cold no more be hurte of no creature To this he answered accordynge to Tyndales counsayle that yt was a phrase of scrypture to saye he came in the gates beynge shyt in stede of he came in late after that the gates were shyte and so knocked and had the gates opened And to the tother place of rysyng thorough the stone he sayd y e Angell lefte vp the stone so our lorde rose Jhesu how relygyousely these men handle the scrypture whyche pratel nothynge ellys put scrypture when the gospell was layed agaynst hym where the women comynge to the tombe after hys resurreccyo doubted how they myghte attayne vnto hys body for the stone whych couered his graue and deuysed who shuld helpe them to remoue it and streyght lokynge towardes it agayne sawe the stone remoued and thangell at the tombe to y t he answered why myght not the women cast these doubtes by the waye as they came as well as when they were there Se you not y e excedynge obstynacye of hym who so longe as he coulde haue any thynge to deuyse for an answere were it neuer so false and folyshe as this was yet wolde not shewe hymselfe confor mable in any wyse but wolde rather saye any thyng what so euer it were then eyther coÌ„fesse the trouth or hold his peace Agaynste his deuise that thangell lyfted vp the stone y t our lord myght at his ease come forth my lord shewed vnto hym saynt Austayn sayeng expressely He went forth the graue beynge styll close what wolde he requyre more playne who professed to knowledge for trouth what so euer were playnely wryten of any doctour of the chyrche in thys mater yet it toke no place with him as playne as this place of saynt Austayne is Saynt Hierom also amonge his answers to Hedibia declareth thys place sayenge thus Let vs not thynke that thangell came to open the graue for our lorde when he sholde ryse and tourne ouer the stone But after that our lorde had rysen at suche howre as pleased hym and is knowen to no man to declare what was done and to haue shewed by tournynge ouer the stone that the tombe was empty c. What is playne yf thys declareth not playnely that y e angell remoued the stone after that oure lorde was rysen And wher as the pharyse wolde not admytte that y e body of our lorde myghte be receyued of a synner and enter into hym he shewed hym saint Austayne sayenge that our sauyour gaue Judas the pryce of our redempcyon And also an other where he sayth he gaue the same to Judas which he gaue to hys other apostles so that his noughtynes in nothynge altered that whyche was receyued of hym After that Fryth had glosed the fyrste place with a glose of his owne sayenge that saynte Austayne there called the mystery by y e name of that whyche it represented to remoue away all doubt therin shew playnly that how so euer it appered to our carnall eyes and our other bodyly sences yet iÌ„ dede there were nothyng ellys but the very body and bloude of our lorde my lorde shewed hym an homelye wryten by saynte Chrisostome of that mater wherin among many other thynges spoken wyth great reuerence of the moste blessed sacrament he sayth thus Is it brede that thou seeste â–ª or is it wyne or doth it passe thorough the as other meates do God fordyd Loke thou thynke not so For lyke as yf waxe brought vnto the fyre melte in to it none of thoâ—de substauÌ„ce remayneth nor nothynge is therby encreased so thynke the thynges semynge to be there consumed wyth the presence of hys body And a lytellafter he sayeth Suppose the bloude of our saluacyon to flowe out of his godly and vndefyled syde and so approchyng receyue it with pure lyppes When Fryth saye this Homilie as shameles as he was in answerynge he founde nothynge to answere here vnto But yet reteynynge styll his hygh lokes and lyke one who were consulted rather lyke a censour correctour of the catholyque doctours than taughte by them to knowe hys folye in respecte of this dyspysynge thother places whych were alledged vnto hym sayeng as for thother that they were lytle to the purpose but y t hadde pyth repetyng ofte this hath pyth and desyred my lorde that he wolde delyuer hym that parte of the homylie in wrytynge whyche incontynently was delyuered For my loâ—d had commaunded yt to be wryteÌ„ out before for the nones and so departed in very good hope whyche neuerthe lesse came to none effect For the next daye my lorde repayrynge agayn vn to hym in