubt not but that they are both ioyned, together in him: I meane, this is my belefe, that in Chrystes natural [Page] body, there is both hys fleshe & bloud ioyned together. But howe shal ye proue that they are bothe ioyntly ioyned together in the sacrament.

The fayth of the communicātes doeth in the one part amplexe, embrace, and take holde vpon the body of Chryst, as it was hanged and nayled on the crosse, wherwith we are spiritually fed. And the same fayth doeth in the other parte apprehende and take holde vpon hys bloud, that was shedde for our saluation, and therof we doe spiritually drynke.

The myndes of the faythfull doeth most chefeli runne vpō these misteryes of Christes death, when they doe communicate. Therefore we must not now reasō how christe body is in heauē. We folow gods worde, and see or perceaue, that it is not necessary, that those thīgs [Page] which are naturally ioyned together, should be ioyntly receaued together:

The humayn and diuine nature are in the person of Chryst ioyntly ioyned together, and can in no wyse be separated one from an other: yet ye wil not say, that whersoeuer the Godhead is there is ye manhode also: for yt wer to make ye body of Chryste infynyte and vnmesurable, whyche is contrary to the nature of an humayne body.

The sonne of God, in that he is God, is founde to be euery where and filleth al thinges, whiche can not be truely sayed of hys bodye. More ouer al spiritual gyftes are ioyntly ioyned together in the holigoste, and yet it foloweth not that whosoeuer hath the gift of prophecying, hath also ye gyfte of tōgs: or whoso hath ye gifte of tōges, hath [Page] also the gift of prophecying. Seuerite and mercy are moste ioyntlye ioyned together in God, and yet when any mā receaueth euerlastīg lyfe, he feleth the mercy of God, & not hys extreme rigoure. The same might I say of many other things, which though they be in thēselfes most ioyntly ioyned together, yet are they geuen separatly.

Pryeste.

Here is in dede diuinite vpon dyuinite.The .10. ob

But ye haue yet sayd nothynge to that, which I obiected vnto you touchinge the order of baptysme, whyche, as ye knowe, the churche doth not obserue: for children are first baptised and afterwardes taught, wheras Chryste commaū ded first to teache and afterwards to baptise.Ans. to the 10. ob.

Prentise.

I meruayll greatly, master person, that ye wil aleage this, as though ye would be on the Anabaptistes [Page] part, that so ye myghte the better be agaynst vs, and troble vs the more.

Why will ye not vnderstande that thys saying of Christe ought generally to be vnderstanded and taken of the Gentiles or heathē, and not particularly? It is most true, that in the firste settinge foorth of Christendome, that is to say, of the Christen religion and gospell, we must beginne at the doctryne. For when a citie, contreye or realme, must be wonne to Chryst, afore we come to baptisme, preaching must be vsed.

Whyche when it is once receaued and beeleued, not onelye they, that be of age, are baptised, but also they offer their litell ones to bee baptysed.

That therefore, that was generally commaūded of Christ, ye wil bryng it to a particular baptisynge [Page] of children. The Greke worde is Matheteusantes, which signifieth to make disciples, and to aggregat or gather vnto Chryste, whyche thyng, in them that are of age, is dō both by doctryne and baptisme, in the yonge children by baptisme only, because they are not yet able to receaue the doctrine. Which waye semeth to haue ben vsed in circumcision.

Abraham. Gen. 17.As touching Abraham, yt was of a full age, the doctryne went before, and afterwardes the sacramēt folowed. But it was not so in hys sonne Isaac.Isaac. And thys also is a playne trueth, that in the churche the doctryne goeth before the sacraments, as al men may wel perceue and see.

Moreouer, as it hath been said before, they gather not wel, when they goe about to gather the order of thynges, of or by the order of ye [Page] wordes. For in Marke we haue of Iohn the baptist,Marke .1. that he was in the deserte baptisyng and preaching the baptisme of repentaūce, whereas no man doubteth but yt he did preache first, & afterwards baptyse.

Prieste.

Doe we,The .11. ob. I praye you, euen when the communion is ministred as ye wil haue it, doe we, I say, kepe and obserue that, whiche Christ did in his last supper? We receaue the sacramente fastynge, wheras Christ did it after supper and ministred the sacramēt of his body and blood vnto his discipls when they had supped.The .12. ob

Secondlye the communion is ministred in the mornyng,The .13. ob whereas Chryste dyd it in the eueninge: nor we doe not washe eche others fete, wheras Christ did both wash [Page] his disciples fete, & also commaunded, that we should washe eche others fete.

I trowe I shall so laye the scriptures to you, that ye shall haue at length, both your bely and mouth full.Ans. to the [...]. obie.

Prentise.

As touching the first it is to be consydered, that Chryst did eate first the paschall lambe: for his minde and wyl was after ye abolyshyng of the olde sacraments to institute and ordayne the newe. And as for the tyme of the Lordes supper,Ans. to the 12. obiec. I confesse and graunt, that the churche may vse it selfe in that poynt, as it shal thinke beste, or as it shall thynke moste expedyent for the glory of god, and for the edifying of them, that do communicate. For there is no expresse commaundement of it, no more thā we haue of comming to it fastynge, or hauyng eaten somewhat before. The commaūdements, that appertaine [Page] to this sacrament,The commaūdmēts that appertayne to ye communiō are these: take & eate.

Take and drynke all of thys: do thys in the rememberaunce of me: let euery man examine hymselfe, & other lyke. There is no mencyon made of the tyme, nor of the place nor of the apparell, nor of other suche lyke circumstaunces.Ciprian. Causes whi the communion is ministred in ye mornynge. S. Ciprian rehearseth the causes, why ye Lordes supper or communion is ministred in the mornyng: the first is, because the people maye better come together at that houre, thā at any other tyme of the day besides: for in the daye time much busines chaunceth, whereby men are plucked away from the diuine seruice. The seconde is, because men ar at that tyme sobre, and haue theyr myndes more apte to receaue and beare awaye Godlye lessons and wholsome doctryne.

