Annotatio I §.I Calixtus: Eucharist deformed by papal abuses — reformers right, but weak foresight at the start
Calixtus notes the occasion of that first priority without tastelessness: among the Pontificians the Eucharist had been deformed by foul abuses and superstitions — scarcely any other head of religion had suffered equal calamity.
They adored the blessed bread as the very Body, set it out for adoration, and offered a propitiatory sacrifice; solitary Masses without communicants were frequent.
The first Reformation leaders rightly meant to abolish those errors — yet human ingenuity is weak, and not all foresaw at the start how it would be done rightly (Judic. §.47, Dutch ed. pp. 69–70).
Latin
Prioris Prioritatis occasionem non insulsè annotat B. Georg. Calixtus hisce verbis: Sacramentum Eucharistiae multis & tetris abusibus & superstitionibus hactenus apud Pontificios deformatum erat & vix aliud religionis caput parem calamitatem expertum: Panem benedictum abusu remoto, quod nihil nisi ipsumissimum corpus crederent esse, adorabant & vulgò adorandum proponebant, quin & sacrificium propitiatorium (vocabulo hôc strictè & in formali significatione accepto) habebant & offerebant. Atque adeo Missas ut vocant solitarias, Communicantium expertes, frequentissimè celebrabant, rarò autem adhibitis Communicantibus. Hisce erroribus & pravitatibus abolendis intenti erant primi Reformationis duces & Autores, quod omnino rectè erat; quae est autem humani ingenii imbecillitas, quomodo id rectè fieret, non omnes in istis initiis providebant, Judic. de controversiis theologicis §.47. Batav. ed. p. 69. in fine & 70.