doe nether fede nor norish S. Augustin also subscribeth vnto them saying Accedat verbum elemento fit sacramentum he saith not succedat but accedat whiche is this much to say Let the word be added to the element and then it is made a sacrament Thus it is euident that y e bread and wyne which is the element remayneth and is not traÌ„substanciat both by autentical scriptures whiche do alowe thre similitudes and also by the consent of al the doctors and elder fathers For out of doubt Athanasius Basil Nazianzene Hierome Chrisostome and other both Latinistes and Grekes do not disagre with these Moreouer the rock was a sacrament of Christes bloud yet not transubstanciat They we drinke one spiritual drinke as Paul recordeth Likewise Manna was a sacrament of his body without any such mutacion You wil aske me then whether our sacramentes be better then the sacraments of the old testameÌ„t Yea truly but not of their own nature but thorow y e grace of God thorow the fulnes of time bicause in this testament the face of Christ is more clearly discouered and knowen and not thorow any transubstanciation These be y e daies which the Patriarkes Prophets desired to come the daies of saluation the acceptable time I haue opened the true meaning of Christes words this is my body and declared the necessitie the vse the fruit the mary and swetenes of the holy communion which fruit is incomparable For if all they whiche did but touch the hem of Christes garment receiued their perfect health How much more shall we be made strong and conforted if we haue Christ in vs. This holy communion geueth lyfe destroyeth death quickeneth our bodies lighteneth our soules banysheth synne and encreaseth vertue For as a litle wax powred vpon other wax is made al one with it euen so they that receiue this sacrament worthely abyde in Christ and Christ in them A little leauen sowreth a whole batch but the seldome receiuing of this sacrament if I say it be receiued worthely bryngeth remission of sinnes purgeth our soules maketh cleane our herts amendeth our vnderstandinges but the oftener the better All you that approch vnto this table and desyre to be braunches of the vyne and to be sealed into the felowship of the congregation forsake your sinfull lyuing entend to leade a newe conuersacion from the bottom of your hearts pourge out the olde leauen and become newe dough burie al affections and liue vnto vertue otherwyse ye nether eat Christes flesh nor drink his bloud He that eateth Christes flesh hath eternall life Yea mary saith the Papistes if he eat it digne worthely adding vnto the text or els making it false but he may receiue it vnworthely as Iudas did Examen this exposition with the touchstone opeÌ„ the scripture with the key not with the pick lock and thou shalt finde that Christes flesh is not receiued vnworthely In all the scriptures this word indigne vnworthely is but once read concerning this sacrament and there marke the bread the wyne is said to be receiued vnworthely not Christes most coÌ„fortable flesh and bloud Quicunque manducauerit paneÌ„ hunc c. He that eateth of this bread drinketh of this cup saith Paul vnworthely he shal be gilthy of the body and bloud of Christ. Lo he saith he that eateth of this bread vnworthely and drinketh of this cup not of the body bloud of Christ which alwaies be receiued vnto health Chose nowe gentell reader whether thou wilt beleue y e papistes which teach that Christes flesh is receiued of euil meÌ„ vnworthely â—r Paul which saith he that eateth of this bread that is not commen bread not dayly bread but sacramental bread that is ment by the word this If they can shew in any place of scripture where this word vnworthely is ioined with the body of Christ as I haue shewed where it is coupled with bread I will be of their opinion Christes flesh is meat according to his own saying Caro mea vere est cibus c. My flesh is very meat and my bloud is very drink Now meat doth hurt where it findeth a bely corrupt with naughtie humores Euen so this spiritual fode if it find a man defiled with sinne encreaseth his dampnation bryngeth hym vnto destruction not of the nature of it but thorowe the default of hym that receceiueth it Yea if we be defiled with corrupt humors we be no partakers of these deinties But peraduenture the Papistes wil reply if it be meat then is it receiued both of good and euil men for nether of both sortes can lyue without meat To this I auÌ„swere it is the meat of the soul not of the bodie the fode of the spirit not of the flesh and therfore it is not receiued of euill persones because the meat is good and they be euill so that this is a strong argument Christes flesh and bloud is meat ergo it is not receiued of euil men Moreouer Christes flesh and bloud is the vine as I haue proued before and we be the braunches Only