The thirde is, because the morning [Page] is a good monument or remē beraunce of the Lordes resurrection or rising agayne, which thing is much auaileable to the institucion of thys sacrament.

Moreouer, it is to bee noted, yt the aunciente fathers, when they obserued and kept any general fastinge, beecause they tooke then no meate till nyght, wer wont to haue the Communion in the eueninge: for when they fasted, thei gaue thē selues al the day long to prayers, to hearyng of sermons, to singinge of Godly Hymmes, and to other lyke Godly exercises.

Aboute the euenyng the communion or lords supper was ministred they receued the sacrament, and so eueri mā went home to take hys repaste.

Howbeit in Saint Augustins tyme they were wonte in manye [Page] churches, vpon maundye thirsday to receaue the communion at night that so they myghte the better expresse Christes institution and doynge: but I fynde that this custōe was abolyshe and put downe by the sixte counsell,The sixte Counsel. of Cōstantnople kept in Trullo. that was kepte at Constantinople in Trullo, the Canons of whych counsell are set forth in greke, wherin mentyon is made, of the custome that was thē vsed in the churches of Affrica. But to bee short, so that ye whole sacramente be ministred, and the institutyon of Chryst kept, we ought not greatly to care for the time, or other like circumstaunces, sythens we haue no expresse commaundemente of them. CHRISTE, when he was baptised, was .xxx. yeares olde.

And were it not mere foolishnesse, if we woulde suffre mē to [Page] baptise none, except they wer .xxx. yeares olde?

Priest.

O Lord god, what a thynge is thys? What a world would it be, if suche younge boyes be suffered still to reade the scriptures? Well, what say ye to ye washing of the fete, whych is altogether omitted and left?

Prētise.

I say, that we ought to consyder in it two significations.Ans. to the 13. ob. The one is touching remission of synnes, and the clensing or purging away of ye fylthynesse of the mynde, whyche is geuen vs by Chryst. And of that doeth oure sauiour speake vnto Peter, saying:Iohn. 13. If I washe thee not, yu shalt haue no part wyth me. And agayne: he, that is washed, hath no nede but to washe hys feete. And of thys washing doth S. Bernard speake very much.Bernarde.

Besydes that, thys washynge was a token or sygne of Chrysten loue and of the submission of the [Page] mynde, whych we oughte to vse, though we be neuer so hyghly promoted in thys worlde. And therefore Chryst, speakyng of it, sayeth: ye call me master and Lorde, and ye say wel, for I am so. If I then beyng your Lord and master haue washed your fete, ye ought also to washe one an others fete. By the whyche commaundement he wold signifie vnto vs, that we oughte for no maner of worldly dignitie, to wythdrawe our selues frō that seruice and dutye, that we owe to our neighboure or Chrysten brother, yea in thynges that seme most vile, whyche thynge Chryste dyd for our example performe and fullfill.Where washyng of fete was vsed & why it was vsed.

The washing of the fete, was a thing much vsed amōg the Iewes. For in suche hotte contryes, as Iury is, when menne did trauayll on foote, their bodies were much wearyed [Page] with heate: therefore the washing of their fete, when they were weari and ful of dust, was no smal refreshing vnto them, specially seing that in those contreyes menne were not so well shod as they are wyth vs.

Els how could Chryste haue had his fete washed by the synnefull woman and wiped wyth her heares,Luke. 10. excepte he had had hys fete bare, or so shod that his shoes might easely be pulled of? And yt ye washing of the fete in the scripturs doth signifie any base seruice, that maye be done to our neyghbour,1. Kin. 15. Abigael doeth testifie and witnes for when Dauid woulde haue maryed her, she answered: thy hande-mayde is readye to wash my lords feete, and the feete of my Lordes seruauntes.

As though she shoulde sayed: I thynke not my selfe worthye of [Page] so high honor, I am rather moste ready to doe any kynde of seruyce, semeth it neuer so base, to mi lords seruauntes.

And S. Paul in his firste Epistle to Timothee,1. Timo. 5. when he speaketh of ye widowe, that shoulde be chosen of the churche, he willeth that she shoulde be such an one, as is ful of good workes, and hath washed the Sainctes fete. Where doubtlesse S.Math. 6. Paul, by the washyng of ye fete, doeth vnderstande al maner of charitable seruice,How Chrystes sayīg must be vnderstanded when he sayeth whē ye fast annoynte youre heades. that ought to be dō to the men of God. Also Chryste saith in his holy gospel: when thou dost fast annoynt thy head. Wherof it doth not folow, yt we oughte to annoint our heades, whēsoeuer we faste, but because yt in Siria or Arabia ye happy they vsed much to annoint thēselfs whē thei wold be mery & except whē they were in sōe heauines, christ meneth, yt in priuat fastīgs we shold not by omitting ye [Page] accustomable trimming of our bodyes hunte after vayne glorye, or vayne prayse of the worlde. But now, seeinge there is no suche vse of anoynting among vs, we ar not bounde in our fastyng, to anoynte our selues.

Whyche same selfe thing must be vnderstanded of the washynge of the fete, whyche ye doe so stoutly obiecte vnto vs.

Washing of the fete cannot be called a sacrament.Agayne: it cannot be called a sacrament, although it signifieth and representeth in or by the elemente many Godly thynges (as I haue shewed already) and hath a commaundement annexed vnto it. For there bee no expresse or particular wordes geuen, that shoulde be added to ye element, that therof might be made a sacramente, or whereby a promyse of some particular gifte or grace to be obteyned is signified and betokened.

