YF S. Paule writing to the Phylyppians the third cha­piter was not asshamed too saye,Philip. 3 To write one thinge di­uerse tymes to you, is not payne or slouthe to me, but profitable and necessarye for you, muche lesse oughte Ito be asshamed for that I pro­pounde to you at thys tyme that lesson agayne, which be­fore I haue twyce intreated, seinge I intende by Goddes [Page] grace to speake nothing, but that I haue learned, eyther of Saynt Paule him selfe, or of such I thinke was indued with the same spirite Saynt Paule was, & this I do not for lacke of good matter, but for lacke of better matter in my iudgement, and more ne­cessary to be learned of vs all at this presente. For what is better worthier, and more neadefull to be taughte and learned of all sortes of men in these euil dayes, and corrupt time, then howe to offre vppe our selues to God a liuynge, holye, and pleasinge sacrifice, to ouercome and represse our naughtie wyl and affections, to mortifie our earthly mem­bres and conuersation, and so [Page] to banish sinne, that it reygne not in oure mortall bodyes? the largenes of whiche mat­ter is so greate, and doth ex­tende it selfe in so many par­tes, causes, and circumstanci­es, that althoughe the whole matter doth perteyne & hath respect to one ende: yet the intreating of it being long, must nedes be variouse, & for that reason can not be tediouse to him, that loueth to learne to liue well, and please almigh­tye God.

The ende of this my mat­ter is, to destroye the kynge­dome of sinne, for which pur­pose Gods sonne was incar­nate, to bring whiche thinge to passe in vs, was al the lyfe, the example, the passion, the [Page] resurrection of Christ, and al the doctrine & Sacramentes of Christ. Like as contrarye to erecte and establyshe thys kingdome of sinne, is all the trauayle and temptation of the deuill, nowe fawning like a serpent, transformyng hym selfe into an aungell of lyght, to intrappe & seduce the sim­ple and vnware: now raging like a lion to ouerthrowe the feble and fearful, and not on­lye is it his trauayle, but also it is the whole labour & prac­tise of all his children by imi­tation, as Infideles, Iewes, heretikes, scismatikes, false brethren, counterseyte christians, both in liuinge and lear­nyng labouryng nyghte and daye with all witte and will [Page] to destroy the fayth of Christ, the Sacramentes of Christe the sacrifice of Christ, asmuch as in them lyeth▪ whiche thre be speciall meanes to destroy the kingdome of sinne, which they with all their power set vp and maynteyne.

The practise of the deuil & his ministers in this poynt I haue partlye touched, and by Gods grace and youre pati­ence shall nowe procede fur­ther. I haue opened the de­caye of fayth, good workes, & penaunce, which be remedies agaynst sinne. One other re­medye there is, that lyeth in much decaye, which wyll lye still, excepte good men (accor­cording to their bounden dueties) put to their help [...] [...]an­des. [Page] I meane the sacrifice of the churche, the sacrifice of y^e newe testament, the sacrifice of oure reconciliation in the body and bloude of our Lord Iesus Christ, which he hathe instituted in his laste supper, and so (as Ireneus sayeth) Noui testamenti nouam docuit obla­tionem, Ireneus lib. 4. ca. 35. quam Ecclesia ab Apo­stolis accipiens in uniuerso mū ­do offert Deo. Christe confes­syng the cup to be his bloude, hath taught the new sacrifice of the newe testament, which sacrifice the church receauing of the Apostels, doeth offer to God throughoute the whole world.

There is nothing so auncient, so profitable, necessarye & [Page] so holsome, as this sacrifice is that hath bene of some men, & that of late, so assaulted, reui­led, reiected, blasphemed, op­pressed, persecuted, and wyth suche reproche and indignation banyshed and exiled, with­out cause or any good ground why they shuld so haue done, but y^t they knewe synne shuld decay, yf that were vsed. And therefore intendynge to esta­blyshe the kyngdome of synne laboured wyth all violence to subuerte thys enemye, and remedye agaynst synne▪ whyche (as Saynt Cypriane doth saye) ad totius hominis uitam salu­tem (que) proficit, Cypria­nus Ser▪ de caen [...] Domi [...]. simul medicamen tum & holocaustum ad sanan­das infirmitates & purgandas [Page] iniquitates existens, whyche doth profyte to the lyfe & sal­uation of the whole man, be­inge both a medicine to heale infirmities, and a sacrifice to purge iniquities.

Thys lytle tyme that I haue nowe, I intende (God wyllynge) to bestowe in thys matter to reduce into youre remembraunce the foundati­on and commoditye of thys sacrifice of the churche, and to repell suche boltes, as the fo­lishnes of some, and the malice of other haue shotte agaynste it, that knowing the necessity and goodnes of it, we may fo­lowe the counsell of Saynte Barnarde whych sayd:Bernard. hom. 3. super Mis­ [...]us est. Discamus eius humilitatem, imitemur [Page] mansuetudinem, amplectamu [...] dilectionem, cōmunicemus pas­sionibus, lauemur in sanguine eius: ipsum offeramus propitia­tionem pro peccatis nostris, quo niam ad hoc ipse natus & da­tus est nobis. Ipsum oculis pa­tris, ipsum offeramus & suis, quia & pater proprio filio suo non pepercit, sed pro nobis tra­didit illum &c. Let vs learne his humilitye, lette vs folowe his meakenes and gentlenes, let vs imbrace his loue, let vs communicate in hys passions by suffryng wyth hym, lette vs be washed in hys bloude, let vs offre hym the propitia­tion or a sacrifice propitiatory for our sinnes, for to this ende [Page] was he borne, and gyuen to vs: let vs offer him to hys fa­thers eyes: let vs offer hym to his owne eyes: for y^e father hathe not spared hys owne sonne, but hath gyuen him for vs, and so forth.

And also as the same Bernarde more playnly writeth in an o­ther place,Bernar. Ser. 1. de Epiph. saying thus. Pau­peres sumus, parum dare possu­mus, attamen reconciliari possumus pro paruo illo, si uolumus: totum quod dare possum; mise­rum corpus istud est, illud si de­dero, satis est: si quo minus, ad­do & corpus ipsius, nam illud de meo est, & meum est: paruu­lus enim natus est nobis, & fili­us datus est nobis. De te Domi­ne [Page] suppleo, quod minus habeo in me. O dulcissima reconciliatio. We are poore, and litle can we gyue, yet for that litle we may be reconcyled to GOD, yf we wyl. Al that I am able to giue is this wretched body of mine yf I gyue that, it is sufficient, yf it be not, I adde also Chri­stes body, for that is mine and of myne: for a litle one is borne to vs, and the sonne is gyuen vnto vs. O Lorde, that lac­keth in me, I supplye of thee. O moost sweateste reconcilia­tion.

See howe Saynte Bernarde ioyneth the offeryng of oure bodyes and of Christes bodye together, that yf the oblation of our bodyes be imperfecte & suffise not, the oblation of chri­stes [Page] body may fulfyll and sup­plye, that lacketh in vs? And to what ende? that we might be reconciled, that the body of synne myghte be destroyed, that it reygne not in oure bo­dyes.

NOw entryng to speake of y^e sacrifice of the churche, I pre suppose one thyng, whych is the foundation of the same, to be most certaynlye and con­stantly beloued of all vs, that be here present: which is, that in the most blessed Sacramēt [Page] of the aultare is presente the true bodye and bloude of oure Sauiour Christe, the price of our redemption, not in figure only, but in trueth and verye dede, whiche the learned men call really and essentially, that is to saye, that thynge, that substaunce, that was vpon the crosse, is nowe verely presente in the blessed Sacrament, be­fore we receaue it: the cause of whych real presence is the omnipotente power and wyll of God, assistyng the due administration of the Priest, the whi­che body and bloude we chri­sten men receaue by the ser­uice of our bodyes and senses, though not by the iudgement of our senses, but onely by the iudgement of fayth, because it [Page] is gyuen not in the outwarde fourme of the selfe same bodye and bloude, as it was slayne & shedde vpon the crosse, but in the fourmes of our dayly and speciall nutrimentes of breade and wyne, and that for sondry weyghtye, and necessary cau­ses foresene by our Sauioure Christ.

For▪ seyng the substaunce of our sacrifice of the newe Te­stament, is the verye reall and naturall bodye of Christe, as may be proued by many aucto­rities. Saynte Cypriane sayeth: In sacrificio quòd Christus est, Cypria­nus. lib. 2 epist. 3. non nisi Christus sequendus est. In that sacrifice that is Christ no manne is to be folowed but Christe. Here he sayeth, that Christ is that sacrifice that we [Page] offer to almyghtye God. Also Saynte Basyl wryteth in hys forme of Masse:Basilius in Missa. Tu es qui of­fers, & offerris, & qui suscipis, et impartis Christe Deus noster. O Christ our God, thou art he that both doest offer, & is offe­red, that bothe giuest the offe­ryng and receaueth.

Saynt Basyl by this meaneth, that the sacrifice, whyche the churche offered to GOD, is Christ hym selfe, who in that he is the heade of hys body the churche, is one offerer with y^e churche, and so is bothe offerer and offered, as Basyl sayeth.

Lykewyse Saynte Ambrose wrytynge of the inuention of the bodyes of two gloriouse martyrs Geruasius and Prothasius, Ambros. lib. 10. epi 85. and of the burying of them vnder [Page] the aultare, sayeth thus: Succedant uictimae triumpha­les in locum, ubi Christus hostia est, sed ille super altare qui pro omnibus passus est, [...]sti sub alta­ri, qui illius redempti sunt passi­one. Let these triumphynge sacrifices (meanynge the bo­dyes of the martyrs) go into y^t place where Christe is a sacri­fice. But Christe is a sacrifyce aboue the aultare, who suffred for all men, these two vnder y^e aultare, that were redemed by his passion.

Of this place I note my purpose, whiche is, that the sacrifice of the Churche and newe Testament, is the verye reall bodye and bloude of our Sauiour Christ, which is also [Page] testified by Chrysostome in his ho­melye he wryteth of the praise of GOD in these woordes.Chrysost▪ hom. de laude dei Vereamini mensam quaue de­super uictima illa iacet Christus scilicet qui nostri causa occisus est. feare and reuerence that table, aboue y^t which lieth that sacrifice (that is to saye Christ) whyche for oure cause was slayne.

By which wordes Chrysostome declareth his faythe, that the sacrifice of y^e churche is Christ, and also that christ is not one­ly in heauen, as some men damnably beareth you in hand, but is placed lyinge aboue y^e table of the aultare as y^e substaunce of our sacrifice.

And in an other homely he writeth.Idem hom de Ence­nijs. Mensa mysterijs in­structa [Page] est, et agnus dei pro te immolatur. The table is furni­shed with mysteries, and the lambe of god for the is offered: teachinge vs that the holye mysteryes wherewith the ta­ble of our aultare is furnyshed be the body & bloude of Christ (that is to saye) the lambe of god, which is also then offered for vs.

Saint Augustyne is full of such saynges:August. lib. 9. Cō ­fess. ca. 12. as writinge of his mothers deathe, howe that he wepte nothinge for her all the tyme the Masse was sayde for her soule, which he expresseth by these wordes. Cum offerr [...] ­tur pro ea sacrificium praecij no­stri. When the sacrifice of our pryce was offered for hyr.

[Page]I leaue out all the rest of the sentence contented to alledge onely this, that proueth the sacryfice, whiche is offered by the priest for the deade to be our pryce, which is and can be nothinge else, but the bodye & bloude of Christ, which he gaue vpon the crosse, as the pryce of our redemption.

But playnest of al he writeth in a booke intituled. Liber Senten­tiarum Prosperi. August. li. Senten. Prosp. which booke is al­ledged of Gratian in the decrees in these wordes. Hoc est quod dicimus, quòd modis omnibus approbare contendimus sacrificiū Ecclesiae duobus confici, duobus constare, uisibili elementorum specie, & inuisibili Domini no­stri Iesu Christi corpore & san­guine, [Page] & Sacramento, & re Sa­cramenti, id est, corpore Christi. This is that we saye, that we labour to proue by al meanes, that the sacrifice of the church is made and consisteth of two thinges, of the visible fourme of the elementes and of the invisible bodye & bloude of our Lorde Iesus Christ bothe the outwarde Sacrament and y^e thinge or substaunce of y^e Sa­crament, that is the bodye of Christ. These wordes nede no declaringe but poyntinge: and for that cause, why shoulde I tarye in this point any longer, seing that our bokes be full of suche like aucthorities?

Therfore as I began seinge the substaunce of our Sacry­fyce [Page] of the new Testament, is the very reall and naturall bo­dye of Christe, if this bodye be not present in the Sacramēt, as the enemyes of Christes crosse & the destroyers of our faythe falsely pretend: then be we christen men lefte all toge­ther desolate without any sa­crifyce priua [...]e vnto vs, for bothe the sacrifice of Christe vpon the crosse, and also the inwarde sacrifice of mans hearte be not priuate but common to vs & to all faythfull men from the beginning of the worlde to the last end.

And furthermore seinge a sacrifice is an outwarde pro­testation of our inward faithe & deuotion, if we christen men now haue no sacrifice priuate [Page] vnto vs: then be we the moost miserable men that euer were, beinge without any kynde of religion. For take awaye our sacrifice, and take awaye our religion, as S. Cyprian confu­tinge the carnall thoughtes of the Capernaites,Cypria. Ser. de Caena. that thought they should haue eaten Chri­stes fleshe eyther rosted or sod­de, and so shoulde haue consu­med it to nothinge: wryteth thus. Cum illius personae caro si in frusta partiretur non omni humano generi posset sufficere, qua semel consumpta uideretur reli­gio interisse, cui ne quaquàm ulte rius uictima superesset. Seyng that yf the fleshe of hys person were dyuyded into peeces, it could not suffise al mankind to [Page] eate vpon, which fleshe after it were once cleane wasted▪ & consumed, our religion might like wise seme to perishe and be de­stroyed, whych hadde no more any sacrifyce remaynynge.

Wherevpon I conclude, that yf we haue not Christes bodye and bloude presente in the Sacrament for our external sacrifice, wherby we may mitigate and please almighty God, and obteyne remission of synne & spirituall grace & gyftes: then shuld we be no better then the Turkes, seinge all nations frō the begynnyng of the worlde, both gentils and Iewes, haue had one kynd of outwarde sa­crifice, to declare and expresse their inward deuotion and re­ligion, eyther to the true God [Page] of heauen, or to suche as they fantasied or feyned to be gods, sauyng onlye the Turkes, (as Petrus Cluniacensis wryteth. Wher­by it appeareth, that thys secte that denyeth and destroyeth y^e Masse, whyche is the sacrifyce of the Churche, is verelye the sect of Mahumette, preparing a waye for the Turke to ouer­runne all Christendome, as he hathe done a greate peece al­ready.

For what could the Turke do more agaynst oure fayth, yf he dyd ouercome vs, besyde our thraldome and tyrannical oppression, but as these men do nowe to take awaye oure Sa­cramentes and sacrifice, and to leaue vs nothyng▪ but the bare name of Christ, and yf there be [Page] anye good man, that hath true religion in his heart, to compel hym to kepe it within hym, y^t he shal not expresse it outward lye? and in verye dede diuerse notable and godly wryters at thys daye, call thys heresye a­gainst y^e sacrifice of the church which Luther first began and most manteyned, by this name Secta Mahumetica. the secte of ma­homet.

But for y^e auoydinge of these absurdities and for suche cau­ses as I shal God willinge de­clare hereafter, I presuppose this foundation of christes bo­dye, to be really present in the blessed sacrament, to be stedfastly beleued of vs all, vpon the which I buylde al that remai­neth now to be sayed.

[Page]Whych foundation, although it hathe bene vndermyned of many men and many wayes, & therefore requireth a full and perfecte treatise to be made of it alone: yet as I intende not to occupye al this time in that, so I may not well so sclender­lye leaue it, that hathe bene so muche and often assaulted, but shall declare the summe of that moueth me to continue styll in that trueth I was borne in, to kepe styll that fayth I was ba­ptized in and putte on Christe, which fayth seyng it is vniuersal, yf I shuld leaue it, I shulde forsake Christ, and be an here­tike, not folowyng that forme of doctrine I receaued of my fathers, and they of theyrs frō the begynnyng, but choosinge [Page] my selfe a newe waye and new maysters that please me, being so condemned by mine owne conscience & iudgement, which is the very propertye and definition of an heretike.

There be thre thinges, that holde me [...] this fayth: the ma­nifest and playne scripture, the vniforme aucthorities of holy men, and the consent of the v­niuersall churche. These thre be the argumentes, that a christen man maye sticke vnto, and neuer be deceaued, specially yf they be knytte and ioyned to­gether, cōcerning one matter, but yf they be separate, then some of thē be but weak staffes to leane vnto. As for example. The scripture without the consent of the churche is a weapō [Page] as mete for an heretike, as for a catholike, for Arius, Nestorius, & suche other heretikes did al­ledge the scripture for theyr o­pinions, as the catholikes did, but theyr alledgynge was but the abusyng of the letter, whi­che is indifferent to good and euyll, & deprauyng of the true sense, which is only knowen by the tradition and consente of the catholike churche: so that the one withoute the other is not a direction, but a seduction to a symple man, because the verye scripture in dede, is not the bare letter, as it lieth to be taken of euery man, but y^e true sense, as it is delyuered by the vniuersal consente of Christes churche.

Lykewyse the wrytynges [Page] and sayinges of the fathers, yf they be but the mynde of one man wythout the consent of o­ther, were he neuer so wel learned and vertuouse, otherwyse yet hys wrytynges I saye in that poynt be not a cōfirmati­on for an ignoraunte manne to holde him in the trueth, but a temptatiō to seduce hym, & pul hym from the trueth.

The consent of the churche is alwayes a sure staffe, the verye pyller of trueth, whether it be in thynges expressed in y^e letter of the scrypture, or in thinges delyuered vnto vs by tradition of the Apostles. He that holdeth him by this staffe ca [...] not fall in fayth, but stande in trueth.

Nowe concernynge thys [Page] matter of the present, I am a­ble by Gods helpe to shewe all these thre thinges, ioyned and knitte together so, that we can not be deceaued in this poynt, except we wyll deceaue our selues as many wilfully do.

The scrypture by playne & manifest wordes, agaynste the whyche hell gates shall neuer preuayle, dothe testifye & con­fyrme our fayth in manye pla­ces, but specially in the wordes of our sauiour Christ hym selfe in hys laste supper, sayinge to hys Disciples:Mat. 26. Take, eate this is my bodye, whyche is gyuen for you. Thys is my bloude of the newe Testament, whyche is shedde for many and for you in remission of synnes: whyche most playne scriptures manye [Page] haue gone aboute to delude, & to reduce thē to a base vnder­standynge by figuratiue spe­ches, contendyng, these wor­des, This is my bodye, This is my bloude to be spoken fi­guratiuelye, and not as the wordes purport: because o­ther lyke sayinges in the scripture be taken figuratiuely, as these: I am the waye, I am the doore, The stone is Christ and suche other, wherein they haue declared their deuelyshe and detestable sophistrye too their owne damnation & the subuersion of a greate manye other.

They professe them selfes to be learned menne, but who hearde euer tell of anye suche kynd of learnyng, as to proue [Page] one singulare by an other, as yf one shuld reason thus: Thomas is an honest manne, ergo Iohn is an honeste man: The swan is white, ergo the crowe is whyte.

Which argumentes be like thys: I am the waye, is a figu­ratiue speache, ergo lykewise, Thys is my bodye, is a figu­ratiue speache. With such fond folyes and sophismes is the trueth assaulted agaynste all good learnyng, and the rules of all true reasonyng. GOD open theyr eyes to see, and fo­lowe hys heauenly wisdome.

But yf we wyl consider the circūstancies of the texte, who was the speaker, for what in­tente, what tyme, and suche o­ther: it shal playnlye appeare [Page] that the literall sense, as the woordes purporte, is the true sense, that the holy Ghost dyd principally intende. As for ex­ample. Fyrst it appeareth eui­dentlye, the speaker to be Ie­sus Christ oure Lorde, Gods sonne, equall and omnipotent God wyth the father, & that these hys wordes be not wor­des of a bare narration & tea­chyng, but wordes whereby a sacrament is instituted. And for that reason we muste con­sidre, that it is otherwise with Christ, then with vs, for in mā the woorde is true, when the thyng is true, wherof it is spoken: In God the thing is true, when the woorde is spoken of the thing. Mans word decla­reth the thyng to be as it is before, [Page] Gods worde maketh the thyng to be, as it was not be­fore.

In man the trueth of hys word dependeth of the trueth of the thyng. Contrarye in God the trueth of the thynge dependeth vpon the speaking of the woorde, as the Psalme sayeth:psal. 148. Ipse dixit & facta sunt He spake the word, & the thynges were made. And thys thynge the deuill knewe well ynough, being sure that yf Ie­sus were Christe and God, he could with his word both cre­ate newe thynges, and also chaunge the nature and sub­staunce of any thynge: & ther­fore sayd vnto him temptyng him, whether he was Gods sonne or no:Mat. 4. yf thou be Gods [Page] sonne, speake the woorde, that these stoones maye be made bread. Wherbi we may learne that although in mās speache it is not true to saye, these sto­nes be breade: yet yf GOD should saye so, it shuld be true, the inferior nature of creatu­res gyuyng place to the omnipotent power of God the cre­ator.

After which sort Ireneus rea­soneth agaynste those hereti­kes, that denied Iesus Christ to be Gods sonne, vsyng that most constantly beleued truth of the sacrament, that we hold now grounded vpon Christes wordes, for an argumente to conuince Iesus the speaker to be Gods sonne. His woordes be these. Quomodo autem con­stabit [Page] eis, Ireneus lib. 4. ca. 34. eum panem in quo gratiae actae sunt corpus esse domi­ni sui, & calicem sanguinis eius si non ipsum fabricatoris mundi filium dicant? Howe shall it be certayne vnto them, that that breade vpon whiche thankes are giuen (that is to saye the Eucharistical bread) is y^e body of theyr Lorde, and the cuppe of his bloude, yf they saye not that he is the sonne of hym y^t made the world? as though he should reason thus: These wordes which Iesus spake of the blessed breade, sayinge: This is my body, This is the cuppe of my bloude, be eyther true or false. If the speaker of them be pure man and not god as they say, then can they not [Page] be true: for mans word chaungeth not the nature of thyn­ges, as it is here. But yf the woordes be true, as they cer­teynlye beleue, then the spea­ker of thē must nedes be gods sonne, of infinite power, able to make the thynges to be as he sayeth they be. And also in his. 57. Chapiter the fame.Ireneus li. 4. ca 57 4. booke, he maketh the lyke ar­gumente in these woordes. Quomodò iuste Dominus si alte rius patris existit huius conditionis quae est secundum nos, accipiens panem suum corpus confi­tebatu [...], & temperamentum calicis, sui sanguinem cōfirmauit? If our Lord be a pure man, of that nature & condition, that we be of, the sonne of an other [Page] father then God: How dyd he iustly and truely taking bread into hys hande, confesse & saye it to be his body, and confirme that mixture of wyne and wa­ter, that was in the chalyce, to be his owne bloude?

By these two places of Ireneus that liued within. 150. yeares of Christ, we are taught not to flye to oure figures of gram­mer to make these wordes of Christ true, which in dede we must nedes do, or else say they be false, yf Christe the speaker be but only man and not God: but we be taught by him to be leue them to be most true, and for that reason to beleue also, that Christe the speaker is Gods sonne, by whose almighty power the thynges be chaū ged [Page] and made as he speaketh: so that we may iustly, after the minde of Ireneus & diuerse other olde auctours, whiche were longe to rehearse nowe, con­ceaue this opiniō of these men, that say these wordes of christ can not be true, except they be vnderstanded by a figuratiue speache: that they eyther be­leue not them selfes, y^t Christe is Gods sonne, or els gyue oc­casion to other, to reuiue that olde damnable heresye of Arius, that denyed Christes God­heade, thexperience whereof we haue had of late dayes, of some that from Sacramenta­ries by necessary consequence of that heresye, became Ari­anes.

The seconde circumstance [Page] I spake o [...], was [...]o considre to what purpose & intent Christ spake these wordes, & I sayde they were woordes not of a bare narration teaching some doctrine, but the woordes of thinstitution of a Sacrament of the newe Testamente. And then it foloweth, that yf they be the forme of a Sacrament, as they be in dede: then muste they nedes be that instrument whereby Gods almightie po­wer assistinge the dewe mini­stration of his priest, worketh that grace inwardly, that the wordes purport outwardlye. For so it is in al other Sacra­mentes. In Baptisme, these wordes, Ego baptizote, I ba­ptise thee, and so forth, lyke as outwardly to the eares, of the [Page] hearer they signifie a washing so almightie God assisting the due pronouncing of thē, dothe inwardlye worke the grace of washynge the soule of him, to whome the wordes be spoken yf there be no stoppe or impediment of his partye.

And likewise in penaunce as the woordes of the Prieste saying: Ego absoluo te ab omni bus peccatis tuis in nomine Pa­tris, & filij, & spiritus sancti, I absolue thee from all thy sinnes in the name of the father, and the sonne, and the holye ghoste, do signifie forgiuenes, so God doth inwardly forgiue yf the partye be truelye peni­tent.

Likewise in mariage that [Page] knotte the man knitteth with the woman in takynge hir to his wife, & she him to hir hus­band, God also inwardly doth knitte the same, which manne can not lowse: and so forthe of al other Sacramentes.

Now to our purpose: The grace whyche is included in these wordes, This is my bo­dye, This is my bloude, is not only accidental grace as in the other, but the body of Christe to be our Sacrament, whiche is the substaunce of grace, the aucthor, fountayne, and well of al grace, as S. Bernarde sayth Dicitur Eucharistia per excel­lentiam. Bernard. Ser. de Caena. In hoc enim Sacramen­to non solum quaelibet gratia, sed ille à quo est omnis gratia sumitur. [Page] This Sacramente is called Eucharistia, for some excellencye aboue al other, for in this sacramēt is receaued not only anye other grace, but he of whome procedeth al grace.

Then it foloweth, y^t whereas the grace of this sacramente, which the wordes purport to the outward eares of all men, is the essential grace of Chri­stes bodye and bloude to be there presente, it foloweth, I saye that Christ by these wor­des, as by a conuenient instrument, worketh inwardlye, in that he gaue to his disciples y^• reall presence of his owne bo­dy and bloud,Emesenus orat. de corpore & sanguine Christi as Eusebius Emesenus sayth: Fide aestimandi non spe­cie, nec exterioris censenda est [Page] uisu, sed interioris hominis af­fectu. To be estemed by fayth, & not by the outwarde forme, and not to be iudged by the sight of the outward man, but by the affection of the inward man.

Thirdly we maye considre, that these wordes be the per­formance of a former promise, where Christe (as it is wryt­ten in the .6. Chapiter of S. Iohn) promised to giue vs y^e same fleshe to eate, that he woulde giue to the deathe for the life of the worlde, sayinge: Panis quem ego dabo caro mea est, Iohn. 6. quam ego dabo pro mundi uita. The breade which I shal giue vnto you, is my fleshe, whiche I shal giue for the lyfe [Page] of the world.

Whiche promise we neuer reade, that Christ whiche is y^e verye trueth and can not lye, did euer at any time performe but in his last supper, when he gaue his bodye and bloude to his disciples: and to promise his fleshe, & to giue bare bread and not his fleshe, is no performyng, but a breakynge of hys promise, and a deludynge of them, to whome he made the promise: for as for the inter­pretation, whiche some menne make of Christes wordes, that he wyl gyue his fleshe to vs to be eaten spirituallye by sayth is but a vaine and feined glose for that text.

And although Christ do so gyue it to be eaten by faythe, [Page] yet we maye not exclude one trueth by an other trueth, as sophisters do. For Christ gaue his fleshe to vs to be eaten spi­rituallye by fayth, euer from the beginning of the world, & also at that presente, when he spake those wordes, so that it were a very vayne thyng for Christe to promise to gyue a thyng, which he euer before, & also at that present, and euer after continually doth giue.

But it was neuer so taken of any good auncient aucthor which al with one consent doo expounde this text of Saynt Iohn, of the giuing of his flesh in his laste supper vnder the forme of bread, and therefore Cirillus wryteth,Cirillus in Ioan. lib 4 cap. 14. that oure saui­our Christ dyd not expounde [Page] and make plaine the maner of the misterye, and the perfor­maunce of this his promise, to them that asked the vnfayth­ful question. Howe, withoute fayth, but to his disciples that beleued him and asked no such question of hym, he declared the maner of it in his last sup­per.

Wherfore we may wel con­clude vpon this circumstance, that Christes fleshe is verelye present in the Sacrament to be giuen vnto vs, because he promised before, that he wold giue vs the same fleshe for our foode, that he would gyue on the crosse for our redemption.

The tyme also is to be con­sidered, that he spake these wordes the nyghte before he [Page] suffered death, at which tyme and the next daye after he en­ded and fulfilled all fygures saying on the crosse: Consum­matum est. All figures & sha­dowes be ended and expired, whyche was no tyme, then to institute and beginne newe fi­gures.

It is likely or probable, that our Sauiour Christ then en­teryng into his agony and be­ginnynge his passion, accusto­mynge commonlye before to teache his disciples in playne wordes, without parables or figuratiue speaches: woulde then so lightly behaue him self as to delude his choysen and intierlye beloued disciples, in callyng those thynges hys bodye, that is gyuen for them, & [Page] his bloude, that is shedde for them, whiche were neyther his bodye nor his bloude, but bare breade and wine?