the brauches be fed of the vine Euil men be not braunches of the vine Ergo euil meÌ„ be not partakers of y e vine Which is Christes flesh and bloud Therfor let no Iudas no SimoÌ„ Magus no man with a cloked mind thinke that he is fed with these deinties If it were not lawful for the vncircumsised in flesh to eate the figuratiue paschal lambe how much more is it vnlawful for y e vncircumcised vnclean in heart to tast of these deinties If he that despised Moises law was condempned without any mercy vnto death vnder two or thre witnesses how more greuously shall he be punished which treadeth vnder fote the sonne of God couÌ„teth the bloud of the new testameÌ„t as an vnholy thing wherwith he is sanctified Purge out y e old leuen or els thou maist not nor thou canst not eat this swete bread Paul testifieth that many among the CorinthiaÌ„s for y e abusing of this sacrameÌ„t were punished with weakenes with sicknes yea many stroken with death the whiche he wrot for our enstruction Against the coÌ„ming of our frend we make cleane our houses and loke diligeÌ„tly that al things be trym And are we negligent in puryfying of our mindes against the coÌ„ming of the great king who hath promised to dwell with vs after the receiuing of this holy meat I wold wysh that men wold geue thankes more customably immediatly after the receyuing therof vnto God for the redemption of mankinde and for all his benefites syngyng the C. Psalme O be ioyfull in the Lorde all ye landes serue the Lord in gladnes and come before his presence with a song And the Psalme that beginneth O com let vs sing vnto the Lorde let vs hartely reioyce in the strength of our saluacion let vs come before his presence with thaÌ„kes geuing
but far different and diuerse for the vyne is no sacrament neither the dore nor the way be no sacramentes The bread of the which Christ said this is my body is a sacrament not a bare and naked metaphore the rocke was a sacrament the braseÌ„ serpent was a sacrameÌ„t not metaphores only When Christe sayd this is my body he ordeyned a sacrameÌ„t y t is he gaue y e name of the thing to the signe so y t notwythstanding the matter nature substaunce of the signe remaineth onlesse this substaunce remaine the bread is no Sacrament For sacramentes saith S. Augustine are so called of the similitude of those thinges to which they be sacramentes Take away the matter the substaunce and nature of bread and wyne and there remaineth no more similitude Now all the fathers that were before Gregory do confesse that the scriptures do wytnes that there must be thre similitudes in this sacrament a similitude of norishing a similitude of vnitie and a similitude of coÌ„uersion The similitude of norishing is this that as bread and wyne doe norish our body and comfort our outward maÌ„ so the body and bloud of Christ be the meat and fode of our soules and do coÌ„fort our inward man And the similitude of vnitie is this that as the loâ—â— of which we eate was made of many cornes of wheat by the liquor of water knoden in to dough and yet is but one loaf and as the wyne waâ— made of the iuyce of diuerse grapes and yet is but one cup of wyne so al they that eat Christes body and drinke his bloud being many are made one body one flesh by the liquor of charitie and loue the mistical body of our sauiour Christ which is his church not his natural body for the bread is a sacrament not only of Christes naturall body but also of the congregation and mistical body and therfore Paul saith that albeit we be many yet notwithstanding we ar Vnus panis vnum corpus one loaf and one body What a loaf are we Verely euen Triticeus panis a wheaten loaf by the similitude of vnitie which I haue declared The similitude of conuersion is this that as the bread and wyne is turned in to y e substauÌ„ce of our bodies so by the receiuing of Christes body and bloud we are turned into the nature of them we are chaunged and made bones of his bones and flesh of his flesh He that eateth my flesh saith Chrst drinketh my bloud he abideth in me and I in him that is to saye we be made one flesh and one bloud and thesame nature that my flesh and my bloud hath thesame getteth he that eateth me These similitudes must be in the bread and wine or els they be no sacramentes Now take away the substaunce matter and nature of them and what similitude remaineth ether of norishing or of vnitie or of conuersion These similitudes be in the very substaunce and inward nature of bread and wyne not in the outward shewe of accidentes whiche doe nether noryshe nether are they chaunged neither haue any similitude of any vnitie Here percase gentle reader thou wilt demaund of me seing I teache the substaunce of bread and wyne to remayne after the consecration what I doe aunswer to the doctours and fathers which oftentymes doe say that the nature