[Page]Finally neyther Chryst, nor his Apostles dyd commaunde, that the communicātes should wash eche others fete.

And Augustyne,Augu. ad Ianuariū. Epi. cxix. in a certayne Epistel ad Ianuariū, doeth playnly write, that certaine churches did remoue and put awaye thys ceremony, leaste it should bee taken for parte of the sacrament, or for baptysme: and that some agayne dyd kepe stil the same.

Pryest.

Why,The. 14. ob. wil ye haue the Apostles and the laye people to be of lyke dignite? Were not the Apostles made priestes by our sauioure Chryst? Therefore the church hath by good ryght made an other law for the communion of the laye people.

Prentise.

We knowe nothynge of thys kynde of priesthode,The answere to it. ther is not one iote or syllable in the scriptures, that the Apostles were [Page] made priestes The scriptures of ye new testament vse no such names.Mark this Yf they were pryestes, they wer so eyther after the order of Melchisedech & thē must they haue ben priestes for euer, or after the order of Aarō, & then must they haue offered bloody sacrifices, as lambes, calues, bullockes and hefkers, or els after the order of Baal,All Christians in the newe testament be called priests. as thei be all, that robbing the Chrystyan congregation of that most worthy name, geuen in the scriptures to all christians, doe chalenge it to them selues alone.

But let them by the priestes vnderstand the ministers of ye church.

Priest.

When pryestes saye no Masse thei receaue but vnder one kynde.So they doe, I warraunte you.

Prentyse.

Nowe then tell me master person, why do ye minister the sacramente vnder one kynd only vnto your priestes, when they, [Page] sayinge not masse theyr selues, chaunce to come to the communyō, sith that Chryste did minister vnder both kindes to the Apostles, geuyng them no lesse than he tooke for hymselfe? Agayne, if Chryste dyd only geue the sacramente to pryestes, as they call them, why dare ye then geue parte to the laye and commen people, sythe Chryst dyd not communicate with them? Besydes thys there wer no wemen at the communion wyth Chryste, excepte ye wyll haue thē to be priestes also.

Why dooe ye then geue the sacramente vnto them, sythe that CHRISTE dyd geue it only to menne? But ye, that reason so substanciallye of the sacramente or communyon of Chryste, kepte wyth hys Apostles, what shal ye aunswere to the Apostle Paule? [Page] who, wrytynge to the vnyuersall churche of Corinthus, commaundeth both kindes to be geuen, not to the ministers onely, but to the whole people?The. 15. obiection.

Pryest.

Ye can not denye, but that there is mencyon made of the communion of the lay people in the decrees, canons and ecclesiasticall historyes.

Prentyse.

I graunt that: but ye are greatlye deceaued,An answer to it. if by the Communion of the laye people ye doe vnderstand the receauing vnder one kinde: for there both kyndes were geuen. On lye it was called the communyon of the laye people, because that sōe of the clergye, beyng through their own faute fallen from theyr ministrie and offyce, dyd no more communicate among the clergye or ministers, but among the laie and cō mon people.

Priest.

The more, I trow, I reason with you, the worse I shal find [Page] you. Did not Christe, I pray you, minister the sacrament vnder one kinde to his disciples,The. 16. ob whē he wēte to Emaus?Luke. 24. For there as it is sayed they knewe him by the breakyng of bread.

Therfore ye doe not well, that of one only action of Chryst goe aboute to establyshe a doctrine and make a commaundement.The .17. ob Besides that, al the whole church is on our side: which holi mother the church being moued with many causes, did ordaine that the sacramente should be ministred vnto the laye people vnder one kynde.

The first cause, whiche moued our mother the holy churche,The .18. ob to minister the sacrament vnder one kīd is, lest if the cup should be generally ministred, any sh̄ould be shed or spilled.

The seconde is thys: [...] .19. ob if [...] should be reserued for the [...] [Page] the bread is, it would waxe sowre, and not bee able to be drunken. Thirdly there be many,The. 20. ob that canne not away with drinking of wyne, therefore seeyng that they can take but one parte, if both were so necessarye, as ye saye, they woulde thinke, that thei hadde not communicated truly, nor receaued the whole sacrament.

The .21. ob.Laste of all, the ministers must haue some what more priuiledge, than the commen sorte of the people.

I trust yong man, ye haue marked these thynges well.

Prentyse.

Truly master person, I haue marked them wel, and I trust, ye shal say no lesse, by that tyme ye haue heard myne answer.

As for the first argument, that ye haue brought,Ans. to the 16. obiec. saying that Chryste hath some tymes ministred vnder [Page] one kynd, because we read in Luk that his disciples knewe him by ye breakyng of bread, that verelye is to weake, yea and verye foolyshe also.

For ye shal neuer be able to shewe that the breakynge of bread doeth in that place signifie the holy communion, syth that the same maner of speakyng is in ye holy scriptures applyed verye often tymes to the commaundementes. And it is no meruail, that those disciples knew him by breakyng of bread, or by takyng of commen meate. For syth yt Christ (as we maye Godly beleue of hym) hadde certayne peculyare thankes geuinge and prayers, he myght easely be knowē. But graūt that Chryst did then at that tyme geue one parte of the Sacramente onely: shall it be lawfull for vs to dooe it therefore? He dyd not by ye [Page] same one onelye doinge abrogate or abolyshe the generall commaundement, that he gaue at his supper, and afterwardes was confyrmed by the writinges of the Euangelystes and of Paul.

Gen. 22.God did once commaunde Abraham to sacrifice his sonne: yet he did not by that abolyshe this generall commaundenlente of hys: thou shalt not kyl.Exo. 20.