Or is there any religion in oure christen fayth in nyckna­namyng thynges, or callynge thē otherwyse, then they be?

Yf any man thynke him self able to aunswere that, because Christ sayd he was a vyne, he was a doore, beynge neyther vyne nor doore: that man se­meth to me not substantiallye to waye the woordes & spea­ches of scripture.

For lette him considre tho­roughoute all the Scripture, wheresoeuer he shal find, that Christ spake any thing of him selfe by woordes of oure com­mon speache (for the godhead [Page] and the properties of the god heade be ineffable, and can not be expressed to our capacitye, but by woordes and names of worldly and naturall thinges here among vs.) He shall al­wayes fynd, that Christe was a better and more syngulare thyng then the worde dyd properlye signifye, that was at­tribute vnto him, and to make thys matter more playne by examples.

Where Christe sayde, I am the way, he meant not, that he was the waye, that leadeth to the city, or to some other place but that he was a more excel­lent waye: A waye that lea­deth to the father, to heauen, to euerlastyng lyfe.

When he sayde, he was the [Page] doore, he meante not,Iohn. 10 that he was the doore of the shepefold here in earth, but a farre bet­ter doore, the doore of the churche, the spirituall shepe­folde, by the which doore who soeuer entreth, shall be saued.

Also calling him selfe a vine he meant that he was the spi­rituall vyne,Iohn. 15 whereof all chri­sten men be braunches, & bet­ter then suche a vine, as gro­weth in the fieldes.

And lykewyse by that he calleth himselfe the lighte, we vnderstande, that he was not the sensible light of this world but the heauenlye lyghte▪ that neyther by course is chaūged, nor by shadowe is darkened.

So that it maye be obser­ued for a rule, when Christe [Page] dothe attribute the name of a­nye sensible creature to hym selfe, euer the vnderstandyng exceadeth and excelleth the word in dignitie.

And yf this be true in all kind of teaching and doctrine shall we now in the high misteries and sacramentes of God, come from the hall to the kit­chin, from the better to the worst? y^t where Christ sayeth, This is my body, we shall vn­derstande, that it is breade a worse thinge, then his bodye, This is my bloude, that is to saye, wine a worse thing then his bloude? These be fonde & false gloses, neyther true, nor likely, nor yet tolerable.

Wherefore leauynge oute a great many other circumstancies, [Page] that woulde serue verye well, to set forth the trueth of this doctrine, I shall conclude thus, seing S. Mathew sayth in playne termes,Mat. 26. it is my bo­dy, it is my bloude:Mar. 14. S. Mark sayth, it is my body:Luke. 22 S. Luke sayth, it is my body: S. Paul sayth, it is my body:1. cor. 11▪ S. Iohn sayeth, it is my fleshe,Iohn. 6. shall we nowe fyftene hundreth yeare after them, handle the matter so finelye, and waye the scrip­ture so substantiallye, that we shall affirme the contradicto­rye to be the true sense, saying this is not my bodye, this is not my bloude, but a figure & a signe of my bodye & bloude? These euidēt scriptures moue me to continue styll stedfast in that fayth I was borne in, & [Page] not to be moued wyth vayne wordes and reasons without probabilitye agaynste all rule and forme of true reasonyng.

Moreouer the nature of a sacrament dothe moue me ve­ry muche to beleue styll, as I do. For whereas euery sacra­ment of the newe Testament, is a visible forme of an inuisi­ble grace, as S. Augustyne sayth it can not be a sacramente of y^• newe Testamente, excepte it haue a promise of some, suche grace to be gyuen to the wor­thye receauer, as is signifyed by the outwarde forme of the sacrament. As in baptisme the water, which is the outwarde forme, signifieth the grace of saluation and remission of synnes, whych grace is bothe gy­uen [Page] to the worthy receauer, & is also promised in scripture to be giuē,Mar. 1 [...]. by the mouth of christ saying: Qui crediderit & bap­tizatus fuerit, saluus erit: He that beleueth and is baptized, shalbe saued.

Euen so the outwarde ele­ment of this sacrament, which is bread and wine, do [...]h signi­fye the grace of the vnitye of Christes misticall bodye, that lyke as one breade is made of manye graynes, one wyne is pressed out of many grapes: so one mysticall body of Christ is compact & vnited of the mul­titude of all Christen people, as S. Cypriane sayeth.Cyprian. li. 1. epi. 6

Nowe yf our sacrament be breade and wine, as they saye, then shal they find the promise [Page] of this grace, or of some other in the scriptures made to the receauer of breade and wine. And yf there be no promise in all the scriptures made to the receauing of bread and wine, then be they no sacramentes: But yf they wyll loke in the sixt chapiter of S▪ Iohn, they shal find thys grace of the my­sticall vnitye promised,Iohn. 6, not to the receauynge of breade and wine, but to the worthye re­ceauyng of Christes body and bloude: where Christ sayeth, he that eateth my fleshe, and drynketh my bloude, he aby­deth in me, and I in hym, and so is ioyned and incorporate into one mysticall bodye wyth him.

Oure sacramente therfore, [Page] that hath the promise annexed vnto it, is not breade & wyne, be they neuer so muche ap­poynted to signifye heauenly thynges (as they saye) but the very body and bloude of oure Lord Iesus Christ, the bread that came from heauen.

Luther and suche as be of hys sect, as take hys dreames for the ground of their fayth, were muche pressed with this argument deduced of the pro­pertye of the sacramente, and sawe playnly, that it could not be a sacrament of the newe te­stamēt, except it had a promise annexed to the worthy vsyng of it. And yet for al that, he would not condescende to say as the Churche sayeth, that res Sacramēti: the thing of the [Page] sacrament signified, and not conteyned, whych is the vni­tye of the mystical body, were that grace whych by Christ in S. Iohn was promised to the worthye receauer of it: but went and sought about for an other promise, and after much pooringe at laste he broughte forth a promyse (as he thou­ghte) mete and conueniente, which is the wordes of christ. Quod pro uobis tradetur. [...]. cor. 11, which shalbe gyuen for you. And in this poynt he shewed, w^t what violence he handled other matters of our fayth, that in thys greate matter so muche ouer­shotte himselfe.

Fyrst wyth what face could he call, that a promise whyche hathe no apparaunce of anye [Page] promise, but that the wordes in Latyne be spoken in the fu­ture tense, whych in Greke be wrytten in the present tense, both in Saynt Paule, and in S. Luke: Quod pro uobis da­tur, whyche is gyuen for you. And yf they were spoken in y^e future tense, as they were not yet they be wordes not promising a thyng to be done, but declaryng what shalbe done.

And further yf we shoulde graunt them to be wordes of a promise, yet they promyse not the grace of the sacramēt, whyche is to be gyuen to the worthy receauer▪ For the passion of Christe, or the giuinge of Christes body vpon the crosse, is not a grace giuen by the sa­cramente to the receauer, but [Page] it is that worke, that hath de­serued grace to be gyuen by the sacrament, for al our sacramentes take their vertue of y^e passion of Christe, and do not promise the passion of Christe.

This may suffise for thys shorte time to shewe vnto you the folye of these men, that neyther wote nor care what they affyrme in these weyghty matters. I coulde saye more in it, but that I haue more necessa­ry matter behynde to be sayd.

August. in Ioan. Tract. 4. In Psal. 138S. Augustyne in diuerse pla­ces, & other aunciēt aucthors haue this doctrine in their bo­kes. E latere Christi fluxerunt duo Sacramenta: Two Sacramentes dyd yssue forth of christes syde, and in those places he teacheth vs by comparyng [Page] the creation of Eue, the wyfe of Adam the firste man, and of the churche y^• spouse of christe the second man. Lyke as god castyng Adā into a slepe, toke forth a bone oute of hys syde, and therof buylded and crea­ted hym a wyfe: euen so when Christ dyd slepe by death vpō the crosse, vpon water and bloude that came forth of hys side, when it was opened with a speare, God dyd forme and buylde the churche the spouse of Christ, in that by water we be regenerate, by bloude we be redemed and nourished.

Now concernyng our purpose, yf two sacramētes came oute of Christes syde, we are sure there came out no wyne, excepte ye wyll saye the wyne [Page] of the true vyne, whych christ shall neuer drynke wyth vs a­ny more, but after anewe sort in the glory and kyngdome of hys father. Therfore it muste nedes be, that our sacrament is Christes bloude and not wyne.

Besyde these circumstancies and argumentes deduced v­pō the scrypture, there be also other of no lesse strength then these, able to cōfirme any true Christen man in the fayth of the reall presence of Christes body and bloude in the blessed sacrament.

And these be the effectes of the sacrament expressed in the scripture, whych be so great, so gloriouse, so excellent and heauenly, that it were great [Page] blasphemy to ascribe the same to breade and wyne, whyche be only the workes and effec­tes of almighty GOD, and of suche creatures only, as gods sonne hath taken and vnited to him selfe in vnitie of person whych be the body and bloude of our Sauiour Christ.

The fyrst effect is, that our Sacrament is the confirmation of the newe Testament, as S. Mathewe and S. Mark also do wryte:Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Hic est sanguis meus noui Testamenti, Thys is my bloude of the newe Te­stament, that is to saye: which confirmeth the newe Testa­ment, as all holye wryters do expounde. Like as the bloude of calues did confirme the old Testament, as the booke of [Page] Exodus doth declare: so the bloude of Christ our prieste,Exo. 24. & sacrifice doth cōfirme the new Testament, which Testament because it is eternall and shall neuer haue ende, is confirmed by the eternall bloude of the lambe of God, that euer is re­ceaued and neuer consumed, and not by anye corruptible bloude, or any other creature▪ of lesse value and efficacie.

In the olde lawe, and also in S. Paule it is sayd.Exo. 24. Heb. 9. Hic est sanguis Testamenti, quod uobis cum pepigit Deus, This is the bloude of the Testament, that god hath couenaūt with you: he sayeth not, This is the bloude of the newe Testamēt. But yf these woordes (Thys [Page] is my bloude of the newe Te­stament) the Euangelist had meant, that it had bene the fi­gure of the bloude of the new Testament, what had he sayd more then Moyses sayde be­fore: for the bloude of calues & gotes was the figure of thys bloude of Christe. And then were the Iewes and the olde lawe of more dignity, then we Christen men of the new law, because beside we both [...] but vnder figures (as these men saye) yet their figure was of more estima [...]ion, [...] ours is, beyng (as they saye) but [...]are breade and wyne: wherefore seyng these wordes of Christ. (this is my bloude) be y^• [...]rme of our Sacrament, the effect wherof is the confirmation of [Page] the newe Testament, it folo­weth wel, that the cause muste be of lyke or more dignity, & so by no meanes can be y^e material creature of wine, but must nedes be the innocent and preciouse bloude of our immacu­late and vndefyled lambe of God Iesus Christ.

An other effect of this Sa­crament is taughte vs in S. Luke,Luke. 24 the .24. chapiter of his Gospell, where oure sauioure Christe sate downe with his two Disciples that wente to Emaus, and takynge breade, blessed it, and brake it, & gaue it to them, and then their eyes were opened, and they knewe him.

S. Augustyne in his booke De consensu Euangelistarum teacheth vs [Page] to vnderstand this place of the blessed bread,August. de cōsen­su Euan­gelistarū. lib. 3. ca. 25. which is the sa­cramēt of the aultare, & sayth: the effect of it is to open oure eyes, that we may know god.

And Theophilactus vpon thys place of saynt Luke wryteth thys.Theophi­lact. in Lucam. ca. 24. Insinuatur et aliud quid­dam, nempe quòd oculi eorum qui benedictū panem assumunt, aperiuntur, ut agnoscant illum, magnam enim & indicibilem uim habet caro Domini. By thys scripture an other thing is giuen vs to vnderstande, that the eyes of them whyche receaue thys blessed bread, be opened, that thei might know hym: for the fleshe of our Lord hath a great & vnspeakeable vertue.

[Page]Here we may perceaue both by the scripture, and also by y^e holy Doctours and Fathers, that the effect of this Sacra­ment is the openynge of oure eyes to knowe God, and that the cause of that is the fleshe of Christ, whych is our sacra­ment, and in no wyse can be eyther breade or wyne.

An other effect is the im­mortalitye of our bodyes and soules the resurrection of our fleshe to euerlastyng lyfe, to haue lyfe eternall dwellynge in vs.

Thys effect is declared in the syxt of S. Iohn: He that eateth me,Iohn. 6, shall lyue for me, he that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude▪ hath euerla­styng lyfe, and I shall rayse [Page] hym vp in the last daye.

Upon thys place Cirillus sayth: Ego enin dixit, Cirillus libr. 4. cap. 15. id est corpus meum quod comedetur resuscitabo eum: ego igitur inquit qui homo factus sum per meam carnem in nouissimo die come­dentes resuscitabo. Christ saith I (that is to saye) my bodye whych shalbe eaten, shal rayse hym vp, I that am made man by my fleshe shall rayse vp thē that eate it in the last daye.

And in hys. 10. booke he sayeth more playnly:Cyrillus in Ioan. lib. 10▪ ca. 13. Non po­test aliter corruptibilis haec na­tura corporis ad incorruptibili tatem & uitam traduci, nisi naturalis uitae corpus ei coni [...]nge­retur. Thys corruptible na­ture [Page] of oure bodies can not o­therwyse be broughte to im­mortalitye and life, except the body of natural lyfe be ioyned to it.

By these aucthorities we learne, that the effect of Chri­stes body in the sacrament, is the raysyng vp of our bodyes to eternall lyfe. And also we learne, that the eatyng of chri­stes body is not only spiritu­ally by fayth (as the sacramentaries saye) but also corporal­ly by the seruice of our body­es, when Christes body in the sacrament is eaten and recea­ued of our bodyes, as our spi­rituall foode: and because it is of infinite power, it is not con­uerted into the substaunce of our flesh, as other corruptible [Page] meates be, but it doth chaūge & conuert our fleshe into hys propertye, makyng it of mor­tall and deade, immortall and lyuely.

As the same Cyrillus writeth in his .4. booke:Cirillus libr. 4. cap. 14. Recordare quamuis naturaliter aqua fri­gidior sit, aduentu tamen ignis frigiditatis suae oblita aestuat: Hoc sanè modo etiam nos, quā ­uis propter naturam carnis cor­ruptibiles sumus participatione tamen uitae ab imbecillitate no­stra reuocati, ad proprietatem illius ad uitam reformamur. O­portuit enim certe, ut non solū anima per spiritum sanctum in beatam uitam ascenderet. uerū [Page] etiam ut rude atque terrestre hoc corpus cognato sibi gustu, tactu & cibo ad immortalita­tem reduceretur. The Englysh is thys. Remembre how wa­ter although it be colde by na­ture, yet by reason of fyre put to it, it forgetteth the colde, & waxeth hoate: euen so do we, although we be corruptible by reason of the nature of oure fleshe, yet by participation of (Christes fleshe whych is) life, we are brought frō our weakenes, and refourmed to his proprietye, that is to saye, to lyfe for it is necessary that not on­ly our soule should ascende to an happy (and spirituall) lyfe, by receauyng the holy ghoste, but also y^t this rude & earthly [Page] body should be reduced to im­mortalitie by ta [...]ynge, tou­ching, and corporall meat like to it selfe.

This place is verye playne declarynge vnto vs, that lyke as our soules are reuiued frō the death of synne to the lyfe of grace and glorye by the re­ceauynge of Gods sprite the holye ghost in baptisme: euen so our bodyes beyng corrup­tible by nature, and dead by reason of the general sentence of death, are restored agayne to lyfe eternal and celestial, by the receauynge of Christes li­uely fleshe into them after the maner of meate in this sacra­ment of the aultare.

And in hys eleuenth boke he sayth,Cyrillus lib. 11. ca. 27. that it is not possible [Page] for the corruptible nature of man to ascende to immortali­tye: excepte the immortall na­ture of Christ do reforme and promote it from mortalitye to lyfe eternall by participation of hys immortall fleshe.

Here perchaunce some men wyl stumble, consideryng that we beleue the bodyes of yong innocentes shall ryse to euer­lastyng lyfe, whych we knowe neuer receaued Christes flesh in the sacrament.

But their dout in this poynt may soone be resolued, yf they cōsidre that scripture and the olde fathers, speake after the ordinary workyng of GOD, making no preiudice to the absolute power of God, who of­tentymes giueth the propre [Page] grace of the sacramentes be­fore the outward receauynge of the same. As for example. Wythout Baptysme in water and the holy ghost, no man can entre into the kingedome of heauen, as S. Ihon writeth.Iohn. [...]. Yet we reade, that the the [...]e on the ryght hand of Christe was saued and neuer bapty­zed, and many conuerted so­denly to our fayth were made martyrs before they coulde come to baptisme in water.

And saynt Ambrose thynketh V [...]lentinian the Emperoure to be saued, whych dyed in his iourneye before saynt Ambrose which he sent for, could come vnto hym.

And therfore though bap­tisme be necessary, and the or­dinary [Page] doore to saluation, yet the propre grace of baptisme is sometimes gyuen by Gods extraordinarye and absolute power to suche, as wythoute contempt of the sacrament by theyr wyll and earneste desire receaue the sacrament of bap­tisme, though not in dede: euē so they that be baptized, and haue an earnest desyre and longyng to receaue Christes bo­dy and bloude in the sacramēt and by some violence or impe­diment are letted to receaue it in dede: or suche children as by baptisme haue fayth infu­sed into theyr heartes, and are preuēted by death before they can proue and trye thē selfes, [...]. cor. 11. whych probation saynt Paule semeth too require before the [Page] receypte o [...] Christes body hauyng no contempt nor refusal of the same, but departe in the fayth of christ: These I say re­ceaue the grace of the sacra­ment, whych is the immorta­lity of theyr bodyes and lyfe eternall by Gods extraordi­nary workyng, wythout the receypte of the sacramente in dede. By this litle ye may perceaue, what maye be further sayd to thys obiection, yf the tyme and my principal matter wold suffre me.

Thys effect is commonlye taught of many auncient auc­thors with one consent. For Ignatius one of the oldest calleth this sacrament medicamentum immortalitatis, Ignatius ad Ephe­sos. antidotum non moriendi, a medicine of immortalitye, [Page] a preseruatiue agaynst death.

And the great general counsel at Nice,Conciliū Nicenum de Eucharistia. wryteth that they beleued these sacramentes of the body and bloude of Christ to be Symbola resurrectionis nostrae, the pledges or causes of our resurrection.

And Athanasius who was one of the chiefe men in that coun­sell,Athanasi­us de pec­cato in spiritum sanctum. calleth it Conseruatorium ad immortalitatem uitae aeternae A conserue or a thing that preserueth our bodyes to the im­mortalitie of eternall lyfe.

Ireneus that was a great deale older writyng agaynst the he­retikes,Ireneus lib. 4. ca. 34. that denyed the resurrection of the fleshe, proueth it and confuteth them by the ef­fect [Page] of this sacrament sayinge thus: Quomodò dicunt carnem in corruptionem deuenire, quae à corpore & sanguine Domini alitur? By what reason do thei saye, that our flesh goeth wholy to corruption, seyng that it is nouryshed wyth the bodye and bloude of our Lord? and in hys fyfte booke he sayeth: Quomodò carnem negant capa­cem esse donationis Dei, Ireneus lib. 5. quae est uita aeterna, quae sanguine & corpore Christi nutritur? Howe do they denye our fleshe to be able to receaue the gyft of god which is eternal lyfe, whych is nouryshed wyth the body and bloude of Christ?

The greateste argumente [Page] that Ireneus could bring to proue the resurrection of our flesh to lyfe eternall, was to alledge the cause of that resurrection, whych was the nouryshynge of our fleshe wyth the lyue [...]ye fleshe of Christ in the sacramēt not to this temperal lyfe as o­ther earthly meates do, but to eternal lyfe, as onely Christes flesh doth, and this cause was beleued and cōfessed of al men at that tyme, both catholykes & heretikes. Insomuche that these heretikes of oure tyme, that denye this cause, that is to saye, Christes fleshe to be really gyuen in the sacrament, & eaten of our flesh, do giue occasiō, yea I am affrayed do gyue more then occasion for vs to thynke of them, that they de­nye [Page] also the resurrectiō of our fleshe, whych is the propre ef­fect of it, although as yet they dare not impudentlye burste out wyth it in playne wordes, though they expresse the same euidently to all mens eyes in their carnall & beastly lyues.

To proue this effect further I could bring in many mo aucthorities,Hilariu [...] de trinit. lib. 8. as the saying of Hila­larius. Haec uero uitae nostrae cau­sa est, quòd in nobis carnalibus manentē per carnē Christum ha­bemus Thys is the very cause of our life, y^• we haue Christ by his fleshe dwellynge in oure fleshe.

But I wyl not in so playne a matter, through my curiosi­ty seme to mistrust the credite [Page] of you, that be faythfull men. Therfore to conclude, know­ing the greatnes and thexcel­lencye of thys effecte, shall we ascribe it to so basse creatures as be bread & wyne, whiche be not able to worke suche an ef­fect? God forbidde.

The principal effect of all is to make vs one bodye wyth Christ, whyche is declared in saynt Paule, in these wordes: Panis quem frangimus, 1. cor. 10, nonne communicatio corporis Christi est? The breade whyche we breake, is it not the communi­on of Christes body (that is to say) doth it not ioyne & knitte vs in the vnitye of one body of Christ?

Upon the whyche place of [Page] saynt Paule Chrysostome noteth,Chrysost. in Paul. 1. Cor. 10 that he sayd not (it is the par­ticipation) but it is the cōmunion of one bodye. Declarynge therby the higheste and grea­test coniunction that can be, sauyng the vnitye of person: for the breade whych we breake, that is to saye, the natural bo­dy of Christe vnder the forme of breade, whyche we breake and diuide amonges vs, not takyng euerye man a sondrye part, but euerye man takynge the whole and the same: And as Cyrill sayth,Cyrillus libr 12. ca, 32. Gods sonne going into euery man, as it were by diuision of hym selfe, yet remayneth whole wythout any diuision in euery manne: thys breade (I saye) is the commu­nion of Christes body, that is [Page] to saye, maketh vs that be di­uerse in our owne substaunce to be all one misticall bodye in Christ, indued all wyth one holye spirite, wherby y^e influence of Christes grace, that is oure head, is deriued and deduced vnto vs, that be membres of his body, fleshe of his fleshe, & bones of his bones.

Thus doeth Chrysostome ex­pounde y^e wordes of S. Paul.Chrysost. in Paul. 1. Cor. 10 Quid enim appello (inquit) com­municationem? idem ipsum cor­pus sumus: quidnam est panis? corpus Christi: quid autē fiunt, qui accipiunt corpus Christi? nō multa sed unum corpus. What meaneth S. Paule, when he sayeth (the cōmunion) he mea­neth that we be all one bodye: [Page] What meaneth he by thys word (bread) the body of christ What are they made, that re­ceaue the body of Christ? they are made not manye bodyes, but one bodye. And therefore S. Paul sayeth by & by after, unus panis unum corpus multi sumus, omnes enim de uno pane participamus. We that be ma­ny, are made one bread one bodye, forbecause all we do re­ceaue and eate of one bread.

Here he telleth playne, why we that be manye in numbre, are all made one breade, one misticall body, because (sayeth he) all we eate of one breade, whych is one naturall bodye. And this worde (breade) here must nedes be taken for Chri­stes naturall body, and not for [Page] materiall bread (as the heretikes saye) for it can not be con­ceaued, neyther by reason, nor by fayth, howe that al we chri­sten folkes that liue nowe, and haue liued since Christes time, and shall lyue tyll domesdaye, can eate all of one & the same breade, and eate also at sondry times al of the same one bread beyng one bread in numbre, & not one bread in kind (as some would make cauillation) seing we be not fedde cum generibus & speciebus, wyth kyndes of breade (as the Logityanes say) but with singulare bread: except we vnderstand by this one breade the breade of lyfe, that came from heauen, the breade of Christes natural body in the sacrament, whych he [Page] promised to giue vnto vs all, wherof (as S. Cypriane sayeth,Cyprian. de caena Domin [...]. Aequa omnibus portio datur, in teger erogatur, distributus non dimembratur, incorporatur non iniu [...]iatur, and so forth▪ wher­of equal portion is giuen to al, this deliuered whole, and be­yng distributed, is not dismē ­bred, and being incorporate in to vs, is not iniuryed, and be­yng receaued, is not included, and dwellyng with those that be weake, is not made weake.

And the reason why all we shuld be made one bodye, that receaue one body, is declared in Cyrill, the Latine is long▪ Cyrillus de Trini. lib. 1. but the Englyshe is this: We men beyng all diuerse in our owne propre substaunce, accordynge [Page] to y^• which one man is Peter, an other is Thomas, an other Mathewe: yet are we al made one body in Christ, because we be fedde with one fleshe, & are sealed in vnitye with one ho­ly spirite: and because Chri­stes body is not able to be diuided, therfore beyng of infinite power, and receaued of al our diuerse bodyes, maketh all vs one body wyth hym selfe.

Whych vnitye of bodye S. Chrysostome expressth by a simili­tude of dough and leuine, that we are made one bodye,Chrysost in Matt. [...]. 83 as mele of many granes and wa­ter, when it is knedde, are made one doughe or leuyne: his wordes be these. Veniat tibi in mentem, quo sis honore ho­noratus, qua mensa fruaris: ea [Page] namque re nos alimur, quam angeli uidentes tremunt, nec abs (que) pauore propter fulgorem, qui in de resilit aspicere possunt, et nos in unam cum illo massam reducimur▪ Christi corpus unum & caro una. &c. Remembre with what honour thou art honou­red, of what table thou eatest: for we are fedde with y^t thing, at whych the aungels lokyng vpon, do tremble and quake, & without great feare be not a­ble to behold it for the bright­nes, that cometh from it, and we are brought into one heape of leuine with him, beyng one body of Christ and one fleshe, for by this mistery he ioyneth hymselfe to all the faythfull & [Page] those children, whome he hath brought forth, he doth not cō ­mitte them to be nourished of an other, but he him selfe most diligently and louingly doeth fede them with him selfe.

Let my maysters of the new learninge tell me, howe that these woordes canne be anye wayes applyed and verifyed of breade and wyne wyth all theyr figuratiue speaches and hyperbolyes.

Thys coniunction also of vs wyth CHRIST, Cyrill expresseth by a similitude of two waxes melted and men­gled together.Cyrillus lib. 10. ca 17. & lib. 4. ca. 17. Quemadmodū si quis igne liquefactam ceram aliae cerae similiter liquefactae i­ta miscuerit, ut unum quid ex u­trisque [Page] factum uideatur: sic cō ­municatione corporis & sanguinis Christi ipse in nobis est, & nos in ipso &c. Lyke as yf a man mingle one waxe, melted wyth an other waxe melted, so that one whole thynge of them both be sene to be made: euen so by the communion & receauynge of Christes bodye and bloude, he is in vs and we in hym, for otherwyse the cor­ruptible nature of our bodies could not be brought to incor­ruption, except the body of naturall lyfe were ioyned to it.

Hilarius also the greate lear­ned and godly byshop sayeth: per communionem sancti corpo­ris, Hilarius in psa. 6 [...] in communionē deinceps sancti [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] corporis collocamur. By the communion of hys holy body, we are afterward placed and brought into the communion of his holy body,

In such a playne matter as this is, what nede I to heape places one aboue another, all the fathers be ful of it. Wher­fore seing the effect of this sa­crament is to be made one mi­sticall body wyth Christ, fleshe of his fleshe, and boones of hys boones,Ephes. 5. Cyrillus libr 10. ca, 13. Hilarius de Trini. lib. 8 as saynt Paule sayth: whych vnion (as Cyrill sayeth) is not onlye by will, affection, fayth, and charitie, but also carnall & natural (as Hilarye sayth) by Christes fleshe mingled w^t our fleshe by the way of meat: I canne not see, but that it is greate wickednes and playne [Page] blasphemy to ascribe thys gloriouse effecte to the nedye ele­mentes of this worlde, as to bread and wyne, but onlye to the body and bloude of our sauiour Christe, as to the onlye substaunce of the blessed sacra­ment of the aultare.

Beside these effectes gathe­red out of the new Testamēt, there be also other mentioned in the Psalmes. Whereof one is, that this sacrament is an armoure and defence agaynste the temptations of our ghost­lye enemye the deuyll, as it is written in the .22. Psalme. Parasti in conspectu meo mensam aduersus eos qui tribulant me. Psal▪ 22. Thou haste prepared in my syght a table agaynst thē that [Page] trouble me.

Chrysost In Psal. 22.By this table (sayeth Chryso­stome vpon this place) is vnderstanded that thyng that is cō ­secrated vpon the aultare of our Lorde:Euthymi in Psa. 22 & Euthymius a greke author sayeth so also: Per hanc mensam intelligit altaris men­sam, in qua coena mystica il­la iacet: by this table he vnderstandeth the table of the aul­tare, vpon whych lyeth the misticall supper of Christ, whych doeth arme and defende vs a­gaynst the deuyll, which some times craftly layeth in wayte for vs, sometimes fyersly and cruelly assaulteth vs, that be fedde at Christes table.

S. Cypriane teacheth vs the same lesson, saying: Quos exci­tamus [Page] & exhortamur ad praeli­um non inermes & nudos relin­quamus, Cypria­nus. lib. [...] epist. [...]. sed protection [...] sangui­nis & corporis Christi munia­mus: Those persons whome we prouoke & exhort to fyght agaynst theyr enemies (be it eyther the deuils our ghostly enemies, or y^• deuyls limmes the persecutours of Christes Churche) let vs not leaue thē naked and vnarmed, but lette vs harnesse and defende them wyth the protection of Chri­stes body and bloude.