and substaunce of bread and wine is altered is turned into the body bloud of our sauiour Christ as Ciprian in his treatise which he writeth De cena domini of the Lordes supper saith Panis non effigie sed natura mutatus this bread is chaungeâ— not in the outward shew but in the nature and substaunce and Ignatius saith the same and Cirill and Ambrose and Hierom and Augustin and Chrisostom whose doctrinâ—s we doe folowe and we do alowe and imbrace them Be not deceiued good people they ar nothing against this doctrine but the pillers and mainteiners therof if their wrytinges be truly vnderstand Marke the phrases compare their sayinges together one with an other and you shall find that many do fasly slaunder them and that they which boast prate most of the doctours and old fathers vnderstand not the old fathers So they say that Eliseus chaunged and altered the nature of Iron wheÌ„ he made it to swym aboue the water so they say that Elias chaunged the nature of fyre when thorowe his praier it fell from heauen and consumed his sacrifice of wood stones and dust The nature of fire was chaunged no man can deny it at what tyme God appeared vnto Moyses out of a bush in a flame for the bush was not coÌ„sumed He coÌ„maunded y e fier not to hurt his faithful seruaunts Sidrach Misak and Abednago preserued them harmles from the hot burning ouen There again nature was altered Elias Eliseus did not turne alter or chauÌ„ge the very substaunce inward essence or matter ether of Iron or of the fier into any other substaunce or nature but the naturall propertie of theÌ„ making the Iron which is heuy to houe aboue y e waters causing the fier which is light to descend dounward Euen so the doctours and old fathers which we alowe and folow say that the substaunce of bread wyne is chaunged that is the natural propertie of them so that where as before they were only the meat of the body now after the wordes rehearsed they are the fode of the soul also for so much as they deliuer vnto vs Christes swete flesh and comfortable bloud before it was comen bread and wine now it is holy and sanctified before it was no sacrament now it is a sacrament of the blessed body and honorable bloud of our sauiour Iesus Christ. But for a more manifest profe y t the old fathers beleued the substauÌ„ce of bread to remaine after the consecration I wyll aledge some of theÌ„ Ireneus saith that euery sacrament is made of two natures of a heauenly nature and of a terrenal or earthly nature Now take away the substaunce of bread and what earthly nature or substauÌ„ce remaineth in this holy sacrament The papistes say that the earthly nature is Christes body which he toke of the earth when he was borne of the blessed virgin Mary For she was earth and all men be earth To this I aunswer that Christes body is earth in very dede yet it is not the earthly and terrenall nature of this sacrameÌ„t which must haue thre similitudes of vnitie of nutricion and of conuersion as is declared before whiche similitudes can not be in Christes body Moreouer hear what Origen saith Panis sanctificatus vadit in ventrem The sacramentall bread entreth into the belly Wherfore entreth it thither but to norish our bodies to fede them to be y e meat of the flesh Wherfore the substaunce therof is not turned not chaunged not altered but remayneth and continueth for accidentes
are one 106 Ioh. 14. If a man loue me he wyll keepe my worde and my father also wyl loue hym and we wil come vnto him and dwell with him Folio 20 Iohn 14. Whosoeuer seeth me seeth my father 105 Ioh. 15. I am the vine and ye are the braunches 23 Iohn 15. My father is an husbandman 23 Ioh. 16. He shal iudge the world of sin 167 Iohn 17. This is life euerlastinge that they might knowe thee the only true God whoÌ„ thou haste sent Iesus Christ. 154 Ioh. 17. I pray not for them alone but for theÌ„ also which shall beleue on me thorowe their preaching that they al may be one as thou fatherr art in me c. 143 Iohn 20. Whosoeuer synnes ye remit they are remitted vnto theÌ„ and whosoeuer sinnes ye retaine they are reteyned 79 Iohn 20. Receiue the holy spirite 171 Iohn 20. And many other thinges did Iesê° which are not written these are written that ye might beleue c. and haue lyfe eternall 104 Iohn 21. SimoÌ„ Ioanna louest thou me more then these and he saide yea lord thou knowest I loue thee He sayde vnto him feade my laÌ„bes He said to hym again louest thou me Peter aunswered yea Lord thou knowest I loue thee He said vnto him feade my sheape And he asked hym the third tyme. 85.86 Actes 10. And there came a voyce to hym aryse Peter kyll and eate but Peter sayde God forbyd Lorde for I haue neuer eaten athyng that is vncleane or comen 175 Act. 10. Whyle Peter thought on his vision the spirite sayde vnto him beholde men seke thee aryse therfore get the down