[The principal points which are at this day in controversy, concerning the holly supper…[The principal points which are at this daye in controuersie, concerning the holly supper…

Chapter viii.

Whether the Romaine priests may justly excuse them selves by the people, in that that they are deprived of the communion of their masses.

Whether the Romaine priests may iustly excuse them selues by the people, in that that they are depriued of the communion of their masses.

But let us come now to that which they may reply against that which I have even now spoken.¹ The Romaine doctors and catholics do answer us when we do blame their, for that there is no general communion in […] masses, that there is no fault at all in the priests which say it. For they do excuse them selves that they are not the cause that there is no communion of the assistants, for they deny it to no man: wherefore the fault proceedeth from the assistants which do not demand it at all, and which are not at all disposed to receive it, as they ought to do, & not from the priests. By mean whereof they shut them selves from it. But who is the cause thereof, but only the priests them selves? For what admonition do they give to the people, ⟨image 71⟩either in their mass or before the same, to cause them to prepare and dispose them selves to the communion which they will administer in the same? And when they come to the Altar, do not they know well enough what supper they ought to administer, and which be those that are disposed to communicate at the same? do they not know very well that there are none which are prepared thereunto? for they do not accustom at all to communicate the same, but to such as are first confessed to them, and by whom they are advertised, whether they have will to communicate or no. And on the other side,