And a lytle after he sayth: Cùm ad hoc fiat Eucharistia, ut possit accipientibus esse tutela, quos tutos esse contra aduersari­um uolumus, munimento domi­nicae [Page] saturitatis armemus. Seyng thys Sacramente is ordeyned for this purpose, y^t it shuld be a defence to the re­ceyuers, let vs arme thē with the shielde and harnesse of our lordes meat, whome we wold shuld be saffe agaynst their aduersary.

Thys is that foode, that maketh a man mete, and pre­pareth him too martirdome. This bloude of Christ is dronken dayly of vs,Cypria­nus. lib. 4 epist. 6 Cryprian libro. 2. epist. 3, y^t we mighte in hys quarell shedde oure bloude agayne: and as he writeth in an other place: howe can we shedde oure bloude for Christe, that be ashamed to drynke Christes bloude?

Chrysost in 10 an. hom. 45Thys bloude beyng recea­ued of vs (as Chrysostome sayeth) [Page] driueth the deuyls away,Chrysost. ad Neo­phitos. and doth allure the aungels & the Lord of aungels vnto vs: for after the meat of our Lord receaued, he forsaketh vs, and flieth awaye swifter, then anye winde, and dare not approche neare, because all entraunce for hys temptations is shutte vppe. As S. Ambrose wryteth. Cùm hospitium tuum aduersa­rius uiderit occupatum coelestis fulgore praesentiae, Ambrose in Psalm. 118. Ser. 8 intelligens locum tentamentis suis interclu­sum esse per Christum, fugiet acrecedet. &c. When thy aduer­sary shall see thy house and lodgyng (of body and soule) occupyed wyth the bryghtnesse of Christes heauenlye presence perceauyng euery place to be [Page] shutte vp from hys temptati­ons: he wylll flye and runne a­waye

Wherfore as Gregorye Nazian­zene wryteth:Nazian. in Iulianū orat, 2. Mensa haec prae­paratur contra tribulantes me, qua omnem passionum rebellio­nem sedo. Thys table is prapared of God agaynst them that vexe and trouble me, by the whych I quenche and pacifye all rebellion of my naughtye affections.

And (as Cyrill sayeth) Non mortem solum, Cirillus libr. 4. cap. 17. sed etiam morbos omnes depellit, sed at saeuientē membrorum legem, pietatem corroborat, perturbationes animi extinguit, nec in quibus sumus peccatis considerat, aegrotos cu­rat, [Page] collisos redintegrat, abomni nos casu erigit. It dryueth a­way not only death, but also al sycknes, it stylleth and pacify­eth the ragynge lawe of oure membres, it strengthneth de­uotion, it quencheth the fro­warde affections of the mind, and those small synnes we be in, it regardeth not, it healeth the sycke, it restoreth the brus­sed, and from al fallynge it lyf­teth vs vp.

O what wonderfull effec­tes be these, which by this blessed Sacrament be wroughte in y^e worthy receauer, agaynst the deuyll and his temptati­ons, agaynst the fleshe and hir illusions agaynst the viciouse affections of oure corrupte [Page] mynde? What conscience had these men, our late teachers & pastors, destroyers of Chri­stes flocke, to robbe vs of thys treasure, whych is the cause of so great benefytes, and in the place of that, to plante amon­ges vs a bare ceremonye of breade and wyne to put vs in remembraunce of Christe in heauen (as they sayd) whyche neyther by their own nature, nor yet by anye institution ey­ther of God or man, be able to bryng to passe in vs these effe­ctes I haue spoken of? What meante they that toke awaye this armoure of Christes flesh and bloude from vs, but to leaue vs naked and vnarmed agaynste the deuyll, that he shuld preuayle agaynste vs in [Page] all temptations, and that the kingdome of synne shulde be e­rected, and the kyngdome of grace destroyed? & to teache that this blessed Sacrament is nothynge els, but breade and wine, what is it els but to take away thys armoure and harnesse of Christes fleshe and bloude from vs: For bread be it neuer so muche appoynted to signifie thinges absente, is not able to defende vs frō the deuyll. Well: one other effecte I shal note vnto you, & make an ende of that matter.

Thys effect is wrytten in the nexte verse of the same Psalme.psal. 22. Et calix tuus inebri­ans quàm praeclarus est: & thy chalice or cuppe that maketh vs dronke, how goodly and excellēt [Page] is it? There be two cup­pes, one worldly of wyne, the other heauenlye of Christes bloude: both make men dron­ken, but after diuerse sortes, the one is sometimes the in­strument of sinne, the other at all tymes the instrumente of grace, forasmuche as pertey­neth to his owne nature.

Of thys wryteth Saynte Cyprian. Sed quia ebrietas domi­nici calicis & sanguinis non est talis, Cyprian libro. 2. epist. 3▪ qualis est ebrietas uini se­cularis, cùm diceret spiritus san­ctus in Psalmo. Calix tuus ine­brians, addidit perquàm opti­mus: quòd scilicet calix domini­cus sic bibentes inebriat, ut so­brios faciat, ut mentes ad spiri­talem [Page] sapientiā redigat, ut à sopore isto seculari, ad intellectū Dei unus quisque resipiscat. But because the dronkenes of our lordes cuppe and bloude is not suche, as is the dronke­nes of worldlye wine: when the holy ghoste in the Psalme sayd. Thy cuppe that maketh men dronke, (he added) is ve­ry godly and excellent, because the cuppe of our Lord doth so make the drinkers dronke, y^t it maketh them sobre, that it bryngeth their mindes to spi­rituall wisedome, that euerye man may bring him selfe from thys drowsines of the worlde to the vnderstandyng & knowledge of God.

To this intent saynt Ambrose [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] wryteth in diuerse places,Ambrose in Psal, 1. as vpon the firste Psalme. At ue­rò Dominus Iesus aquam de pe­tra effudit, & omnes biberunt, and so forth, The place is long & for auoydinge of tediousnes I shall faythfullye rehearse it in Englyshe. But oure Lorde Iesus brought water oute of the stone, and all dranke of it. They that dranke in figure, were satiate, they that dronke in trueth, were made dronke: y^e dronkennes is good, whiche bringeth in mirth and no con­fusion, that dronkennesse is good, that stayeth in sobrenes the motions of the mind.

And he speaketh more play ner in these wordes.Ambrose in psa. 118 Ser. 15. Eate the meate of the Apostles prea­ching [Page] before, that thou mayste afterward come to the meate of Christ, to the meate of oure Lordes body, to the deynties of the sacramēt, to that cuppe wherwithall the affection of the faythfull is made dronke, that it mighte conceaue glad­nes for remission of synne, and putte awaye the thoughtes of this world, the feare of death, and all troublesome careful­nes: for by this dronkennes y^e body doth not stumble and fal but riseth (to grace and glory) the soule is not confounded, but is consecrate and made holye.

These scriptures and these effectes broughte oute of the scriptures, and confirmed by many manifest aucthorities of [Page] the holye fathers doo proue e­uidently to any man that hath but common witte, and anye sparkle of grace, and is not forsaken of almighty god, that y^e substaunce of this sacramente is neyther breade nor wyne, but only the body and bloude of our Lord Iesus Christ, vnited to gods sonne in vnitye of person, whiche is a sufficiente cause, able to worke in the worthy receauer these heauenlye and gloriouse effectes, whych I haue spoken of already.

Wherby appeareth, what moueth me to continue styll in that fayth, whych is so expres­ly taughte in holye scripture: whiche scripture also draweth and pulleth me from the con­trary false opinion.

[Page]In diuerse places it moueth me and all christen men to be­ware & take hede of false pro­phetes▪ Mat. 7. that come in the appa­rel of shepe, but within they be rauenouse wolfes: that in their mouthes haue the word of god, the trueth, the gospell, and suche gaye woordes, but the pitte and effect of their teaching is olde rotten heresyes, confuted and condemned of al Christendome before, and not Gods word, the name wherof they abuse to y^e mayntenaunce of all vice, errour, beastlye ly­uing, adultery, disobedience, sacrilege, and open conspiracye, to the subuersion of them sel­fes, & of that state vnder whi­che they lyue.

The scripture cryeth,1. Io. 4▪ No­lite [Page] omni spiritui credere, be­leue not euery spirite, but trye and proue the spirites, yf they be of God or no, for many false Prophetes are abroade in the world. One waye to trye thē, is to marke the ende of their conuersation▪ and the example and fruyte of their liues, as S. Paule sayeth:Heb. 13. Quorum ex­itum conuersationis intuentes, eorum imitamini fidem: folowe their fayth, the ende of whose conuersation ye haue sene.

We haue seene, what is the ende of this newe teachynge, carnall and detestable liuyng, conspiracye and treason.

The other fathers of whom we learned oure fayth, were men whom the corrupt world [Page] was not worthy to haue: the­se authors of this newe opini­on were menne that were not worthy to haue and enioy the world: of whome saynt Peter wryteth, Magistri mendaces, 2. Pe. 2. and so forth. Lying maysters that bryng in sectes of perdicion, and denye that Lord that bought thē (as they do in this matter of the sacrament) bringyng vpon them a spedy per­dition: and manye shal folowe theyr wayes, through whome the way of truth shal be sclaundered and blasphemed, and in couetousnes by feyned woor­des they shal make marchaundise of you, to whome iudge­mēt ceasseth not, and their de­struction slepeth not.

We be also warned by S. [Page] Iohn of this matter, [...]. Io, 1 sayinge: he that remayneth and aby­deth in the doctrine (that the Apostles taught) he hath the father and the sonne. Yf anye come to you not bringing this doctrine, do not receaue hym into your houses.

Here he dothe teache vs to auoyd them, that professe any other doctrine then such, as al faythfull men vniuersally thoroughout the worlde haue re­ceaued and professe, whych is not the doctrine, that the Sa­cramentaries preache.

Finally consideryng the pro­misses of Christ to his church, that he will be with them too the worldes end,Mat. 28. and that the holy ghost shall leade them in­to all truth,Iohn. 16 then may we iust­lye [Page] saye, that yf this our fayth be an errour, it hath preuay­led vniuersallye not one hun­dreth yeare, but two, thre, foure, yea a thousand yeare, & more then that, euen to the as­censiō of Christ, as appeareth by the testimonies of all holye writers, and then may we say Lord yf we be deceaued, thou hast deceaued vs, we haue be­leued thy word, we haue folo­wed the tradition of the vni­uersal churche, we haue obey­ed the determinations & tea­chynges of those bishops and pastors, whome thou hast pla­ced in the Churche to staye vs in vnitye of fayth, that we be not caried away with euerye winde of false doctrine. Ther­fore yf we be deceaued it com­meth [Page] of thee O Lorde, our error is inuincible.

But good people, we are sure, God deceaueth no man, let vs al beware we do not de­ceaue our selfes, as S. Iames sayeth.

Thus hauing spoken som­thinge of y^e scriptures, as this short time wold permit, there remayneth also the seconde thing, whiche I sayde moued me to continue in this fayth, whiche is the aucthorities of auncient fathers, that haue flourished in the preachyng of Gods trueth in all ages with aucthorities. I thinke verelye in no age haue bene so curiou­sly sought, so diligently found out, & so substantially wayed, as in this our time.

[Page]And all this is, because the oppugnation of the trueth in this matter, hathe extend it selfe not only to the scriptures but also to the doctours and to euerye particle and title of the doctours, whose writyn­ges haue bene so scanned and tryed, that yf any thyng could haue bene gathered and piked out of their bookes, eyther by liberall writing before this misterye came in contention, or by misconstructiō of their wor­des, or by deprauation of their meaning, that could seme too make agaynst our faith herin, it was not omitted of some, but stoutly alledged, amplifi­ed, inforced, and sette forth to the vtter most that their wyt­tes could conceaue, whyche yf [Page] god hath not infatuat, leauing them to speake so, as neyther fayth nor reason could allowe: lyke as they haue with theyr vanities seduced a great sorte the more pitye, so they shoulde haue vndermined and subuer­ted the fayth of a great manye mo, y^t were doubting & falling, but not cleane ouetrhrowen, thankes be to almightie god.

Of these aucthorities, al­though with a litle study and lesse laboure, I coulde at thys tyme alledge a great numbre: yet consideryng the shortnes of the tyme, whiche is almoste spent, I shal be cōtent to picke out a fewe▪ whych do not only declare the minde of the auc­thor, but also conteyne an ar­gument to proue & conuince y^e [Page] truth of our fayth, & suche an argument, as neyther figuratiue speache nor deprauation of the wordes or meaning can delude. And first I shal begyn with the weakest, that is with the suspicion of the gentyles. Tertullian in his apologye tea­cheth,Tertul. a­po. ca. 7. how the gentiles didde accuse the Christen men for killyng of younge chyldren, & ea­tyng of theyr fleshe, he sayeth thus: Dicimur sceleratissimi de Sacramento infanticidij & pa­bulo inde. We are reported & accused as moste mischeuouse and wycked men, for the sacrament of killinge of children, & eatyng theyr fleshe, and dryn­kyng their bloude.

Eusebius also in his story of the [Page] churche, wryteth of one Attalus a martyr,Historia ecclesiast lib. 5. ca 3 who beynge roasted in an yron cradell wyth fyre put vnderneath, when the sa­uour of hys burnte flesh came to the smellynge of the people that looked on: he cryed wyth a loude voyce to the people. Lo, this is to eate men which you do, whyche fault ye make inquisition of, as secretly done of vs, whych you cōmit open­ly in the midde daye.

By this accusation we may vnderstand, that our Sacra­mentes and mysteries in the beginning of the church were kept very secrete, bothe from the syghte and knowledge of the paganes that mocked and skorned them, and also of those that were Catechumeni, learners [Page] of our fayth and not yet bapti­zed, for manye greate causes whyche I shal not nede to re­hearse nowe. And yet for all the secrete kepyng of them, being so manye Christen men & women as there was, they could not be kept so secret, but that some ynkelynge of them came to y^e eares of those that were infidels & vnchristened, insomuche that where as in dede and verye trueth by the rules of oure religion, we dydde eate the fleshe of Iesus Christ our Lorde, and drynke his bloude ministred vnto vs in the sacrament, the gentiles as thei were curiouse to know new thynges, so they came to knowledge of the rumoure of our doynges, and eyther by [Page] the bewrayinge of some false brethrē, or els by y^e simplicitye of other, that of zeale without knowledge wold haue conuerted the vnfaythfull too oure fayth, heard secretlye, that we Christen men in our misteries dyd eate mans fleshe & drynke mans bloude, whyche they for lacke of fayth, and further in­struction beganne to compasse in their wyttes, howe it was possible so to do, and therefore some of them blynded by their owne foolyshe suspicion con­ceaued and publyshed amon­ges other, as it was most like­ly vnto them, that we in oure secrete misteries did kil yonge chyldren, eatyng their fleshe, and drynkyng their bloude, & therevpon accused certayn before [Page] the magistrates of thys haynouse crime, whiche they coulde neuer trye oute to be true, as they dyd accuse.

But for oure purpose it ap­peareth plainly, that we wold neuer haue kept our mysteri­es so secrete, yf they had bene but ceremonies of eatynge of bread & wine, nor they would neuer haue accused vs of such beastly and vnnatural crimes beyng men of such reason, learnynge, and equitie, as they were, yf there hadde not bene some trueth in theyr accusati­on, whyche in dede was true for the substaunce of that they alledged, but not for the ma­ner of the thinge: for it was & is true, that we in oure myste­ries eate fleshe & drynk bloud, [Page] but yet we do not kyl and murdre younge children, and eate theyr fleshe and drynke theyr bloude. And therfore I alled­ge the sayinges of Tertullian and Eusebius, the whych is also in Ori­gen the .6. booke contra Celsum, to declare the accusation of the gentiles agaynste vs, concer­nyng the eatyng of fleshe, and drynkynge of bloud, whyche could neuer haue commed in­to theyr heades so too haue done, yf there had not bene a trueth in that matter, whych they by theyr reason could ne­uer see otherwise, then they alledged, which we by our fayth do playnly see and know as it was ordeyned by Christ oure Lorde. And for that cause Ter­tulliane dyd cast in a vayn word, [Page] sayinge: that we were accused of the sacrament of kyllyng of children, whych word (Sacramente) standeth there for no purpose, but to declare vnto vs, that this their accusation dyd rise for lacke of the true & precyse knowledge of our Sacrament, whyche is true, con­cerning the eatyng of fleshe & drynkynge of bloude, but not true concernyng the kyllynge and murderyng of chyldren.

And yet afterward our mysteries as they came in more knowledge amonges the gentiles, so they came into more contempt: for when the multi­tude of Christen men were so increased, that they cared not who did looke vpon them in the time of theyr mysteries, beinge [Page] out of feare of any exter­nall violence and persecution: then the gentyles seyng them knocke, and knele, & make adoration to the Sacramentes, not knowyng them to be anye thinge els, but as their eyes, senses, and reason dyd iudge, that is to saye, breade & wine, as oure Sacramentaries do nowe, beynge blynded nowe with heresye, as they before were with infidelitye: then I saye, they sayde, that we dyd not worshyppe and adore one God, as we pretended, but many gods, as they were accustomed: for they sayde (as saynte Augustyne wryteth) that we dyd worshippe Ceres and Bacchus, August. con. faust lib. 20. cap. 13. the goddes of corne and wyne, ta­kyng our Sacramentes to be [Page] nothyng els, but bare bread & wine, as the Sacramentaries do and not to be Christe oure Lord & God, his flesh and his bloude, as al true faythful men do, whyche appeareth by the adoration of them: the whych adoration we learne, y^t it was done to the Sacramentes frō the begynnynge, as is proued by the testimonies of our ene­mies the gentiles, as S. A [...]gu­styne reporteth: And also by their adoration we learne, y^• the thynges whyeh they dyd adore, were not simple creatu­res, but Christes body and his bloude, vnited to the seconde person in Trinitie.

S. Basyll beyng asked, wyth what feare, persuasion, fayth,Basilius in reg. in terro 172 and affection we shuld come & [Page] communicate the bodye and bloude of Christ, aunswereth thus: Concernyng the feare, we haue the saying of the Apostel, He that eateth and dryn­keth vnworthelye, eateth and drynketh his iudgemente and damnation.

What fayth we shuld haue, the wordes of oure Lorde do teache, who sayd: This is my bo [...]y, whych is gyuen for you, do this in my remembraunce. And Hesichius sayeth likewyse: Sermo qui prolatus est in dominicum mysterium, Hesichius lib. 6. ca, 22. ipse liberat nos ab ignorātia, The wordes of Christ, whych were spoken vpon oure Lordes mysterye, they deliuer vs frō ignoraūce, that is to say, they teache vs, [Page] what fayth, what estimation we shuld haue of them. Nowe excepte they be taken as they sound to euery man, although he be vnlearned and not in­structed in oure fayth before, thei could not teache vs, what fayth we shoulde haue, concer­nynge the Sacramentes, and therfore in that they be wor­des, whervpō we must learne our fayth, whyche deliue [...] vs from ignoraunce, what y^e thin­ges be, that be deliuered, for that cause they must be taken, as they sounde, that is to say, that the sacramentes deliue­red be the very body & bloude of Christ, that gaue them.

Chrysostome sayth: Quod sacer­dos de manu sua dat, Chrysost. hom. 17. in Matth non solum sanctificatum est, sed etiam sanctificatio [Page] est. That thyng that the priest doth gyue out of his hand, is not only a thyng san­ctified, but it is sanctification it selfe.

Therfore our Sacrament must not only be an holy thing as they sayd, holy breade, and holy wyne: but it muste be the substaunce of holines, making all other thynges holy.

And here I thinke it wor­thy to be noted, and to be ope­ned somwhat vnto you, wyth what sophistrye and vnlear­ned folye they deluded the sā ­ctification and consecration of this Sacrament. Children at the vniuersitie can tell, that it is a deceytfull waye of reaso­ning, by a generall description to exclude and dryue awaye a [Page] speciall and singulare definiti­on, as they dyd in this case. For they sayd, that the conse­cration of the sacrament was no more, but an appoyntynge of bread & wine to an holy vse, which vse they sayd was to si­gnifye vnto vs Christes body that is in heauen: and there­fore some sayd, that the bread was consecrate, when the pa­ryshe clerke did bring it to the churche, and set it vpon the table, and these were no small men, but our greatest bishops, God forgiue it them: other sayd it was not consecrate, tyl the wordes of Christ were spoken, but yet they noted, that the Priest should not looke at the breade in the tyme of the pronouncyng, for this ende be [Page] lyke, that they shuld not be deceaued, and that God shoulde worke no more, then it pleased thē, that their doctrine might some waye be true.

And therefore they sayde, euery man and woman might consecrate & speake the woor­des as wel as a priest: but thei neuer redde what Arnobius say­eth:Arnobius in Psalm. 139. Quid tam magnificū quam Sacramenta diuina conficere? et quid tam perniciosum, quam si ea is conficiat, qui nullum sacer­dotij gradum accepit? what is so excellent, then to consecrate the sacramentes of God? and what is so pernicio use, then yf he do consecrate, that hath receaued no ordre and degree of priesthode? And as they er­red [Page] in the time and person, so they erred in the nature of the consecration, making thys of the same sort that al other cō ­secrations be, receauynge the general description, and denyinge the degrees and special­ties of sanctification, whyche be many: for some thinges be holy, not for any holines that is in them, but for that they be brought to the churche, and dedicate to some holy vse, as is the temple of God, the ve­stures about the aultare, and other thinges vsed in Gods seruice, whyche thynges too steale and conuey is sacrilege: and amonges those thynges there be degrees of holynes,August. de peccat merit. & remiss lib 2. ca. 26. as saynt Augustyne sayeth: Quod accipiunt Catechumeni, quam­uis [Page] non sit corpus Christi, san­ctum est tamen, & sanctius quàm cibi quibus alimur. Holye breade whyche those that be learners receaue, although it be not the body of Christe, yet it is holy, and more holye then the meate, with which we are fedde dayly, which also is san­ctified by the word & prayer.

There is also holines a qualitie, a vertue, and gift of God, makynge him in whome it is, acceptable in the sight of god. The soule of man is likewyse sanctified and holye, because it is that substaunce and subiect wherin holines consisteth and dwelleth, beyng a vessell crea­ted to gods ymage, and prepared to receaue gods gift of sā ­ctification [Page] and holines.

And the bodye of a godlye man is also sanctified and ho­ly, because it is the membre of Christ, the temple of the holye ghost, and the house and tabernacle of the soule, replenyshed with gods grace and sanctifi­cation, and for this reason we haue in reuerence and estima­tion the reliques and bodyes of holy martyrs and cōfessors, whyche beynge members of Christ, were also pleasinge sa­crifices to almightie god, ey­ther for austeritie of lyfe, or for sufferynge of vndeserued deathe, for the fayth or in the quarell of Iesus Christe oure Lord.

The sacramentes of Gods churche be iustly called holye, [Page] because they be the instrumentes, wherby God doth worke holines in the soule of manne, and be as causes of the same by Christes owne ordinaunce and institution. But aboue all other this Sacrament of the aultare is holy, beyng as Chry­sostome sayde, not only a thyng sanctified, but the very sancti­fication it selfe: for in that it is the body of Christ by consecration, wherevnto is annexed y^e godheade by vnitie of person, it must nedes be holines it self not in qualitie, but in substance seing whatsoeuer thinge is in God, is also God, who for hys simplicitie receaueth no qualitye into him selfe, but is the author and principal cause of all good qualities and graces gi­uen [Page] to manne. Wherfore thys place of Chrysostome, that calleth it sanctification it selfe▪ can not be auoyded by no figuratyue speaches, nor suche lyke cauil­lations.

The same Chrysostome in hys epystle to Innocentius Bysshoppe of Rome wryteth of the ma­ner of the persecution in hys time,Chrysost. epist ad Innocen­tium. not vnlyke to thys of ours. Nam & sanctuarium in­gressi sunt milites, quorum ali­quos scimus nullis initiatos my­sterijs, & uiderunt omnia quae intus erant: quin & sanctissi­mus Christi sa [...]guis (sicut in ta­li tumultu contingit) in praedi­ctorum militum uestes eflusus est, The souldiers came vio­lentlye [Page] into the holye place, of whome we knowe that some were not baptized, and there they sawe all thynges that were within, and the most ho­ly bloude of Christ (as chaun­cheth often in suche a tumult) was shedde vpon the garmentes of those souldiers.

Here I marke that he sayth not the figure or signe of chri­stes bloude, but the most holy bloude, an other inferiour creature can not be moste holye. Also I marke that thys most holye bloude was reserued there in the holye temple, and was not onlye in heauen to be receaued by fayth of the faythful, but also was in the temple and violently handeled of the vnfaythfull, beinge there con­temned, [Page] abused, and spilt vpon their garmentes. Doeth not this barbaricall violence, and externall situation of the most holy bloude of Christ, proue a reall presence of the same in the Sacrament?

Gregorye Nazianzene speaketh after the like maner,Nazian­ze. orat. ad Aria­nos▪ howe that the Arianes would not suffre the Catholikes to praye in theyr temples, but troubled them, and killed thē, and min­gled Christes mystical bloude, wyth the bloude of the catho­like priestes, whych they slew, and so forth: whereby we vn­derstande a reall presence of Christes bloude by that vio­lence, that was shewed vnto it of the heretikes part, though Christe were there after that [Page] sort, that he could suffre no vi­olence of his part.

We reade in saynte Hyerome and in diuerse other:Hieroni­mus ad hedibiam. Ipse con­uiua & conuiuium, comedens et qui comeditur: that Christe is both the eater of the feast, and the feast it selfe, both the eater and the meate that is eaten. Wherby we vnderstand, that Christ gyuyng hys bodye and hys bloude to hys discyples, dyd receaue the same him selfe before.

And as Chrysostome wryteth, that lest hys disciples shoulde haue bene troubled and offen­ded,Chrysost. in Matth hom. 83. hearyng hym saye, This is my bloude,Euthymi­us in Mat cap. 64. dryncke ye all of thys, as y^e Caparnaites were before▪ and so shuld abhorre to [Page] haue droncke of the same. Christ dyd fyrst drynke of the same cuppe before them, that he myght by hys example in­duce hys disciples to drynke lykewyse.

And Hesichius sayeth:Hesichius in Leuit. lib. 2 ca. 8 Ipse dominus primus in coena mystica intelligibilem accepit sanguinē, at (que) deinde calicem Apostolis dedit: Our Lorde hym selfe in the mistical supper, first drank hys owne bloude, that was not sene, but vnderstanded, & then gaue the cuppe to hys Apostels.

By thys facte of Christ we maye learne, that in the cuppe was verely and reallye Chri­stes owne bloude: for yf christ did eate hys body, & drank his [Page] bloude but in figure, then he dyd eate and drynke it before after that maner in the typical and legall supper, & then how can thys mysticall supper be the trueth, and the other the fygure, yf thys be but a figure likewise? And then why shuld the Apostle be affrayed to do that nowe, they were wont to do alwayes before. It was no newe thing, worthy the newe Testamente, to eate & drynke Christe in a fygure: and ther­fore it is certayne, that Christ in hys mysticall supper dydde not eate and drynke his body and bloude onlye fyguratiue­ly. And yf ye wyll saye, that he eate it and dranke it spiritual­ly onlye, then ye must say, that Chryst dyd eate it by fayth, for [Page] spirituall eatyng is beleuyng. And yf ye saye, Christ dyd be­leue, then it foloweth y^t Christ was not God. Who hath per­fyte knowledge of all thinges by syghte, and not vnperfecte knowledge by fayth, as we haue, seing as through a glasse in a darke rydle. And surelye they harpe muche vpon thys string: for this heresy agaynst the presence of Christ in the sacrament, is an hygh way, lea­dyng to the other heresy, that Christ is not God, as is pro­ued by diuerse wayes and ar­gumentes, into which pitte diuerse be fallyng by thys mea­nes, yf God do not put vnder hys hande to staye them beti­mes: for yf they continue long in this, they wyll fall into the [Page] other, no remedye, whereof we haue already seene experi­ence.

Then yf Christ dydde eate his body, & drynke his bloude in the mysticall supper, ney­ther figuratiuely, as he did in the paschall lambe nor yet spi­rituallye as we do by fayth: then it is certayn, that he eate it only sacramentally, whyche is not only in signe (as the sa­cramentaryes expounde the worde) but in truth vnder a sacramēt, wherof the substaunce is the reall and natural bodye and bloude of Christ our lord.

After thys sorte wryteth Chrysostome of Dauid, sayinge thus: Non contigit Dauid gu­stare talem hostiam, neque par­ticeps fuerat sanguinis domini­ci, [Page] sed legibus imperfectioribus educatus, neque tale quicquam exigentibus: tamen ad euange­licae philosophiae fastigium per­uenit animi moderatione. It neuer chaunced to Dauid to tast of suche a sacrifice, nor he was not receauer and pertaker of our Lordes bloude, but being broughte vp vnder lawes not so perfecte, and requiringe no suche thyng, yet by the mode­ration and tēperaunce of his owne mynde he came to the hyght of all euangelicall diui­nitye.

Here is playne, that Dauid didde neuer taste and receaue Christes bloude,Chrysost. hom. de Dauid [...] Saul. as we do in the gospell, and yet Dauid did receaue Christes bloude figu­ratiuely, [Page] being partaker of the sacrifices of the old law, which were figures of christes bloud and also he dyd drynke of the same bloud spirituallye as we do, whose fayth was as good or rather greater then ours. Therefore there remayneth one other way that we drinke of it, which was not graunted vnto him, that is to say, vere­ly and really in the sacramēt.