and go with them for I haue sent them 176 Actes 19. Paul passed thorow the vpper coastes and came to Ephesus and found certeyne disciples and sayd vnto them haue ye receyued the holy ghost and they sayde no. And he sayde wherwith were ye then baptised And they sayd with Iohns baptisme And it foloweth when they heard that they were baptised in the name of the Lord Iesu agayn and Paul layd his handes on them and â–ª thei spake with tongues and prophecied 91 Act. 22. Then the captain came vnto Paulâ— and sayd to him Tell me art y u a Romaine he saide yea And the Captaine aunswered with a great summe obteined I this fredom And Paul sayd I was free borne 40 Rom. 3. By the dedes of the law no flesh shall be iustified 121 Rom. 5. The lawe entred that syn should encrease 126 Rom. 8. We know not what to desire but the spirit maketh intercession myghtely for vs with gronyng whiche can not bee expressed with tonge 131 Rom. 8. God sent hys sonne in the likenes of sinful flesh 125 Ro. 8. Euery creatur is subdued to vanite 166 Ro. 9. Who can resist his wyl 44 1 Cori. 2. The eie hath not seene and the eare hath not heard neither haue entred in to the heart of men the thinges whiche God hath prepared for them that loue hym 170 1 Corin. 2. The spirite searcheth all thynges yea the bottom of gods secretes For what maÌ„ knoweth the things of a man saue the spirite of maÌ„ which is in him Euen so the thinges of god none knoweth but the spirit of God 170 1 Cor. 6. Ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are iustifieth by the name of the Lord Iesu and the spirite at our God Fol. 171 1 Cor. 6. Your bodies are the temple of the holy ghost which is in you whom ye haue of God ye are not your own for you are dearly bought Therfore glorifie God in your bodies 176 1 Corint 8. Althomgh there be that are called gods in heauen earth as ther be many gods and Lordes many yet vnto vs is there but one God which is the father of all thinges we in him and one lord Iesus Christ by whoÌ„ are all thinges and we by him 154 1 Corin. 10. One loafe one body we that bee many 52 1 Cor. 14. The secrets of his hart are opened and he falleth down on his face and worshyppeth God saiyng that God is in you in dede Fol. 177 1 Cor. 15. By a man came death and by a maÌ„ cometh the resurrectioÌ„ of the dead for as by AdaÌ„ al die so by christ al be made aliue 120 2 Cor. 3. The letter killeth the spirit geueth lyfe 4 2 Cor. 10. The weapoÌ„s of our war are not carnall thynges but the power of God to cast down strung holdes 3 Galat. 3. There is no Iew nether Gentil nether bonde ne free ne man ne woman 107 Gala. 4. In the fulnes of tyme God sent his sonne 125 Galath 4. God sent Christ. 125 Gal. 4 Borne of a woman idem Philip. 2. Beware of dogges beware of euil workers beware of discention for we are circumcision seruing the the spirite whiche is God 35 Philip. 2. He became obedient to the death of the Crosse. 128 Colo. 2. Beware lest any man come spoile you through Philosophie and deceitful vanitie 17 Col. 2. In Christ dwelleth all the fulnes of y e godhead corporally or bodely 108 2 Tessa 2. He shall syt in the temple of God and shew him selfe as God 88 1 Timo. 1. Unto God king euerlasting immortall inuisible and wise only by praise 155 1 Timo. 2. God would haue all men saued come to the knowledge of the truth 45 1 Timo. 6. He that is blessed and mighty only which only hath immortalitie 155.156 Hebr. 1. Which being the bryghtnes of his glory expresse image of his substaunce 106 Hebr. 6. It is impossible that they whiche were once lightned haue tasted of the heauenly gifte and were become partakers of y e holy ghost c. if they fall should ryse again by repentaunce crucifiyng vnto themselues again the son of God and making a mock of hym 91.92 Hebr. 13. Be not caried about with diuerse straunge learning 3 Iaco. 1. Cometh doun froÌ„ the father of light Fol. 45 1 Iohn 1. God is light and in hym is no darkenes 137 1 Iohn The seede of God remaineth in him Fol. 123 1 Iohn 5. There are thre which bear record on earth the spirit water and bloud and these thre are one 104 1 Iohn 5. There are iiâ— which beare recorde in heauen the father the worde the holy gost and these thre are one Folio 142 Apoc. 19. He had a name written that none knew but he him selfe Folio 78 FINIS The first Chapter ¶ We must learne what God is of Gods word and not of mans wisdome THe first point and chief profession of a true christen man is most stedfastly to beleue that ther be thre persones and one God as we are taught in Baptisme whiche is commaunded to be ministred in the name of the father of the sonne of the holy spirit For in y e bath of holy baptisme we are regenerate washed purified and made the children of God by the workmanship of the thre persons which formed also heaueÌ„ and
