I trust no man will gather of that I have said here, that it is none offence to do against God's commandment. My meaning is far otherwise. Neither say I, that this saying of Christ in Matthew, Drink ye all of this, or that in John, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his Blood, ye shall not have life in you: Or other commandments of Christ, be not to be kept: but this is that I say, and that every Catholic man saith: that the universal Church doth better understand, which are the commandments of Christ, and how they ought to be kept, then Berengarius, Wycliffe, Hus, Luther, Zuinglius, Calvin, Cranmer, Peter Martyr, or any their scholars, and followers, which now be sundry sects. As for example: God hath thus commanded, Thou shalt not swear: and, Thou shalt not kill:1 and if thine eye cause thee to offend,2 pull him out, and cast him away from thee. Whereas certain sects of Heretics, as namely they which be called Waldenses, and Picardi, by their construction hereof have maintained opinion, that no oath ought to be given or made in no case or respect: likewise that in no case or respect, a man may do an other to death: and also that after the outward letter of the Gospel, sometime a man is bound to pull out his eye, and cast it from him: which thing hath been done by some of the Picards, as it is reported, as though else Gods commandment were not kept: this hath so been understanded by the Catholic Church confessing nevertheless these to be Gods commandments, as in time, in place, and in certain cases, a man might, and ought, without breach of Commandment, both swear, and kill: and likewise keep his eye in his head▪ and therein offend God nothing ⟨p. 118⟩at all. So the Catholic Church understandeth, Drink ye all of this, to be Christs Commandment, and of necessity to be observed: but of Priests only, I mean of necessity: and that when in the Sacrifice of the Church is celebrated the memory of Christs death, which in that degree be the successors of the Apostles, to whom that commandment was specially given, when they were consecrated priests of the New Testament: who so did drink in deed, as S. Mark witnesseth: Et biberunt ex eo omnes, 3and they drank all of it.
I trust no man wil geather of that I haue saide here, that it is none offence to doo against Goddes commaundement. My meaning is farre otherwise. Neither say I, that this sayeinge of Christe in Matthew, Drinke ye al of this, or that in Iohn, Excepte ye eate the fleashe of the sonne of man, and drinke his Bloud, ye shal not haue life in you: Or other commaundementes of Christ, be not to be keapte: but this is that I say, and that euery Catholike man saithe: that the vniuersal Churche dooth better vnderstande, whiche are the commaundementes of Christe, and how they ought to be keapte, then Berengarius, VViclefe, Hus, Luther, Zuinglius, Caluine, Cranmere, Peter Martyr, or any their scholars, and followers, which now be sundrie sectes. As for example: God hath thus commaunded, Thou shalt not sweare: and, Thou shalt not kil:1 and if thine eye cause thee to offende,2 pul him out, and cast him away from thee. Whereas certaine sectes of Heretiques, as namely they whiche be called VValdenses, and Picardi, by their construction hereof haue mainteined opinion, that no othe ought to be geuen or made in no case or respecte: likewise that in no case or respecte, a man may doo an other to death: and also that after the outwarde letter of the Gospel, sometime a man is bounde to pul out his eye, and cast it from him: whiche thinge hath been doone by some of the Picardes, as it is reported, as though els Gods commaundement were not keapte: this hath so beene vnderstanded by the Catholyke Churche confessing neuerthelesse these to be Gods commaundementes, as in time, in place, and in certaine cases, a man might, and ought, without breache of Commaundement, bothe sweare, and kil: and likewise keape his eye in his head▪ and therein offende God nothinge ⟨p. 118⟩at al. So the Catholike Churche vnderstandeth, Drinke ye al of this, to be Christes Commaundement, and of necessitie to be obserued: but of Priestes onely, I meane of necessitie: and that when in the Sacrifice of the Churche is celebrated the memory of Christes deathe, whiche in that degree be the successours of the Apostles, to whom that commaundement was specially geuen, when they were consecrated priestes of the Newe Testament: who so did drinke in deede, as S. Marke witnesseth: Et biberunt ex eo omnes, 3and they dranke al of it.
- 1Math. 5.
- 2Exod. 20.
- 3Mark. 14.Marke. 14.