He did also commaunde once the Israelites to carye awaye the goods of the Egipcians,Ex. 3.11.12. howbeit he wil haue neuerthelesse this hys commaundemente to stande styll: Thou shalt not steal.Sinecdoche is a figure, wherby, when part of a thyng is named, ye whole is vnderstanded, & sōetymes the whole beīg named, parte onely is vnderstanded Moreouer by the breakynge of the breade, the whole supper may be vnderstāded by a figure, which is called Synecdoche.

And wheras ye blame vs, beecause (as ye report of vs) we do of one onely action or doing of Christ [Page] make a generall doctryne and commaundement: ye are blame worthi your selues, for thys dede or facte of Chryst, was not vulgare or cō men, but hath an expresse commaū demente ioyned and annexed to it: whyche was afterwardes confyrmed and established by Paul. And doe we not, besydes all thys, work moste surely, when we seke to the head spring and former instituciō?

Pryest.

Well the churche is on our syde, whych thing ye can not deny, and Credendum est magis soli marie veraci, quam Iude orū turbaī fallaci. That is to saye: the holye churche alone is more to be beeleued, then a sort of false heretykes, although they were thousandes together.

Prentise.

Well, to the purpose master person, I canne not thynke,Ans. to the 17. obiec. but wheras ye say that the catholike churche is on youre syde and [Page] deth wyth you, that is playne fals. For al the Greke churche, and the whole east parte of the worlde, wt al the whole auncientie, is against you in thys pointe: for thys shamefull and most blasphemous mutylation or cutting of the one part of the sacrament, is a birde of yesterdayes hatchyng.

Thomas de Aquino, now being one of the latter schoolemen,3. part. que 80. arti. 12 saith playnly that it beganne to be vsed about hys tyme, in certayne churches.

truly master persō, me thinke, this is a madde way, that ye doe vse. When we flee to the scriptures, by and by ye say that they are obscure and darke, and so appeall to the fathers, who, ye saye, doe all stande on your syde, ye runne to the antiquitie of tyme, wherby ye goe aboute to mocke awaye al the testimonyes and autorytes of the scriptures. [Page] But howe stedfaste ye be, it shal easely be seen in this disputacion, wher the scripture is plain, all the fathers stande with vs, and all the whole antiquite consenteth wyth the scriptures.Why the Pope catholyks do so sore resist ye truth

Therefore thys your study and loue, that ye, haue to resist or speak agaynst vs, commeth only of thys that ye are sworne and addicted to the Popes lawes, wherby it commeth to passe, yt ye set not a strawe neyther by the trueth, nor by the scriptures, nor by the fathers, nor yet by antiquite.

Pryeste.

If there were none other thyng, yet the causes, wherby the churche was moued to make thys Godlye ordeynaūce, ought to suffice vs.

Prētise,

The first cause, so farre as I do remember, is leaste the cuppe should be shed,Ans. to the 18. obiec. if it shoulde bee ministred uniuersally to all men.

Here dooe I muse and greatly [Page] meruel at Ireneus, Basilius, Ambrose, Naziāzene and Augustyne, which being such wise and prudēt fathers, did not see these perylles in the sacrament: or if they dyd se them, they dyd not so much esteme them, that they woulde therefore violate the sacramentes, whyche neuerthelesse, they ministred very often.

For these blasphemous priuat masses were not yet then vsed.Priuate masses are here called when no cō munion is vsed. They did alwayes communicate in the misteries wyth the other, ye people comming to the communiō much more often than they do now a dayes.

They did not passe so muche, if part of the mistical cuppe dyd perchaunce fall on the grounde. In Ciprianus tyme a maide did spue out of the misticall wyne. Thys was the greatest care, that the holy fathers tooke, that they myghte [Page] minister the sacrament to worthye persons.

But ye laboure not to put awaye from it dogges and swyne, by whom much greater iniurye is done to the bloud of Chryste, than if some droppes of it shoulde bee spilled on the grounde: therefore I would counsayll the ministers, if at lest I were worthy to geue coū sel, to take good hede, that none be spilled, and if any chaunceth to be spilled, let them bee sory therfore, and yet it ought not to be exaggerated, as though it were a thynge irremissible.

Sainct Augustine writeth,Augusti. Questi. 1. cap interrogo uos. that as we must take hede that no parte of the sacrament fall down on the grounde▪ so must both the minister and also the hearers beware, that no worde be spoken in vayne, or escape wythout profyte. And yet notwythstandyng although many [Page] tymes the worde is negligentlye heard and vnfrutefully receaued, sermons muste not be kept awaye from the people.

Priest.

But how could the misticall wine be kept from sowryng, if it were reserued for the sicke?

Prē tise.

Ans. to the 19. obiec.I aunswere, that youre owne supersticion onely doeth breede ye same peryll.

Who compelleth you to kepe or reserue the sacrament? Who hath geuen you that commaundement?

Priest.

We must geue it to the sick.

Prentyse.

I graunte it, but maye not the consecracion be dōe before the sicke?

Pryest.

But the sicke persons can not alwayes tary so long. Ther be many ceremōies ye know.

Prentyse.

And this doth also come of youre superstition and not of Chrystes commaundement. That whych Chryst commaunded, maye easely be done in a short time, and [Page] wyth very fewe wordes. Gregory in his Epistles testifieth and witnesseth, that the Apostles dyd only vse the lordes prayer at the consecracyon: but ye affirme and hold opinion, that the sacrament can not be made but onely in your Masse. Therfore these impedimentes and lettes, that ye alleage, are to be imputed to your own foolysh superstition, and not to the institucion of the lord.

Pryest.

