Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 1 · Book 1 · Part 36
The sixe and thirtieth Chapter, endeth the exposition of Malachie, by Saint Hierome, and Damascen.Hesk.
S. Hierome vponupon ye Prophet Malachie writeth thus:Fulke. Ergo propriè nūc ad sacerdotes Indeorū sermo sit domini, qui offerūt, caecū & clandū & languidū ad immolandū vt sciant carnalibꝰ victimis spirituales victimas successuras. Et necquaquam tantorum hircerùmque sanguinem: sed thymiana, hoc est, sanctorum orationes Domino offerendas: & non in vna orbis prouincia Iudaea, nec in vna iudaea vrbe Hierusalem: sed in omni loco offerri oblationem: nequaquam immundam, vt a populo Israel: sed mundum, vt in ceremonijs Christianorum. Now therefore the word of the Lorde is properly spoken to the Priestes of the Iewes, which offer the blinde and lamue, and feeble, to be sacrificed, that they might knowe that spirituall sacrifices, should succeede those carnall sacrifices. And not the bloud of bulles and goates, but an incense, that is to say, the prayers of the Sainctes should be offered to the Lord: and that not in one prouince of the world Iewry, neither in Ierusalem one citie of Iewry, but in eueryevery place an oblation is offered: was vncleane, as of the people of Israel, but cleane, as in the ceremonies of the Christians. Doest thou not maruell (Gentle Reader) that Maister Heskins alledgeth this place, which in euerie point is so directly contrarie to his purpose? He saith that among the ceremonies of the Christians, none can be properly called the cleane sacrifice, but the sacrifice of the body and bloud of Christ. O shamelesse begger, that craueth no lesse then the whole controuersie to be giuen him! And that contrarie to Hierome, whose name he abuseth, which expoundeth this place of spirituall sacrifices, and more expressely of the prayers of the saintes, whiche are not vsed in one, but in all the ceremonies of the Christians. But to set some colour vponupon ye matter, he bringeth in an other saying of Hierome, which is written before this in exposition of another place, perteining nothing to this prophecy of ye pure sacrifice: but wher by analogie or like reason, (as the prophet rebuketh the priestes of the Iewes) he doeth reprehend also the Bishops, Elders, and Deacons of the Church for their negligence: Offertis inquit &c. You offer, saith he, vponupon mine altar bread polluted. We pollute the bread, that is to say the body of Christ, when we come vnworthily to the altar, and we beeing filthie doe drinke cleane bloud, and say the Lordes table is contemptible, &c. Here forsooth, we vnderstand that the body of Christ is, the sacrifice of the Christians, yea, but according to the former sentence, so offered, that it is a spirituall sacrifice.
But what else? Here we are taught that we doe not take one thing: videlicet bread, and do iniurie to another thing, that is the body and bloud of Christ, as the sacramentaries say, but receiuing the very body and bloud of Christ we do iniury to the same. But vouchsafe to heare the same teacher, speaking of the same matter, and in the same place, in fewe wordes to satisfie the reasonable, and to stoppe the mouthes of quarrellers. Dum enim sacramenta violantur, ipse cuius sunt sacramenta violatur. For while iniurie is done to the sacramentes, iniurie is done to him whose sacraments they are. He sheweth a reason against them that demaunded proudly, wherein they had polluted God, when they had but polluted his sacraments? Leauing therefore Hierome at open warre with M. Heskins, I will passe to Damascen, who for lacke of a Greeke auncient Baron, beeing an auncient burgesse of the lower house, Maister Heskins, is bolde to matche with Hironyme, though farre inferiour to him in antiquitie and credite, whose wordes are these:Libr. 4. This is that pure and vnbloudy sacrifice, which our Lord speaketh by the Prophet to be offred to him, from the rising of the sunne, to the going downe of the same, namely the body and bloud of Christ, vntounto the vnconsumed, and vncorrupted establishment of our body and soule, not going into secesse, (God forbid, that any such imagination should be) but it is a purgation of al manner filth, and a reparation of all manner of hurt, vntounto our sustentation, and conseruation. This place saith Maister Heskins is so plaine, that a childe may perceiue it: for it is sufficient for him, if he heare once body and bloud named. Howbeit, if either Damascens authoritie were of weight, or the corruption of the time in which he liued vnknowen, there is nothing, in this saying, which might not easily, and without any wresting, be referred to the spirituall sacrifices, & to the spirituall manner of sacrificing the body and bloud of Christ, which we hauehave learned out of the elder fathers.