burneth with fire and brimstone whiche is the seconde death Thou mayest escape the punishement of man but thou canst not escape Gods hand who punisheth more greuously then man Whâ—ther wilt thou flie from God surely thou canst not flie from him but by flying vnto hym thou canst not escape his wrath whiche is his righteousnes but by appealyng vnto his mercie Dauid compared God to a man that draweth a bowe the farther he draweth his shaft whiche is his punishment the greater is the stroke therof There is a great altercation nowe a daies whether God be in the sacrameÌ„t or not he must nedes be ther for he is in al places But whether is he ther by his diuinitie or humanitie Christ warneth vs that in the latter age there shall aryse many false Prophetes and Pseudochristi that is false anointed which be the Byshop of Romes gresed butchers and sacrificers which shal say lo here is Christ and there is Christ. These Pseudochristes be not they of whom they speake afterward in thesame chapters many shall come in my name saying I am Christ but another sort for these shall not chalenge this to them selues but direct maÌ„ to other and of these false anointed that shal point vs to other he saith Nolite credere beleue theÌ„ not and therfore I dare not say that he is there after his humanitie least I be a false Prophet for this is spoken of his humanitie not of his diuinitie Touching his diuinitie I say vnto you good people lo here is Christ and there is Christ for it is here there in the towne in the citie in the chappel in the church and wildernes and euery wher as I haue declared The papistes say y t this place maketh not against y e presence of Christes body vpoÌ„ earth but against false Prophetes which should preach in the last age false doctrine True it is Christ speaketh here against suche But what false doctrine shal they teach Shal ther come two at one time in one age of which false prophets shal say he is christ and an other shal say no this is Christ pointing to some other There were neuer yet two in one age which both were said to be Christes of any false prophets nor the scriptures do not mencion or regester any such thing to come for the veritie saith y t many such shal come Now we neuer read that many haue reported and said here is Christ and there onles we take it to be spoken of the papistes whiche shewe Christ vâ—to vs in many places at once in euery chapell and on euery Aultar Many shall say of them selues that they are Christ but these be other doctours compare their wordes together and thou shalt fynd that I say true the one text doth not expounde the other but they be two dyuerse prophecies of two diuerse things This false doctryne then is nothynge els but to teach Christes body after his ascentioÌ„ to be vpon the earth visibly or inuisibly Pighius who calleth Gods worde a nose of ware wresteth this text to another purpose taking Christe here for his church Lo here is Christe and there is Christe saith Pighius that is heretikes shal say here is the church and there is y e church O wyse exposition shall heretikes saye that Christ is here there touchyng his members and church No verely this is no heresy for Christes church is in many places in deserts and other If Christ must be taken for his church in this text then we are compelled also to vnderstaÌ„d the church by him in the text which immediatly foloweth where he saith beleue them not Christe that is the church shall come as lightnynge we must take Christ for the same thorow out the chapter Read diligently examen the circumstaunce whych is chieflye to be regarded in the exposition of doubtful places open the scripture with the key not with the pykelocke that is expound it by tt selfe not by priuate interpretation and y u shalt fynd that Christe there is taken for Christ not for y e church as Pighius wold straine the place making of y e scriptures a nose of wax You wil ask me then whether we receiue Christes body yea truly from heauen from the right hand of the father not out of y e bread nor in y e bread For onles we eat his flesh and drink his bloud we shal not dwell in him we shall not arise at the last day we shal not haue eternall life Christes humanitie is the mean wherby we must obtein al things the way by which we must clyme vp to heaueÌ„ the ladder that Iacob sawe going vnto Mesopotamia reaching vp to heauen with aungels ascending and descending vpon it Christ teacheth this vsing not only his word and commaundemeÌ„t in raising the dead as God but also his flesh as a help and meane to the same In raysing the doughter of one of the chief of the synagoge he toke hir by the hand and raysed her When he cured one full of the leprosy he stretched out his hand and touched hym When he entred into the citie of Naim meetinge a dead man caried out the only sonne of a wydowe hauyng compassion on her he