What shal we doe with them, that eyther of nature doe abhorre wyne, or els by reason of their sicknes, can not awaye wyth it?

Prentyse.

When there is suche necessite,Ans. to the 20, obiec. that the lawe canne take no place, to suche kynde of menne one parte onelye of the sacrament may be geuen.

But neuerthelesse it can not be [Page] gathered thereof, that touchynge the other that can away with wine the sacrament ought to be mutilated or halfe cut of, by the lawe and decree of men.

For it is god that semeth to haue broughte or cast that man into this necessite, wherby it foloweth, that he doth not wittingly and willingly violate the sacrament. Sōe there be that make thys answere: if any doe so abhorre wyne, that they can by no meanes awaye with it: suche drinke may be geuen vnto them, as they can wel away with al, so that the sacrament be kept whole, & the wordes of the Lorde fully rehearced.

Priest.

But Chryst hath not so instituted and ordeyned: therefore they, that shoulde dooe sa, shoulde breake the Lordes institucion.

Prentise.

This aunswere they wyl make, that Chryste dyd vse that [Page] kinde of drinke, that menne coulde awaye withall, and that did agree with them that receaued it, & that therfore they swarue not from the institucion of Chryste, when they minister to all men that kynde of drynke, that thei can brooke. For in so doing they seeme rather to submitte themselues to the inbecillite and weakenesse of theyr brethren, than to violate the sacramente. To thys may I adde, that if a man cā not receaue the sacrament, as christ hath instituted, he shold altogether refrayne from it.

For if he doeth desier it and beleue, he shal lose no fruite or profit thereof, but it shalbe imputed vnto hym as though he had receaued it. As if a man shold earnestly desier to be baptised, and cold not obtaīe it, it would be imputed vnto hym, as if he had been baptised in very dede.

[Page]But we may not, because of suche rare and seldome chaunces, cut away halfe the sacrament.

Pryeste.

I perceaue that ye seke nothing els but mere confusion, & that ye wyl haue no honor to be geuen to the ministers.

Prentyse.

Ans. to the 21. obiec.The dignite of the ministers consisteth not in thys, that they shoulde receaue .2. partes of ye sacrament, and the lay people but one; or that they should receaue a greater cake, than the common sort of the people, that doe communicat wyth them.

1. Timo. 3. Titus. 1.Paul in hys firste Epystel to Timothe, and in hys Epystell to Titus, doeth sufficiently describe the godly qualites of the ministers wherein consisteth theyr dignitye. And agayne wrytyng to Timothe he sayeth,1. Tim. 5. that the elders are worthy of double honour, when they rule wel, and laboure in the word [Page] of god.

Pryeste.

I am almost weary to talke wyth you, ye are so obstinate. I perceaue that ye wyl in no wyse yelde to your betters, but are full of wordes and of vnlearned contention.

Prentyse.

I doe frō my very heart detest and abhorre vaine wordes, and vngodly contencion: but that I shoulde in thys matter yelde to you, I see not yet, why I shoulde doe it.

For besydes all other reasons, argumentes, and autorites of the Scriptures, that haue beē alleged hetherto, thys I doe reade in the .3. to the Galathians, that though it be but a mans testament, if it be alowed,Gala. 3. no man despyseth it, or addeth any thyng thereto: how much lesse oughte menne to be so temera [...]ious and rashe, as for to adde any thyng to ye testamēt of Christ? Mē [Page] beeyng frayle and mortall, do only in their testamentes bequeathe earthly thinges: but Christ, which is God almightye, bequeatheth to hys churche his heauenlye sacramentes, which apperteine vnto euerlasting lyfe.

Therefore it is an intollerable presumption that man, being but a worme of the earth, should alter any thyng in hys testamente. Beesydes thys al the vniuersal church, through the whole world, dyd neuer in the ryght administracion of the sacramente swarue from the institution of Chryste,The counsel of Constaunce is most vnfaythfull. Iohn husse Hieronymus de Praga. til ye moste disloial and vnfaythfull consell, yt was kept at Cōstaunce about .120. yeares ago: in which diuelish coū cel, these .2. notable and godly learned men Iohn Husse, and Hieronymus de Praga, were most treacherously burnt, for speakyng agaynst thys moste horrible prophanation [Page] of the sacramente. What should I here speake of the aunciēt fathers? who did alwaies from their verye heart abhorre to swarue any thing in this sacrament from the institution and ordeynaunce of Chryste. We haue a Canon of Gelasyus, which is written de consecratiōe, distinctiōe .2. capī. Comperimus: there some are rebuked,Galasius de consecr. distinct .2. cap. cōperimus. because yt they, receauinge a portion of the Lordes body, dyd altogether abstayne from the cup of the Lordes blood.

Which thyng he calleth supersticious, commaundynge them eyther to take the whole sacramente, or to abstayne from the whole. For (sayth he) it is a playne sacriledge or robbing of Gods glory, yt they shoulde be seuered or separated.

Pryeste.

That Canon is to bee vnderstanded of the Priests,The. 22. ob. whē [Page] they say masse. For they are boūde to receaue both kyndes.

Prentyse.

Thys cannot bee gathered of the words of thys holy bishoppe.Ans. to it For there playne mencion is made of ye communicantes, and of them that shoulde be put from the sacramēts whyche thynges can bee applyed but onely to those, to whom the sacrament is ministred. Moreouer it is not written in the Canon, that any iniury is done to the sacrifice, but to the sacrament. For sayth he, no diuision of that one onely misterye can be done wythoute greate sacriledge or intollerable robberye of the glory of god.

