dement of hauing a communion: the sacrament is not communicated to all, vnder bothe kindes, accordynge to the woorde of the Lorde. The sign is seruilely worshipped, for the thing signified. Christes Passion is iniuryed, for asmuch as this masse sacrifice is affirmed to remaine for the purging of synnes: to be shorte, the manyfold superstitions & triflinge fondnes which are in the Masse, & about the same.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaH. LatimerBetter a few thinges well pondered, then to trouble the memory with to much. you shal preuayle more with prayeng, then with studieng, though mixture be best. For so one shal alleuiate the tediousnes of the other. I entend not to contend much with them in wordes, after a reasonable accoumpte of my fayth geuen: for it shal be but in vayne. They wyll saye, as their fathers sayd, when they haue no more to say. MarginaliaIoan. 19.We haue a lawe, and by our lawe he ought to dye. Be ye stedfast and vnmoueable sayth sainte Paule, and agayne, persistito, stand faste. Marginalia1. Corin. 15. Marginalia1. Timo. 3. Ioan. 15. Col. 1.And how ofte is this repeted, if ye abyde, if ye abide &c. But wee shall be called obstinate, sturdy, ignoraūt, heady and what not? So that a man hath nede of much patience, hauing to do with such men.
Latimer is advising Ridley not to rely too much on argument during his examinations because their adversaries will quibble and insult them. This remark is interesting in light of the behaviour of Latimer during the disputations at Oxford in April 1554 and during his trial.
MarginaliaAntō obiec. 3But you know how greate a crime it is to separate your selfe from the communion or felowship of the church, and to make a schisme, or diuision. you haue bene reported to haue hated the secte of the Anabaptistes, and alwayes to haue impugned the same. More ouer this was the perniciouse erroure of Nouatus,
I.e., Novatian a third century heresiarch. The Novationists separated from the church because they refused to recognize bishops and clergy who had compromised with the pagan authorities during the Decian persecution.
The Cathari, or Cathers, were a religious sect which flourished from the late eleventh into the fourteenth centuries in western Germany, northern Italy and southern France.
MarginaliaN. Rydleys Answer.I know that the vnity of the church is to be retayned by all meanes, and the same to be necessary to saluatiō. But I do not take the masse as it is at this daye, for the communion of the church, but for a popish deuise wherby both the commaundement and institution of our sauour Christ for the ofte frequentinge of the remembraunce of his death, is eluded, and the people of God are miserably deluded. The sect of the Anabaptistes, and the heresy of the Nouatians, ought of right to be condemned, for as much as without any iuste or necessary cause they wyckedly separated them selfes from the communion of the congregation: for they dyd not alleadge that the sacramentes were vnduely ministred, but turning a waye theire eies frō them selfes, where with accordinge to saynte Paules rule Marginalia1. Corin. 11. they ought to examine them selues and casting theyr eyes euer vpon others, either ministers or communicantes with them, they alwaies reproued som thing for the which they absteined from the communion, as from an vnholy thing.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaH. Latimer.I remember that Caluine beginneth to confute the Interim
The Augsburg Interim (1548) was a doctrinal formula creating a religious settlement between catholics and protestants in the Holy Roman Empire. It was rejected by Calvinists and Swiss and English protestants, who particularly objected to its eucharistic theology. (It was also denounced by the pope).
[Back to Top]agayne but scornefull gieres, with commaundement to the Tower.
MarginaliaAnton. obiect. 4.But admitte there be in the masse that peraduenture might be amēded, or at least made better: yea, seing you wil haue it so, admit there be a fault: if you do not consent therto, Why doo you trouble your self in vain? do not you know both by Ciprian and Augustine MarginaliaCypri. l. 1. ep. 2. A.uep. 152 that communion of sacramentes doth not defile a man, but consent of dedes.
Augustine is being taken a bit out of context here; he was saying that even the misdeeds of an unworthy priest did not defile the sacrament.
MarginaliaN. Ryd. Answer.Yf it were any one trifling ceremonie, or if it were some one thinge of it selfe indifferente (although I would wishe nothinge should be done in the church, which dooth not edifye the same) yet for the continuance of the cōmen quietnes I could be contente to beare it. But for asmuch as thinges done in the masse tend openly to the ouerthrow of Christes institution, I iudge that by no means either in word, or dede I ought to consent vnto it. As for that which is obiected out of the Fathers, I acknowledge it to be well spoken, if it be well vnderstanded. But it is ment of them which suppose they are defiled, if any secret vice be either in the ministers, or in them that communicate with them, and is not ment of them which do abhorre superstition, and wicked traditions of men, and wyll not suffer the same to be thrust vpon them selfes, or vpon the church, in steade of Goddes worde, and the trueth of the gospell.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaH. Latimer.The very mary bones
I.e., the essence.
MarginaliaAnton. obiect. 5.Consider into what daungers you cast your selfe, if you forsake the church: and you cannot but forsake it, if you refuse to goo to masse. For the masse is the sacrament of vnity: without the Arke there is no saluation. The Church is the Arke and Peters shippe. Ye knowe this saing wel inough. He shall not haue God to be hys Father, which acknowlegeth not the church to be his mother. Moreouer without the Church (sayeth Saint Augustine MarginaliaAug. li. 4. de Sim. c. 10. In ep. post col. contra Donat.) be the lyfe neuer so well spent, it shall not enherit the kingdome of heauen.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaN. Ridleis answer.The holy Catholique or vniuersall Church, which is the communion of saintes, the howse of God, the City of God, the spowse of Christ, the body of Christ, the piller, and staye of the truth, Marginaliai. Timo. 3. Apocal. 21. Ephes. 1. this church I beleue accordinge to the Creede. This church I do reuerence, and honour in the Lorde. But the rule of this church is the word of God, according to which rule, we go forward vnto life. And as many as walk accordinge to this rule, I say with saint Paul MarginaliaGala. 6. Phil. 2. peace be vpon them, and vpon Israell which pertaineth vnto God. The guide of this church isthe holy ghost. The markes, wherby thys Church is knowen vnto me in thys darcke world, and in the myddeste of thys crooked and frowarde generation, are these. The sincere preachinge of Goddes holy woorde,
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