touched the bere and raised him from dead Ther be infinit places of scripture which teach vs that Christes flesh geueth lyfe deliuereth from death expelleth vice but this is notable forasmuch as this wydowe signifieth the church and her dead sonne representeth mankynd dead thorowe the sinne of Adam Christ is a vyne and we ar the brauÌ„ches as he witnesseth himselfe Ego sum vitis vera c. I am the true vyne and my father is a husbaÌ„d man vos estis palmites The brauÌ„ches cannot lyue onles they take norishment of the substaunce of the vyne and of his iuice Euen so the soul of a christen man must nedes be fed with the swete fleshe and comfortable bloud of Iesus Christe If we be braunches we be nouryshed of the vyne I wold learn whether he be the vyne after his humanitie or by his diuinitie He is not the vyne touching his diuine nature for the vyne is not equall with the husband man but at his commaundement Christ touchinge his diuinitie is the husbandman and equall with his father Marke he is the vyne therfore coÌ„cerning that nature in which he is inferior to his father which is his humanitie If then Christe be the vyne not by his diuinitie but by his humanitie and we the brauÌ„ches then we must be refreshed of the vyne that is of his humanitie This metaphore hath ben abused to many euill purposes as to proue Chryste not to be God because he is the vyne it hath ben racked also to proue that these words hoc est corpus meum This is my body is a lyke phrase a like speach as when Christ saith ego sum vitis I am the vyne They be no like phrases
With the C.iii. Psalme Praise the Lord O my soull For who coÌ„meth to the table of any man departeth without any thaÌ„kesgeuing it is called also a sacrament of thankesgeuing I wold men wold as diligently dispose them selues to receiue this sacrament as they do eftsones delight to talke of it if they would prepare them selues to receiue it more oft the holy Ghost would enstruct them and becom their scolemaster for wysdom entreth not vnto a soul subdued into sin But I heare some say I wil not come to receiue the sacrament for I can and do receiue the bodye and bloud of Christ at home in the field and in the church yea euery where withoute the sacrameÌ„t beleuing vpon his passion Truly if thou be godly mynded and do call his death to remembrauÌ„ce trusting to haue pardon of thy sinnes by the effusion of his bloud thou dost eat his body and drinke his bloude But thou art not godly mynded but carnall the seruaunt of sinne if thou dispise the ordinaunce of God and his coÌ„maundement who biddeth the take and eat and carnall and vngodly men do not receiue the body of Christ but the spirituall and godly Thou maist say likewyse I wil not com at the minister for remission of my sines and for absolution for God is not bouÌ„d to his sacramentes he pardoneth without the ceremony of ministration as he did y e thief Mary magdalen and other Sure it is God forgeueth thy sinnes before thou come to the priest if thou haue earnest repentaunce and true entent of amendement for he sayth In quacunque hora. c. In what hour soeuer y e vnrighteous man doth repeÌ„t c. and yet neuertheles he himself coÌ„mauÌ„deth y e to come to them for he hath geuen them authoritie to louse to bynd and to blesse and curse â–ª Now what their lousing blessing and absolution is shalbe declared herafter in the .xvii. Chapter So albeit Christes body be receiued in fayth withoute the sacrament yet thou must come vnto the sacrament because thou arte commaunded or els thou art an euill man It is not inough to receiue it spiritually we must receiue it also sacrameÌ„tally yea he that will not receiue it sacramentally neither doth he neither can he receiue it in faith spiritually for I haue proued before y e euill meÌ„ do not eat these dainties The .viij. Chapter ¶ God is full of vnderstanding GOD is also full of vnderstaÌ„ding If any man lack wysdom Iames biddeth him aske it of god which geueth to al men indifferentlye and castethe no manne in the teth and it shall be geuen him if he aske it without wauering without mistrust Dauid asking with a sure fayth obteyned his request in so much that he had more vnderstanding then all his teachers was wyser then the aged but what foloweth for because I kepe thy commaundements Thou askest not in fayth without keping of Gods commaundements ostende mihi fidem tuaÌ„ ex operibus shew me thy faith saith Iames of thy workes Kepe them he wil geue the vnderstanding His testimonies are a lanterne and geue light euen vnto the babes He gaue Salomon an vnderstanding heart to iudge his people and to discerne betwen good and bad so that ther was none lyke hym neyther before nor after He gaue him also honour and ryches and long lyfe which be his gyftes He opened the myndes of his discyples that they might vnderstand the scriptures