Sith then ye minister the sacrament to the lay people vnder one kynde, making a shamefull diuisiō of thys sacramente, ye can not excuse your selues, but that ye cōmyt playne and manifest sacriledge. Chrisostome in the .18. Homilye vpon [Page] the seconde Epistell to the Corinthians wryteth,Chri. ho. 1 [...] in .2. Epi. ad Corin. that there be certaine things, wherin the priest differeth nothynge from the laye man.

As in receauinge of the dreadefull misteryes, It is not with vs as in the olde lawe, where one parte of the sacrifice was geuen to the Pryeste, and an other to him that did offer: but to vs all, sayeth he, one onely and the same bodye of Chryste is geuen, and one onelye and the same cup.

Ciprian in hys .2. booke and .3. Epistell proueth, that we oughte in no wyse to swarue in thys sacramēt from the institucion of Christ: where among all other thynges he reherceth these .3. principal points: firste,Cipri. 2. li. epist. 3. epi. howe in thys matter Christ onely ought to be harkened vnto.

Agayne: howe we oughte [Page] not to care what other haue done afore vs, but what Chryste, who was before all, hath done himself or willeth vs to doe: last of al how they that doe otherwyse, thā christ did, doe in vayne worshippe God, wyth the doctrynes and preceptes of men.

Priest.

O good God, what a thyng is it, to reade any authour after thys sorte, not weyghynge ye circumstaunces of the places? Cyprian doeth not speake of this thīg that we haue nowe in hande,The .23. ob. Aquarri may be called in englyshe waterlynges. Ans. to it. but there he disputeth against certain sectes, yt be called Aquarii, whiche vsed water in the Lordes cup instede of wyne.

Thys faute doth he there speak agaynst, and not agaynst ye takinge away of the one part of thys sacrament from the lay people.

Prētis.

But I saye, that ye offende more [...] agaynst the instytucion [Page] of Chryst in the sacramente, than these waterlynges did: for althogh they vsed water for wyne, yet dyd they not vtterly put away the one part of the sacrament. They did stil kepe the very wordes, that apperteīe to ye cup, onely thei did chaūge the elemente.

But ye doe moste treaterouslye take awaye from the laye people, both the whole cuppe, and also the wordes, that appertayne vnto it. Secondely I graunte that Cipryans disputacion, wherin he confuteth the waterlings, is particular, but the argumentes and reasons, that he doeth vse, are vniuersall, yt is to say: how in the sacramente of the body and bloud of Christ, we ought in no wyse to swarue from Chrystes institucion. Wherevpon I conclude that it is in no wise lawful, to take away the misticall cup from the communion.

[Page]Priest.

The .24. obCiprian writeth these thīgs only of them, that did offer: therefore this place appertaineth nothing to the communion.

Prentise.

I wonder yt your witte is so grosse that ye can not see,Answere. how the sacrifices of the auncient fathers in Ciprians tyme did in nothyng dyfferre from the communion: there were no priuate masses vsed amōg them, for they dyd afterwardes crepe in, to the greate hinderaunce of the true religion.

Priest.

Then bee like there was some kynde of masse in Ciprians tyme. Therfore they that say, that it is a birde of late yeares, do most shamefully belie vs.

Prentyse.

I wyll not now reason of that mater wyth you.

For there is a booke, whych, I truste, shal shortly come abroade in print, wherin al thynges, concernyng your cursed masse, ar so plaī ly [Page] discussed and set forth, that your Pope catholikes, whiche nowe at thys tyme are so bragge, shall not haue one worde to speake.

Pryest.

Wel, are ye at thys poynte, that ye wyl not receaue at all, now at thys blessed tyme?

Prentyse.

I haue tolde you my mynde, master person, what I intende to dooe.

Prieste.

So shal ye bryng your selfe into trouble, and not preuayll.

Prentyse.

If it be the pleasure of God to bryng me into any trouble for hys sonne Iesu Chrystes sake, or for his truethes sake, I am assured that he wil not suffer me to be tempted aboue mi strength, but wyl in the middest of my temptation make awaye, that I maye be able to beare it: that is to saye: thys doe I beleue, that God wil, of his [Page] infinite goodnesse, measure hys crosse accordyng to my strengthe.God measureth hys crosse according to our strength Loke what I am able to bear, that wyl hys fatherly and most mercyfull goodnesse laye vpon my sholders, if it be expedient for his glory, for the edifying of hys churche and for the saluacion of my soule: and if it be his Godlye pleasure, to encrease hys crosse vpon me, he wyll also encrease my strength. In the meane ceason I know thys to be moste sure, that it is not the way to eschewe trouble, to flee frō God or to swarue frō his trueth: but rather it is the way and meane to bryng my selfe into a much greater trouble, bothe in thys worlde here, and also in the worlde to come.

And speciallye for thys matter of the sacrament, that now we haue in handlyng: I doubt not, but that God will of hys ryghteous iudgemente [Page] plage thys wicked worlde wyth great and horrible plagues. For if the Corinthians, that kepte Chrystes holy institucion whole,1. Cor. 11. were neuerthelesse, bee cause they misused thēselues in the receauing of the sacrament, so sore punyshed wyth syckenesse, newe diseases & pestilences: what oughte they to looke for, at the ryghteous iudgement of God, that so blasphemously prophanate hys sacramentes, takyng away moste sacrilegeouslye not only the one halfe of the matter that the sacramentes are made of, but also the very wordes of the institution? Truely all the plagues, that doe dayly chaunce vnto vs,the prophanacion of ye sacramente is the chief cause of our plages. as tumulte, sedicion, rebellions, insurrections, famyne and extreme hunger, derth and scarcenesse of al maner of thynges, with innumerable kyndes of newe diseases, that dayly spryng vp emong vs, oughte to [Page] be imputed to none other thynge, but to thys prophane mutilatyon or manglyng of the sacramente.

Priest.