hope to acomplyshe that whych he had begonne founde hym all an other man than he lefte hym clene falleÌ„ to his old arrogauÌ„ce of his new spyryte so that demaundyng of him how he lyked this Homylie and whether there were any thynge elles wherin he were not yet satysfyed he coulde gette none other answere of Frith but that he had slepte lytle after theyr laste communycacyon And when he was asked why so he sayde he had occupyed hym self in prayeng to god for knowledge of y e trouthe in this matter And faynynge hym self assured y t god had herd his prayour sayde yt stode not wyth his conscyeÌ„ce to confesse that fayth and therfore he knew that opinion was not trew As though if it had ben so god wold by specyall inspiracyon haue reueled yt vnto hym The greate clerke hadde not lerned that he who mystrusted the word of god and byleued not the prechers sent by hym shold dye in his incredit lyte wythoute receyuynge eyther sygne or specyall demonstracyon accordynge to thanswere made vnto the ryche man in the gospell who wolde haue hadde the lazare sent to his frendes to teache theym the trouth and dyuerse answeres made by our sauyour to the vnfaythfull Jewes Thus this detestable wreche abode in malyce obstynate but in hys answeres so inconstante and varyable that he wold somtyme shew hym self conteÌ„t to byleue any doctours of the chyrche somtyme he was sure yf yt were otherwyse god wolde shew yt vnto hym selfe that at length yt semed vnto my lorde of London in whose dyocese he was moste mete to procede wyth hym iudycyally and eyther cure the infect shepe or yf it were desperate caste yt out of the folde wherfore on Fryday the. xx daye of June callynge vnto hym my lorde my mayster and my lord of LyncolnÌ„ and callynge Fryth before them examynyng hym openly in powles and fyndynge hym styll obstynate finally lefte hym to the seculer power as he had ryght well deserued But what payne they toke with hym fyrst how fatherly they labored and trauayled for thamendement of that vngracyouse chylde and of an other also whiche onely for company of Fryth helde the same opynyon without groundynge hymselfe vpon and scrypture but Frithes bare word his spyryte wherwith he was hymselfe also possessed and therfore lefte also with Fryth Of an other heretyke also one Thomas
Philippes whiche was examyned the thursdaye next ensuenge I shall not nede to wryte vnto you for there be other inough whiche bothâ— can and I am sure wold aduertyse you of y t whiche was openly done wherfore leuynge to wryte of these maters wherof ye eyther are alredy or shalbe better ad nertysed by other I shall wryte what meanes my lorde my mayster vsed for that onely can I best declare vnto you After the body of Fryth was despayred to haue saued y e soule which the fole hym selfe regarded not as he semed nor thought peraduenture for all his hypocrysye of no lyfe to come after thys but onely as the hethen do to lyue by glory surely the latter daye of my beynge with hym he sayd playnely that he thought no sayntes soule came in heuen before the day of dome but in the meane season reposed hym selfe he wiste not where And some of his secte say that the soule of our sauiour Christ hym self O what blasphemouse wretches be these is not yet in heuen But malyce hath no boundes After that he was coÌ„dempned as you haue herde and delyuered to the temporall officers my lord sent vnto him a chapellayn of his with Rupert who on the syxte chapyter of JohnÌ„ declareth the mater so playne and so reiecteth Frythes obieccyons as though it had be specyally wryten agaynste hym whyche author he refused alledgynge that no lerned man dyd euer referre that place to the sacrament of thaltare that therfore Rupert was not lerned and vnderstode the place amysse whyche hys slender obieccyon my lorde vnderstondyng and hopyng of some good effecte yf that were put awaye sent me y e nexte day wyth the thyrde tome of saynt Chrysostome where he in y e xliiii xlv and. xlvi homilie not onely referreth that place to the moste blessed sacrament but also proueth by y e same the bodyly presence of our lord there I shewed hym onely the. xlv which in dede yf any drop of grace had remayned in hym had ben inough Hereby a man maye se how mych hys brage passed his lernynge who durste so precysely affyrme that no lerned man referred that place to the sacrament whyche