He toke Paul vp into y e third heaueÌ„ and taught him things which cannot be vttered He â—â—lled Besaliell and Ahaliab with the spirite of God with wysdome vnderstanding and knowledg to fynde out curiouse workes to worke in golde and syluer brasse to karue in wood to graue in stone to make y e tabernacle of witnes the Arke y e mercy seat the table the pure candlestickes the alter of incense vestiments to minister in and the holy garments for Aaron the priest Wherfore he himself must nedes be full of all wysedome and all vnderstanding But these thinges as they were coÌ„mauÌ„ded to them of the ould law so we of the new lawe are not bouÌ„d to them because we haue no commaundement For as Paule writeth vnto his nation we haue an aulter wherof thei mai not eat which serue in the tabernacle The priesthod of the leuites ther sacrifices and ther lawes be disanulled Christes euerlasting priesthod hath made an end of all the Leuites priesthod yea and of all other priesthod saue onlye that whych belongeth to all Christen men The oblation of his body once for all vpon the aulter of the crosse which was a slayne sacrifice for our sinnes abolisheth all other and the lawe of his Gospel hath blotted oâ—t the lawe of the carnall commaundement But oure Romanes allege the prophet Malachy for the defence of the sacrifice of their masse and for their Popish priesthod by whom God saith I haue no pleasure in you and as for an offring I will not accept it at your hands For from the rysing of the Sunne vnto the going down of the same my name is great amongest the gentils yea in euery place shal there sacrifice be done and a clean offring offered vp in my name Albertus Pighius one of y e byshop of Romes chief knyghtes laboureth to proue that this text is ment of the oblacion of the masse whose reasons be these First that it cannot be taken for the oblation of Christes body on y e crosse for God promised here such a sacrifice that should be offred in al places and of the Heathen That was offred in one place in Iewry only and of the Iewes Moreouer it can not be such a sacrifice as Dauid coÌ„mended that a troubled spirit a broken and a contrit heart is a sacrifice vnto God for the Prophet speaketh here of a cleane sacrifice vnto God all that we offer vnto God is spotted vnclean and defiled as the clothes stayned with the flours of a woman The Prophet also speaketh of a new sacrifice that was not before but should be vsed among the Heathen and offred only of the priestes But we haue the sacrifice that Dauid praiseth commen with them of the old law and it is to be offered of all christen men and womeÌ„ wherfore it must nedes be spokeÌ„ of the masse This is Pighius reason yea the principal argument of al the papistes vnto which I besech you hear paciently my answer I entend to wryte a comentary to Malachie but I wil take it out of gods word and I wil open scripture with the key I defend that Malachie meaneth none other sacrifice then an oblacion of a pure and contrite heart and I proue it thus First Malachie speaketh of such a sacrifice as shall be offered in all places vnto God as vndoubtedly this hath bene shal be to the worlds end He speaketh also of a cleane sacrifice Is not y e oblacioÌ„ of
wytnesse let vs aske the scripture what the deuill is let vs enquire of Peter Paul let the Prophets the Euangelists testifie S. Peter saith that our aduersari the deuil walketh about like a roaring lion seking whome he mak deuour He compareth him to a Lion he walketh he seeketh And the chosen vessell Paule warneth vs to put on y e armour of God that we may stand stedfast against the crafty assaults of y e deuil forasmuch as we wrestle noe against flesh bloud but against rule against power against worldly rulere of the darkenesse of this world against spirituall wickednesse for heauenlye things He maketh a difference betwene the deuill his assaults which be beastly affectioÌ„s saieng against y e crafty assalts of the deuill and he calleth them rulers powers wherfore thei be no fleshly motions But you will say he calleth them spirituall wickednesses a wickednesse is no substauÌ„ce So Terence calleth Dauus Scelus Tully calleth Cateline Pestis so the scripture caleth God loue truth and light il men darknes We read in y e story of Iob y t wheÌ„ y e seruauÌ„ts of god came stode before the Lord Satan came also among them God talketh w t him and he aunswereth that he had walked through the land and craueth of God to suffer him to scourge Iob without whose leaue he could do nothing After he rayseth the Sabees against Iob he kylleth his seruaunts he slayeth his childreÌ„ he smiteth him with marueilous sore byles froÌ„ the sole of his fote vnto his croune so y t he scraped away the filth of them with a potsherd Did an affection worck these things or a spiritual rule and substauÌ„ce