And did not al these plags happen vnto vs, when ye had the sacrament ministred vnder both kyndes? What tumultes and insurrectyons haue we had in that short tyme, that all thynges were, as ye woulde haue them? What dearth and scarcenesse of victualles haue we had euer since?The chiefe argumente that ye pope catholikes vse nowe a daies to diffame the gospel and worde of god. Whereunto shal we impute these thynges? Did not besydes all thys all the chiefe autors of your religion come to an ill ende? recken Anne Boleyne, Crōewel, the duke of Somerset, ye duke of Northumberland, and the duke of Suffolke, that I shoulde in the meane ceason passe them ouer, that haue been burnt as most shamefull heretykes.

Therefore yong man, looke better to your selfe, weigh & consyder [Page] these thinges better in your mind, and returne by tymes, least ye repente your selfe at length of thys your sticneckednesse.

Prentyse.

I graunte,Answere. that we haue had tumultes and insurrectyons in that shorte tyme, that true relygyon was vp: but who wer the authors of them? Were they not a sorte of rebellyous Papystes, that caused the insurrectyon in ye weast parte of Englande, for to haue put downe true relygyon, and Gods worde?

As for them of Northfolke, it is not vnknowē what was ye cause of their rising.

And no doubte it is but that there were many chyldren of Belliall amonge them, that prycked them forewardes: as the deuil is alwayes busye to sowe sedicion and [Page] to moue mens hartes to rebellion, but most specially, when he seeth, that the world falleth awaye from him, by the preachyng of ye worde of god.

Then doth he bestirre himself, seekyng all meanes possible to brīg the gospel into a suspicion or gelousye, and to make men to beeleue that it is a sedicious doctryne: that so by that meane he may enioy his possession stil.

As long as the world sitteth in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death, runnyng headlong, for lack of the light of goddes worde, into perdycyon: the deuill is quiete enoughe, ye shall heare but of few tumultes.

For why? he is then in peasable possession of the worlde: what nedeth he to make any thyng adoe: And as for the derth and scarcenes of victualles, yt we haue had euer [Page] since, whervnto shal we impute ye same, but to a sort of Cormarands, which vnder the cloke of Goddes worde hyded theyr treaterouse couetousnesse? For, thankes bee vnto God, there hath ben always great plentie in thys realme, euer since ye true reformacion of the churche, of all maner of thinges, that are necessary for the sustenaunce of man: so that both victuals and other necessary things might haue been good cheape, if it had not been for these caterpillers, whyche would rather suffer theyr corne to be eaten with vermine, and theyr cattel to dye of the rote,The cause of ye scarcenes & derth that is now a daies & to whom it ought to be imputed. or sende both corne & cattel ouer into straunge contreyes, than let theyr poore neyghboures to haue any thyng at theyr hands, for a reasonable pryce. Thys hath made this derth, and nothing els. Howbeit I doe not denye but that it is a plage of god, that thus in the [Page] middest of plenty, we suffer suche penurie and scarcenesse: but whervnto shall we impute it, but to our rebellyous heartes, and diuelish̄e stubburnesse, that wold in no wise receaue Gods worde, whē it was so plenteously offered vnto vs, but kycked agaynst it, hauynge lieffer to fede stil of the coddes & huskes wyth the swyne, than to eate deintye meates in our fathers house?Had ye not masses said in your priui chambers, ye ranke papysts, kept ye not Idolatry in euery dark corner? But woe be to you: for What abomynable Idolatrye, not wythstandyng the shynyng lighte of the gospel, was styll committed by such, as ye ar, in many dark corners of thys realme? And wheras ye say, that al the chiefe authours of our relygyon bee come to an yll ende, recknyng a great many of honorable persons, whych, beyng fauourers of the trueth, haue gone to wrake here in thys worlde: what maketh that for youre purpose? [Page] Myght I not wyth the same reason diffame the gospel of Chryst, yea and all the scriptures of God also? To what ende, I praye you, came all the Prophetes of God?What the ende of Chryst & of his Apostles hath been here in thys worlde. Some of thē wer stoned to death, some sawen in two wyth a woodē sawe, some had tente nayles driuē throughe bothe theyr temples. And Iohn the Baptyst, the forerū ner of Chryste, was he not beheaded? Chryste hymselfe, who is the ende of all Prophetes, was putte to a moste shamefull death, beeyng hanged on a crosse betwyxt twoo theues.

None of all hys holy Apostles dyd escape the cruell tyrannye of thys worlde, that in the meane season I shoulde speake nothynge of so many thousande Martyrs, whose bloode was moste cruellye shedde.

Shall we therfore saye, that the [Page] gospel, and the scriptures of god, are vntrue? God forbidde.

Priest.

Truly yonge man, I am sorye for you. I am affrayde that I shall bee fayne to put you vp to my Lorde: then are ye vndone.

Prentyse.

Dooe as ye shall thynke beste. Fare ye well master person: God open youre hearte.

Be ashamed of your doings ye Papystes.

[Page]

§

§

[Page]

[Page]

¶ A confutacion of that Popishe and Antichristian doctryne, whiche mainteineth ye ministracyon and receiuing of the sacrament vnder one kind, made Dialogewise betwene the Prieste and the Prentyse by Gracyous Menewe.

¶Math. 26.

Drinke ye all of this, for thys is my bloude whych is of the new testamente, that is shed for you, for the remission of synnes.

To all faythfull readers / that loue Chryst and his doctrine sincerely, Gracyous Menew wysheth grace, peace of conscience & gostly strength from god the father thorowe our Lorde and sauyoure Iesu Christe.