not onely saynte Chrysostome but also all other catholyke doctours as ye knowe do bycause Luther who dyffereth from them in the bodyly presence of oure lorde and ellys not in substaunce of the sacramentall sygne is content not to haue that place referred to the sacrament whiche maketh so sore agaynste them bothe After salutacyon I put hym in remembraunce fyrste of his answere made to my lordes chapellayn which he knowledged to be so than tolde hym howe my lorde beynge loth he shulde caste awaye hym selfe for ignoraunce had sent hym there Chrysostome whome he must nedes confesse for lerned referryng the sayd place of JohnÌ„ to the blessed sacrament for whych onely cause he had reiecte Rupert as vnlerned well sayde he lette me see yt After that he had rede a good parte of the homylie so farre as hanged together perteynynge to that questyon I asked what he could alledge why he sholde not knoweledge the authoryte of Rupert seyng that Chrysostome whome he coulde not denye to be excellently lerned vnderstode that same place of the moste blessed sacrament as Rupert dyd To whyche after that he had mused a lytle he answered that he gaue no great credeÌ„ce to Rupert for dyuerse causes wherof neuerthelesse he named no mo but this onely that he was after Gregoryes dayes the pope and yet he tolde not so myche as whyche Gregorye he ment when I sawe hym in whome after the comeÌ„ rumour I thought to haue founde some lernynge knowledge in these matres â–ª specyally knowyng hym euer before in other scyences to haue shewed hym selfe of a good wyt and vnderstondynge vtter no more connynge then he dyd but onely tryfle and playe wyth euery thynge studyeng after that he had obiecte one thynge what he myghte bable whan that were taken awaye and so estymynge of that he spoke what by all lyghtelyhode he coulde speke or answere in this mater whyche semed to be nothynge elles but inuencyons of his owne brayne whych I thoughte my selfe able ynough wyth the grace of god eyther to put of or at the lest to bere for neyther sholde he nor the deuyll hym selfe for any apparance of reason make me byleue one arrogant fole better than all good chrystâ— men consentynge in one and beynge lothe to brynge home the heuy news of desperacyon I beganne to passe somwhat my commyssyon and aduâ—ture farther than peraduenture bycame either my yeres or my lernyng not doubtyng though my yeres were but yong and my lernyng very small consyderynge howe many hundred tymes his yeres were vnder the age of the chyrch which he taketh in hand to reache this new lesson more than my yeres were vnder his and howe â—o comparyson is betwene the spyryt which Crist ê“mised sent his chyrch and this new goste of Luthers full of lyes diuysyon and all falshod for what comparyson caÌ„be bytwene god and the deuyll to dyspute the mater wyth hym who wyth arrogauÌ„ce onely and allegacyon of a straunge spyryte laboured to ouercome the trouth so longe rooted in all chrysten hertes which is of it self without any forayn ayde inuyncyble wherfore seyng Ruâ—et reiected onely bycause he lyked not mayster Fryth spoke to playne agaynste hym so that no glose wold serue to make theym twoo agre I beganne to presse hym wyth that place of Chrysostome whyche I had shewed hym desyrynge hym to consyder and waye yt dylygently sayenge I nothynge douted yf he so dyd but yt sholde clerely appere â–ª vâ—… hym that the trouth was agaynâ—â— hym wheruppon takinge the boke agayn into his handes he redde ouer again the same place stoppynge euer and gloryenge at any mencyon of the mysterye and glosynge wyth his owne deuyse where any thynge prycked hym As fyrste at this we be one bodye and meÌ„bers of his fleshe and bones Very well ê™ he so we be for seynge y t he toke our very nature vpon hym in the virgyne Marye we be one bodye wyth hym one blood the same bones the same synues the same meÌ„bers accordyng as Dauid sayde vnto the iewes Os meum caro mea vos And this is yt sayde he that deceyueth you ye referre that which is spoken of our communyte with hym by his byrth to his presence in the sacrament of thaulter Naye sayde I not so But the scryptures and interpreters of the same shewynge moste euydently bothe the naturall cognacyoÌ„ we haue with him by his incarnacyon and y e spyrytuall vnyon the chyrche beynge his mystycall bodye and lykewyse in the most blessed sacrament shewynge both his corporall presence there and also the mystycall representacyon of his passyon he and suche other where the sacrament were mencyoned drewe all to y e mystery though y e wordes playnly repugned deuydynge the mystery from the thynge yt selfe or elles for a shyfte wheÌ„ the