To auoyde this place well, they must haue moo solutions then they haue inuented yet, for neyther figuratiuelye nor spirituallye will serue, it were beste for them to yelde to the trueth, and confesse that it is there really, the very same substaunce of his bloude, y^t was shedde vpō the crosse, thoughe [Page] not in that forme, for the relief of our weake nature, whyche els could not susteyne it.

And further then this S. Augustyne sayeth: Si dixerimus Catechumeno, credis in Christo? August, in Ioann [...] tract. 11 respondit, credo, et signat se cru­ce Christi, portat in fronte, & non erubescit de cruce domini sui: ecce credit in nomine eius. Interrogemus eum, manducas carnem filij hominis, & bibis sanguinem filij hominis? nescit quid dicimus, quia lesus non se credidit ei. Yf we shall saye to one y^e learneth & professeth our fayth, being yet not baptized: doeste thou beleue in Christe? he aunswereth, I beleue, and he dothe signe him selfe with [Page] the crosse of Christ, he beareth it in his forheade, and is not ashamed of the crosse of hys Lord: Loo be beleueth in hys name. But lette vs aske hym, doeste thou eate the fleshe of the sonne of man, and drinke the bloud of the sonne of man? he can not tell what we saye, for Iesus hathe not beleued & committed him selfe to hym. Besyde other thynges that may be fruytfully gathered of thys place for oure erudition, I note but this one, that a mā beleuyng in Christ, professing the fayth of Christe wyth hys word and worke, and for that cause eateth Christes fleshe & drinketh his bloude spiritual­lye, yet he wote not what the eatyng of Christes fleshe mea­neth, [Page] whereof Christ spake in the .6. of saynt Iohn. But we that be baptized, & are admit­ted to oure Lordes table: we know by our experiēce, what it is to eate Christes flesh and to drinke his bloude, for to vs Christ doth truste & gyue him selfe, to the other that beleue as wel as we, he doth not committe him selfe.

Wherby I conclude beside the spirituall eating of Christ by faith, there is also a real ea­ting of him in y^e sacrament, by the seruyce of oure bodies, to the confirmation in grace, and sanctification both of oure bo­dies and soules.

And concernyng the drin­kyng of Christes bloude real­lye▪ S. Cyprian writeth an other [Page] argument,Cyprian. Ser. de coena. whyche I thynke can not be auoyded by anye fi­guratiue speaches, he sayeth thus: Noua est huius Sacra­menti doctrina, & scholae euan­gelicae hoc primum magisteri­um protulerunt, & doctore christo primum haec mundo innotu­it disciplina, ut biberent sanguinem Christiani, cuius esum le­gis antiquae authoritas distri­ctissimè interdicit. Lex quip­pe esum sanguinis prohibet, E­uangelium praecipit ut bibatur. &c. Origen also wryteth thys same thyng very playnly vpō Numeri. Origen in Numeros hom. 16 hom. 16. The Englyshe is this of Cyprian. The doctrine of this Sacramente is newe, and the euangelicall schoole, [Page] taught this lessō first of all, this discipline was neuer knowē to the worlde before oure mayster Christ, who was the firste tea­cher of it, that Christen menne shuld drynke bloude, the eating of which bloude the aucthority of the olde lawe dothe mooste strayghtly forbidde: for the law forbiddeth the eating of bloud, the gospell cōmaundeth bloude to be dronken. &c.

Now this is most certeyne, that the lawe dyd neuer forbyd the drinking of Christes bloud figuratiuely, but dyd cōmaund drinke offeringes, whych were figures of this bloude, and the Iewes drank of the water that came forth of the stone, whyche was a figure of the bloude that came foorthe of Christes syde, [Page] which bloud as Chrysostome sayth, is in our chalyce:Chrysost, [...]n. 1. Cor. hom. 24. Id est in calice quod fluxit è latere, & illius no [...] sumus participes: y^e same thinge is in the chalyce, that slowed oute of Christes syde, and we are partakers of the same. Nor the law dyd neuer forbyd the drynking of christes bloude spyrytuallye by fayth, but sette forth the fayth of Christ, beyng a scholemayster, to Christ poyntynge, to hym, in whome they shoulde beleue and receaue all grace.

But to make short, the lawe forbadde the externall and real drynkyng of bloude, whych the gospell commaundeth sayinge: excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man,Iohn. 6. and drynke hys [Page] bloude, ye shall not haue lyfe in you, and drynke ye all of thys, Thys is my bloude of the new Testament. Therfore it folow­eth necessarelye, that the dryn­kyng of thys bloude is not figuratiuely, nor yet only spiritual­lye, but reallye by the seruyce of our bodyes▪ as Chrysostome sayeth Si uiderit inimicus non postibus impositum sanguinem typi, Chrysost. ad Neo­phitos. sed fidelium ore lucentem sanguinem ueritatis Christi templi postibus dedicatum, multo magis se subtra hit. Yf oure enemye the deuyll shall see not the bloude of the fi­guratiue lambe sprynkled vpon the postes, but the bloude of Christe, the trueth shynynge in the mouth of the faythful, much more he wyll runne away. [Page] There is a place of the prouer­bes,Prouerb. [...]3. whych as diuerse authors do expounde, maketh much for the real presence of Christes bodye and bloude in the Sacra­ment: the place is this after the greke, whych these authors fo­lowed. Cùm sederis ad mensam potentis, sapienter intellige quae apponuntur, & mitte manum tu­am, sciens quia talia te oportet praeparare When thou sytteste at the table of a great man, vn­derstand wysely what thinges are set before thee, and putte to thy hand, knowynge that thou must prepare such lyke thinges agayne.August. in [...]oan. tract. 47 48. Chrysost, in Psalm▪ 23. S. Augustyne vpon saynt Iohn, and Chrysostome vpon the Psalme, and Hesichius, and other moo, whose wordes it were to [Page] longe to reherse in Latyne:Hesichius lib. 6. ca, 22. do expounde this place of the pro­uerbes thus. Who is this great man but Iesus Christ our lord gods sonne? and what is the table of this great mā, but where is receaued his bodye and his bloude that hath giuen hys life for vs? And what is to sytte at that table, but to come to it humbly and deuoutly? & what is to considre and vnderstande wise­ly, what thinges be sette before thee, but to discerne the body & bloude of Christe to be set there verelye in trueth, and to knowe the grace, vertue, and dignitie of thē, and the daunger for the misusyng of them? and what is to put to thy hande, knowynge that thou muste prepare suche like agayne, but to eate of them, [Page] knowynge that christen men in the cause of Christ, and defence of the trueth are bounden to shedde theyr bloude, and spend their lyues for their brethren, as christ hath done the same for vs before, that lyke as we haue receaued at Christes table hys bodye and his bloude, so oughte we to giue for our brethren our bodyes and bloude.

Thys comparyson of taking & giuing the like agayne, auoy­deth all the triflynge cauillati­ons of these figuratiue spea­ches, that the simple peoples heades be combred wythal. Here is no place for eatyng on­ly by fayth, for the martyrs dyd not only beleue in Christe, but also in very dede gaue theyr bo­dyes and shedde their bloude [Page] really for Christ.

I nede not stande longer in so playne a matter, although I could alledge muche more oute of al the auncient fathers, yea & more playner then these I haue touched, yf any can be playner. If I did but tel the bare names of the Sacrament, whyche the authors gyue it: I shuld proue manifestlye, that it were the ve­ry body and bloude of Christ, & not breade and wyne. Ignatius calleth it Medicamentum immorta­citatis, antidotum non moriendi, Ignatius ad Ephe [...] sios. a medicine of immortalitye, a preseruatiue agaynste deathe. Dionisius Ariopagita S. Paules scholer calleth it hostia salutaris, Dionisiu [...] Hier. ec­cle. cap. [...] the sacrifice of our saluation. Iustinus martyr sayeth,Iustinus Apolo. it is caro & sanguis [Page] incarnati Iesu, the fleshe & bloud of Iesus incarnate, whyche na­mes be gyuen to it of the scrip­ture and all other wryters. Origen calleth it Panis uitae, dapes saluatoris, Origen in Luc. hom 38. in Mat hom. 5. epulum incorruptum. Dominus, the breade of lyfe, the deynties of oure sauioure, the meate that is neuer corrupted, yea our Lorde hym selfe. Cyprian calleth it Sanctū domini, Cypria­nus de la­psis de coena. the ho­ly one of God, gratia salutaris, the sauyng grace, Cibus incon­sumptibilis, the meate that can neuer be cōsumed, Alimonia im­mortalitatis, the foode of immortalitye, Portio uitae aeternae, the portion of eternal lyfe, Sacrifici­um perpes, holocaustum perma­nens, a cōtinual sacrifice, an offe­rynge [Page] alwayes remaynynge, Christus yea he calleth it Christ The greate general counsell at Nice calleth it Agnus Dei qui tollit [...]eccatum mundi, Conciliū Nicenum the lambe of God, that taketh awaye the synnes of the world.

Optatus an olde author gyueth it diuerse names,Optatus lib, 6. as in this sen­tence. Quid tam sacrilegū quàm altaria Dei frangere, radere, re­mouere, in quibus uota populi & membra Christi portata sunt, un­de à multis pignus salutis aeternae tutela fidei, & spes resurrectionis accepta est? What is more sacri­lege, then to breake the aulta­res of God (as the Donati [...]tes dyd) or to scrape them, or to remoue them, vpon the whych aultares [Page] the vowes of the people, y^t is to saye, the members of Christ are borne, from whych aultares al­so the pledge of eternall saluati­on, the defence and buckeler of fayth, and the hope of resurrec­tion be receaued.

Hilarius calleth it cibus domini­cus, our Lordes meate, uerbum caro, Hilarius. lib. 8. the worde made fleshe. S. Basyll in hys Masse calleth them sancta, Basilius in Missa, diuina, impolluta, immor­talia, supercelestia, & uiuifica sacramenta. Holy Sacramentes, godly, pure, vndefyled, immor­tall, heauenly, and gyuyng lyfe. What wyttelesse and vngodlye man woulde gyue these names to breade and wyne? S. Ambrose calleth it gratia dei, Ambrosi­us de obi­tu fratris the grace of God, not an accidental grace receaued [Page] of God into mans soule, but the very reall Sacrament he calleth the grace of God, the whych hys brother Satyrus being vpon the sea, and hys shippe broken, sekyng for none other ayde but onelye the remedy of fayth, and the defence of that Sacra­ment, toke thys grace of God of the priestes, and caused it to be bounde in a stole, whych he tied about his necke, and so trusting in that, committed hym selfe to the waters, by vertue whereof he escaped drownyng, and af­terward of a catholike Bysshop he receaued that same grace of God wyth hys mouth.

Chrysostome O wyth what elo­quence doth he vtter thys mat­ter: heare but thys one place.Chrysost. 1, Cor. 10. Ipsa nam (que) mensa animae nostrae [Page] uis est, nerui mentis, fiduciae uin­culum, fundamentum, spes, salus, lux, uita nostra. The very table sayeth he (meanynge the meate of the table) is the strengthe of our soule, the synewes of oure mynde, the knotte of our trust, the foundation, oure hope, oure health, oure lyght, and our life. What names, what effectes be these? and in an other Homelye he calleth it Rex coeli, Ad Ephe. Ser. 3. Deus, Christus, The kyng of heauen, God hym selfe, Christ, which he sayth goeth into vs, by these gates & dores of our mouthes. Cyrillus calleth it sanctificatio uiuifica, Cirillus libr. 4. cap. 17. The very sanctification that gyueth lyfe. And S. Augustyne calleth it Praetium nostrum, August. epist. 163 The pryce of our redemption, whych Iudas [Page] receaued. What shuld I trou­ble you any longer in so playn a matter? Why shoulde these holye fathers deceaue vs by callinge this Sacramente w^t so gloriouse and highe names, yf they meante not so, but that it was but breade and wyne? they lacked no grace that had so muche grace as to shedde their bloud for christes fayth, they lacked no wytte nor elo­quence to expresse what they meant. Thus dyd they wi [...]h one consent, after one maner alwayes speake and wryte, by whose playne preachynge and wrytinge, the whole worlde of Christendome hathe bene perswaded and establyshed in this fayth of the real presence these fiftene hundreth yeres.

[Page]If they haue seduced vs meaning otherwise then they wrote, then may we iustly say, that they were not martirs & confessors in dede, but very deuyls, errynge them selues, and bringynge other also in erroure.

But good people the truth is, they erred not, but taught vs as they beleued the very truthe, confirmyng and testi­fyinge that faythe whyche their bloud y^t they had taught with their mouthe. And yf there be anye errour, it is in vs, that for the vnlearned tal­kinge, and wytlesse sophistical reasonyng of a fewe men, will headlinges destroye our sou­les: forsaking & not cōtinuing in that faythe, whyche was [Page] taught by the mouth of christ▪ sealed with his bloud, testified by the bloude of martyrs, and hathe preuayled from the be­gynnyng, agaynst the whych hell gates can not preuayle. Nowe there remayneth some thyng to be sayd, concernyng the thirde parte whyche is the consent of y^e catholyke church in this poynte: but I am sory, the tyme is so past, that I can not nowe say any thinge of it, in my nexte day god willinge I shal touche it, & also procede in the matter of the sacrifice, whych I hope to god to make so playne, y^t it shall appeare to thē y^t will see & be not blinded forsaken of god, to be a thinge most euidēt most profitable to be vsed & frequēted in christes [Page] churche, and that such sclaun­ders and blasphemies as be shotte agaynst it, shal rebound (I hope) vpon their onwe heades, that shotte them to the glorye of almightye GOD, who by hys heauenlye proui­dence can so dyspose the ma­lice of a fewe, that it turne to the staye and commoditye of the whole, that the electe by suche conflictes maye be awa­ked from their slepe, maye be more confirmed in all trueth, and may be more vigilant and ware in learnynge and obseruynge the lawe of God, to whome be all glory and prayse world with­out ende.

A­men.

AMonges other thynges y^e laste time I was admitted to spea­ke in this place I brought for­the this sentence of S. Bernarde wrytten in a sermon de Epiphania, Bernar. Ser. 1. de Epiph. Pauperes sumus, parū dare pos­sumus. &c. The Englyshe is thys. We be poore, lytle maye we gyue, yet for that lytle we maye be reconciled yf we wyll. [Page] Al that euer I am able to giue is this wretched body of mine, yf I gyue that, it is sufficient: yf not then I adde his bodye, for that is myne and of myne owne: for a lytle one is borne vnto vs▪ and the sonne is giuē to vs. O Lord that lacketh in me, I supplye in thee, O moste swetest reconciliation.

Here I noted a great bene­fite of the oblation of Christes body, to consiste in supplyinge that lacketh in the oblation of our bodyes: that whereas we be exhorted of saynt Paule to offre vp our bodyes a sacrifice to almightye God, and also do vnderstand by other scriptu­res, that it is our dueties so to do: whych maye be done three wayes: By voluntarye suffe­rynge [Page] the deathe for Christes fayth, yf case so require, by paynefull and penall workes, as by abstinence and other cor­porall exercises, for the casti­gation and mortifyinge of the outward manne, or else by the seruice of righteousnes, in that we vse the membres & partes of our bodye, as instrumentes of all vertue and godlinesse, cō siderynge agayne howe there is great imperfection in al our workes, and that the beste of vs all cometh shorte of that marke, whych is prefixed of God to serue hym wyth al our heart, wyth all our strength, & that eyther in the worke it self or in thintente, or in the cause or tyme, or in some other de­gree & circumstaunce: for thys [Page] cause and consideration saynte Bernarde doth hym selfe and mo­ueth vs to ioyne the oblation of Christes bodye wyth ours, wherewithal we are sure god is well pleased, sayinge: This is my sonne,Mat. 17. in whome I am wel pleased, by whose merites our oblation and other wor­kes do please God, and not o­therwyse.

And therfore I purposed to make one sermon of the sa­crifice of Christ, not of y^• which he hym selfe made vpon the crosse for our redemption, but of that which the churche hys spouse maketh vpon the aul­tare, whych purpose beinge al­so before promised remayneth now to be fulfylled.

And entering the last time [Page] to speake of it, I [...]ayde thys foundation, that is to saye, the veritye of the blessed Sacra­ment, the body & bloude of our sauiour Christ to be verelye & really present in it by the om­nipotent power of almightye God, and the operation of his holy spirite assistynge the due administration of the priest, & so to be there not only as oure meate, whych God giueth vn­to vs to nouryshe vs in spiri­tual lyfe, but also as oure sacri­fice, whych we gyue and offre vnto God to please hym, and purge vs from suche thinges, as maye destroye or hynder that spirituall lyfe, seyng that Christe hym selfe is the sub­staunce of the sacrifice of the newe Testamente, as I haue [Page] partly shewed before, and be­syde hym we haue none, that is only propre to vs Christen men.

This foundation of the re­all presence I presupposed to haue bene beleued of vs all, & yet I dyd not so rawlye leaue it, but declared vnto you suche reasons, as moued me to con­tinue styll in that fayth I was borne in, whych were the eui­dent and playne scriptures of God, opened wyth the circum­staunces of the places in suche wyse, as the vayne cauillati­ons of the Sacramentaries can not delude them, and also the effectes of this Sacra­ment, whych be so greate and so wonderful, that they can be asscribed to no other cause, but [Page] only to almightie God, and to suche creatures, as gods sonne hath ioyned vnto hym in vni­tie of person, as be the body & bloude of our sauioure Christ.

I alledged also the sayinges of the holy fathers, not in such numbre as I wold haue done, but choosed out a fewe, whych not only declared the authors fayth, but conteyned a necessa­ry argument to proue our con­mon fayth in this matter. Concernynge the third poynt, whych is the consent of the ca­tholike church, neyther the tyme then suffered to speake as behoued, nor yet suffereth nowe, yf I shuld performe my promise, as I intende GOD wylling. And for that cause I shall but moue you to consydre [Page] certeyne thinges, wherby the consent may appeare.

Fyrst the possession of the churche in this doctrine so ma­ny yeares in suche quietnesse wythoute contradiction, that no reason, nor yet iniuncti­on, nor no newe deuice that the deuyll or hys dearlynges can inuent to the contrary, ey­ther can or oughte to remoue vs oute of possession, excepte we wyll wylfullye loose oure owne ryght and clayme, seing that we that lyue nowe vni­uersally throughout all Chri­stendome haue receaued thys fayth of our fathers, and they of theirs, and so forthe euen to the Apostels and oure sauiour Christe hym selfe, by whose mouthe thys doctryne (as S. [Page] Cyprian sayeth) was first taught to the worlde,Cyprian. Ser. de coena. that Christen men in the newe law be com­maunded to dryncke bloude, whych the Iewes in the olde lawe were forbidde to do.

And so from hym and hys Apostels it hathe bene by suc­cession deduced and broughte throughout all ages, euen to this our tyme, and beleued as Gods worde, whyche can not be chaunged, & not as mans worde, subiecte to alterati­on, as probabilitye can per­suade.

Secondlye thys consente in thys matter maye aypeare by that the holye fathers and pastors of Christes Churche haue wrytten of it, whome God hath placed and planted [Page] in his church for the buylding and vpholdyng of it in truth, that hys flocke be not seduced and caried about wyth euery blaste of newe doctrine by the craftines of men, to the destruction of their soules. Of thys I haue spoken somethyng al­readye.

Thirdly we may know the consent of the churche by the determination of the general councels, where the presiden­tes of Gods churches, & the rulers and learned priestes of christendome, assembled in the name of our lord Iesus christ, representyng the holy church of God militaunt, being ledde not with priuate affection, but by Gods holye spirite to hys glorye, instant in prayer, fer­uent [Page] in deuotion, purely, dili­gently, and freely haue intreated & determined those thyn­ges, that perteyne to y^e fayth of Christ, and the purgyng of hys churche, to whose deter­mination as to Goddes ordi­naunces we are bounde to ob­eye. Wherein appeareth ma­nifestlye the consente of the churche.

The fyrst general councell both for the callyng, and also for the cause, was holden at Nice in Bithinia, by .318. bisshops in the tyme of Constantinus Magnus, twelue hundreth and thirtye yeares agoo,Conciliū Nicenum where it was determined and publyshed to y^• worlde in these wordes. Exal altata mente fide consideremus situm esse in sancta illa mensa [Page] agnum Dei qui tollit peccatum mundi, qui à sacerdotibus sacri­ficatur sine cruoris effusione, et nos uerè preciosum illius corpus & sanguinem sumentes credere haec esse resurrectionis nostrae symbola. &c▪ Let vs lyfte vp our myndes, vnderstandynge and considering by fayth, that the lambe of God whyche ta­keth awaye the synnes of the worlde is situate and lyeth v­pon that holy table, whych is offered of the priestes wyth­oute the sheddyng of bloude, & that we receauynge verelye hys preciouse bodye & bloude, do beleue them to be the pled­ges or causes of our resurrec­tion.

Thys aucthoritye serueth [Page] me very wel to declare the cō ­sent of the churche both in the matter of the reall presence, & also of the sacrifice, whych we haue in hande. For the wor­des be couched meruelouslye, euery one seruyng to expresse the trueth, and to auoyde all doubtes.

For fyrst he byddeth vs, lift vp our myndes, and considre by faythe, wyllynge vs not to stycke only to our senses, thinkyng nothyng els to be there, but that we see outwardlye, teachynge vs that the iudge­mente of thys matter pertey­neth not to oure senses, but to our fayth only, & as Eusebius Eme­senus sayeth,Emesenus orat. de corpore Christi Verè unica & per­fecta hostia fide aestimanda nō [Page] specie nec exterioris cēsenda est uisu hominis, sed interioris af­fectu. Thys hoste and sacri­fice is verely one and perfect, to be estemed by fayth, and not by forme and apperaunce, to be iudged not by the syghte of the outward man, but wyth y^e affection and persuasion of the inward man: for to fayth only and not to senses perteyneth the knowledge and iudgemēt of Gods mysteries and sacra­mentes.

Then the councell declareth what fayth teacheth, that is to saye, that the lambe of GOD, not materiall breade & wyne, nor the figure of the lābe, but the lambe that taketh awaye the synne of the worlde, is pla­ced [Page] lying vpon the holye table of the aulter, whych externall situation proueth a reall pre­sence of Christe to be there be­fore we receaue it, and not a phantasticall or an intellectual receauyng of Christe by fayth in the tyme of the receauinge only, as these men contende.

Further it teacheth, that this lambe of God is offered to almightye God by the prie­stes, whiche is a distincte offe­ryng from that Christe made vpon the crosse, for there he offered hym selfe by sheddyng hys bloude, whiche he did but ones, and neuer shall do it a­gayne any more.

Here is he offered of the priestes, not by sheddynge of bloude, but as the councell [Page] sayeth [...] not after a blou­dy maner, whych is not a new kyllynge of Christe, but a so­lempne representation of hys deathe, as hym selfe hathe or­deyned.

After this it declareth the receauing of it saying, that we verelye receaue his preciouse body and bloude, which word (verelye) is as muche as that we call (reallye) and declareth the vse of the sacrament in the receypte of it wyth the seruice of our mouth, as Christe com­maunded sayinge: Take, eate, whyche is a corporall eatinge,Mat. 19. not a spirituall beleuyng.

And last of al it sheweth the effect of the sacrament, whych is the resurrection of oure bo­dyes to eternal life, for because [Page] Christes body being the body of very life, is ioyned to our bodies as our foode: it bryngeth oure bodies that be deade by sentence of deathe to hys pro­pertye which is life, wherof in my laste sermon I spake more at large.

O Lord what hard hartes haue these men to doubte thē selfes, or to denye, or to bryng in question that manifest open trueth in so highe and necessa­rye a matter, whiche in moost playne woordes hathe bene taught of our sauiour Christe, his Apostels and euangelistes, & declared so to be vnderstand by the holye ghoste oute of the mouthes of all these holye fa­thers, whome the holy ghoste dyd assemble and inspire wyth [Page] the spirite of truth to the con­fusion of the greate heretyke Arius, that troubled the worlde then, and also did inspire their hartes to declare so playnlye the mystery of thys blessed sa­cramente, whyche then was wythout al contention, bele­ued of all Christen men, onlye to preuente these heretikes y^e aryse and sprynge vp nowe in these latter dayes, that the worlde maye see, howe they stryue agaynste the knowen trueth, their owne conscience, and the determination of the whole churche, being enemies of God, breakyng hys peace, & diuiding them selfes from the churche, whose ende is eter­nal confusion.

Lykewise the next general [Page] councell holden at Ephesus, in the tyme of Theodosius the Emperor, eleuen hundreth and twentye yeares agoo, dothe determine this trueth lykewyse in these wordes.Concil E­phesi. epi ad Nesto­rium Necessario igitur & hoc adijcimus. Annunciantes enim sicut secundum carnē mor­tem unigeniti filij Dei, id est, Ie­su Christi & resurrrectionem cius, & in coelis ascensionem pa­riter confitentes, incruentum ce lebramus in Ecclesijs sacrificij cultum, sic etiam ad mysticas benedictiones accedimus, & san­ctificamur participes sancti cor­poris et preciosi sanguinis Chri­sti omnium nostrum redempto­ris effecti, non ut communē car­nem [Page] percipientes (quod absit), nec ut uiri sanctificati & uerbo coniuncti secundum dignitatis unitatem, aut sicut diuinam possidentis habitationem, sed uerè uiuificatricem & ipsius uerbi propriam factā. We adde this also necessarely: We shewynge and declarynge the corporall death of Gods only begotten sonne Iesus Christ, and lyke­wise confessing his resurrecti­on and ascension vnto heauen do celebrate the vnbloudy ob­latiō and sacrifice in our chur­ches, for so we come to the my­sticall benedictions, & are san­ctified being made partakers of the holy body and preciouse bloude of Christ, all our rede­mer not receauyng it as com­mon [Page] fleshe (God forbidde) nor as the fleshe of an holy man, & ioyned to the word of God by vnitye of dignitye, nor as the fleshe of hym in whome God dwelleth, but as the flesh only propre to gods sonne & verely giuing life to the receauer.

By this determination of this general coūcel we learne, that in the mysticall benedicti­on (by whyche word is meant thys blessed Sacramente) we receaue Christes owne propre fleshe, and of it we receaue san­ctification and lyfe, before the receypt whereof we celebrate the vnbloudye sacrifice of the same in our churches, decla­ring our Lordes death, resurrection, and ascension, and by this place we plainly perceaue [Page] that the doinges and wordes whych be vsed daylye in oure Masse, were also vsed in the time of this councel muche a­boue a thousand yeares agoo.

This doctrine also was de­termined in the general coun­cell holden at Constantinople in the time of Iustyniane y^e Empe­roure,Conciliū cōstanti. in trullo cap. 102▪ the yeare of our Lorde 552. where be wrytten these wordes. Omni sensibili creatu­rae supereminet is qui salutari passione, coelestem nactus digni tatem, edens & bibens Christū, ad uitam aeternam perpetuo cō ­iungitur, & anima & corpore diuinae participatione gratiae sā ­ctificatur. and so forth.

He farre excelleth euerye sensible creature, that by the [Page] passion of our sauioure obtey­nyng heauenlye dignitie, ea­tyng and drynkyng Christ, is continually ioyned to eternal lyfe, and is sanctified bothe in soule and body by participation of the heauenly grace.

Thys place is notable, de­clarynge the dignitie of hym that eateth Christ, and the ef­fecte of that eatynge to be e­uerlastynge lyfe and sanctifi­cation, bothe of bodye and soule.

Likewyse the general coū ­cell called Lateranense, Conciliū Latera­nense holden at Rome the yeare of our Lorde 1215. determyned thys matter in the same termes, that we expresse it nowe. Vna est fide­lium uniuersalis Ecclesia, extra quam nullus omnino saluatur, [Page] in qua idem ipse sacerdos & sa­crificium Iesus Christus, cuius corpus & sanguis in Sacramen­to altaris sub speciebus panis & uini ueraciter continentur, tran substantiatis pane in corpus, & uino in sanguinem potestate di­uina. There is one vniuersall churche of all faythfull people, wythoute the whych no man is saued at anye tyme, in the which Iesus Christ hym selfe is both the priest and the sacrifice, whose bodye and bloude be truely conteyned in the sa­crament of the aultare vnder the forme of breade and wine, the breade beyng transubstantiate into hys body, & the wine into hys bloude by the power of God.

[Page]This forme of doctrine af­ter this sort, & in these termes hath bene taught, professed, & beleued throughoute y^e whole catholike Churche euer sence that tyme, howsoeuer some he retikes forsaking their fayth, procedynge from Gods omni­potent word and the vnitye of hys churche, and leanynge to their sensualitye and blind reason agaynst fayth haue repy­ned and barked agaynste the same. But I put no doubtes but by Gods grace, yf the time wolde suffer me▪ to make thys matter o [...] transubstantiation as playne as the other of the reall presence.

The generall councell also of Constance,Conciliū cōstanti­ense. holden of latter dayes, the yeare of our Lord, [Page] 1415. doth agree and testifye the same, in that they condemned Iohn Wyclefe the here­tike & all his errours agaynst this blessed Sacrament.

Thus haue I shewed you the consente of the churche by the determinations of the ge­nerall councels. It shal not be nedeful to rehearse any parti­cular and prouincial councels, which al in this doctrine agre with the other generall.

Furthermore the consente of the churche appeareth by y^e condemnation of the herety­kes of al ages, whych hold any false opinion in anye poynte a­gaynst the veritye and the in­stitution of Christ, concerning this blessed Sacrament.

