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ture. For as Moses in the 30th. Chap. of Deuteronomy sayth, Thou shalt not nede to seek into heaven for the knowleage of these things: it is not sett, nor left in heven; it is not above thee; it is not ferre frome the; but the Worde of God is nighe the; even in thy mouth, as it were, and redye at hande: Beleve that, and doo according to that. For so it 45 was answered to the rich man in the 16th. Chapitre of Luk, Thy bretheren have Moyses and the Prophetes, let them heare them. And, Yf they woll not heare and beleve theim, they woll not beleve any oone, that shall come frome hense.

Wherfor Chrisost', in the formor tenth chapitre of Paule, teacheth every Christen man in these thinges of the Faith, in no wyse to ask or searhe, how it maye be; but leaving this infirmitye and weaknes of our thoughts or reasons, let us recyve with a certain undoubted faith the promesses of God by his word.

Sainct Cyprian also, in a worke De cena Domini, hath these wordes, The fleshely man is not to be admitted to this feast of the Table of God. Whatsoever the flesh and the bloode, that is to saye, the naturall reason of the mortall man, estemeth or judgeth, nedes must be excluded frome this mystery. For it savereth nothing to this matier, or in any wyse helpeth, whatsoever the soubtilitie of mannes witte attempteth to serche. Such are wise men of this worlde, that whatsoever is above their wit, they think it otherwise thenne the truthe. But the truthe, saith he, cannot be comprysed by mannes witte, which is erroniouse and many tymes deceyved. Wherfor they that are faithfull and pore in spirite, not arrogant of their owne witts, by their faith do see parfaictly this Sacrament.

We have the expresse words of Christ, Hoc est corpus meum, This is my bodye. The wordes are plaine not oonly in Matthew, but the same playne wordes are in Luke and Mark, without any figurate speaking. Wherfore we may not add, diminyshe, chaunge, or alter these wordes, that are so manifeste and playne; but certainly beleve these wordes to be true in the same sense, that they are clearely spoken, howsoever they are impossible to mannes witte. For as it is impossible for God to make a lye, as the Apostle saith in

the sixth Ad Heb. so every thing is possible to him, howsoever it is thought impossible to men.

We must therfore leave all our carnall reasons, and only receyve, without any doubte, the teaching, the words, the promesses of God, howsoever they seem impossible to our naturall and fraill reason. Or elles we shulde not believe the power of God to be so hiegh and absolute as it is: to whome is nothing impossible.

NUM. XXV.

Tho. Cranmeri Archiep. Cant. Epist. super Controversiam de
cana Domini ortam.

Illustri et erudito Viro Joachimo Vadiano, Consuli apud
Sanctum Gallum in Helvetia.

Ex Dudithij TANDEM a Negotijs Consilijsque publicis missionem, vel et Opuscul, verius respirationem nactus, et inter cæteros doctos viros,

Orationib.

quorum epistolis responsa jam diu debueram, tibi quoque, Vadiane, Vir illustris doctissimeque, nunc demum vertente anno respondere incipiens, (utpote cujus Literas superiore 46 hyeme acceperim, una cum munere Literario, Quod genus quidem soleo vel inter preciosissima numerare) illud imprimis mecum reputare pudebundus occœpi, vererique, ne forte suspicionem, aut etiam opinionem mihi aliquam sinistram apud animum tuum, silentio meo tam diuturno, contraxerim; qui sciam apud vulgus hominum fieri plerumque solere, cum hospes hospitem salutat, ut in primo maxime aditu responsum solicite exspectent. Quod si differatur, vel superbiam aliquam vel neglectum sui, vel, ut minimum, oblivionem, intervenire suspicantur, qualémque in primo illo accessu invenere, talem in universam reliquam vitam erga se fore præjudicant. Cum qui cito respondet, libenter et gratanter id facere judicatur, eumque proinde humanum, facilem gratúmque interpretantur. Contra, qui tarde, fastuosus, difficilis, et incivilibus ac inamoenis moribus preditus existimatur. Vsque adeo bis facit, quod cito facit, quicquid quis

cito facit. Verum ego de tua neutiquam vulgari prudentia, et humanitate meliora mihi polliceor, confidóque te hanc meam non spontaneam tarditatem aut cessationem, sed necessariam dilationem benigne accepturum, eamque non tam moribus quam negotijs meis imputaturum. Quæ qualia et quanta fuerint, puto rumores ad vos usque jampridem pertulisse, et ego de eisdem nonnihil ad Grynæum meum, imo nostrum, scripsi, cum quo pro amicitiæ jure omnia, sibi communia futura esse non ambigo. Ad illum igitur te remitto, siquid hac re offenderis, qui me tibi reddat excusatiorem.

morum, de

tione Eucharistiæ.