Berengarius tyme dyd professe this opinion which he toke for so trewe â–ª that he toke vppon hym to confute the contrarye wherin specyally was so great ieoperdye and parell of the hole destruccyon of Christes chyrche For yf this be idolatrye all chrysten men these many hundred yeres haue commmytted idolatrye For what so euer they thoughte in harte in very dede they gaue yt the worshippe dew onely to god bycause of the godhed there ioyned wyth the fleshe and the soule And theyr dissymulacion excuseth them not from idolatrye yf they thought them selfe to do amysse but rather encreaced theyr faute doynge yt agaynst theyr owne coÌ„scyeÌ„ce to the ruyne of other soules when he could shewe none but one Betrame in Charles days the great than I tolde hym y t thopynyon whyche he denyeth myght be proued vnto hym to haue ben so wel allowed by all lerned men both catholyque and heretyques byfore that Betrame his dayes y t the holy meÌ„ as saiÌ„t Ireneê° saynte Hilary both in theyr disputacyons had grounded theym selfe vppon that poynt to confute other heresyes whyche hym self now denyed Then began he as yt had ben in a tragedye to ruffle and crye why had not the byshoppe told hym this complaynyng sore that they had shewed hym no suche place so that a man wolde haue thought hym very sory that he knewe it not before and desyrouse to know it then whych proued afterwarde clene contrarye To that I answered y t vnto suche places as the byshoppes had shewed hym he wolde as yt were by certayn violence put to his owne glose and vnderstande them as he lyste whych lykewyse he wold haue done in this though now he lyst to glory and say they hyd this place frome hym and that els he wold haue ben reformed He blamed therin my hasty iudgement whyche neuerthelesse he declared to be trew the next daye after for not withstandynge that he promysed to knowledge the catholyque opynyon for a trouth vppon syght of those places yet hauyng y e bokes brought vnto hym the places shewed and suffered to reade a myche as he lyste at length he slypped away sayeng they were somwhat to y e purpose but not so myche as I sayde they were when I bad hym shew what I had promysed whyche was not there he sayde the places were not so vehemeÌ„t as he loked they sholde haue bene wherunto an other laye man a gentylmaÌ„nes seruauÌ„t whome I brought with me beynge myche better lerned without mayster Fryth kept a great dele more in store then euer I knewe hym vtter then eyther of vs both yet was yonger I wene than maister Fryth to answered y t yf it had neded vehemency to persuade yt had not ben a very playne open well knowen trouth of yt selfe yt had not ben mete to be made by those holy doctours a grounde in an other dysputacyon wherfore that was rather a commendacyon than a faute whyche he had founde Amonge other dygressyons the sayd yonge man asked hym what fyrste moued hym to leue the contrary opynyon of that he held then whiche ones he byleued byleue this so stedfastly y t he wold dye for yt wherunto he answered y t he byleued it not but thought yt onely more probable then tother parte so that his conscyence wold not suffre hym to reproue yt and therfore thought the byshoppes dyd hym great wronge to geue sentence agaynst hym as an heretike who offred hym selfe to be reformed whyche he performed neuerthelesse neuer a whyt and myracles he shewed none Seynge than we be bydden proue the spyrites whether they be of god or no what good man can admytte that spyryte whyche shewyng no vertue nor knowledged enspyreth onely arrogance and blasphemye Besydes this he had promysed at my departynge from hym the fyrste daye yf I could shewe hym where yt were spoken expressely that the substaunce of the brede were chaunged by the consecracyon or that those were not brede styll after the consecracyon or that a synner dyd receyue the body of chryste he wolde knowledge it for trouth for at the length seyng hym selfe not able to answere suche places of holy doctours as had ben layed agaynste hym for the corporall presence of our lorde in the