A Mystery of Iniquity Disclosed and Confuted, Part 15
A mysterye.
1 He dyd saye playne There ded not remayne.
2 Rya…ye present In the blessed sacrament.
3 Os iusti pascitur imperitia. Pro. 15.
¶The openinge. 1.
ODyouse vntounto Pantolabus is Iohan Frith aboue all other / and that apereth by this. Though he hath afore here accused Wyclef / Husse / Luther / Melanchton / Oecolampadius / and zwinglius for heretyques / yet hath he layde agaynste them non artycles of heresye. But now in a great fume he layeth to Iohan Frithes charge the sacramēt of the aultre / and that with no small circumstaūce. Manye menne thynketh that this hote enterpryse of his / is more for the losse that he and soche other hath sustayned in dyrge pens / sowle grotes / masse offerynges / trētals / monthmyndes / yearmyndes / and soche lyke / than for anye other de…ryon. That is the comberouse colly…k that pangeth him & his generacyon daylye at the verye hart ro…e / & that maketh them so malancholye / madde / and modye agaynst heretyques. They are not cōtented that Iohan Frith was so playne in his wrytynges concernynge that matter / wherin all their commodyte and profyghtes lyeth enclosed. Had he medled with anye other thynge els / he had not so fore displeased them. For yf that ones were taken awaye / small substaū ce wold remayne vntounto them / towardes their spirituall mayntenaunce in pryde / whoredom / slouthe / ydelnesse / glottonye / buggerye and soch other beastlye frutes of their vn… cyons and shauynges.
2 Wonderfullye hauehave they busyed themselues to holde vp that buyldynge of theirs. That holye Masse or sacrifice for the quyeke and the dead / patched togyther by so manye holye Popes / with so manye ceremonyes dysgysynges / syghtes / instrumentes / gy… nes / legerdemaynes / turnynges / beckynges / dreamynges / dottynges / mowynges / gapynges / breathynges with ho he hauehave at all / cryenges / crossynges / doppynges / dossynges / blessynges / breakynges / de…owrynges / syppynges / rynsynges / thombe lyckynges / & manye other toyes besydes. All their wyttes / labour / disygence / and stodye hauehave they with Demetrius occupyed / to prepare stronge bulwerkes for this shryne of Dyana. Afterthat their Pope had ones optayned of Phocas the false emprour to be head of y• churche. By the craftye practyses of the mō kes / Paschasiꝰ / Berno / Guido / Humbertꝰ / Gulmundus / Algerus / Rogerus / Lanfrancus / Ans…lmus / and soche other / was realyte adioyned to the sacrament. Than were vnyuersytees founded euerye where by monkes also to vpholde that newe buylded butteras. Than stode forth Peter the Lombarde or the Master of their sentences / which was begotten / bredde / and borne of an holye whore / a nonne I shulde saye / vndre the sacred vowe of chastyte / and he gaue vntounto yt transubstanciacyon. Than folowed transmutacyon / transicyon / and transaccidentacyon / but not transsyguracyon yet to this daye.
Than ded Pope Innocent the .iii. of that name make yt Accidens sine subiecto / Thomas of Aq…yne supportynge that doctryne by his doltyshe diuynite. Iohan Parys and other wolde hauehave added vntounto yt Impanacyon of y• worde / but that was reiected anon for daungers therevpon ensewynge. After that came in ydemptyte / realyte / formalyte / materyalyte / propryete / veracyte / absolute beynge / multiplicacyon / vnyon / diffynitacyon / essenciacyon / vbiquite fyguralite / symbolycalite / naturalyte / potencialite / personalyte / presencialyte / proporcionalite / perticipalite / habitualite / virtualite / dymencionalite / substancialite / deificalite / carnalite corporalite / modalite / supposytalite / ypostaticalite / and a great sort more amonge their Sentencioners and Scolistes. Than was y… boxed / pyxed / and tabernacled / & so borne forth in processyon with torche / lyght / banner / crosse / candels…yck / cope / & canape / with knelynge and crowchynge / manye wonderfull myracles folowynge / as was seane at Lynos / Parys / Calys / Brucels / Schiedam / and in manye other places els. And so was yt clerelye altred from Christes institucyon / and became throughlye the abominacyon of desolacyon / as wytnesseth Iohan Wyclef in his .iii. chapter de Eucharistia. Than had the bisshoppes at their handes their Sophisters and Summystes / their Sentēcyoners and Canonistes with all supers…iciouse subtyltees to defende yt for a blessed sacramēt. And whan that lowsye lernynge wolde not serue them / than had they vponupon their sydes to dispute with agaynst y• heretyques / both sweedes and halters / fyre and faggottes / as they hauehave yet styll to this houre.
3 I wolde that the text which Pantolabꝰ bringeth in here out of Salomons Prouerbes / to proue that Christes bodye is reallye present in the blessed sacrament / were dilygentlye marked of the reader. It is not these / De stusti pascitur imperitia / as Pantol… bus hath here layed it forth. But it is in that xv. chapter. De stultorum pascetur imper… tia / yf ye take their olde text. The mouthe of fooles shall befedde with all folyshnesse. Of a lykelyhode Pantolabꝰ hath some priuylege of the Pope / that he maye at his pleasur peruert the scripturs in the defence of holye churche. yet proueth not this peruerted text that Christ is reallye present in the sacrament. But in dede it declareth what Pantolabus is / both reallye / naturallye / formallye / and substanciallye / and so doth in a maner all the whole chapter besydes. Sone after the begynnynge therof / is soche an other: lyke clause. De fatuorum ebullit stultitiam. The mouth of lewde fooles boyleth out folyshe bablynges / as are the Poeticall verses of Pantolabus boke here / and all the ynke horne termes also of their doctors afore rehersed here for their blessed sacramēt. More fytlye had this clause of the same chapter bene applyed to that sacrament as it is now vsed. Victime impiorum abominabiles Domino. Abhominable to y• Lorde are the sacrifyces of the wycked / where as the prayer of the ryghtouse is acceptable. Fylthye is the waye of the vngodlye / but he that foloweth ryghtousnesse is in Gods fauer. For whye y• ceremonyes therof are the Popes & not his. The brekefast is the prestes alone / and no communyon of Christes peple to knytt them vp togyther as members into his mysticall bodye.