To deceiue wycked king Achab he promiseth that he wil be a liyng spirit in the mouth of .iiii. C. prophets he vexeth kiÌ„g Saul Christ seeth him as lightning falling doun from heauen he blyndeth all those that beleue not the Gospel he worketh al iniquitie he seduced Adam and Eue he is y e enemy which soweth tares to destroy the sede of euerlasting life y t is of Gods worde he is the strong harnessed man and spirituall Pharao ouercomeÌ„ of our sauiour Christ he is the gouernour that ruleth in the aier and king of this world he setteth Christ on the pinacle of the temple and on a high mountain sheweth hym the glory of y e world he buffeteth S. Paul leâ—t he should be exalted out of measure through the abuÌ„daunce of reuelations he striueth w t Mighel the Archaungell disputeth about the body of Moises he shal cast the faithful congregation into pryson for .x. days he is the dragon cast out of heaueÌ„ by the bloud of the lambe and pursuing the woman Then he is no fleshly motioÌ„ vnles our sauiour Christ had such beastly motions vnlesse also heaueÌ„ were ful of such which was ful of traiterous angels In the countrey of the Gargasites two deuils seing christ cried out what haue we to do with thee O Iesu son of God art thou come hether to torment vs before y e time And they besech him of leue to go into the herd of swine Do affections cry talke kil smite fall from heauen tempt Christ pursue the church Christ telleth vs they shalbe punished in the fyre with the wicked saying depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fyre which is prepared for the deuyll and hys aungels S. Peter sayeth that God spared not hys aungels that synned but cast them downe into hell and delyuered them in to chaynes of darkenes to be kept vnto dampnation Paull commaunded the Corinthians to deliuer him which helde his fathers wife to SataÌ„ for the destructioÌ„ of the flesh He meaneth not that thei should giue him ouer to the lustes of the flesh suffer him to abide in vaine pleasures Wherfore deuels ar no fleshly lustes carnal motions sensuall affections Deuels beleue tremble saith Iames. They confesse Christ to be the sonne of God as in the EuaÌ„gelists we may read more theÌ„ once or twise But I think our Saduces wilbe edified more by a coniurer theÌ„ by the words of godlines wherfore I send theÌ„ to coÌ„iurers sorcerers enchauÌ„ters charmers witches which wyl learn and perswade theÌ„ that there be deuils and that they be not lustes of the flesh but spirituall substaunces spirits created for vengeaunce which now in y e end of the world shall powre out theyr strength to plucke the Lambe of God out of the myndes of al men If therfore al angels both good and euil be substauÌ„ces and not Godly or beastly lustes much more God the holy ghost maker of al spirites knower of thoughtes gouernour of the church forgeuer of syns hatcher of y e creaturs filler of al places is a spiritual substaunce no inspiration The .xxv. Chapter ¶ Christ is vnconfounded why he became man why he was borne of a woman he toke both the soule and body of man why he chose a virgin to be borne of and why a virgin hand fasted and maried why he was a babe at his beginning not an able man as Adam was at his first creation why he came so long after Adams fal why he was baptised tempted crucified c. NOw albeit both Christ be a substaunce and the holy ghost also yet it doeth not folow that thei be two persons in the supergloriouse trinitie for they may be both one as the Sabellians do teache Wherfore now I wil proue that they be vnconfounded y t which being proued no man can doubâ—e hereafter but thei be two persones for a persone is an vnconfounded substaunce We may learne out of Gods boke that nether the father nor the holy comforter toke mans nature vpoÌ„ them but Christ only For as through a natural man we were banyshed out of paradise made the children of euerlasting damnation so it pleased the almightie trinitie nether by an aungel or Archaungel but by a natural man to restore vs againe make vs heires to saluation as Paul witnesseth by a man came death by a man commeth resurrection of the dead For as by Adam al die eueÌ„ so by Christ al be made aliue And the will of God was that he shuld be born of a woman God sent his son Factum ex muliere borne or made of a woman But why was Christ born of a woman Truly because syn death ouerflowed the world through y e first woman he worketh the misterie of life and rightuousnes by an other woman y t the blame of sinne should not be imputed to his creature which is good but to y e will by which Eue sinned For seing he is a sauiour both of men and women he becoÌ„meth man forsomuch as maÌ„ is the better kind yet he is borne of a womaÌ„ y t we shuld beleue him to be a sauiour of women also so that his birth of a woman his becomming maÌ„ declareth him