blessed sacrament nor yet to saue the mater wyth no glose of his owne but that he must nedes confesse that we receyued the naturall body of our lorde in the sacrament he then went aboute to saue the mater by thys that good men receyuynge the mystery of oure lordes body dyd by faith receyue also hys naturall body whyche synners coulde not do for they can not do it wyth assurauÌ„ce beyng gylty in theyr owne conscyences whyche sayenge was contrary to his fyrste opinion for fyrst he defended precysely y t there was no naturall body but the sacrament onely wythout the body the coÌ„trary wherof he sawe so determyned by doctours of the chyrche and holy sayntes of euery age that he coulde not glose them to denye his naturall presence but yet he graunted it so y t in effecte he denyed it shewyng hym selfe wythall so obstynate a fole that he had rather say that thynge in some wordes whych he wolde in other wordes streyght way denye theÌ„ playnely coÌ„fesse the trouth For he coÌ„fessed our lordes preseÌ„ce there naturally but by faith I meruayle how he could be so folysshe or thynke any man ellys so folysshe as to be induced to byleue y t receyuynge by fayth were naturall receyuynge specyally seynge bothe saynt Chrysostome and saynt Cyryllus whych were alledged vnto hym make a dyffereÌ„ce bytwene receyuyng by loue or fayth and naturall receyuynge bothe whych they shewe to be in the receyuynge of the blessed sacrament And thys greate clerke wolde haue vs wene that bothe were one then were those olde sayntes no very good clerkes which so deuyded theÌ„ But to returne to hys promyses who herd euer of such an vnshamfast brage as to saye yf any of these thynges were shewed hym that he wolde confesse the catholyke fayth for true when all those were shewed him most euydently before For who can speke more plainely that a sinner receyueth the body of our lorde then doth saynt Austayne sayeng that our lord gaue the price of our redempcioÌ„ to Judas was any thynge ellys than his body and blode y e price of our redempcyoÌ„ and that was it y t as saynt Austayne saith he gaue to Judas at his mauÌ„dy And that the substaunce of brede is clere coÌ„sumed and none other substaunce remaynynge there but of the blessed body of our lorde who canne speke more playnely then saynt Chrysostome sayenge that the thynges represented to our eyes be consumed with the presence of y e body as waxe is with fyre so that none of the olde substaunce therof remayneth nor other substaunce is therby encreaced And yet this symple man wolde hane semed bothe to byleue saynte Chrysostome and yet doubte of the chaunge of y e brede and also byleue
saynt Austayne and yet doubtynge for all that whither synners receyue the body of our lorde vsynge none other answere but this onely y t wheÌ„ we asked hym how his sayeng could agree with these places alleged vnto hym hym self had well aduysed these places and that they satysfyed not his conscyence For euer when I had shewed hym suche places as I promysed hym and then requyred hym to kepe hys promyse and knowlege the trouth he answered nothynge els but that yet his conscyence wold not serue hym so to saye for all that added therunto that those places whych semed vnto vs so playnely to proue that we sayd semed the contrary vnto hym when he was bydden shewe some cause why then was the spyryte vp agayne A wonderouse wyse spyryt which serued onely when he hadde neyther authoryte nor reason to shewe for y t he sayde And myracles he shewed not that euer any had ben done for theyr opinion but contempned all myracles that euer had ben done for ours sayenge y t we be bydden proue the spyrytes when we saue hym abyde by nothyng that he promysed we asked hym what he ment to offre suche promises as he thought not to kepe and saye yf yt coulde be shewed hym in any doctour of the chyrch that he wold knowledge yt for trouthe He sayd yt was not yet playnely shewed hym in expresse wordes that eyther a synner receyued the body of our lorde or yet that there remayned no substauÌ„ce of the brede or that the naturall bodye of our lorde were receyued any other wyse thaÌ„ by fayth wherfore though we spyed well his fayre promyses made byfore were but dyssymulacyons and that it were not possyble for all doctours that be and haue ben to wryte so playn as to make Frith call them playne yet myndynge for theyr