The first heretike that euer [Page] we reade of in this matter, & father to all the Sacramentaries that lyue nowe, was one in the time of Ignatius by and by after y^e Apostels, whose name we know not, but what he and his sect that folowed him did Theodoretus in his thyrd dialoge maketh mention,Theodo­retus. dialogo. 3 Ignatius ad Smyr­nenses. sayinge that Ignatius (who lyued within one hundreth yeare of Christ (writeth in an epistle ad Smyrnenses in these wordes. Eucharistias & oblationes non admittunt, eo­que non confiteantur Euchari­stiam esse carnem seruatoris no­stri Iesu Christi, quae pro pec [...]a­tis nostris passa est, & quam pater sua benignitate suscita­uit.

[Page]They do not allowe and admitte our Sacrament & offe­rynges, because they do not confesse the Sacrament (cal­led Eucharistia) to be the fleshe of oure sauioure Iesus Christe, whych fleshe suffered for oure synnes, and which the fathers goodnes dyd rayse frō deathe agayne.

By this we learne, what was the fayth in the primitiue churche, both that the Sacramente was the verye fleshe of Christ, whych suffered for vs, & also that it was offered for vs by the priestes, which thin­ges those heretykes denyed then, as their scholers nowe springing vp vpon their ashes denye nowe, & that they were condemned as heretykes by [Page] the primitiue churche then, as these most worthely be condē ­ned by the catholike Churche nowe.

And where as the due mat­ter, wherein this blessed Sa­crament is cōsecrated, oughte to be vnleauened breade, of wheate and wine myxed with water, accordyng to the scrip­tures & the example of christ: there were one sort of herety­kes called Artotoritae, (of whome speaketh Epiphanius contra Quintillianos) whych were so called for y^• they vsed not in their sacrify­ces the necessary and due matter,Epiphanius contra Quintillianos. but in their mysteries dyd cōsecrate, and offer bread and cheese.

An other sort of heretikes were called Fermentarij, because [Page] they did consecrate in leuened breade, as our men of late dyd commaunde to be done▪ who were condemned by the generall councell at Basyll.Conciliū Basiliense

Other were called Aquarij or Hydroparastae, for that they pretē ­dyng sobrietye did consecrate in water only wythout wine, agaynst whome wrytte saynt Cypriane, Cyprian libro. 2. epist. 3. Chrysost. in Matth hom. 83. Chrysostome, & other, who also were cōdemned by the ge­nerall councell of Constanti­nople in trullo. cap. 32.

Other were called Armenij who in their sacrifices conse­crated and offered wyne one­lye wythoute water, agaynst whome wryteth Theophilactus. All these helde false opinion a­gaynste the necessary and due matter of the Sacramente.Theophilactus in Ioā. ca. 19 [Page] There were other heretykes, that denyed the effecte of the Sacrament, as Messaliani, who (as it is wrytten by Theodoretus) sayd that the heauenly foode whereof our lorde spake,Historia triparti [...] lib. 7. cap 11. he that eateh my fleshe & dryn­keth my bloude, shal lyue euer more, dyd neyther profite nor hurte any man.

Nestorius also the pernicious herytyke and Archebyshoppe of Constantinople destroyed the vertue of the sacramente, (as Theophilactus writeth) for y^t he graunting christes very fleshe to be really and truely present in the Sacramente,Theophilactus. ca. 10. ad Hebreos. denyed that fleshe beynge receyued in to our bodyes, to be the pro­pre fleshe of gods sonne, and therfore to haue no vertue to [Page] giue life to our mortal bodies: & this heresy was condemned by the generalcouncel, holden at Ephesus.

And where as thys sacra­ment can not be cōsecrate but by a priest, there was an here­tike called Zacheus, condemned, (as Epiphanius wryteth) because he would praye with no man,Epiphanius anace­phaleosi. but alone, and therefore with­out reuerence and authoritye did handle the holy mysteries and beyng a laye man, did im­pudently ordre and vse them.

Also certeyne heretikes called Anthropomorphitae denyed the reseruation of the sacramente saying that Christes body re­mayned there no longer then it was in receauyng, of whom Cyrillus writeth thus.

[Page] Dicunt mysticam benedictionē si ex e a remanserint in sequen­tem diem reliquiae ad sanctifi­cationem inutilem esse: Cyrillus ad Calosyrium. sed in sa­niunt haec dicentes, non enim mutatur Christus, neque sanctū eius corpus discedit, sed benedi­ctionis uirtus, et uiuifica gratia continuo manet in illis.

They saye that the mysticall benediction (whyche is the sa­crament) is not profitable to the sanctification of the recea­uer, yf there remayne anye thyng of the sacrament to the next daye. But they be starke madde that saye so, for Christ is not chaunged, nor yet his holy body doth not departe a­way, but the vertue of the be­nediction, [Page] and the grace of gi­uyng life, do continually abide and remayne in that that lea­ueth.

Thys heresy is newe reui­ued agayne by Martyn Lu­ther and his sect, but it can not stande, beynge condemned of olde time, and now also by the catholike churche.

Many moo heresies there be cōdemned, concernyng the sacrament, besyde the heresye of Berengarius that twyse dyd re­cant it in two prouincial coun­cels, and at hys death tooke great penaunce for his dam­nable opinion as the stories tell: and also besyde the cōdemnation of Iohn Wycleffe in y^e general councel at Constance, but I wyll not hyndre my purpose [Page] wyth a longe rehersall of them.

These be sufficient to shew the consente of the churche by the condemnation of herety­kes, he that wold know mo argumentes to proue the con­sent in thys or any other matter, let hym reade a booke cal­led Vincentius Lirinensis contra propha­nas haeresum nouitates, he may bye it for lesse then syxe pence, & find there a great treasure of good learnyng. Now to oure pur­pose of the sacrifice.

AGaynste the blessed Masse which is the sacrifice of y^• church many wordes of manye [Page] men haue bene sayde, but sufficient reprofe of it hath not yet bene hearde.

Scripture neuer one was yet alledged against it, sauing one out of the epistle to the Hebrewes, where S. Paule writeth,Heb. 9. that Christ entered into heauen by hys owne bloude ones, and afterward he sayth: Christe was ones offered vp to take away the sinnes of many: and al the argumente con­sisteth in this woorde (ones), whych I shall (God willinge) discusse hereafter.

But in very dede that same scripture that they brynge a­gaynste the Masse to no pur­pose, is the verye foundation of the Masse, wherevpon the Masse is buylded & estably­shed, [Page] after what sort I shal de­clare as time will serue.

Lyke as there is one God the father,Ephe. 4. one Christ our re­demer, one body and churche whych is redemed: so there is but one only sacrifice,Heb. 7.9.10. wherby we be redemed, whyche was ones & neuer but ones made vpon the aultare of the crosse for the sinnes of all men.

Thys sacrifice is propitia­torye, and a sufficient pryce, & raunsome of the whole world, as S. Iohn. sayeth, he is the propitiation for our synnes, & not for our synnes onelye,1. Io. 2 but for the synnes of the whole worlde, and in his Gospell he wryteth,Iohn. 1. Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world.

[Page]The vertue of this sacri­fice beganne, when God pro­mised that the seede of Adam shuld brusse and breake the serpents heade,Gen. 3. without the me­rite of thys sacrifice there is no saluation,2. cor. 5. for God was in Christ reconcilyng the worlde to hym selfe.

Thys sacrifice is common to both the testamentes, wher of both take their effect, who­se vertue is extended from the begynnynge of the worlde to the laste ende, for the lābe was slayne from the begynnyng of the world,Apo. 13. as S. Iohn sayth.

It is also a bloudy and passible sacrifice, extendinge to the death of him that offered him selfe, & it was promised to the fathers,Galat. 3. and performed in the [Page] fulnesse of tyme,Galat. 4. the merites wherof receaueth no augmentation, because it is perfect, nor yet diminution, because it is eternal. And although this sacrifice be sufficiente to saue all men, yet it is not effectuall to the saluation of al men: it is a­ble to saue al, but yet all be not saued: for what doth it profite the Turkes, Saracenes, vn­faythfull gentiles, & counter­feyte Christians? The faulte is no [...] in god, beinge mercifull to al his workes, who created vs without vs: but the faulte is in our selfes.

Therfore y^t this sacrifice of Christe, as it is sufficiente for all, so it maye be effectuall and profitable for all.

God hath ordeyned certeyne [Page] meanes, whereby we maye be made able to receaue the me­rite of it▪ and wherby the ver­tue of it is brought and appli­ed vnto vs in the newe Testa­mente, after his passion, as it was to the fathers in the olde testament before his passion.

Of these meanes some be inward, some be outward: the inwarde be cōmon to both the testamentes, of which the first & principall is fayth, for with­oute fayth it is not possible to please God,Heb. 11 and as S. Iohn sayeth,Iohn. 3 he that beleueth not, is now already iudged: to hym therefore that is an infidell, Christ hath dyed in vayne.

Charity also is a meane, for he that loueth not,1. Io. 3. remayneth in death,1. Io. 2, he that hateth hys [Page] brother, is in darkenes, & walketh in darkenes, and can not tell whether he goeth: and yf I haue all fayth,1. cor. 13▪ and haue no charitye, I am nothyng.

He is not therfore partaker of Christes merites in the re­mission of synne, that lacketh charitye. And so may we saye of hope, wythout the whyche no man receaueth mercye at Christes hande.

Amonges the inward mea­nes there be other spirituall sacrifices, as the sacrifice of a contrite heart,Psal, 50. whych GOD doth muche regard, the sacri­fice of oure lyppes,Osee. 14 whyche is prayer & prayse of God, wherby we atteyne remissiō of sinne hauyng a playne promise,Luke. 11 that whatsoeuer we aske of god in [Page] the name of Christ, we shal ob­teyne it.Mat. 7. And the sacrifices of almose & beneuolence, whiche Saynt Paule wold not haue vs to forgette▪ Heb. 13 because God is gotten and wonne by such sa­crifices.

All these and other suche like do not fully deserue grace and remission of synne, but be meanes, that the vertue and merite of christes passion may be deriued and applyed vnto vs, as he hath ordeyned.

There be also other out­warde meanes▪ as sacramen­tes and sacrifices. Of Sacra­mentes some be propre to the olde Testament, some propre to the newe, without the whi­che ordinarely there is no re­mission of synne, nor collation [Page] of grace.

As circumcision was to the fathers, so baptisme is to vs, without the whych this blou­dye sacrifyce taketh not away originall synne, not because it can not, but because God hath so ordeyned. For as it is sayd in the olde Testament,Gen. 17. whose fleshe is not circumcised, hys soule shal be putte away from the people: so it is sayde in the newe Testamente, excepte a manne be borne agayne of the water and the holye Ghoste, he can not see the kyngedome of God:Iohn. 3 Iohn. 6. and excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man, and drynke his bloude, ye shal not haue lyfe in you: and ex­cept ye do penaunce, ye shall all lykewyse peryshe.Luke. 13

[Page]And so muste we thynke of all other Sacramentes of both the testamentes, that they be meanes ordeyned of God to atteyne y^t grace they signifye, whych grace is fully purcha­sed and deserued by the passi­on of Christ, whereof onelye they take their effect: for the olde sacramentes haue their vertue and strength ex opere operando (as the schole menne saye) y^t is to saye, of the worke that is to be wroughte vpon the crosse by Christ, in whome onely they beleued: the newe Sacramentes haue their vertue ex opere operato, of the worke of Christ, that is alrea­dy wrought vpon the crosse, & not of anye worthynes of the [Page] priest the minister, by the me­rite of whych worke vpon the crosse, they haue vertue and efficacye appropryed vnto thē to gyue that grace they signi­fye to suche as worthelye re­ceaue them, or at leaste y^t haue no impedimente, nor putte no stoppe, but that the grace may be receaued.

Besyde the Sacramentes there be sacrifices instituted of GOD, as meanes wherby the passion of Christe, the true sacrifice is signified, represen­ted & applyed,Exo. 12.19. Leui. 1.4 5.7. Leuit. 3. as the paschall lambe, the continuall sacrifice for synne, a sacrifice for giuing thankes, for the synnes of the priest, and of the people, for in­firmitie & omission, for peace, for anye benefite to be attey­ned, [Page] for chastitye, and suche o­ther whych had strength not by their owne nature, but by the vertue of Christes passion whych they signified.

And as these were sacrifi­ces propre to the olde Testa­ment, so Christ hath instituted a newe externall sacrifice pro­pre to the newe Testamente, by hys passion abrogating the other whych were shadowes signifyinge, and stablyshynge thys whych is the trueth re­presentyng, for thys intente, that the vertue and sufficien­cye of hys bloudy and sauyng sacrifice may be wythout iteration of it selfe cōtinually trans­ferred vnto vs. For seynge there is but one God, author of both the Testamentes, one [Page] body, one fayth of Christ to vs both, thoughe they beleued in Christ to come, we in Christ al ready commed: it foloweth cō ­sequently, that we of the new Testament may not lacke this meane of sacrifice so necessary and expediente for vs: for so shoulde we (as I haue partlye touched in my laste sermon) be wythout all kinde of religion, hauynge nowe no sacrifice re­maynynge propre vnto oure selfes.

Lyke as to the vnperfyte lawe there succeded a perfyte lawe, and to the figuratiue sa­cramentes there succeded perfyte and effectuall workynge sacramentes: euen so to the fi­guratiue and typicall sacrifi­ces, there succedeth one true [Page] and perfyte sacrifice of Christ, one in substaunce, but diuerse in maner.

Law, sacrifice, priesthoode, and aultare be (as the Logiti­ans saye) relatiua, that is to saye, one hangyng and depen­dyng vpon an other, as saynt Paule sayeth. Translato facer dotio necesse est, Heb. 7 ut legis translatio fiat. Yf the priesthoode be translate, then the lawe muste nedes be translate lykewyse.

And then lyke as yf there be a father, there is a sonne, yf there be a mayster, there is a seruaunt: so yf there be a new lawe of the newe Testament, there is also a priesthoode, a sacrifice, and an aultare pro­perlye belongyng to the new [Page] Testament.

A perfyte and continuall lawe requireth a perfyte sacrifyce of lyke continuaunce: the newe lawe of it should lacke a priesthoode and sacrifice pri­uate to it selfe, it shulde eyther be imperfite, or els vtterly de­stroyed.

For thys cause our sauiour Christ in hys laste supper, dyd institute the sacrament of his body and bloude cōmendinge vnto vs two seuerall vses of it, the one that it should be re­ceaued of vs, as our heauenly foode to nourishe vs in spirituall lyfe tyll we come to be per­fite men in Christ, saying: take eate this is my body.1. cor. 11

The other vse, that it shuld be offered in the remēbraunce [Page] of his passion, the ministratiō of whych offeryng he hath cō ­mitted to his Apostels, as to priestes of the newe lawe, say­inge, do thys in my remem­braunce, for the whych functi­on they and their successors be specially priestes.

Thys is the doctrine of chri­stes catholike churche which I haue as yet but simplye de­clared, not euidentlye proued, which is sufficiēt to persuade an obediēt catholike man that foloweth the churche, but not sufficient to conuince an obsti­nate heretike, that denieth the Churche, impugnyng the do­ctrine and determination of y^e Churche.

But to oure purpose▪ that the oblation of Christes body [Page] and bloude in the Masse is the sacrifice of the Churche, and propre to the new Testament I shall proue it you by the best argumentes that we haue in our schoole of diuinitie, that is to saye, first by the institution of our Sauiour Christe, then by the prophecye of Malachie the Prophete, thirdlye by the figure of Melchisedech in the olde lawe, and thys shal I doo not expoundyng the scriptu­res after myne owne heade, but as they haue bene taken frō the beginning of the moste auncient & Catholike fathers in all ages.

This sacrifice was institu­ted by the commaundemente of CHRIST saying to hys Apostles,1. cor. 11 do this in my remē ­braunce.

[Page]Our new men laughe at vs where we saye, that this com­maundement of Christe doth proue the oblation of the Sa­crament. But we pitye them, that sette so lyghte by that they are bounden to beleue, & can not disproue, semyng eui­dentlye not to regard & waye the facte of Christe, and their obedience to his commaunde­ment.

When Christe sayde, Do this: by thys word (this) must nedes be vnderstande all that he did, concerning the institu­tion of this Sacrament. Let vs nowe see what Christ did.

First he did consecrate hys preciouse body and bloude by blessing the bread, saying, this [Page] is my body, this is my bloude, for yf this consecration be not cōprehended vnder this word (Hoc, this) then haue we no cō ­maundemente nor authoritye to consecrate this sacrament, and so shoulde we be vsurpers to do that thynge we haue no warraunt to shew for vs in holye scripture. But wythoute doubte, this is so playne, that we nede saye no more of it, ex­cept we shoulde vtterly denye this sacrament, and the whole ministration of it, whiche (I thinke) no man doth.

Secondarely Christe dyd offre▪ that he did consecrate, whych appeareth by these his woordes: This is my bodye, whyche is giuen for you. And although this oblation maye [Page] be proued sufficientlye other­wise, yet to my simple iudge­mēt there semeth to be no litle argument in this worde (datur is giuen): for seinge the scrip­ture sayeth, it is gyuen for vs, and not to vs, as Zwinglius and our great Archebisshoppe his disciple wold haue it, we must nedes vnderstande by (gyuen for vs) offered for vs, so that in this place and many other, to giue, is to offre.

And althoughe it be true, that Christ was giuen & offe­red for vs to the father vpon the crosse the next day folow­inge, yet because the worde (datur) is in greke in al y^e Euan­gelistes, where it is expressed in the present tense, and also e­uerye sentence is true for the [Page] time it is pronoūced: therfore me thinke I may certenly cō ­clude, because Christe sayeth, datur pro uobis, is giuen for you, that euen then in the supper tyme he offered hys bodye for vs to his father.

Thirdly Christ did deliuer to hys disciples to be eaten & dronken, that he hadde before consecrated and offered, and thys appeareth by hys wor­des, Take, eate,Mat. 26. and drynke ye all of this. The fyrst and third whyche be the consecration & receauyng, be out of all controuersy confessed of al men.

The seconde whiche is the oblation, is of late broughte in question, which I haue partly proued by the playne wordes of scripture, as it semeth to [Page] me, so that I may well reason thus: Christes action is oure instruction (I except his wonderful workes and miracles) specially when his commaun­dement is ioyned vnto it. But Christe in hys supper offered hym selfe verely and really vnder the formes of breade and wine after an impassible ma­ner, and commaunded vs to do the same, tyll hys seconde commynge: me thynke ther­fore, that in the Masse we do and ought to do sacrifice, and offre Christe vnto his father, whyche oblation is the exter­nal sacrifice of the Churche, & propre to the newe Testa­ment.

And for further proue that Christ offered hym selfe in his [Page] last supper, I shall alledge vn­to you the aucthoritie of the Churche, and the consente of y^e fathers in this poynt, which ought to suffise any Christen man.

Ireneus writeth in hys fourth booke,Ireneus lib. 4▪ that Christ takyng the creature of breade and giuing thankes sayd, This is my bo­dy, and lykewyse confessynge the cuppe to be of hys bloude. Noui testamenti nouam docuit oblationem, quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis accipiens in uniuerso mundo offert Deo, de quo in du­odecim Prophetis Malachias sic praesignificauit, Non est mihi uoluntas in uobis. &c.

He taught the newe oblation of the newe testament, which [Page] oblation the Churche recea­uyng of the Apostels, doth of­fre to GOD throughout the whole worlde, whereof Ma­lachye one of the twelue Pro­phetes did prophecye. I haue no wyll & pleasure in you. &c.

What can be more playne, then that Christ in his last supper in the ministration of the blessed sacrament dyd teache hys Apostles the newe obla­tion of the newe Testament, and hys Apostles taught the Churche the same that they receaued, and the Churche doth continuallye vse to offre the same to GOD in euerye place?

Thys aucthority the wor­des beyng so manifest, and the author so aunciente and sub­stantiall, [Page] can not be auoyded wyth all their cauillations.

S. Cyprian also the blessed Martyr wryteth thus.Cyprian. li. 2. epi. 3 Si Christus summus sacerdos sacrificium Deo patri ipse primus ob­tulit, & hoc fieri in sui comme­morationem praecepit, uti (que) ille sacerdos uice Christi uerè fungitur, qui id quod Christus fecit imitatur Yf Christ the hyghe priest did fyrst hym selfe offre a sacrifice to God hys father, and commaunded the same to be done in his remembraunce, verelye that priest doth truly occupye the office of Christe, that by imitation doth y^e same thing that Christ dyd.

Thys holy martyr teacheth [Page] vs, that Christ dyd fyrst offre hym selfe to his father in hys supper, and also commaunded vs to do the same. Why shuld anye man doubte of that, that in the beginnyng of y^e churche the holye martirs dydde, and taught wythout al doubte.

Hesichius also that flouryshed in the tyme of Gratiane the Em­peroure wryteth thus.Hesichius lib. 2. ca, 8. Prius figuratam ouem coenans cum A­postolis, postea suum obtulit sa­crificium, & deinde sicut ouem semetipsum occidit. Christe in hys supper dyd fyrste eate the figuratyue lambe wyth hys Apostels, then he offered hys owne sacrifice, and after that he kylled hym selfe lyke a lābe.

By thys saying that christ [Page] kylled hym selfe, is ment, that christe voluntarely dyd offer hym selfe to the death, suffring the Iewes to kyl hym whom he might haue withstāded: but to our purpose. It is playne, y^t besyde the bloudye oblation vpon the crosse, and also beside the figuratiue oblatiō of hym selfe in the pascal lambe, he al­so did offre him selfe mistically in the celebration of the sacra­mente, whyche is the verye poynte that we go aboute to proue, & is manifestlye proued by thys auncient author.

Damascen sayeth: In nocte in qua seipsum obtulit, Damasco nus, lib. 4▪ cap. 14. testamentū nouū disposuit. In that nyght when he offered hym selfe, he dyd ordeyne and institute the [Page] new testamēt. Marke that he saith, he offred him selfe in the night: y^e oblation vpō the crosse was in the mydde day, whych is a distincte offerynge from that in the night. And Theophi­lactus sayth:Theophilactus in Math. ca. 28. Tunc immolauit se­ipsum ex quo tradidit discipulis corpus suum. It is manifeste that then he offered hym selfe, when he delyuered too hys disciples his bodye: teachinge vs, that christe in hys misticall supper offered hym selfe too hys father. To this Saynte Augustyne beareth witnesse, wrytinge thus.August, de baptis­mo. li. 3▪ ca 19. Vnde ipse do­minus etiam quos mundauit a lepra, ad eadem sacramenta mi­sit, ut offerrent pro se Sacrifi­cium Sacerdotibus, quia non­dum [Page] eis successerat sacrificium quod ipse post in Ecclesia uoluit celebrari pro omnibus illis▪ For whyche cause our lorde him selfe sent them whome he had made cleane from their lepre to the same sacraments (of the olde Testamente) that they shoulde offre to the priestes a sacrifice for them selfes, be­cause as yet that sacrifyce dyd not succede to them, whyche Christ woulde haue celebrate in his church in stede of al thē ▪ Waye these wordes wel, & ye shall perceaue, that they can not be vnderstand of the sacri­fyce of christe vpon the crosse, whych was but ones offered, and can not be continual cele­brate and vsed of the churche, [Page] nor yet of y^e sacrifice of thākes­giuing, whyche succedeth not the other, but was before and with the other: and therfore they proue playnly, that this one sacrifice of the newe testa­mēt y^t succedeth the multitude of the olde sacrifices, is onelye the sacrifice of Christes bodye and bloud in the blessed Masse whyche he hath ordeyned to be daylye frequented in his churche to the worldes ende.

What shuld I alledge moo authors? Wyll ye yet heare one of the eldest, I meane Dionisius Areopagita S. Paules scho­ler, and Bisshoppe of Athens, he wryteth thus:Dionisius Areop. Specul. cap. 3 Quocirca re­uerenter simul & ex pontifica­li officio post sacras diuinorum [Page] operum laudes, quod hostiam salutarem (quae supra ipsum est) litet, se excusat, ad ipsum pri­mo decenter exclamans, tu dixi­sti, hoc facite in meam comme­morationem. Wherfore the bi­shoppe reuerently and accor­dyng to hys pastoral office, af­ter the prayse and commendation of Gods workes and be­nefytes, he dothe excuse hym selfe, that he dothe take vpon hym to offre that sacrifice of our sauiour, whych is farre a­boue his degree and dignitie, crying fyrst vnto hym decent­lye.

Lorde thou dyddeste com­maunde, sayinge: Do thys in my remembraunce. If there were no more but thys one [Page] aucthoritye, it were sufficient to proue, that the priest dothe offre the body of Christ, which is the sacrifyce of oure Saui­our in the Masse, and that he offereth it by the expresse commaundement of Christ, saying Do thys in my remembraūce, & that he offereth that thing, whyche is farre exceadynge hys degree, whych can be no­thynge elles but the bodye of Christ.

Therfore leauyng for short­nes of tyme all other auctho­rities, whyche wyth lytle la­boure I coulde brynge in for thys purpose, me thynke I maye well conclude, that the oblation of Christes bodye & bloude in the Masse is the ve­rye sacrifice of the Churche, [Page] both by y^e institution of Christ, declared by hys expresse com­maundement, whyche we are all bounden to obeye, and also by hys owne example in offe­rynge hym selfe vndre the for­mes of bread and wine, which we priestes are bounden to folowe, as the scrypture whych I haue alledged, doth euidently proue▪ the true sense wherof is as is recyted not pryuate, proceadynge from mine owne brayne, but catholyke, confir­med by the cōsent of y^e churche able to reproue and conuince anye one manne, that hath no­thyng to saye to the contrary, but hys bare naye.

Besyde the institution which were sufficient for thys mat­ter, seynge in the doctrine of [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] fayth, the profe dependeth vpō the weyght of one place, & not vpon the numbre of many: yet I shall alledge vnto you the prophecye of Malachy, where it is prophecyed before, that God would refuse and reiecte the sacrifices of the Iewes, & that he woulde call vnto vys grace and mercy the gentiles in whose Churche there shuld be one pure and cleane sacri­fice, succedyng al the other, & offered in euery place, whych canne be none other but thys one pure sacrifice of Christes body in the Masse. The place is thys.Malachi as .1. Non est mihi uoluntas in uobis, & munus non suscipi­am de manu uestra: ab ortuenim solis usque ad occasum magnū ▪ [Page] est nomen meum in gentibus, & in omni loco sacrificabitur & offeretur nomini meo oblatio munda. I haue no will and pleasure in you, and I wyll receaue no offerynge or re­warde of your hand. For from the risinge of the sunne to the settynge, my name is great a­monges the gentyles, and in euery place there shalbe sacri­fice done, and a pure and cle [...] oblation shall be offered to my name.

Thys place is very playne for the detestynge of the Ie­wes▪ the reiectinge of their sacrifices, for the vocation of the gentyles▪ and for the pure and one singulare sacryfyce, that amonges them shall be [Page] offered to almightye God in euerye place in stede of the o­ther. This must nedes be y^e sa­crifice of the Masse, or elles let them that saye naye, shewe of what other the place is ment. And in verye dede some haue bestowed all their witte and learnynge, wrytynge and rac­kynge thys place to make it serue to some other sacrifyce besyde y^e Masse, but it wyl not be, the truth hath euer preuayled. Some haue drawen it to the spiritual inward sacrifices of good mens hartes: but in y^e vnderstandinge they be ouer­throwē, for the place speaketh precisely of one sacrifice, & the ot [...]er spirituall sacrifices be many, & so manye as there be heartes of good men to offer [Page] them. And it speaketh also of one pure and cleane sacrifice▪ but all the rightwesnes of mā is vnperfyte, vnpure, vnclean and compared to a fylthy cloth of a sycke woman, and it spea­keth of suche one pure sacrifice as shall succede and followe in the place of the other sacry­fices of the Iewes, which god reiecteth and abrogateth. But the inward spirituall sa­crifices of good men haue ben offered & vsed before the lawe, in the law, & after the law, frō the time of Adam til the worl­des ende. Wherefore it is not possible, that this place shulde be directly & only vnderstan­ded of the spiritual sacrifices.

There be other also y^t wrast it, & wold haue it meane only [Page] of the bloudy sacrifice of christ vpon the crosse. But that can not be, the wordes be so playn to the contrary. For although that be one and pure sacrifice, yet it was not offered in eue­ry place, as Malachie sayeth, it shall, and also it was offered only among the Iewes vpon the mount of Caluary, where the Prophete sayeth, thys sa­crifice he speaketh of, shall be offered in euery place amonge the gentyles.

Therfore to conclude, thys is a playne prophecye, decla­rynge the wyl of God to haue all the sacrifices of the Iewes to cease, and in the churche of hys newe people the gentiles, to haue thys one pure sacrifice of Christes bodye and bloude [Page] in the Masse to be frequented in euerye place, wherewith he is wel pleased and contented.

And in thys sense Irenaeus ta­keth it,Irenaeus lib. 4. ca▪ 32. whose wordes in La­tyn I alledged a lytle before that Christ confessyng the cup to be of hys bloude, did teache the newe oblation of the newe testament, whych the churche receauing of the Apostles, offereth to God throughoute the worlde, of the whyche Mala­chye one of the twelue Pro­phetes dydde speake before, I haue no wyll nor pleasure in you, and so forth. As I haue recyted before, manifestly de­clarynge that the olde people shoulde cease to offre to God, and that the newe people shall offre vnto hym one pure sa­cryfice [Page] in euery place.