Tuam erga me voluntatem et promptitudinem animi ad contrahendam mecum sanctiorem necessitudinem, in Literis tuis perspicio, et libens amplector osculórque. Virum enim dignum te judico, quem ego propter eximiam eruditionem, qua me quoque adjutum profecisse neutiquam dissimulavero, et propter morum probitatem, multorum gravissimorum virorum testimonijs comprobatam, omni amore, favore, ac veneratione prosequar. Veruntamen ut animi mei sensum (sicuti inter bonos viros fieri oportet) ingenue tibi profitear, argumentum quod tractas in sex illis libris *, quos mihi dono * Aphorisdederas, in totum mihi displicet, vellémque vigilias tuas tan- consideratas felicius collocasses, et mecum ineundæ amicitiæ melioribus, aut certè minus improbatis, auspicijs fuisses usus. Nam ego nisi certiora afferri videro, quam hactenus videre potui, sententiæ illius vestræ nec patronus nec astipulator esse volo. Et plane mihi vel ex eo maxime persuasum est, causam esse non bonam, quod eam viri tam ingeniosi, tam diserti, támque omnibus artibus et disciplinis instructi, non videamini satis validè tueri ac sustinere. Vidi pleraque omnia, quæ vel ab Ecolampadio, vel a Zuinglio scripta sunt et edita, didicique omnium hominum omnia cum delectu esse Legenda. Et fortasse illud D. Hieronymi de Origene elogium in illos quóque non absurde aliquis detorserit, Vbi bene, nemo melius, &c. Nosti enim quod sequitur. Quatenus quidem Papisticos et Sophisticos errores et abusus indicare, convincere, corrigeréque sunt conati, Laudo et approbo. Atque utinam intra fines illos constitissent, neque fruges una cum zizanijs conculcassent, hoc est, veterum doctorum primorúmque in ecclesia Christi scriptorum authoritatem, una violassent. Nam

ut ingenia vestra quantumcunque versaveritis, mihi tamen certe nunquam approbaveritis, nec cuiquam, opinor, æquo Lectori, Veteres illos authores in hac controversia pro vestra facere sententia. Fuistis nimirum in investigandis erroribus 47 plus satis curiosi, et dum omnia purgare studetis, illic quoque errorem subesse putavistis, ubi nullus fuit. Quando hic certe si error est, jam inde a primordio Ecclesiæ, ab ipsis Patribus et viris Apostolicis, nobis fuit propinatus. Quod quis pius sustinuerit vel audire, nedum credere? Ut nequid interim dicam, quod bonus Dominus noster unice dilectam sponsam suam nunquam in tam pudenda cæcitate tamdiu dereliquisset. Quamobrem quum hæc, quam tenemus, Catholica fides de vera presentia corporis tam apertis ac manifestis scripturis fuerit Ecclesiæ ab initio promulgata, et eadem postea, per primos Ecclesiasticos scriptores, fidelium auribus tam clare, tamque studiose commendata, ne quæso, ne mihi pergatis eam tam bene radicatam et suffultam velle amplius convellere aut subruere. Satis jam satis tentatum est hactenus. Et nisi super firmam petram fuisset firmiter ædificata, jam dudum cum magnæ ruinæ fragore cecidisset. Dici non potest, quantum hæc tam cruenta controversia, cum per universum orbem Christianum, tum maxime apud nos, bene currenti verbo Evangelij obstiterit. Vobis ipsis affert ingens periculum, et cæteris omnibus præbet non dicendum offendieulum. Quo circa si me audietis, hortor et suadeo, imo vos oro, obsecro, et in visceribus Jesu Christi obtestor et adjuro, uti concordiam procedere et coire sinatis, in illam confirmandam totis viribus incumbatis, pacémque Dei tandem, quæ superat omnem sensum, Ecclesijs permittatis, ut Evangelicam doctrinam unam, sanam, puram, et cum primitivæ Ecclesiæ disciplina consonam, junctis viribus quam maximè propagemus. Facile vel Turcas ad Evangelii nostri obedientiam converterimus, modo intra nosmetipsos consentiamus, et pia quadam conjuratione conspiremus. At si ad hune modum pergimus ad invicem contendere, et commordere, timendum erit, ne (quod dicens abominor) juxta comminationem Apostolicam, ad invicem consumamur.

Habes, Optime Vadiane, meam de tota controversia illa neutiquam fictam sententiam, una cum admonitione libera ac fideli. Cui si obtemperaveris, non modo inter amicos,

sed etiam vel inter amicissimos mihi nomen tuum ascripsero.

Bene vale.

T. Cantuariens.

NUM. XXVI.

Part of a Letter from a Member of Parlament, concerning the transactions of the House, about passing the Act of the Six Articles.

AND also newes here, I assure you never Prince shewed Cleopatra,

E. 5. F. 128.

ს.

himself so wise a man, so wel lerned, and so Catholik, as the
King hath done in this Parlyment. With my penne I can-
not express his marvelous goodnes, wiche is come to such
effecte, that we shal have an Act of Parlyment so spirit ual,
that I thinke none shall dare say, in the blessed Sacrament
of the Aultar doth remayne either bred or wine after the
Consecration: Nor, that a Priest may have a wif: Nor, that
it is necessarie to receve our Maker sub utraque specie: Nor,
that privat Masses shold not be used, as they have be: Nor, 48
that it is not necessary to have Auriculer confession. And
notwithstanding my Lord of Canterbury, my Lord of Elye,
my Lord of Salisburie, my Lords of Worcester, Rochester,
and St. Davys, defended the contrary long tyme: Yet fi-
nally his Highness confounded them all with Goddes lern-
ing. York, Duram, Winchester, London, Chichester, Nor-
wiche and Carlile have shewed themselfe honest and well
lerned men. We of the Temporaltie have be al of one opy-
nyon. And my Lord Chauncellor, and my Lord Pryvye
Seal as good, as we can devise. My L. of Cant. and al this
Byshoppes have geven their opinion, and come in to us, save
Salisburie, who yet continueth a lewd foole. Fynally, all
Englond have cause to thank God, and most hertilie to
rejoyce of the Kings most godlie procedings.

Without any name subscribed.

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