Catholike doctrine against their deceices, vve may be more vvatchful and vvary: because it is most truely vvritten. There must be heresies that the tried and approued may be manifested or discoured from the holovv hartes among you. Let vs vse this benefite of Gods prouidence, for Heretikes be made of such as vvould erre or be naught, though they vvere in the Church: but being out, they profite vs excedingly, not by teaching the truth vvhich they knovv not, but by stirring vp the carnal in the Church to seeke truth, and the spiritual Catholikes, to deere the truth, for there be innumerable holy approued men in the Church, but they be not discerned from other among vs, nor manifest, so long as vve had rather sleepe in darknes of ignorance, then behold the light of truth. therfore many are raised out of their sleepe by Heretikes to see the day of God, and are glad thereof. August. c. 8. de vera relig.
20. Our Lordes supper.] The Christians at or about the time of the Churches onely Sacrifice and their communicating thereof, kept great feastes: vvhich continued long, for that the reliefe of the poore vpon the common charges of the richer sort, and the charitie and vnitie of al sortes vvere much preserued thereby, for vvhich cause they vvere called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, Charities, of the auncient Fathers, and vvere kept commonly in Church houses or porches adioyning, or in the body of the Church (vvhereof see Tertullian Apolog. c. 19. Clemens Alexand. S. Iustine, S. Augustine cont. Faiest. li. 20 c. 20.) after the Sacrifice and Communion vvas ended, as S. Chrysostom ho. 27. in 1 Cor. in initio iudgeth. Those feastes S. Paul here calleth Coenas Dominicas, because they vvere made in the Churches vvhich then vvere called Dominica, that is, Our Lordes houses. The disorder therfore kept among the Corinthians in these Church-feastes of Charitie, the Apostle seeketh here to redresse: from the foule abuses expressed here in the text. And as S. Ambrose in hunc locum, and most good authors novv thinke, this vvhich he calleth Dominicam coenam, is not meant of the B. Sacrament, as the circunstances also of the text do giue, namely, the reiecting of the poore, the rich mens priuate deuouring of al, not expecting one an other, glottony and drunkennesse in the same, vvhich can not agree to the holy Sacrament. And therfore the Heretikes haue smal reason, vpon this place, to name the said holy Sacramēt, rather, the Supper of the Lord, then after the maner of the primitiue Church, the Eucharist, MASSE, or Liturgie. But by like they vvould bring it to the supper againe or Euening seruice, vvhen men be not fasting, the rather to take avvay the old estimation of the holines thereof.
23. I haue deliuered.] As al other partes of religion vvere first deliuered by preaching and vvord of mouth to euery Nation conuerted, so this holy order and vse of the B. Sacrament vvas by S. Paul first giuen vnto the Corinthians by tradition. Vnto vvhich as receiued of our Lord he reuoketh them by this Epistle, not putting in vvriting particularly al things pertaining to the order, vse, and institution, as he aftervvard saith: but repeating the summe and substance thereof, and leauing the residue to his returne. But his vvordes and narration here vvritten vve vvil particularly prosecute, because the Heretikes make profession to folovv the same in their pretended reformation of the MASSE.
23. Ia the night.] First the Aduersaries may be here conuinced that al the circumstāces of time, person, & place vvhich in Christes action are noted, neede not to be imitated. As, that the Sacramēt should be ministred at night, to men onely, to onely tvvelue, after or at supper, & such like: because (as S. Cyprian ep. ••3. nu. ••. & S. Augustine ep. 118. c. 6. note) there vvere causes of those accidents in Christ that are not novv to be alleaged for vs. He instituted then this holy act: vve do not, he made his Apostles Priests, that is to say, gaue them commission to do and minister the same: vve do not he vvould haue this the last act of his life & vvithin the bounds of his Passion: it is not so vvith vs. he vvould eate and make an end of the Paschal to accomplish the old Lavv: that can not be in our action. therfore he must needes doe it after supper and at night: vve may not do so. he excluded al vvomen, al the rest of his Disciples, al lay men: vve inuite al faithful, men & vvomen. In many circunstances then, neither vve may imitate Christes first action, nor the Heretikes as yet do: though they seeme to encline by abandoning other names sauing this (calling it Supper) to haue it at night and after meate. though (as is before noted) they haue no iust cause to call it so vpon Christ, fact, seeing the Euangelists do plainely shevv * that the Sacrament vvas instituted after Supper, as the Apostle him self here recordeth of the later part in express•• speach. And most men thinke, a long sermon and the vvashing of the Apostles feete came betvvene, yea and that the supper vvas quite finished, & grace said. But in al these and such like things, the Catholike Church onely, by Christes Spirit can tel, vvhich things are imitable, vvhich not, in al his actions.
••1. Tooke.] Christ tooke bread into his hands, applying this ceremonie, action, and benedi∣ction to it, and did blesse the very element, vsed povver and actiue vvord vpon it, * as he did ouer the bread and fishes vvhich he multiplied: and so doth the Church of God: and so do not the Protestants, if they folovv their ovvne booke and doctrine, but they let the bread & cuppe stand a loofe, and occupie Christes vvordes by vvay of report and narration applying them not at al to the matter proposed to be occupied: and therfore hovvsoeuer the simple people be deluded by the rehersal of the same vvordes vvhich Christ vsed, yet consecration, benediction, or sanctification of bread and vvine they professe they make none at al. At the first alteration of religion, there vvas a figure of the Crosse at this vvord. He blessed: and at the vvorde, He tooke, there vvas a glosse or