Chrysost. in Psal. 95 Chrysostome also sayeth, Et in omni loco sacrificium offeretur nomini meo, et sacrifium purū ▪ Vide quàm lucul [...] ̄ter quamque dilucidè mysticā interpretatus est mensam, quae est incruenta hostla. And in euery place a sa­crifice shall be offered to my name, & that a pure sacrifice. See howe euidently & howe plainly he doth interprete the mysticall table, whyche is the vnbloudy sacrifice. I nede not to open this place anye more, beinge so playne as it is.

Saynte Augustyne wrytyng agaynste the Iewes sayeth thus.August. contra Iudaeosca. 9 Aperite oculos tandem a­liquando, & uidete ab oriente [Page] sole usque ad occidentem non in uno loco ut uobis fuit constitu­tum, sed in omni loco offerri sa­crificium Christianorum, non cuilibet Deo, sed ei qui ista prae dixit Deo Israel. Open youre eyes at last you Iewes, & see from the rising of the sunne to the setting, not in one place as it was ordeyned amōges you, but in euerye place to be offe­red the sacrifice of Christen men, not to euery God, but to him that prophecied these be­fore the GOD of Isra­ell.

The lyke sayinges he hath wrytynge vpon the .106. Psalme, and in hys booke con­tra aduersarium legis. lib. 1. ca. 20. which I omit, lest I shuld be tedious [Page] to you, and to curiouse in so playne a matter.

Ye haue heard the thynge proued by the Gospell, by the Prophet, now heare the profe of the figure taken oute of the lawe. The Psalme sayeth. Tu es sacerdos in aeternum, psal, 109. se­cundum ordinem Melchisedech. Thou art (meanyng Christ) a prieste after the ordre of Mel­chisedech.

Melchisedech was a priest of the moste hygheste God, as appeareth bothe by hys wor­des and factes, in that he bles­sed Abraham, and also recea­ued tythes of hym, whose ob­lation was breade and wyne, whych he offered to God, meeting with Abraham comming from the spoyle of the kinges.Gen. 14.

[Page]As for suche fonde cauilla­tions, as some make for that the booke sayeth, non obtulit [...]ed protulit, I let passe, as thinges nothyng furthering their purpose, nor yet hynderynge ours.

Thys is playne by Saynt Paule,Heb. [...] that euery Bysshoppe and priest is ordeyned to offre sacrifice. If Christe our saui­oure be a priest, and that after the ordre of Melchisedech, as the Psalme, and S. Paule do witnes,psal. 109 then it must nedes fo­lowe, that Christ hadde some thynge to offre, whyche is no­thynge but hym selfe, and to no creature but to god, whith he was hym selfe, seynge eue­rye sacrifice is that honoure [Page] that is due only to God. And that he offered him selfe af­ter the ordre of Melchisedech whych must be vndre the for­mes of breade and wyne. For that was the ordre and ma­ner of Melchisedech. Whyche kynde of offerynge he neuer made, excepte it were in his last supper, and for that cause and reason we may conclude, that Christ in hys supper dyd offre hym selfe to hys father for vs, not by sheddyng of hys bloude by death, whyche was the ordre & maner of Aarons offerynge, but wythout shed­dyng of hys bloude vndre the fourmes of breade and wyne, whyche was the ordre of Melchisedech.

And that thys is not my [Page] priuate collectiō, but the mind of all the aunciente fathers, I shall wyth youre patience re­cite their sentences.

Saynte Cyprian sayeth,Cyprian libro. 2. epist. 3, Qui magis Sacerdos Dei summi, quā Dominus noster Iesus Christus qui sacrificium Deo patri obtu­lit, & obtulit hoc idem quod Melchisedech, id est, panem & uinum, suum scilicet corpus & sanguinem. Who is more the Prieste of the hyghest GOD then our Lord Iesus Christ who offered a Sacryfyce to GOD the father, and offered the same that Melchisedech dyd, that is to saye, bread and wyne, that is to saye, his body and bloude.

[Page]And a ly [...]le after he sayeth: qui est plenitudo ueritatem prae figuratae imaginis adimpleuit. Christ whych is the fulnes fulfilled the truth of thys ymage that was figurate before.

By these places of Cyprian we learne▪ that Melchisedech & hys offeryng were figures of Christ, and hys offering in his supper, and lyke as Melchise­dech offered bread and wine, so Christ being the truth offe­red hys bodye and bloude vn­der the formes of breade and wyne, And lest any man shuld be offended wyth that Cyprian sayeth, hoc idem quod Melchi­sedech, the same that Melchi­sedech. Heare what S. Hierome sayeth more playnly.Hieron in psal. 109. Quomo­do [Page] Melchisedech obtulit panem & uinum, sic & tu offeres cor­pus tuum & sanguinem, uerum panem & uerum uinum

Lyke as Melchisedech offe­red breade and wyne: so thou shalt offre thy body & bloude, y^e true bread & the true wine.

The other was the figura­tiue breade and wyne, thys is the true breade and wyne, the trueth of that figure, not the same in substaunce, but y^e same in mysterye.

The same S. Hierome among hys epistles hathe an epistle of the godly matrone Paula ad Mar­cellam, wherin be these wordes. Recurre ad Genesim & Mel­chisedech regem Salem. Paula ep [...] ad Mar­cellam. Huius principē inuenies ciuitatis, qui [Page] iam tunc in typo Christi panem & uinum obtulit, et mysterium Christianum in saluatoris san­guine & corpore dedicauit. Returne (sayeth Paula) to the booke of Genesis & to Melchisedech the kynge of Salem, & thou shalte finde the prince of that citie, whych euen then in the figure of Christe offered bread and wine, and did dedi­cate the mistery or sacrament of the Christians in the bloud and body of our sauiour.

Marke in thys most mani­fest place the oblation of the fi­gure▪ whyche is breade and wyne, and the oblation of the trueth, whyche is the mystery of vs Christen men, the bodye and bloude of oure Sauioure [Page] Christ.

And it is to be noted, what is meant by this word (ordre) whych S. Hierome expoundeth thus.

Mysterium nostrum in uerbo ordinis significauit, Hieron▪ quest in Genesim ne­quaquam per Aaron irrationa­bilibus uictimis immolandis, sed oblato pane & uino .i. corpore et sanguine Domini Iesu.

By thys worde (ordre) he did signifye and expresse oure my­sterye, not by offerynge of vn­reasonable and brute beastes as Aaron did, but by the obla­tion of breade and wyne, that is to saye, the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus.

After this fathers mynde order is taken for the maner [Page] of offeryng, not by sheddynge of bloude, but vnbloudelye, as we offre Christes bodye and bloude in oure misterye. For Christes offering, concerning the substaunce of it was but one, but concernyng the ordre and maner, it was diuerse, v­pon the crosse after the ordre Aaron, in the supper after the ordre of Melchisedech. For so S. Augustyne sayeth:August. in psal. 33 Coram re­gno patris sui, id est, Iudaeorum mutauit uultum suum, quia e­rat ibi sacrificium secundum or­dinem Aaron, & postea ipse de corpore & sanguine suo institu it sacrificium secundum ordinē Melchisedech▪ Before y^e king­dome of hys father, that is to saye the Iewes, he chaunged [Page] hys countenaunce, for there he was a sacrifice after the or­dre of Aaron, and afterwarde he dyd institute a sacrifice of hys bodye and bloude, after the ordre of Melchisedech.

Marke the diuersitye and distinction of these two offe­rynges of Christe, not in sub­staunce but in ordre, that is to saye, the maner, and that christ dyd institute the sacryfyce of hys bodye and bloude to be offered of vs after y^e ordre of Melchisedech, whych thynge he expresseth more playnly in an other booke, expoundynge a place of Ecclesiastes.

Non est bonū homini nisi quod manducabit & bibet, August. de ciuit. dei. li. 17. cap. 20. sayinge thus. Quid credibilius dicere [Page] intelligitur, quàm quodad parti cipationem mensae huius perti­net, quā & sacerdos ipse media tor noui Testamenti exhibet secundum ordinem Melchisedech de corpore & sanguine suo? Id enim sacrificium successit omni bus illis sacrificijs ueteris testa­menti, quae immolabātur in um­bra futuri. What is more cre­dible we shuld thinke he ment by those woordes, then that perteyneth to the participati­on of this table, whych Christ him selfe a prieste and media­tour of the newe Testamente dothe exhibite after the ordre of Melchisedech of his body & bloude? For that sacryfyce did succede all the other sacrifices [Page] of the olde Testament, whiche were offered in the shadowe of thys to come.

What can be playner then this, to shew the figure of our mysterye to be abrogated, and the trueth whyche is oure sa­crifyce in the bodye and bloud of Christe in forme of breade and wyne to succede?

But to ende thys matter, heare one place playnest of al, whyche O [...]cumenius hathe vpon thys place of Saynte Paule. Tues sacerdos inaeternum. &c. O [...]cume­nius in ca. ad He­braeos. in these wordes. Significat ser mo, quod non solum Christus obtulit incruentam hostiam (si­quidem suum ipsius corpus obtulit) uerum etiam qui ab ipso [Page] fungentur sacerdotio, quorum Deus pontifex esse diguntus est sine sanguinis effusione offe­rent. Nam hoc significat (inae­ternum). Neque enim de ea quae semel à deo facta est oblatio, & hostia dixisset inaeternum, sed respiciens ad praesentes sacrifi­cos, per quos medios Christus sacrificat & sacrificatur, qui eti­am in mystica coena modum illis tradidit huiusmodi sacrificij. The word meaneth, that not only Christ offered an vnbloudy sacrifice, for he offered hys owne body, but also that they whyche vnder hym vse the function of a priest (whose Bi­shop he doth vouchesafe to be) shall offre wythout sheddinge [Page] of bloude. For that signifyeth the word (euermore). For cō ­cernyng that oblation and sa­crifice, whych was ones made of God, he woulde neuer saye (euermore). But hauynge an eye to those priestes, that be nowe, by whose mediation Christ doth sacrifice and is sa­crificed, who also in hys my­sticall supper dyd by tradition teache them the maner of such a sacrifice.

This authoritie yf it were a­ny thinge doubtful, I woulde stande in it to open such poyn­tes, as were conteined therin, but beinge so manifeste as it is, it neadeth nomore, but to desier the hearer or reader to weye it, & he shal see this mat­ter we goo aboute to proue, [Page] fully resolued, bothe by the institution of christe in his laste supper, and also by the figure of Melchisedech in the olde lawe. This aucthorities al­thoughe there be many moo, yet I thinke them sufficiente, and I thinke therby the mat­ter sufficiently proued. Other Scriptures there be thoughe not so plaine, yet they conteyn an argument to proue y^e same as this of Saynt Paule. Non potestis participes esse mensae do mini et mensae daemoniorum. 1. cor. 10. ye can not be partakers of our lordes table and the table of diuels. The word (table) here is taken for the meate of the table. For men be not parta­kers of the material borde, but of the meate that is ministred [Page] vpon the bord. Nowe y^e table of deuyls is taken for that meat that is offered to Idols in whyche dyuels dyd reigne, and therfore that meate was called in greke Idolothyton. meate offered to Idols. Nowe this is certeyn by al good learning that in euery cōparison there muste neades be a proportion & similitude, wherin the thin­ges compared muste agree▪ then wheras these two tables be compared in offeringe and eatinge, it must nedes folowe, that yf the table of dyuels be a very sacrifice made to diuels in dede, the table of our lorde likewise muste be a sacrifice, offered to our lorde in dede. And yf our lordes table be a very sacryfyce made to hym [Page] by vs, then haue we oure pur­pose proued and confessed.

The lyke argumente maye be made of the word (aultare) in S. Paule. Habemus altare de quo edere non habent potesta tem, Heb. 13 qui tabernaculo deseruiūt. We haue an aultare, of whych they may not eate, that serue the tabernacle.

If aultare and sacrifice be [...]o annexed together, that the one can not be without the o­ther, then when saynte Paule sayeth, we haue an aultare, speakynge also of the eatynge of that aultare, he must nedes meane the sacrifice made vpō the aultare: so that oure Sa­cramente before we eate it, is also a sacrifice.

[Page]For so dothe Theophilactus take this place.Theophilactus. ca▪ 13. ad Hebreos. Et nos inquit obseruationem habemus, haud tamen in esculentis hisce, fed in ara si­ue in hostia illa incruenta et cor pori uitam elargiente. And we also haue an obseruation, yet not in these common meates, but in our aultare or vnblou­dye sacrifice, whyche gyueth lyfe to our bodyes.

Here we maye see, that he meaneth by the aultare the vnbloudy sacrifice of Christes body, whych beinge eaten of vs corporally in the Sacrament gyueth lyfe to our bodies.

Moreouer yf tyme would serue me, I could make an ar­gument of Daniels Prophe­cye of the comminge of Ante­christ▪ Dan, 12▪ [Page] because he sayth, that in that tyme the continual sacri­fyce shall be by Antechriste ta­ken awaye, per tempus, tempo­ra, & dimidium temporis, by y^e space of three yeares and an halfe as many take it.

Whether thys shal be done al Christendome ouer at one time, or in euerye particulare region at diuerse times▪ it is not certeynlye knowen to vs, and therefore I wyll not cer­teynly determine it. But this is certeyne, that Antechriste can not take awaye the sacri­fice of Christe vpon the crosse▪ whych was but ones made, & shall neuer be iterate nor fru­strate. Nor he can not take a­waye the inward spiritual sa­crifice of mans heart, whyche [Page] then shal flourishe most of al i [...] the elect. For why shulde they then flye to the mountaynes▪ (as the booke sayeth) but that for the vehemencye of the persecution, they might more feruently do spiritual sacrifice to almightie God.

Therfore it foloweth, that the sacrifice of Christen men is suche an one, as maye be ta­ken away by Antechrist, whi­che in my iudgement canne be nothynge els, but the sacrifice of the Masse, or elles let them tell, what other sacrifice it is besyde the Masse.

Ye see now, what Scriptu­res I haue broughte to proue the oblation of Christes body in the Masse to be the sacri­fice of the Churche and newe [Page] Testament, whych hath bene assaulted many wayes of ma­ny men. But to the oppugna­tiō of it they neuer yet to this houre alledged anye one di­rect scripture nor doctor, nor good reason. They haue gone aboute it, and by tyrannye in some places they haue preuayled for a time, but alwayes trueth the doughter of tyme hath ouercomed.

Some scriptures they ab­use, what thei be, ye shal heare, They alledge saynt Paule to the Hebrewes.He. 9.10 Semel oblatus est ad multorum exhaurienda peccata. Christ was ones offe­red to take away the sinnes of manye. Vnica oblatione consū ­mauit inaeternum sanctificatos. [Page] Wyth one oblation he hathe perfited for euermore all that be sanctified. These be the Scriptures they alledge a­gaynst the Masse, & they saye, Christes oblation is perfyte, no man can offre Christe but him selfe, whych he dydde but ones, and neuer but ones, as thoughe we shoulde saye, that Christ was crucified twyse or often times.

To this obiection of theirs we aunswere, that Christ was neuer offered to the death for our redemption but ones, and yet otherwise was he offered many times, both of him selfe and of his creatures.

We reade in the Prophete Daniel,Dan. 7. that Aungels offered him in the syght of hys father. [Page] And also y^t the blessed virgine his mother offered him at hir purificatiō,Luc. 3. of whych offeryng S. Bernard saith, Ista oblatio fratres satis delicata uidetur, Bernard. Ser. 3. de purificatione. ubi tantum sistitur domino, redimi­tur auibus & ilico reportatur. Thys oblation brethren is very delicate, where he is onely presented to our Lorde, rede­med with birdes, and by and by brought home agayne.

And therfore we aunswere them, that their argumente is of no strength, to confute one truth by an other, when bothe may be true, as to reasō, christ was but ones offered vpon y^e crosse, ergo he was not offe­red in the sacrament. And we tell them, that they do not considre, [Page] howe Christe is offered three wayes of hym selfe, and also three wayes of man.

First he offered him selfe vpō the crosse really and corporal­lye, as Isaias sayeth,Isai. [...] ▪ oblatus est quia uoluit. Thys is mani­fest ynoughe. And here their exclamacions of ones ones hath very good place.

Secondly he offered hym selfe figuratyuelye in the pas­chall lambe. For the scripture saythe, the lambe was slayne from the begynninge of the worlde,Apo. 1 [...]. and the fathers in the olde lawe in all their sacrifices dyd offre Christe not in sub­staunce, but in figure, and so Christe offeryng the paschall lambe at hys supper, offered [Page] him selfe in figure.

Thirdly Christ offereth him selfe in heauen reallye and so continually, as the same chapiter which they bryng agaynst the Masse doth testifye, Non in manufacta sancta Iesus intro iuit, Heb. 9 exemplaria uerorum, sed in ipsum coelum ut appareat nunc uultui Dei pro nobis. Iesus entered not into a temple made wyth mans hande a figure of the trueth, but into heauen, that he myghte appeare now to the countenaunce of God for vs.

What is this appearyng in the syght of GOD for vs, but an offerynge of hym selfe for vs to pacifye the angre of god with vs, to represente hys [Page] woundes and all that he suffered for vs, that we mighte be reconciled to God by hym?

Thys is the true and per­petuall oblation of Christ in cō parison of thys in heauen, the bloudye oblation vpon the crosse is but an ymage, as S. Ambrose sayeth: Hic umbra, Ambros. offi. lib. 1. ca. 48▪ hic imago, illic ueritas, umbra in le­ge: imago in Euangelio, ueritas in coelestibus: antè agnus offere­batur, uitulus, nunc Christus of fertur: sed offertur quasi homo, quasi recipiens passionem, & offert se ipse quasi Sacerdos ut peccata nostra dimittat, hic in imagine, ibi in ueritate, ubi a­pud patrem pro nobis quasi ad­uocatus interuenit.

[Page]Here (in thys worlde) there is a shadowe, here there is an ymage, there (in heauen) is trueth, the shadowe in the law the ymage in the gospell, the trueth in heauen. Before a lambe and calfe were offered, nowe Christ is offered, but he is offered as manne, and re­ceauynge passion, and he offe­reth hym selfe as being a priest to take our synnes away, here in ymage, there in truethe, where wyth the father as an aduocate he maketh interces­sion for vs,

The same thynge he wry­teth also vpon the .38. Psalme So that it is verye playne wythout all controuersy, that Christe dothe offre hym selfe nowe moste perfectly in hea­uen [Page] for vs, beynge our aduo­cate to the father face to face, and as S. Iohn sayeth.1. Io. 2. Ipse est propitiatio pro peccatis no­stris, He is a sacrifice propitia­torye for our synnes, he sayth not he was, but is, and after the most perfytest maner that can be, in respecte whereof the verye true and reall oblation for oure redemption vpon the crosse, is an ymage.

So that by thys we see by the playne Scrypture, that Christe offered hym selfe thre wayes, besyde the oblation of hym selfe in hys supper, which is the poynte we be aboute to declare.

And euen so is he offered of manne three wayes lyke­wyse. Fyrste fyguratiuelye, in [Page] the oblation of the olde Te­stament.

When Abraham beynge a­boute to offre hys owne deare sonne, and by GODS pro­uision offered in hys stede a ramme, and when Melchise­dech offered breade and wine, and the Iewes the Paschall lambe and their burnte offe­rynges: what dyd they offre but Christe in fygure, whose passion those offerynges dyd sygnifye? Whyche offerynges dydde of them selfe worke no­thynge inwardlye, and ther­fore were called Iustitia carnis the ryghtewesnes of the flesh▪ but by them they dydde pro­teste their synne, and declared their fayth, of whome they looked to haue remission.

[Page]Secondly we offre Christe mysticallye in oure daylye sa­crifice of the Masse, where Christe is by hys omnipotent power presented to vs in the Sacramente, and of vs a­gayne represented to his and our father, and his passion re­newed, not by sufferynge of death agayne, but after an vnbloudye maner, not for thys ende, that we shoulde thereby deserue remission of oure syn­nes, but that by our fayth, de­uotion, and thys represen­tation of hys passion we moste humblye praye almyghtye GOD to applye vnto vs by Christe that remission, whych was purchased and deserued by his passion before.

The hoste of these two sa­crifices [Page] vpon the crosse and vpon the aultare, is all one in substaunce, but the maner is diuers, and the ende is di­uerse, that by this meanes (as christe him selfe hathe in­stituted) we myght celebrate and make commemoration of his passion. This is onely the sacrifice of the prieste by pu­blycke ministracion, but verely and in affection it is the sa­crifice of the whole churche, whiche euery membre of the Churche dothe vse and fre­quente, and no man dothe im­pugne it, but he that profes­seth open warre agaynste the churche.

Thirdely christe is offered by man spiritually onely by y^e meditation of our mynde, when [Page] we thynke and remembre his passion, and in our deuoute prayer beseche god to showe vs mercy for it.

Thus euerye Christen manne and womanne, in all places and tymes vpon the aultare of hys owne hearte oughte to offre Christe too the father, after whiche sorte of spirituall oblation we be all both menne and women, Priestes and kinges, beinge as Saynte Peter sayeth,1. Pet. [...] Sacerdotium sanctum, offe­rentes spirituales hostias acce­ptabiles Deo per Iesum Chri­stum. An holye Priesthoode offerynge spirituall Sacry­fices, acceptable to God by Iesus Christ.

[Page]Nowe considerynge these thre wayes, shal it be a good argument, to inculcate one waye, and to reiecte the rest? To alledge one membre of a diuision, to the reiection of the other? This is the pecu­liar maner of the heritikes the enemies of Christ, as thei dyd in the matter of the Sa­crament, by the spiritual ea­tynge of Christ, to confute & reiect the reall and corporall eatynge of christes bodye in the Sacrament.

Suche shiftes and fonde argumentes they haue to se­duce the vnlearned wythall, whiche when they be espied and detected they appeare as they be deuyllishe and perniciouse sophistrie.

[Page]Furthermore yf any man as yet doeth stande in doubt whether men lawfully offer Christ to the father or no: let hym call to remembraunce what I haue sayd before out of Dionisius Areopagita, where the byshoppe (as he saieth) doeth excuse hym selfe that he offe­reth the hoste of our saluaciō,Dionisi­us Areo­pa. Spe­culat. ca. 3 alledgyng that Christ dyd so commaunde to be done, say­inge doe this in my remem­braunce.

Let hym also remember the sayinge of the counsell at Nice.Conciliū Nicen [...] ▪ That the lambe of god that taketh away the synnes of the world, is offered of the priestes not after a bloudye maner.

Saynct Augustine saieth: [Page] Per hoc sacrificium (in forma serui) et sacerilos est, August. de ciuit. libro. 10. cap. 20. ipse offe­rens, ipse et oblatio, cuius rei sacramentum quotidianum esse uoluit ecclesiae sacrificium, cum ipsius coporis ipse sit caput, et ipsius capitis ipsa sit corpus, tā ipsa per ipsum quam ipse per ipsam suetus offerri. By thys sacrifice (in the forme of a seruaunt) Christ is a priest, be­inge hym selfe bothe the offe­rer and the oblation, of whi­che oblation he woulde the dayly sacrifice of the churche shoulde be a sacrament, and seynge he is the head of that body, and the churche is the bodye of that head, aswel the churche by Christ, as Christ by the churche is accustomed [Page] to be offered.

A notable place resoluyng diners doubtes, declarynge that the dayly sacrifice of the churche whiche is the masse, is a sacrament of Christes passion represēting the same, and further that Christ offe­rynge hym selfe vppon the crosse dyd also in him selfe of­fer hys misticall bodye the churche, and thirdelye that the churche Christes bodye not onely once or twise, but is accustomed to offer Christ her head to god in her dayly sacrifice.

Heare yet a place of S. Augustine as playne as this.August. contra. Faustum lib. 20. Capi. 18. Hebr [...]i in uictimis pecorū pro­phetiā celebrabant futurae ui­ctimae [Page] quam Christus obtuli [...] unde iam Christiani peracti eiusdem sacrificij, memoriam celebrant, sacro sancta oblatione & perticipatione corporis & sanguinis Christi. The Ie­wes in their sacrifices of bea­stes, did celebrate the prophecye of the sacrifice to come whiche Christ offered. The christen men nowe doe cele­brate the memorie of y^e same sacrifice of Christ that is past, by the moste holye oblation and perticipation of Christes bodye and bloude.

Marke how that he sayeth christen men celebrate the memorye of Christes passion, wherwithal? euen by the of­feryng of the same body that [Page] suffered passion. I nede saye no more for this poynte, that men do and dyd vse from the beninninge, to offer Christe to the father.

They saye the sacrifice of the masse diminisheth and ta­keth awaye the glorye of Christ, they saye so, but proue it not.

But in very dede, nothyng doth more set furth the glory of Christ, & his true honour: the honour of god is conside­red two wayes, inwardlye by fayth, outwardly by external adoration▪ Latria whiche in English signifieth the honor that is due onely to God, and to no creature, is the worke of faith, and sacrifice is a kind (Latriae) of godlye honoure as [Page] Sainct Augustine sayeth: Ad hunc cultum latriae perti­net oblatio sacrificij. August. contra. Faustum. libro. 20. Capi [...]. 21. &c. To this godlye honoure called Latria, the oblation of sacrifice doeth pertayne, and for that cause it is called Idolatrye if any sacrifice be done to Idoles, & therfore we do sacrifice neither to martir nor yet to an angel, but onelye to god.

Fayth ought to be vnfay­ned and lyuely and then it is true honour. For he that er­reth in fayth, or fayneth to haue fayth, doeth not exhibit honour and reuerence due to God.

Agayne he that hath true fayth, but yet dead for lacke of charitie, he geueth reue­rence to god, but not perfite, [Page] and therfore not pleasaunte to god, because he honoureth god with his vnderstandyng but not with hys affection.

He that hath true and li­uely fayth, honoureth & wor­shyppeth god in spirite and trueth.

The external and outward honour procedeth from the inwarde honour, and is the protestation practise and vse of it, the worke of fayth out­wardly declared, And wher­as sacrifice is the speciall and chiefest adoration that canne be, therefore this sacrifice of Christes owne body & bloud in the masse beynge institute of Christ by his own expresse commaundement (as I haue shewed alreadye) doeth not [Page] only not diminishe y^e glory of God, but is the very highest honour of God that manne canne geue.

They saye it is a deroga­tion to the passion of Christe, but it is not so good people, for the sacrifice of the masse▪ doeth ascribe altogether to Christ, for it is the passion of Christ.

Understande well what I say & iudge not tyll ye heare what I meane.

Saynct Cypriane sayeth: Passio domini sacrificium est quod offerimus. Cyprian. lib. 2. Epist. 3. That sacrifice which we offer is the passion of Christ. A straunge saying, but yet S. Augustine decla­reth more playnelye what is ment by it, in these wordes. [Page] Vocatur ipsa immolatio carnis quae sacerdotis manibus fit, August. libro sen­tentiarū prosperi. Christi passio mors crucifixio, nōrei ueritate, sed significante mysterio. The oblation of Christes flesh which is made in the handes of the priest, is called Christes passion, death and crucifienge, not by the trueth of the thynge, but by the misterye signifiynge. As though he shoulde saye, it is called Christes passiō, not for that Christ in verye dede suf­fereth passion agayne, but for that in misterye, it renueth representeth, and signifieth his passion agayne.

For while that we haue no worthye thynge of oure sel­ues nor in our selues to ren­der [Page] to god for all hys benefi­tes, & as the Psalme sayeth: Quid retribuam domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi. Ps. 115. What shall I geue to God a­gayne, for al y^t he haue geuē to me? we maid o euē as y^e psalm doth answere. Calicē salutaris accipiam & nomen domini in­uocabo. I shall take the cuppe of our sauiour and call vpon the name of our Lord. I shal take his passion representing to God the father the worke of our redēptiō, y^t we therby beyng partakers of his bloudy sacrifice ones made vpon the crosse, & now by thys our cōmemoration renued again may be replenished with the fruite of hys passion & death.

[Page]For S. Augustine sayeth: Ex ipsis reliquijs cogitationis, August. in. psal. 75. id est, ex ipsa memoria quoti­die sic nobis immolatur, quasi quotidie nos mouet, qui prima sua gratia nos innouauit. Of the leauynges of our cogita­tion, that is to saye, of this verye memorie and commemo­ration, Christ is so dayly offered of vs, as he doeth make vs newe menne daily, which by his first grace (in baptis­me) dyd ones make vs newe.

See how we offer Christ daily in commemoration and what benefite of innouation we receyue therby.

Chrisostome also sayeth: Non aquam de hoc nobis fon­te largitur, Chrisost. in Mat. Hom. 7. sed sanguinum uiuū [Page] qui quam (que) ad mortis dominicae testimonium sumitur nobis ta­men causa fit uitae. Christ out of this fountayne (of the cha­lyce) geueth vnto vs not wa­ter, but lyuelye bloude, which although it be receyued for the testimonye of Christes death, yet to vs it is made a cause of lyfe.

Is not this to haue fruite of Christes passiō applied vn­to vs, when we receyue lyfe by receyuynge of that which is offered in commemorati­on of Christes death▪

S. Gregorye sayeth, Quoties ei hostiam suae passìonis offeri­mus, Grego. Hom. 37 toties nobis ad absoluti­onem nostram passionem illius reparamus. As often as we of­fer [Page] to hym the hoste or sacri­fice of his passion, so often we renewe and repayre his pas­sion to vs for our absolution and perfection. And in ano­ther place he sayeth. Haec uictima singulariter ab aeter­no interitu animam saluat, Grego. dialogo. lib. 4. capi. 58. quae illam nobis mortem unigeniti per mysterium reparat. Thys sacrifice doeth singularelye saue the soule from eternall destruction, which by myste­rye renueth to vs the death of gods only begotten sonne. By these authorities ye see, that the sacrifice of the masse doeth nothyng derogate frō the passion of Christ, but most of all doeth exalte it, repay­rynge and renewynge it for [Page] vs in the syght of the father, that we therby maye be re­newed in grace, and receyue life, perfection, and saluation.

