The confessyon of the fayth of the Germaynes exhibited to the moste victorious Emperour Charles the. v. in the Councell or assemble holden at Augusta the yere of our Lorde. 1530. To which is added the apologie of Melancthon who defendeth with reasons inuincible the aforesayde confesyon translated by Rycharde Tauerner at the commaundeme[n]t of his master Thomas Cromwel chefe Secretarie to the kynges grace.

❧ Of bothe kyndes to be gyuen in the souper of the lorde. ❧

IT can nat be doubted, but that it is an holy thing, and agreing to the institution of Christ, and to the wordes of Paule, to vse bothe partes or kyndes in the souper of the lorde. For Christe dyd institute bothe partes / and he dyd institute thē nat for parte of the chur∣che, but for the hole churche. For nat onely prestes, but the hole churche vseth the sacra∣ment, and that by the authoritie of Christ, and nat by the authoritie of mā. And th{is} we thinke that our aduersaries do graūt. Nowe if Christ dyd institute this sacramēt for the hole chur∣che: why is the one kynde taken awaye frome parte of the church? why is the vse of the one kynde forbydden? why is the ordenaunce of Christe chaunged? namely sythe he hymselfe dothe call it hys testamente. That if it be nat lauful to breake the testament and laste wyl of a man: muche lesse it shalbe laufull to breake the testamente of Christe. And Paule sayeth that he receyued of the lorde,* 1.1 that whiche he taught. But he taught the vse of bothe kynd{is} as the texte euidētly sheweth. Do this (sayeth he) fyrste speakyng of the body / afterwarde he repeteth the same word{is} of the cup. And after he sayeth, let a man trye and examyne himselfe, and so let him eate of the breade, and drynke of the cuppe.* 1.2 These be the wordes of one disposing and or∣dering. And he speaketh before, that they whi∣che shulde vse the souper of the lorde, shulde vse it togither in one company. Wherfore it is euident, that the sacrament was instituted for

the hole churche. And the vse ther of remay∣neth yet in some churches of the Grekes. And the same custome was sometyme also in the la∣tine churches, as Cypriane and Hierome do witnesse.* 1.3 For thus sayeth Hierome vpon the prophete Sophonie. Sacerdotes qui ••ucharistiae seruiunt & sanguinem domini populis diuidunt. &c. The prestes, whiche do serue the sacrament•• of the alter, whiche do deuide the bloude of the lorde to the people. &c. The councel of Toletane witnesseth the same. Neyther shal it be any greate mastry to gather a greate heape of testimonies. Here we wyll nat exaggerate ne amplifie this thing we only leaue it to the wyse reader to be cōsi∣dered, what is to be thought of the ordenaūce of god. Our aduersaries in the cōfutatiō do nat go about to excuse the churche, frō whom the one parte of the sacramēt was takē away▪ It became good and religious men to do th{is}. They ought to haue sought a sure and strong reason, to excuse the churche / and to teache the consciences, whiche can nat be suffred to haue but one parte of y^• sacrament. Nowe they defende, that it is well done to kepe awaye the one parte, and they forbidde to graunt the vse of bothe partes. Fyrste they fayne that in the church the maner was in some places, to gyue but the one parte alone. And yet can they brīg forthe none auncient example herof / but they alledge the places, in whiche mention is made of breade / as in Luke. Where it is writen, that the disciples knewe Christe by breakynge of the breade. They alledge also other places of breakyng of the breade. And albeit we do nat greately saye agaynste them, but that some of those places may be vnderstāded of the sacra∣mente:

yet for all that thys dothe nat folowe, that there was gyuen but the one parte alone, for by namyng of parte the residue is betoke∣ned, by a comen maner & custome of speakyng. They adde also of the laicall cōmunion / whi∣che was nat the vse of y^• one kynde alone, but of bothe. And if at any tyme prestes be byddē to vse the laicall communion, it is mente, that they were remoued from the ministery of con∣secration. And this thyng our aduersaries do knowe wel ynough, but they do abuse the igno¦raunce of vnlearned men / whiche, when they here speake of laicall cōmunion: by and by do dreame of the maner and vsage of our tyme, in which to lay men is gyuen but only one parte of the sacrament. And se howe shameles they be, Gabriel amonge other causes reciteth,* 1.4 why bothe partes be nat gyuen: because there was a difference to be made betwene laye men and prestes. And it is lykely ynough, that thys is the chief cause, why the prohibitiō of the one parte is so greatly defended, that the dignitie of the ordre by this religious fashyon myght be the better estemed and the more set by. Th{is} is an humaine reason and purpose (I wyll nat speake ouer sharply) whiche for what ende it serueth, it may easly be iudged. And in the con¦futation they alledge of the sonnes of Helie, that whē the office of the hygh preste was lost they shulde desyre but one parte sacerdotall / as it is wrytten in the fyrste boke of kynges.* 1.5 Here they say is signified the vse of one only kynde. And they adde thys conclusion. So therfore our lay men also ought to be content with one part sacerdotal, that is to wete, with one kynde. Uerely our aduersaries do dallye

and tryfle, whē they applye the hystory of the chyldren of Helie to the sacramentes. There is described the punyshmēt of Helie, wyl they say thys also, that the laye men be kepte from the one parte because of punyshemente? The sacramente was instituted to comforte & lyfte vp troubled and feared myndes, when they be¦leue, that the flesshe of Christe, which was gi∣uen for the lyfe of the worlde, is meate / & whē they beleue, that they ioyned to Christe be quickened. But our aduersaries do reason, that laye men be kepte from the one parte be∣cause of punyshemēt. The laye men (say they) ought to be cōtente. This is very imperiously spoken. And why oughte they? There oughte nat to be asked why, nor any cause is to be en∣quired: but what soeuer diuines say, it must be a lawe. This is the foule vometyng and dron∣kyn sayīg of Eccius.* 1.6 For we espye these thra∣sonicall and proude bragging wordes of these felowes, whiche if we were disposed to touche, so as we myght do we shulde nat lacke matter nor oratiō. For ye se howe they be past shame. He cōmaundeth (as it were a tyraunte in tra∣gedies) that whether they wyll, or nat wyll, they ought to be contented. Shall these rea∣sons, which he alledgeth at domes day excuse these men whiche do forbydde parte of the sa∣crament, and whiche do thus rage agaynste good men that vse the hole sacramēt? If they do forbydde it for this skille, that there shuld be a difference of the ordre: this selfe same rea¦son ought to moue vs, that we do nat agre to our aduersaries, euen thoughe we were elles minded to haue obserued the custome & maner with them. There be other diuersities betwixt

the ordre of prestes, and the state of the peo∣ple / but it is easy to se, what is theyr entente / and why they do defende this diuersitie or dif¦ference so greatly. But we, leaste we myghte seme to minishe the true dignitie of the ordre, wyll speake nomore at this tyme of this theyr craftye and subtyle purpose.

They alledge also the peryll and ieoperdie of spyllyng, and certayne lyke thynges / whiche haue nat so greate strengthe, as to chaūge the ordenaunce of Christ. And let vs put the case, that it were free eyther to vse the one parte or bothe: Howe can yet the prohibition be defen¦ded? Howbeit the churche dothe nat take this libertie vnto her, that she may make of Christ{is} ordenaūces thinges indifferent. We verely do excuse the church, which hathe susteined this iniury and wronge, because they myght nat be suffred to haue bothe partes: but the auc∣tours and causers, whiche do defende, that it is wel done to prohibite the vse of the hole sa∣crament / and which nat only do prohibite the vse, but also do excommunicate and persecute with violence them, that do vse the hole sacra¦mente: these persones (I saye) we can nat ex∣cuse. Let thē loke to theyr owne charge, howe they wyll make aunswere to god / & what cause they wyll shewe of these theyr purposes and entent{is}. Neyther is it to be iudged forthwith, that the churche dothe ordeyne or approue what soeuer thynges the bysshopes of Rome do ordeyne / namely sythe the scripture dothe prophesie of bysshopes and curates that they shulde so do / as Ezechiel sayeth. Peribit lex a sacerdote. The lawe shall begyn to peryshe at the preste.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Co. 11
• * 1.2

  1. Co. 11
• * 1.3

  The wordes of saint Hierom
• * 1.4

  Gabriel
• * 1.5

  1. Re. 2.
• * 1.6

  Eccius