[Page]

[Page]

SOme there bee, moste Chrystian and faythful brethren, whyche nowe at thys presente, that true relygion goeth to wracke, doe not one lye thynke but also are fullye perswaded in themselues, that it is no offence at al to Communicate wyth the Papystes, that so shamefullye mutilate or mangle the sacramente of the body and bloud of Chryste, [Page] that they cut of, and take awaye ye one halfe from the lay people, contrary to the institucion and ordynaunce of the heauenly wysedome of god, our sauioure Iesu Chryst. But if they woulde weygh the saying of S. Paul in the .5. Chapter to the Ephesians, where he wryteth on this wyse: haue no felowshyppe wyth the vnfrutefull woorkes of darkenes,Eph. 5. [...]. Tim. 5. and agayne: be not partakers of other mens synnes: they would be otherwyse mynded, and be dryuen cleane away from that foolyshe perswasyon of theyrs. For if the cutting of, manglyng or takynge awaye of halfe the sacramēt from the people of god, is no vnfrutefull worke of darknes and such a synne, as none other in a maner is to be compared wyth it: I cā not tell what we should cal works of darkenes or what we shold nāe synne. Thys is moste sure, welbeloued, [Page] that whatsoeuer man doeth imagyne and inuente,The manglyng of ye sacramente is an inuencyon of mē and therefore a work of darkenes. besydes & wythoute gods worde or agaynst the institucion of hym, that is the only true lyghte that lighteth all men that come in to the worlde: It must be mere darkenes. But thys mangling of the sacrament is an inuencion of wycked men, whych leauyng or rather despicynge the worde of god and ordynaunce of hys sonne Iesu Chryst our Lord, folowe the madde phantasyes of their owne braynes: therefore it muste nedes folowe, that it is a worke of darkenes▪ not onely vnfrutefull, but also most noyesome and hurtefull, ye and of all other moste pernytyous. For beesydes that by it gods wrath is kyndled, and hys vengeaūce prouoked: they goe aboute most earnestly, by this deuilishe inuentyon of theyrs, to nourysh, mayntayne, defende and [Page] vpholde their blasphemous doctryne of transubstantiacion in the sacramente,The marke that the papistes shot at in thys manglynge of the sacrament. perswadyng the symple and ignoraunt people, that after the wordes of consecracyon (as they call it) be once spoken, there remayneth neyther bread nor wyne, but the very true and naturall body of our sauioure Iesu Chryste, flesh, bloud and bones, as he was borne of the virgin, hangynge on the crosse, dyd lie in the graue and afterwardes beeyng raysed again from the dead ascended vp into heauen, and therefore say they, it cannot be, but that vnder the forme of breade, they receyue both flesh and bloud, except we would haue a body wythout bloud. Thys doctryne, I say, goe they about to establyshe, by thys theyr manglynge of the sacrament what pretense or coloure soeuer they haue besydes. Therefore haue no felowshyppe [Page] wyth theyr vnfrutefull, noysome and hurtful workes of darkenesse: be no more partakers of their sīne lest ye be also partakers with thē of the ponyshmentes and plagues that god threateneth vnto them, that preferryng theyr vnwyse and foolyshe knowledge, beefore hys heauenly wysedome, doe arrogantly presume and take vpon them to immutate, chaunge and alter any of hys ordynaunces and lawes. And that thys matter of the sacrament myght the better bee vnderstanded,The cōtēts of thys boke. and the intollerable blasphemy of the manglyng therof soner espyed and perceaued: I haue here compyled a small treatyse, wherein all the argumentes and reasons, that the Popes catholiks can bryng for the mayntenaunce of their abomynacyon, are, I truste, so substancially confuted, that theī shall not haue one woorde to saye: [Page] wherein also ye shall learne howe farre they are deceaued, that think it no offence to receyue wyth them that so blasphemouslye breake the lordes institucion and ordinaūce, what clokes soeuer they can bryng for to cloke their synnefull doings wyth all. Onely I desyer this one thyng of you, that ye wil take this my rude doyng in good parte, and pray wyth me that god of hys fatherly goodnes and mercy vouche safe to loke vpon our afflyctions, and forgettyng our offences and the offences of our forefathers delyuer vs from thys moste myserable thraldome and captiuitye of conscience that we bee in: that we may wyth a free and vpryght hart honor, loue and serue hym in holynes and ryghteousnes al the dayes of our lyfe. Whyche thyng wythout all peraduenture, if wyth true repentaunt heartes and faythfull [Page] prayers we call vpon hym, he wyll graunte vnto vs, through the merytes of hys sonne Iesu Chryste oure Lord and sauiour, to whō, wyth the father and the holy goste, be all prayse, glory and honoure worlde wythoute ende. Amen.

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Title statement

A confutacion of that popishe and antichristian doctryne, whiche mainteineth ye ministracyon and receiuing of the sacrament under one kind made dialoge-wise betwene the prieste and the prentyse by Gracyous Menewe.

Menewe, Gracious.

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1555

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Text Creation Partnership,

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Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

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2003-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

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A07435

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STC 17821

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ESTC S109986

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99845612

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99845612

ID [VID]

10521

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A07435)

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Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 436:08)

Source

— A confutacion of that popishe and antichristian doctryne, whiche mainteineth ye ministracyon and receiuing of the sacrament under one kind made dialoge-wise betwene the prieste and the prentyse by Gracyous Menewe., Menewe, Gracious., Becon, Thomas, 1512-1567, attributed name..

Extent

[96] p.

Printed by H. Singleton?,. [Wesel? :: 1555?]. (Sometimes attributed to Thomas Becon.) (Imprint from STC.) (Signatures: A-F.) (Probably issued with his: A plaine subversyon or turnyng up syde down of all the argumentes, that the Popecatholykes can make for the maintenaunce of auricular confession.) (Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.)

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