Furthermore thei say we make our owne workes (meanynge the masse) a sauioure besyde Christe, whiche is no­thyng so, but by this sacrifice of the masse, we declare, that we beleue there is no sauiour but onely Christ,

For what doe we in the masse? We cōfesse our synnes our vnworthynesse, our vn­kindnes, our manifold trans­gressions of hys eternal law, we graunt that we be not a­ble to satisfie for the least of­fence we haue done, therfore we runne to his passion, whi­che (after this sort as he hath [Page] ordayned) we renew and re­present. We beseche our most mercifull father, to loke vpon Christes merites, and to par­done our offences, to loke vp on Christes passion, and to re­leue our affliction.

We knowledge that what so euer we haue done is vn­parsite and vnpure, and as it is our worke, doeth more of­fende his maiestie then please hym therfore we offer vnto hym hys welbeloued sonne Iesus, in whome we knowe [...] is well pleased, most hum­ [...]ye prayinge hym to accept him, for vs in whom only we truste▪ accomptynge hym all our righteousnes, by whome onely we cōceyue hope of sal­uation. And therfore in the [Page] ende of the canon of the masse we saye thus.

Non aestimator meriti sed ue­niae quaesumus largitor admit­te, per Christum dominum no­strum. O Lorde we beseche thee to admitte vs into the company of thy saynctes not wayinge oure merites but grauntynge vs pardon by Christ our Lorde.

Also whatsoeuer thynge we lacke▪ all plagues all mis­fortunes, all aduersitie bothe ghostly and temporal, we re­quire to be released of them not through our worthynes▪ but for the merites of Chri­stes passion.

Consider al this good people and see whether in thys [Page] doinge we make our workes a newe sauiour besyde Christ or no? We beleue also that our prayer is of more effica­cie and strengthe in the pre­sence of Christ in the tyme of the sacrifice, then at anye o­ther tyme. For so sayeth S. Cypriane. In huius corporis presentia non superuacue men­dicant lachrimae ueniam, Cyprian. de cena. nec unquam patitur contriti cor­dis holocaustum repulsam ▪ In the presence of this body, the teares of a manne doeth not begge forgeuenesse in vayne, nor the sacrifice of a contrite hearte doeth neuer suffer repulse. And as Chri­sostome sayeth,Chrisost. in act. hom. 3. In illa horadum mors illa perficitur, et [Page] horrendum sacrificium, quasi sedente rege, quaecū (que) uolueris perficies. In that houre whi­les that Christes death is ce­lebrate and hys fearfull sacri­fice, euen as the kynge were sittynge vppon hys mercye seate what soeuer thou wilte thou shalte brynge to passe. Stante siquidem uniurso populo, manus in celum extendente, caetu item sacerdotali, Chrisost. ad philip Hom. 3. ueren­do (que) posito sacrificio, quomodo deum non placaremus pro istis orantes? For when al the peo­ple stādeth holdyng vp their handes to heauen, and the companye of the priestes like wise, and the fearfull and ho­norable sacrifice is vpon the [Page] aulter, howe shall not we mi­tigate god praying for them? And therfore speciallye then in the masse tyme, we praye for the whole churche, for all prynces and highe powers, for al byshoppes and pastors, for our selues, our frendes, and all that be present, for peace, for plentye, for all that we haue nede vpon, as Chri­sostome wryteth: In manibus est hostia, adsunt angeli, Chrisost. in acta, Hom. 21, ad­sunt archāgeli, adest filius dei, cum tanto horrore astent om­nes, astent illi clamantes omnibus silentibus, putas temere hec fieri? ergo et alia temere & quae pro ecclesia pro sacerdotibus offeruntur, & quae pro plenitu [Page] dine acubertate absit. The host of our sacrifice is in the priestes handes, the angels be present, the archangels be present, the sonne of God is present. When all men stande with such tremblynge, when the angels stād criyng the o­ther holding their peace, dost thou thynke these thynges are done in vayne? Then the other also be done in vayne bothe that be offered for the churche, for the priestes, and also for plentye and abun­daunce: god forbydde.

One notable place of Chrisostome I thinke yet expedi­ent to rehearse vnto you cō ­cernynge thys matter. Vt homines ramos olearum ge [Page] rentes mouere reges consueue runt, Chrisost. de incom. deinatu. eo (que) arboris genere miseri cordiam commemorant & hu­manitatem: sic angeli tunc pro ramis oleaginis corpus domini ipsum protendentes, rogant pro genere humano, quasi dicant, pro his domine rogamus quos tu adeo dilexisti, ut pro eorum salute mortem obires, animam cruce efflares, pro his supplica­mus pro quibus ipse tuum largitus es sanguinem, pro his ora­mus pro quibus corpus hoc im­molasti. Lyke as men bea­rynge braunches of Olyue trees are wont to moue kin­ges to compassion, and with that kynd oftre do put them [Page] in remembraunce of mercye and pitie: euen so the angels then (in the sacrifice tyme) in steade of Oliue braunches, holdynge forth the bodye of Christ pray for mankinde, as saying thus: Lorde we pray for thē whom thou hast so lo­ued, that for theyr saluation thou hast suffered death and spent thy lyfe vpon the crosse we make supplication for thē for whome thou haste geuen thy bloud, for them we pray, for whome thou hast offered thys same very body.

Now considerynge thys felowshyppe with angelles, this humilitie of man, this pacifiynge of God, this efficacie of praier for the sacrifice sake, this knowledgynge of oure [Page] vnworthynes, this our only trust in the passion of Christ: can any manne iustly burden vs that we make our workes a new sauiour beside Christ?

Furthermore, beside pray­inge for those thynges we lacke, we also by this sacrifice geue thankes for our redēp­tiō, for the hope of our health and saluation, & for all godes giftes, not onely in our wor­des, but also in deade? the verye oblation it selfe is a reall geuynge of thankes to god, as Chrisostome sayeth. Quod erat apud eum omnibus preciosius, Chrisost. in Mat. HoM, 26 unigenitum pro no­bis filium dedit, & cum essemus inimici, nec dedit solum, sed et nostram mensam fecit illum, [Page] omnia faciens ipse pro nobis, & donādo uidelicet & gratiarum actores ipsa donorum suorum ubertate faciendo. &c. That thing that was with him most preciouse of all, hys onelye sonne he hathe geuen for vs, euen when we were his enemies, and not onelye hathe geuen hym for vs, but also hathe made hym our ta­ble, doynge hym selfe al thin­ges for vs, bothe rewarding vs, and also with the plentye of his giftes makynge vs ge­uers of thankes, and because man in many thinges is vn­thankefull to God, he in all thynges taketh vppon hym our person, & supplieth that we ought to do, and euen by [Page] the very nature of the sacri­fice whiche is his bodye, styr­reth vs to continuall geuing of thankes for all his benefi­tes, so that our sacrifice, being Christes bodie is both a sin­gular gift of God, and also is a real geuinge of thankes for all his other giftes.

By this it euidētly appea­reth that nothing doth more exercise our faith in y^e know­ledge of our selfes & god, no­thinge doeth more encrease our charitie & hope in y^e mer­cie of God, then the masse. Where (as Iob was wont to do for his children) y^e churche of god our mother, being careful for al her children lest any of thē by negligēce, infirmitie or wylfulnes, haue offended, [Page] daily prayeth and maketh sacrifice for thē, & by that moste acceptable sacrifice of her husbandes bodie & bloude doeth mitigate almightie god, doth multiplie & distributeth vnite

Nothing more setteth forth the benefite of Christ, because in this sacrifice of the masse, we protest to haue al thinges by Christ, redemption, remis­sion, sanctification and salua­tion, and doe aske and begge of God al goodnes by Christ, knowledginge that we haue nothynge to set agaynst the wrathe of God but the passi­on of Christ, which after this maner, by this solemne representatiō as Christ hath insti­tuted, we daylye renewe, y^t it might be cōtinually celebrate [Page] by mistery that ones was of­fered for our ransome, that because the effecte of mās re­dēption ceaseth not, but is to euery one in his time applied by cōtinuall successiō, so also y^t the sacrifice of this redēption should neuer cease, but be al­wayes to all men present in grace, and alwayes lyue in perpetuall memorye.

The other obiectiōs I wil but shortly touche, for thei be of no strēgth nor authoritie, one is this. Ther is no men­tion nor no one worde of any oblation in the supper, ergo Christ made no oblatiō there, a goodly reason, So there is no mention made neyther of Christes owne mouth nor of any the euangelistes concer­ning [Page] the oblacion of y^e paschal lambe, yet we know most certenlye by the olde testament that the paschall lambe was neuer eaten but it was offe­red before, which we are sure Christ did obserue literallye, tyll the trueth of that figure were established. And also what is more sure then that Christ offered him selfe vpon the crosse, and yet neyther Christes owne wordes, nor any of the foure euangelistes writyng the story of the pas­sion, make anye mention in playne and expresse termes of oblation or offerynge. Though we know it by other scripture sufficientlye. But their collectiō is al false, they shuld haue cōcluded thus, er­go [Page] if ther any oblatiō, it is re­all & not vocalle, & so it is in dede, & therfore Christ saied: Hoc facite. doe this,L [...]c. 22. as ye see me doe. But in the forme of oure masse, there be expresse wor­des of offering, for y^e rude & ignoraunt, & for y^e euidence of y^e trueth. Vnde & memores nos domine &c. wherfore we thy seruauntes & people beynge mindfull of thy sonne Christe our lord, of his blessed passion resurrection & glorious ascention, do offer to thy most ex­cellent maiestie of thy rewar­des & giftes, this pure sacri­fice, this holy & vndefiled sa­crifice, the holy bread of euer­lastynge life, & the cup of per­petual saluation.

There be also other wor­des [Page] of oblatiō folowing these wordes S. Basyll hath thē, Chrisostome, S. Ambrose, the generall counsell holden at Ephesus, the latest of these was .M.CCC. yeares ago, that it might appeare that it is not newlye brought in, as they wold sclaunder it, but y^e most auncient thing in all the masse. Thei reason also thus. It is a commemoratiō, ergo no sacrifice, as who saye the paschaliābe being the figure of this, was not bothe a com­memoration & a sacrifice, for the lambe was instituted to be offered for a memorie of y^e delyueraunce of the Iewes from the swearde of the an­gel that smote the first be gotten of the Egiptians, & ther­fore [Page] y^e Iewes kept this word of offering the lambe, for a statute for them & their childrē for euermore. Euen so thys lambe of God that lyeth vp­on the table of our aultar is a sacrifice offered of vs in com­memoration of oure deliue­raunce from the deuyl by the death of Christe. In the olde testament the first lambe offered before ther deliuerie, and the lambe whiche was offe­red euery yeare after in me­morye of the same delyuerye, were verye reall lambes in dede of one nature and condicion: euen so the lambe of god beinge Christ, whiche Christ him self offered in his supper, there institutinge before his death, what we shuld cōtinu­ally [Page] do after his death, and y^e lābe of God, which we offer nowe in memorie of oure deliue­raūce, be very real lambes of god in dede, & yet not diuers in numbre as the other wer, but al one in numbre, nature, condicion and dignitie.

As Chrisostome saieth: we offer daily in cōmemoratiō of his death,Chrisost, hom. 17. [...]d Hebre. & y^e sacrifice is one, not many. Nor we do not of­fer one lambe now, to morow another, but alwayes the ve­ry same, or els because it is of­fered in many places, is there many Christes? No forsoth, but one Christ euery where. here ful Christ, and there full Christ, one body. And so forth

The lyke argument they make agaynst y^e real presence [Page] It is a sygne, ergo not the thynge whereof it is a sygne. The folyshnes of thys reason eueri baker cā tel, who setteth one loofe vpon hys stall to sy­gnifye there is breade to sell wythin hys house. Whyche lofe is both a signe of bread to be sold, and also is very bread to be solde it selfe of the same bakyng the other is. Euen so the body of Christ in the Sa­crament is Christes very bo­dy in dede, and also a signe of the same bodye, as Saynte Augustyne sayeth. Carne & san­guine utroque inuisibili, August. lib. Sent, Prosperi. spiritu ali, intelligibili, signatur uisibi­le Domini nostri Iesu Christi corpus & palpabile, plenum gratia omnium uirtutum & diuina [Page] maiestate. By the fleshe and bloude of oure Lorde Iesus Christ, both beynge (in the sa­crament) inuisible, spirituall, & intelligible, is signified the vi­sible body of Christ, and palpable, full of the grace of all ver­tues, and of the godlye maie­stye. And euen so likewise ve­ry Christ is offered in the my­sterye in signe and commemo­ration of him selfe offered vpō the crosse, as S. Augustyne sayth Christiani iam peracti sacrificij memoriam celebrant sacrosan­cta oblatione & perticipatione corporis & sanguinis Christi. Augusty. cōtra Faustū. li. 20. cap, 18. Christen menne nowe do cele­brate a memorye of Christes sacrifice alreadye paste by the most holy oblation and parti­tipation [Page] of Christes body and bloude. The lyke saying hath S. Gregorye & diuerse aucthors whyche I omitte to rehearse,Gregoriꝰ hom. 22▪ because the tyme is paste.

They say, that neyther the Apostles nor none in theyr tyme dyd offre Christes body in sacrifice. And yet I haue shewed you before, that Dionisi­us Areopagita S. Paules disciple (of whome mention is made in the .17. chapiter of the Ac­tes of the Apostles) dyd offre the sacrifice of Christes bodye alledgyng Christes commaundement for his warraunt.

Ireneus that lyued wythin fif­tye yeare of saynte Iohn the Euangelist, and Polycarpus scho­ler doth make mention of this offerynge sayinge. Ecclesiae oblatio [Page] quam Dominus docuit of­ferri in uniuerso mundo, Ireneus li. 4. cap. 34. purum sacrifi [...]ium reputatum est apud Deum, & acceptum est e [...]. The oblation of the Churche whych our Lord taught to be offered in the whole world, is reputed of God a pure sacri­fice and acceptable to hym.

And in the same chapiter confutynge them that denied the immortalitye of the fleshe, by this reason that oure fleshe was nourished with Christes fleshe to eternall lyfe, conclu­deth thus, Aut sententiam mutent, aut abstine ant offerendo quae praedicta sunt, Eyther let them chaunge their opinion, or elles absteyn from offering the same bodye and bloude of [Page] Christ we spake of.

Also the generall councell of Constantinople sayth,Conciliū Constantinopolita­nū in trul lo. ca. 32. that saynt Iames dydde write the forme of a Masse. I omytte the Latyne, the woordes in Englyshe be thus faythfullye translate. Saynt Iames brother to Christ our God accor­dynge to the fleshe, to whome the churche of Hierusalē was first committed, & Basilius which was Bysshop of Caesarea, whose fame is knowen throughoute the worlde▪ whiche deliuered in wrytynge the mysticall ce­lebration of y^e sacrifices, haue declared that the cuppe in our holye ministerye oughte to be of water and wyne mengled.

And the holye fathers that were assembled at Carthage, [Page] haue thus lefte in wrytynge, that in the sacrifices nothinge els be offered, but the bodye & bloude of oure Lorde, as oure Lord him selfe hath ordeyned & so forthe. I neuer redde S. Iames his booke my self, nor I thinke, it be not nowe to be had, but I tel you so much, as I knowe, that S. Iames dyd write the forme of a Masse, as S. Basill did (which we haue in greke now). If this greate and learned generall councell doth truelye reporte, as I be­leue doth. Let no man there­fore beleue them that saye, the Apostles did not sacrifice thē selues, nor none in their time, except they can proue the ne­gatiue, which they shall neuer do.

[Page]There be other some, that wyll graunte the sacrifice, but denye that it is propitiatorye for the synnes of the quycke and the deade. And therefore they disalowe the last sentēce of the Masse. Where the priest sayeth, graunt good lord, that this sacrifice whyche I haue offered to thy diuine maiestie, be propitiable or a meane to obteyne mercye, to me, & to al, for whome I haue offered it. And surely these be most foo­lishe of al, for yf it be a sacrifice, it must nedes be a propitiatory sacrifice taking (propitiatory) as it ought to be taken, not cō ­foundyng the meanynge of it by sophistrye, but vnderstan­ding the diuerse acception of y^e word: but these men dally, & seduce [Page] the people with amphibologi­es and doubtful sayinges. Distinctions they admit none nor can not abyde to haue the matter opened, and wyth a confuse general saying sclaunder the churche.

Thys is their priuate sophi­strye, and yet they call other men sophisters, that detecte & open their collusions, that diuyde the sentence, that men might see, howe it is true, and howe it is false. For example. They crye out of this, that we saye, the Masse is a sacrifyce propitiatorye. By the worde (Masse) maye be vnderstan­ded two thynges, the thynge it selfe that is offered, and the acte of the priest in offeryng of it. If ye take it for the thynge [Page] offered, whych is the bodye of Christ, who can iustly denye, but that the body of Christe is a sacrifice propitiatory, seyng saynt Iohn sayeth, he is the propitiation for our synnes, e­uer was and euer shall be, and neuer cease so to be, tyll oure synnes be ended, and deathe the last enemye be ouercomed in vs hys mysticall body? and as Oecumenius sayeth: Caro Chri­sti est propitiatorium nostrar [...] ̄ iniquitatum. Oecume [...] nius in cap. 3. ad Romanos The flesh of christ is the propitiation for our ini­quities.

But yf by the word (Masse) be vnderstāded the acte of the priest, and the vse of the sacra­ment (as they would haue it) then it is not propitiatorye in [Page] that degree of propitiation, as Christes body is, but after an other sorte. And therefore I must diuide the word (propiti­atory) whyche is taken two wayes also. First for that that worthely deserueth mercy at Gods hand, and so the acte of the prieste in offerynge, is not propitiatorye, of it selfe deser­uyng mercy, as Christe doth.

Nexte for that prouoketh God to gyue mercye and re­mission, alreadye deserued by Christ. And so the oblation of the priest is propitiatory, mo­uyng and prouokinge God to applye hys mercye vnto vs. So Prayer is a sacryfyce for synnes, as Saynte Iames sayeth, Oratio fidei saluabit in­firmum,Iac. 5.& fi in peccatis sit, re­mittentur [Page] ei. The Prayer of fayth shall saue the sycke, and yf he be in synne, they shalbe remitted vnto him. And christ taught vs to praye thus, for­gyue vs oure trespases, as we forgyue them that trepase a­gaynste vs.Mat. 6.7 And also promi­sed to gyue vs, that we aske in CHRISTES name,

Then ye see, that prayer beynge a sacrifyce, is a pro­uocation of GOD, and a meane to atteyne remyssion of oure synnes, and therefore maye be well called propitia­torye.

So is a contryte hearte a Sacryfyce propitiatorye and almose,Psal, 50, as appeared by the sto­ry of the Niniuites & of Daniell. For all good workes y^t we do, [Page] both fastynge, prayer, almose, forgyuyng of my neyg [...]bour [...] is done for thys ende, to miti­gate Gods angre agaynst our synnes. and to prouoke hym to haue mercye of vs for chri­stes merites.

Euen so the Mosse (taking it for the acte of the, priest) is a sacrifice propitiatori for sinne. Whych I shal proue vnto you by the holy fathers. Origen wri­teth thus.Origen. in Leuit. [...]. 13. Si referantur haec ad mysterij magnitudinem, inueni es commemorationem istam ha­bere ingentem repropitiationis effectum. Si redeas ad illum pa­nem propitiationis, quem propo suit Deus propitiationem per fi dem in sanguine eius: & si respi c [...]as ad illam commemorationē [Page] de qua dicit Dominus hoc facit [...] in meam commemorationem, in­uenies quod ista est commemo­ratio sola quae propitium faci at Deum. If these be referred to the greatnes of our mysterye, thou shalt fynde that thys cō ­memoration hath a greate ef­fect of propitiation. If ye re­turne to that breade of propi­tiation, whych God hath sette for a propitiation by faythe in hys bloude: and yf ye looke to that commemoration, of whych our Lorde sayd, Doo thys in commemoratiō of me: thou shalte fynde, that this is the only commemoration that maketh God mercifull.

Doth not saynte Cyprian cal the sacramente holocaustū Cyprian▪ Ser de coena. [Page] ad purgandas iniquitates, A sa­crifice to purge iniquitie? in what respect is it called so, but for that it is offered, to that ende? And so is it called a me­dicine to heale infirmities, for thys respecte that it is recea­ued to thys ende.

Saynt Augustyne sayeth lykewyse.Augusty. Ser. 11. de sanctis. Nemo melius praeter martyres meruit ibi requiescere, ubi & hostia Christus est & sacerdos scilicet, ut propitiationē de oblatioue hostiae consequan­tur. No manne hath deserued better then the martyrs too rest (& be buried) there where Christe is bothe the hoste and the prieste, (that is to saye vn­der the aultare), for this ende that they myght atteyne pro­pitiation [Page] by the oblation of y^e hoste. Marke the purpose I bringe in this for, which is to atteine propitiation by y^e oblation of y^e sacrifice: and as he sayth in an other booke.August. Manuale. cap. 11 Sacrificium illud mirabile & coeleste quod tu in­stituisti & offerri praecepistiin cōmemorationem tuae charitatis mortis scilicet & passionis, pro salute nostra, pro quotidiana fragilitatis nostrae reparatione. That meruelouse and heauenly sacrifice, whyche thou haste instituted and commaunded to be offered in remēbraunce of thy charitye, that is to saye of thy deathe and passion, for oure healthe and saluation, for the daylye reparation of our frayle weakenes. [Page] Dothe he not here shewe the ende of the oblation, to saue vs, and to repayre our frayl­tye. Saynt Hierome wryteth Si laicis imperatur, ut propter orationem abstineant ab uxori bus, Hieron. in cap▪ [...]. ad▪ Titum quid de Episcopo sentien­dum est, qui quotidie pro suis po puli (que) peccatis illibatas deo obla­turus est uictimas. If it be com­maunded to the laye menne, that for prayers cause they shuld absteyne from their wi­ues, what shuld we thynke of a Bysshoppe that muste offre daylye pure sacrifices for hys owne synnes▪ & the peoples.

Of thys place thoughe I myght proue you the chast life of a Bysshoppe: yet I bringe it in nowe only to show, that the [Page] office of a Bisshoppe is to offre daylye pure sacrifices for hys owne synnes and the peoples synnes, as saynt Basyll sayth in the booke of hys Masse. Da Domine ut pro nostris pec­catis & populi ignorantijs acce­ptum sit sacrificium nostrum. Basilius in Miss [...] ▪ Graunt o Lord that for oure synne, and the ignoraunce of the people oure sacrifice maye be accepted of thee.

Thus ye perceaue, that I haue shewed you, and proued that the oblation of the priest in the Masse is a sacrifice pro­pitiatory for the synnes of thē that be alyue, that is to saye, mouyng and prouokyng god to pardonne the synnes of the prieste and of the people. [Page] A lytle is to be sayde, concer­nynge them that be departed and then an ende of that mat­ter.

Tertullian sayeth, Oblatio­nes pro defunctis pro natalitijs annua die facimus ▪ Tertull. coron. mi lit. We make e­uerye yeare oblations for the deade, and for the birth dayes of martirs, which be the dayes they suffered their martyr­dome.

Athanasius sayeth. Intelligi­mus animas peccatorum parti­cipare aliqua beneficentia ab exangui immolatione. Athanasi­us ad An­tiochum. quest. 34. We vn­derstande, that the soules of synners, doo receaue some benefyte of the vnbloudye oblation, and of almose, done for them, as he onelye hathe [Page] ordeyned and commaunded, that hathe power bothe of quycke and deade. Our god.

And Saynt Ambrose ex­horteth the people to praye for the soule of Ualentiniane the emperour,Ambros. de obitis Valenti. for whome he dyd offre the sacrifice of chri­stes body. Chrisostom saith▪

Non frustra sancitum est ab apostolis, Chrysost. hom. 3. ad Philip penses. ut in celebratione uenerandorum mysteriorū me­moria fiat eorum, qui hinc discesseruut: nouerunt illis mul tum hinc emolumē ti fieri. &c.

It was not in vayne or­deyned of the Apostles, that in the celebration of the ho­norable misteries, there shuld memorye be made of them that were departed hence. [Page] For they knewe much profite, muche commoditie to come to them therby.

And in an other homely he sayeth in this maner in Eng­lishe.Chrysost. hom. 41. in. 1. cor. 15. A sinner is departed: su­rely it becometh vs, to be glad that hys synnes be stopped & not increased, and to laboure as muche as we can to release hym not wyth wepynge,In Act. hom, 21. but with prayer, supplications, al­mose and sacrifices. For that was not ordeyned in vayne, nor we doo not in vayne in oure holye misteries celebrate the memory of the deade, and make intercession for them to the lambe that lyeth there, which taketh away the sinnes of the world, but y^• some com­fort may therby come to thē. [Page] Is not this very playne? and that it is not a thyng newe in­uented, but a doctrine taught and vsed in the churche euer sence Christ, and ordeyned so to be done by the Apostles thē selfes.

S. Augustyne sayth in his booke of confessions,Augusty. confess. libro. 4. cap. 11. that the sacrifice of oure pryce, whyche is Christes owne naturall bo­dye was offered for his mo­thers soule after she was dead

And he sayeth also.De curae pro mor­tuis. ca. 1. In Ma­chabeorum libris legimus obla­tum pro mortuis sacrificiū. Sed & si nunquam in scripturis ue­teribus omnino legeretur, non parua hac consuetudine claret authoritas ubi in praecibus Sa­cerdotis, quae Domino Deo a [...] [Page] eius altare funduntur, locum su um habet etiam commendatio mortuorum, In the bookes of the Machabees we read, that there was sacrifi [...]e offered for the deade. But althoughe in the old scriptures there were no such thing redde, yet there appeareth no small authoritie in this custome, that amonges y^e prayers of the priest, whiche are made to oure Lorde God at hys aultare, the commen­dation & prayer for the deade hath also hys place.

Marke well that he sayth, it was an olde custome in the Churche for Priestes in their Masse to praye for the deade, in hys tyme whyche is aboue eleuen hundreth and thyrtye [Page] yeare agoo. And that the cu­stome of the Churche in thys poynte is of sufficiente aucthorytye too proue thys matter, thoughe there were no scrip­ture for it at all, and yet he him selfe alledgeth the boke of ma­chabees for it, the place is knowen well ynough.

He teachethe vs the same thynge wrytinge vpon saynte Iohn.Augusty. in Ioan. tract, 84 Ideo ad ipsam mensam nō sic eos commemoramus quemad­modum alios qui in pace requies­cunt ut etiam pro eis oremus, sed magis ut orent ipsi pro nobis, ut eorum uestigijs inhaereamus. &c. talia enim suis fratribus exhibu­erunt, qualia de Domini mensa acceperunt.

[Page]Therfore at the verye table (of the aultare) we do not so re­membre (the martyrs) as we do other, other that reste in peace that we praye for them. But rather that they shoulde praye for vs, that we myghte folowe their fotesteppes. For they haue gyuen suche thinges for their brethren, as they haue receaued from our Lordes ta­ble. Here is bothe prayer to sayntes, and for the dead in the Masse.

Thus ye see, howe Christes bodye is offered for the deade, after what maner it auayleth them.

Saynt Augustyne also tea­cheth, sayinge thus.Augusty. Enchirid. cap, 110. When the sacrifices eyther of the aultare, or of anye almose be offered for [Page] the deade that were baptyzed, for the verye good men, they be gyuynge of thankes, for not ve­ry euyll men, they be propitiati­ons, for verye euyll menne, al­though they be no reliefe of the deade, yet they be certeyne comfortes of them that be alyue. And to them they profyte, they profite to this ende, eyther that they should haue full remission, or at leaste that they shoulde haue more tolerable damna­tion.

In thys authoritie is expres­sed the playne word of propitia­torye, howe that the sacrifice of the aultare is a propitiation for suche soules, as be not verye e­uyll or very good toward that­teynynge of full remission, or of more tolerable damnation▪ [Page] If I should recyte as muche as I could bryng in for this poynt at large: it is not one or two houres that wold suffyse to the rehearsall of the places.

By thys lytle I haue sayde, ye may perceaue. after what sorte it is true, that the Masse is a sacrifice propitiatorye for synne, both for the quicke & for the deade.

Some thynke it a great bla­sphemye, that we shuld saye, the prieste applyeth the effecte of Christes passion, to whome he lysteth, or for whome he ma­keth hys oblation. Good peo­ple beleue them not, they sclaunder vs in thys, for we saye not so, nor do not applye the mery­tes and effecte of Christes passi­on, to whome we lyste▪ we doo [Page] but applye our prayer and oure intente of oblation, besechynge almyghtye GOD to applye the effecte of hys sonnes passi­on, whych is hys grace and re­mission of synne to them, for whome we praye. Onelye God applyeth to vs remissiō of sinne, we but praye for it, and by the commemoration of hys sonnes passion prouoke hym to applye, so that all that we do, is but by petition and intercession, not by authoritye as God doth.

They saye, we make oblati­on for messeled swyne, for sycke horses, for murren of cattell, and thus wyth these vyle and odiouse woordes they go about to brynge the Masse in hatred wyth the symple people, that canne not tell nor iudge, what [Page] it is, sayinge we haue certeyne peculiar Masses for all those thynges in our Masse booke.

The matter of thys accusa­tion is true, but not the maner. For there be not in oure boo­kes peculiare Masses for these thynges, but in certeyne Mas­ses there be some peculiar pray­ers for these and such lyke thin­ges, and that by good rea­son.

For in the presence of Chri­stes bodye, when oure prayers be mooste effectuall, then we praye for the atteynynge of all goodnesse of soule and bodye, and the outwarde felycytye of this worlde is as expedient for vs, accordynge to the wyll of GOD, and also we praye for the tournynge awaye of all e­uylles [Page] of bodye and soule, and wordlye goodes, alwayes re­ferrynge our selfes to hys wyl, as he our father thinketh mete for vs.

Chrysostome telleth, howe the prieste in hys Masse pray­eth for the whole worlde,Chrysost. de sacer­dotio. li. 6 for the whole citye, for the synnes of all menne bothe quycke and deade, for the ceassing of warre, for the pacifyinge of sedition, for peace, and the prosperouse estate of thynges, for the auoy­dynge ofall euylles that hange ouer vs. For the frutes of the earth and of the sea, and suche other.

Saynte Augustyne in hys booke De ciuitate Dei telleth a sto­rye of a gentlemanne called He­sperius, Augusty. ciuitat. li. 22. cap. [...] who hauynge an house [Page] and groundes aboute it in the countreye, where hys seruauntes and beastes were muche vexed wyth euyll spyrytes, for remedye thereof came to saynt Augustynes house, and he be­ynge absente, desyred hys prie­stes, that one of them woulde go to the place, and praye, that thys calamitye myghte cease. One of them wente, and offe­red there the sacrifyce of Chri­stes bodye, praynge as muche as he coulde, that the vexation by the euyll spyrytes myghte cease, and by and by throughe the mercye of GOD it ceas­sed.

Is not thys as muche, yea and more too, then we doo nowe? Lette not vs therefore [Page] feare their vyle and sclaunde­rouse woordes, nor lette not vs cease to do wel, because they speake euyll. We maye not cease to do as the holye Sayn­tes haue doone, because the membres of the deuyll rayle a­gaynste vs, as thoughe we dyd nought.

Nowe a lytle of pryuate Masse, and then make an ende. Manye there be, that can well awaye with the Masse, but not wyth priuate Masses.

These menne be deceaued in their owne ymagination: for there is no Masse pryuate, but euery Masse is publyke. It is called in Greke [...], a pub­like ministerye.

Saynte Thomas calleth it sometymes a pryuate Masse, [Page] but not in that respecte▪ as it is contrarye to publike, but as it is contrarye too sole­mpne.

Euery Masse is publike, concernynge the matter and ministe­rye, but not solempne concer­nyng the place and other rytes and circumstancies.

Therefore these men speake agaynste that they knowe not what. They haue a new vnder­standynge of priuate.

They call it a priuate Masse, when the prieste receaueth the Sacramente alone. And thys they saye is agaynste the insti­tution of Christ.

They saye so sine fine, and ne­uer make an ende, but they ne­uer proue it.

[Page]I shall shew you that it is not agaynste the institution of Christe.

The institution of Christ concernynge this sacrament contayneth three thynges whiche he hym selfe did, & by hys commaundement gaue authoritie to the churche to do the same. The consecrati­on, the oblation, and the par­ticipation,

To the due consecration foure thynges be required▪ the matter, forme, minister & intent.

The necessarye matter is breade of wheate, whiche is due as it ought to be, yf it be pure, swete and vnleuened. But our new maysters that crye oute so faste of Christes [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] institution, dyd ordayne it shuld not be ministred in vnleuened bread, but in common bread, and the worse the bet­ter with them, some sayde horsbread was to good. Wel, there was more vilanye she­wed herein, than I wyll ex­presse at this tyme.

And for y^e other kind, wher­as the due matter is wyne mixed with water, they not­withstandyng the institution and example of our sauioure Christ, commaunded no wa­ter to be put in, raysynge vp agayne the pernicious rottē and extincted heresies which Fermentarii and Armeni [...] dyd mayntayne. The forme of the sa­crament is y^e wordes of oure sauiour Christ, saying. Thys [Page] is my bodye. Thys is my bloud, duelye & perfectly pro­nunced vpon y^e bread, & wine.

Our newe maysters y^t styl crye vpon the institution of Christe, some sayde it was a sacrament or euer the wor­des were spoken assoone as it was brought to y^• churche for y^e vse of the communion, some woulde haue the wor­des sayde, but as one shoulde reade a Lesson or tell a tale, not directed to the breade and wyne, but that the Mi­nister shoulde looke awaye frome the breade and wyne in the tyme of the pronun­cynge. Fearynge belyke the wordes shoulde haue moore strengthe than they woulde they shoulde haue.

[Page]And thus howsoeuer nowe they pretend a zeale to main­tayne the institutiō of Christ, then they vtterly destroyed the institution of Christ ey­ther deniyng or defraudinge the necessary consecration of the sacrament.

The minister ought only to be a priest duelye consecra­ted and ordereed after the rite of the Catholike church, whose ministration god only doeth assiste. These men dyd not only maintayne y^t it was lawfull, but also did appoynte and permitte mere laye men to minister, yea and laye wo­men somtymes, as some said, without anye lawfull vocati­on or orderynge at al, not re­garding what Arnobius writeth [Page] Quid tam magnificum quàm sacramenta dei cōficere? Arnobius in ps. 139. et quid tam perniciosum, quàm si is ea conficiat qu [...] nulum sacerdotij gradum accipit. What is so ex­cellent than to consecrate y^e sacramentes of god? & what is so perniciouse, than yf he con­secrate them, that hath receyued no degre of priesthode? The intent also to doe that the churche doeth withoute mockynge dissimulation or contrary purpose is requi­red. For although the priest in the consecration may haue hys thoughtes distracte to some other thynge, & so lacke attention, whiche is a greate negligence in the worke of God, & deadly synne to y^e mi­nister: yet yf he lacke intenti­on [Page] not intendyng to doe that God commaundeth and the churche doeth: there is no cō secration nor no sacramēt at all. And for this point what intentiō shall we thinke these men had of late that vtterlye dinied to consecrate or recei­ue Christes bodie and bloud vnder the formes of breade and wyne, but onelye to re­ceyue the creatures of bread and wyne, & therby to be pertakers of Christes body and bloude? For in the boke of their laste communion, these were the wordes of the inuo­cation. Good lord graunt vs that we receyuing these thy creatures of bread and wine, according to thy sonnes institution, maye be partakers of [Page] hys bodye and bloude▪

Was there euer hearde of anye suche institution? Loke throughout all the scripture and shewe me where euer Christe did institute, that by eatinge of bread & wine, men shoulde be partakers of hys body and bloud. And if it can not be shewed, as I am sure it can not: than it was a playne forged lye bearing mē in hād that Christ instituted that he neuer thought, whereby ap­peareth y^t thei had not this intentiō which is required to y^e due cōsecratiō: & also y^t they in wordes pretēdinge to haue a zeale to maintain Christes institutiō, ī their dedes shewed thēselfes enemies & aduersaries to y^e same▪ And as thei v­sed [Page] themselues in consecration: so they dyd in the oblation, whiche they dyd not corrupt as the other, but vtterly toke awaye, deniynge anye suche thynge to be, as I haue pro­ued it is, in so muche that in all their newe communion, they could not scarcely abide the name or worde of oblati­on, but pulled it oute of the boke, so muche dyd they fa­uour the instituton of Christ whiche they nowe pretende.

Now when they haue ta­ken awaye the due matter, as swete vnleuened bread, y^e meixture of the chalice, & per­uerted the forme by leauyng oute the principall verbe (est) in the wordes of Christ, as it was in y^e last boke in the firste [Page] pryntyng, howe it came in a­gayne I can not tell, and neglected the due orderynge of the minister, sufferyng them to vsurpe the office of a priest that neuer receyued that au­thoritie, neyther of God nor man, & in that they dyd (whi­che was verye bad) neuer in­tended to doe as the churche doeth, and whollye dyd abrogate as muche as laied in thē the oblation of Christes bo­dye in remembraunce of hys passion, and at lengthe would haue nothynge to re­mayne, but a bare communi­on, what face haue they to crye vpon Christes instituti­on, institution, whiche they haue in so many pointes bro­ken and violated as I haue [Page] shewed? and yet y^t they wold haue is no part of Christes institu [...]ion.

For the vse of the sacramēt is y^t it should be receyued and eaten, & therefore in diuerse counsels it was decreed that whoso euer tooke the sacra­ment at the priestes hand & dyd not eate it,Conciliū toletanū prim. ca. 14. Co [...]ci▪ cesar. aug. Capi. 3. for the which ende Christe dyd ordayne it, was holden accursed and ex­communicate. Thus farre extēdeth y^• institution of Christ concernynge thys poynt, be­cause he sayde Accipite, manducate et bibite. Take, eate, drynke, and also that all shoulde eate, and drynke of it, that coulde proue themselues (after S. Paules admonition).

But suche thynges as pertayne [Page] to the Ceremonye of the eatynge, as, howe manye in one place together, what tyme, place, maner, order and suche lyke, be thynges per­taynynge to the ordinaunce and direction of the churche, and not to the institution of Christe, as necessarye vpon payne of damnation to be ob­serued of euery christen man.

For els yf al the rytes that Christe vsed at hys supper were of necessitie and pertaynyng to hys institution: then there muste nedes be thyr­tene together at the com­munion and neyther moo nor fewer.

And it must be celebrate after supper, and in the night, after the washynge of the fete, and [Page] in a parler or chamber, and al that receyue must be priestes and no women. For all these thynges were obserued of Christ & hys apostles at hys last supper.

But for our instruction to declare that they be not fixed by the institution of Christe, but left to the disposition of y^e church, y^e churche hath taken an other order in these thin­ges, wyllynge that all shall communicate that be worthy and disposed. So that the numbre whether ther be ma­nye or fewe, or but one in one place that receyue, maketh not the ministration of the prieste for that thynge vn­lawefull.

And it hath ordered that it [Page] shalbe celebrate in the mor­nynge, & receyued fasting be­fore all other meates, & in the church, except necessite other wise require. And therefore S. Augustine taught Ianuarius. after thys sorte.Augusti epist. 118 Ideo saluator non praecepit, quo deinceps or­dine sumeretur, ut apostolis per quos dispositurus erat ecclesiā seruaret hunc locū. Therefore our Saluiour dyd not com­maūde by what order it shuld be receyued after hym, but reserued that matter to the a­postles by whome he woulde order and dispose his church▪

By this we may conceyue that the receyuynge of the sacrament is Christes institu­tion, but the maner, numbre [Page] and other rites of the recey­uynge be not determined by Christes institution, but or­dered at the Churches dis­position.

Yet saye they, Christ dyd not receaue it alone, but dyd communicate w^t hys twelue apostles, whose example we ought to folowe. To this I saye▪ that we be not bounden to folowe thys example for the numbre, but for the sub­staunce. That it should be re­ceyued of vs, is Christes ex­ample necessary, but of howe manye, of twelue only, of mo, of fewer, or of one, is not by Christes example fixed and determined.

Christ ministryng the mi­sticall supper of necessitie, and [Page] that neuer but ones, for thys ende, by his dede to institute the thinge, and to teache his disciples what they shoulde doe continuallye afterwarde in commemoration of hys death, must nedes haue mini­stred it to mo then hym selfe, because in that doing he gaue theym authoritie to doe the same, and so made them prie­stes. But we ministrynge it not for that intente to insti­tute the Sacrament, and to make Priestes, but to recey­ue the spirtuall fruite that commeth to vs thereby, are not bounden to obserue that numbre, but shal [...]doe well yf we receyue it eyther wyth o­ther or alone.

[Page]We reade euen from the begynnynge of the churche, that lay men and women did receyue it alone, and is there any religion that a laye man maye doe it, but not a priest? Turtuliane declareth the difficultie for a christen wyfe to ob­serue her religion withoute offence that hathe an infidele to her husbande, amonge o­ther thynges sayeth thus. Non sciet maritus quid secre­to ante omnem cibum gustes? Tertualia­nus ad ux­orem. et si sciuerit, panem, non illum credit esse qui dicitur.

Wyll not thy husband know, what thou doest eate secret­lye before all other meates? And yf he doe knowe, he be­leueth it is bread and not him [Page] whome it is called. Of thys place we gather the maner of the churche in that time, shortly after Christ, that the people re­ceauing the Sacrament at the priestes hande in the Churche, did carye it home with them, & kept it secretlye and deuoutlye at home with them selfes, and euery mornyng as their deuo­tion serued them, did receaue a parte of it by them selfes, & that secretly, lest the infideles amonges whome they dwelt should gette knowledge of our myste­ries. And thus of this place of Tertulliane, lyke as we maye learne, that the Sacrament is not breade, as the infideles be­leue, yf they chaunce to se it: but Christ as it is called, as y^• fayth­full onelye knowe, to be so: so [Page] we learne also, that men & wo­men were wont to receaue it al­one without any other cōpanye assembled with thē, which is sufficient for oure purpose at thys tyme. Saynt Cypriane telleth of a womanne in these wordes.Cyprian. de lapsis. Cum quaedam arcam suam in qua domini sanctū fuit manibus indi­gnus tentasset a [...]erire, igne inde surgente deterrita est, ne auderet attingere, When a certeyne wo­man wente aboute to open hyr cheste, wherein was the holye one of GOD with vnworthye handes, she was affrayd for the fyre that rose from thence, that she durst not touche it. By this place appeareth the lyke maner of keping it at home to receaue it alone at their pleasure. [Page] And Eusebius in his storye telleth, that the maner was to send the sacrament to Bisshops straun­gers,Eusebius histor. eccles. lib. [...] cap. 22. y^• chaunced to come thy­ther for this ende, to know whether they were Catholike & of their fayth or no, whiche they knewe, if they wold receaue the sacrament which they had con­secrate. And also he telleth of one y^t laye in extreame perill of death,Lib. 6, ca 34, who had cōmitted ydolatry before, & sent to y^e priest for y^e sacrament, wherby he might be reconciled to the church, before he died, the priest was also sicke & coulde not come, but sent it by the sycke mans seruaunt, and so forthe. Here it is playne, that laye menne receaued it alone withoute the prieste. And what greate religion is there nowe [Page] newe founde out, that the priest may not lykewyse receaue it a­lone, yf the people be not wor­thy nor disposed at al times to communicate with him.

I leaue out a great numbre of places that make for the re­seruation of the Sacramente, which al make for this purpose, yf I woulde spende anye tyme herein to declare it. Well, some wyll saye, here be doctors vpon doctors, sentencies of aucthors ynoughe. But what scrypture haue you, that the prieste did or maye take it alone? shewe me that, and then wyll I yelde vn­to you.

I shal be content to alledge scripture, as it semeth to me, let euery man weye it as he thyn­keth good, to me it is playne [Page] ynoughe for this purpose, and althoughe there were no scryp­ture, yet in thys matter whiche is but a ceremony, concernyng the numbre of the receauers, the custome and vse of Christes churche, is a sufficient rule for a Christen man to staye him selfe by.

The scripture is wrytten in the .27. chapiter of the Actes of the Apostles,Act. 27, where S. Paule comfortynge all the companye, that were with him in y^e shippe, who then were in extreme daū ­ger of drownynge, promisynge them all their lifes, and exhor­tynge them to take meate, that had fasted fourtenne dayes be­fore receaued the sacrament be­fore them all alone, as I take it. The wordes be these. [Page] Et cùm haec dixisset, sumens panē gratias egit deo in conspectu om­nium, et cùm fregisset, coepit man­ducare. Animaequiores autem fa­cti omnes, & ipsi sumpserunt ci­bum And when he hadde sayde this, taking bread, he gaue thankes to God in the sight of them all, and when he had broken it, he beganne to eate, and they al beinge muche comforted, tooke meate also. Chrysostome ex­poundeth this place of the Sa­cramente,Chrysost. in Matth hom. 17. where he hathe thys sayinge, y^t it is not only a thing sanctified, but sanctification it selfe. Here is no mention that he gaue it to any other, and yf it had bene a thinge necessarye of the institution of Christe, belike he wold haue expressed it. Well [Page] thoughe it be not expressed in wordes (saye they) yet it is not a necessarye argumente to con­clude, that no manne receaued it with hym. I graunt it is not a good argumente, but yet this is the commen maner of their reasonynge, it is not expressed in scripture, ergo it is not to be beleued. But I can saye more for thys place, for the scripture calleth, that saynte Paule eate, ( [...]) which is a worde, wher­by the Sacrament is cōmonly expressed, and that all the other dyd eate ( [...]) whyche si­gnifieth commen meates, & the scripture sayeth (omnes) al y^e other toke their meat, amōges whom there were many infideles, & it sayth afterward, satiati cibo, y^t they were satiate & full with meate. [Page] But the blessed Sacramente non est cibus satietatis, sed sancti moniae (as Conciliū Nicenū) sayeth▪ Conciliū Nicenum is not meat of satiety, but of sanctimony. Therfore where it sayth that saynt Paule dyd eate the breade, which is the sacrament, and that all the other dyd fyll thē wyth their commen meate. I maye conclude, that saynte Paule dyd receaue alone, wherby is proued our purpose of the priuate Masse, as they terme it. O Lord howe woulde they haue gloried, yf they had suche alyke place agaynst vs▪

Some brynge in a place of Chrysostome,Chrysost. hom. 61. ad popul. Antioche num.. where he sayeth, frustra sacrificium quotidianum, frustra stamus ad altare, nullus qui communicet, Our daylye sa­crifice [Page] is in vayne, we stande at the aultare in vayne no manne cometh to communicate.

O Lorde howe they abuse this place of Chrysostome, that he sayeth to rebuke the negli­gence of the people that cometh not, they alledge it to find fault at the diligence of the priest that cometh. It is reason, that the priest whose lyfe is wholy dedi­cate to the seruice of God, and to praye for the people, shoulde synne deadly, yf he dydde ioyne him selfe more & more to Christ by receauyng daylye the spiri­tual foode of hys body & bloud, because the people that cōmon­lye occupye their lyfe in the af­fayres of the worlde be not worthy, or not disposed dayly to re­ceaue with the priest▪

[Page]The verye place it selfe of Chrysostome telleth, that the priestes dyd celebrate the sacri­fice daylye, whether the people came or no, which they wold neuer haue done, yf it hadde bene deadly sinne so to do. Therfore it is playne, y^t they did sacrifice, they did stand at y^e aultare, & cri­ed, but al in vayn, Sancta sanctis Holye thinges to holye men, Cū timore & charitate d [...]i accedite. Come vp to receaue with the feare of God and charitye, and yet no man came. Therfore all this his homelye was too re­proue the slackenes of the peo­ple, that deceaued the expecta­tion of the priest.

I putte the case (as I haue sene it chaunce) that when the [Page] priest had consecrate, and one or two were commed vp to the aultare, & kneled downe to cō ­municate w^t the priest after the priest had receaued, they both departed & went away, not re­ceauing either of contēpt, or for that some sodeyne disease or passion came vpon thē y^t they could not receaue: is God so vnmer­cifull as to condemne the priest for the casualty of an other man whyche lyeth not in his power to auoyd? Our saluation were a verye tykle thyng, yf one man should cōmitte deadly synne a­gaynste his wyll intendinge to serue God, & so be condempned for the chaunce of an other man which he could not stoppe or a­mend, & was no cause of it. Yea but (say thei) Chrisostom sayth. [Page] Non es hostia dignus nec communione, igitur nec oratione.

If a man make hys excuse, that he is not worthye the sacrifice, nor to communicate, then is he not worthy to be present there at the prayer. He sayeth so in dede. But what is thys, to that the priest should not receaue al­one? nothyng at all. And yet it serueth vs to declare, that Chrysostome intended nothing elles, but to reproue the negli­gence of them, that stode in the place of the worthy receauers, and wold not come to receaue.

We must considre in the greke churche, howe there was cer­teyne degrees of the placyng of the people, the prieste stode at y^e aultare▪ the clerkes wythin the chauncell, the worthye recea­uers, [Page] in a distincte place besyde the priestes, the penitentes in a lower place, the Catechumeni why­che were menne, learnynge our fayth, and not yet Christened sate loweste of all, but they were putte out of the Churche, when the sermon and teaching was done, and were not suffe­red to be present at y^e misteries. Nowe the lacke that menne do not vnderstande the distinction of these seuerall places, maketh them too take Chrysostome wronge▪ For in dede he that is in the hygher place of the com­municantes, and beynge there thynketh hym selfe for hys vn­cleane lyfe not worthye to com­municate, and so deceaueth the expectation of the prieste that prepareth for hym: is lykewyse [Page] not worthy to communicate in only prayer, as being in y^t place, & yet hath most nede of al to cō ­municate in prayer, because prayer is an humilitie of y^• mind and a cause & degree to make a man worthy to communicate in the sacrament. And therfore by Chrysostome he is not forbid to communicate in prayer, but not in that place, but lower a­monge the penitentes. For so Chrysostome sayth by & by af­ter. Quot quot estis in poenitētia, omnes orate. All you that be penitentes, occupye youre selfes in prayer. And it was a decree of y^e whole catholike church, y^t certeyn men which were not suffered to cōmunicate in the sacra­mēt, shuld during their penaūce cōmunicate only in prayer. [Page] These be the wordes of the ge­nerall councell at Nice in Eng­lyshe.Conciliū Nicenun [...] cap. 12. Concerninge them that had cōmitted ydolatrye & were in penaunce not yet reconciled, and nowe be departinge out of their bodies, let the olde canon be obserued, that he that is de­parting, be not defrauded of the necessarye vitayle of lyfe, but yf anye suche after he haue recea­ued the communion, do recouer and amende, let them remayne amonge them that communi­cate only in prayer. We may see by this, that the meaninge of Chrysostome is, as I haue de­clared. Other make an argu­ment of the worde Communio that the sacramente is called a com­munion, because manye recea­ued it. But thys argumente is [Page] vnlearned, proceadyng of ignorance. For it is so called, not for that many communicate toge­ther in one place, but for y^e effect of the sacrament, because it ma­keth many diuerse men one mi­stical body of Christ.

So dothe Chrysostome ex­pounde it, wrytynge vpon the 10. chapiter to the Corinthians And also Dionisius Areopagita sayth, Vnde merito sacerdotalis sacro­sancta prudentia ex rerum effe­ctu proprium illi uerum (que) (communicationis) cognomen inuenit. Dionisius Areop. eccles. hie­rar. cap. 3 Therfore the holye wisdome of the priestes hath worthelye in­uented to this sacrament a pro­pre & true name of communiō, for the effect of it, because it ga­thereth our lifes y^t be diuided a [Page] sunder manye wayes, into y^t one state, wherby we are ioy­ned to god & among our sel­ues in one body, and so forth.

And in very dede we do not communicate alone. For con­sidering gods churche is but one house, as Cypriane saith, Vna est domus ecclesiae, in qua agnus edi­tur. Cyprian. de cena. There is one house of the churche, wherin the lambe is eaten: whosoeuer doeth eate this lambe worthelye, doeth cōmunicate w^t al christen men in euery place & countre that be in this house & do the like.

If the pryest receyue one parte of the sacrament in the church, & afterward cary the rest two or thre miles to a sick man, doth he not cōmunicate with another? and yet that o­ther [Page] is not together w^t hym in one place, standyng at hys elbow. Euen so the priest that sayeth masse alone, doeth cō ­municate w^t al thē y^t celebrate in other churches, or in other realmes. This argument of Cōmunion was neuer [...]eard of in the worlde before Mar­tyne Luther, who was y^e first father of it, and the first man that euer wrote agaynst pri­uate masses as he calleth thē ▪

And wher learned Luther that lesson? euen of the deuyl not because al euyl cōmeth by the suggestion of the deuyll, but I meane y^t Luther had a vision of the deuyl and saw hym wyth hys corporall eye beynge wakyng, of whom he learned al that he hath pesti­lently [Page] spoken agaynst the ho­ly masse. And lest men should say I lied vpon Luther, here is his owne boke, Ex orete iudico, serue nequam. We maye Iudge hym by his owne mouth and his owne hand writynge. The title of his boke is of priuate masse. I shal read you a peice of it that the trueth of my sayinge maye appeare. These be hys very wordes.

I shall make confession before all you reuende and holy fathers, geue me I pray you a good absolution. It chaunced me once about midnight sodenly to awake, than the deuyl Sathā began with me this disputation. Heare (sayd he) doctour Luther, very wel learned, thou knowest [Page] thou hast said priuate masses xv. yeres almost daily. What if such priuate masses be hor­rible ydolatry? what if there wer not presēt the bodye and bloud of Christ, but thou had­dest honored onely bread and wine, & haddest caused other to honor it? to whō I answe­red, I am an anoynted priest, & haue receyued vnction & cō ­secration of a bishoppe, & haue done al these thinges by commaundement & obedience of mine elders▪ Why shuld not I cōsecrate, whē I haue pronū ­ced y^e wordes of Christ & haue said masse ī earnest? this thou knowest. All this sayde he is true, but y^e turkes & gentiles do likewise al things in their tēples of obediēce & in earnest

[Page]The priestes of Hierobo­am dyd all they dyd of a cer­tayne zeale & intent againste the true priestes in Hierusalē ▪

What yf they orderynge and consecratynge wer false, as the priestes of the Tur­kes and Samaritans were false and their seruyce of god false and wycked? First (sayd he) thou knowest thou had­dest than no knowledge of Christ, nor true fayth, and for faythe thou waste no better than a Turke.

For the Turke and all the deuyls also beleue the storye of Christ, that he was borne crucified, and dead▪ &c. But the Turke and we dampned sprites doe not truste to hys mercy, nor haue not hym for a [Page] mediatour and sauiour, but feare hym as a cruell iudge.

Such a fayth and no other haddest thou, when thou re­ceyuest vnction of y^e byshoppe and al other both they y^t dyd annoynct, and were annoyn­cted, thought so and no other wise of Christe▪ Therefore ye fled from Christe as a cruell iudge to blessed Mary and y^e sainctes, they wer mediators betwene you & Christ. Thus was Christ robbed of his glory▪ This neyther thou nor no other papist can deny. I wold reade more of this boke but for troubling you. He y^t ly [...]t to knowe what maye be sayd a­gainst priuate masse, let hym learne here of y^e deuil ynough

For here is al that hath yet [Page] bene sayde of any other, and more to. The deuyls derlin­ges wer ashamed to say halfe so much as their father Sa­than, lest they shulde be called blasphemous lyers as he is.

But by this boke, Luthers owne confession set forthe in prynt by him selfe to y^e world, ye maye knowe that the de­uyll was the first y^t euer bar­ked agaynste y^e sacrifice of the churche, whiche is the masse, knowing that his kyngdome of sinne and iniquitie coulde not stand, if this sacrifice most aduersarie to it, were not de­faced and destroyed.

But what colour had Lu­ther to publishe this, shall we thynke he was so madde as to father that vpō the deuyll, [Page] that he woulde haue persau­ded for trueth to the worlde? I shall tell you shortlye hys fonde deuyse in thys poynte, as it foloweth fyue or sixe leaues here after.

He sayeth he knoweth the deuyl is a lyer, but (he saieth) hys lyes be craftye, he vseth to alledge a trueth whyche can not be denied, and wyth that to colour hys lye which he persaudeth.

And therefore (sayeth he) the deuyll lyeth not when he accuseth, as that I had com­mitted horrible Idolatry in sayinge priuate masses: but the lye is when he dyd after­warde tempt him to dispayre of gods mercy. But saith Luther I wyll not dispayre as [Page] Iudas dyd, but amende that I haue done amysse & neuer saye priuate masse agayne.

O what a cloke of mischiefe is this, & al grounded of lyes and falshode, He sayth the de­uyll lyeth not when he accu­seth. If that be true, then he sayd true when he saide that Luther being a preacher manye yeares, neuer had true fayth in Christ tyl he fel from the masse, nor neuer trusted in Christes mercy, nor neuer toke hym for a sauiour but a cruell iudge, Of this the de­uyll dyd accuse him, whether he was a lyer herein or no iudge you.

Also in hys accusation he sayde the body and bloude of Christ wer not present in the [Page] sacrament, when suche an­noyncted priestes dyd conse­crate, and that they honored onely bread & wine, with ma­ny other damnable lyes and heresyes, whiche whoso shall read the boke, maye fynde in great plentie, and yet by Lu­thers principle, the deuyl ne­uer lyeth when he accuseth. Now because y^e tyme is farre past, shortly to conclud, I shal most humblye beseche you to consider and regarde the sal­uation of your soules, for the whiche Christe Gods sonne hath shed his preciouse bloud which saluation canne not be attayned w^toute knowledge & confession of gods truth reueled to his holy church, & by her to euery membre of her, & [Page] childe of god, whose sentence and determination is sure & certen, as procedinge frō the pyller of trueth & the spirite of god, by whō we be taught and assured in goddes owne word, that in y^e blessed sacra­ment of the aulter▪ by the po­wer of the holy gost working with gods word, is verely & really present the bodye and bloud of our sauiour Christe, vnder the formes of bread & wyne, whiche is by Christes owne commaundement & example offered to almightye god in sacrifice, in commemo­ration of Christes passion and death, wherby the mem­bres of the churche in whose fayth it is offered, bothe they that be alyue, and departed, [Page] perceyue plentuouse and a­bundaunt grace and mercye, and in al their necessities and calamities releife and succur▪

Our moste merciful father graunt vs to persist stedfast & constant in the true catholike faythe and confession of this most blessed Sacrament and sacrifice, and with pure deuo­tion as he hathe ordayned to vse & frequent this holye mi­sterye of vnitie & reconsiliati­on, that we maye therby re­mayne in him and he in vs for euermore. To whome be all glorye and prayse wyth out ende.

AMEN.