cause whyche were present at the lest to confounde hym we shewed hym of euery one of these senteÌ„ces dyuerse places playne vnto euery maÌ„nes iudgement sauynge onely his owne whyche onely he estemed Of whych for example I shall reherse you some besydes those ye haue herde here all redy saynt Chrysostome sayth thus For yf those whyche defoyle the kynges purple robe be punished no lesse thaÌ„ those that tere it what meruayle of those that wyth vnclene conscyeÌ„ce receyue the bodye of Chryste suffre the same punyshement that they who nayled hym to the crosse It is a wonder to any man whych knoweth not the vnshamefastnes of this arrogant fole how he coulde after this denye knowledgynge this maÌ„ to be of authoryte but that a synner receyueth the same bodye whych was nayled on the crosse yet to this could we haue none other answere of hym but y t yt dyd not fully persuade his conscyence nor satysfye hym pretendynge neuerthelesse that he wolde gladly knowe and knowledge the trouth we shewed hym also the wordes of saynt Eusebiê° wherin that holy maÌ„ not onely declareth by playn wordes the conuersyon of the brede and wine into the fleshe and blood of our lorde in the blessed sacrament of the aulter but also maketh yt open by the spyrytual conuersyon of man into the mysstycall bodye of Chryste thorowe the sacrament of baptysme For who can doute but he can do the lesse that can do the more But a lesse thynge is yt to tourne the brede and wyne into his own fleshe and blood in the sacrament of the aulter than an euil dedely synfull man into a good lyuely member of his mystycall bodye by grace in the blessed sacrament of baptysme For yf be yt a lesse thyng as in dede yt is to tourne brede and wyne into his own fleshe and bloude than to make the whole worlde of nought than must it nedes be a greater thing to tourne an euyll man into a good and make a dedely synner a lyuely member of his mystycale bodye For as ye wote well saynt Austayn sayth Maius est iustificare impium quam creare coesum terram A greater thynge yt is to tourne an euyll maÌ„ into a good than to create bothe heuen and erthe of nought The wordes of saynt Eusebius of whyche I speke that were shewed vnto Fryth are these Let no man doute but that y e natures of brede and wyne whych were there before maye at a trecke of goddes power by the pÌ„sence of his maiestye be chauÌ„ged into the nature of our lordes bodye whyle we se that man hym selfe by the connynge of the heuenly mercy is made the bodye of Chryste For as euery persone that cometh to the fayth before the wordes of baptysme is yet in the bandes of the olde det but after the wordes be ones pronouÌ„ced is by and by clensed of all the dregges of synne euyn so the creatures that shall be consecrated wyth the â—â—uenly wordes when they are sayed vppon the holy aulters before they be consecrate by the inuocacyon and callyng on of the hygh god there is the substaunce of brede and wyne but after Chrystes wordâ— ones spoken it is the body and blood of Christe And what meruayle is it of those thynges y t he was able wyth hys worde to create and make of nought he can whan they be created conuerte and tourne theym wyth his worde ye yt semeth to be a lesse meruayle for hym to conuerte tourne that y t he hath made of nought into a better thynge Farthermore where as Fryth affermed and sayde that in the sacrameÌ„t of the aulter Christ was in none other wise receyued than spyritually by fayth onely we shewed hym very playne and opeÌ„ wordes of saynt Cyrylles to the contrarye who to confure this false opynyon that Fryth held and to proue that we be ioyned and knyt vnto Chryste not onely by fayth but also by naturall partycypacyon of his fleshe blood saith thus We denye not but that by ryghte fayth and pure cheryte we be spyrytually ioyned with Chryst But that therâ— is no meane wherby we be ioyned with hym after the flesshe that is the thyng forsothe that we vtterly denye and that is we say farre from the mynde of the holy scriptures For who douteth that Cryst in such wyse is a vyne to and we the braunches whense we gete lyfe from Herken vnto Poule who sayth that we be al one body in Chryste For all though we be many yet in him we be all one for we take all parte of one brede Doth he peraduenture thynke that we knowe not the vertue of the mystycall blessynge whiche whyle it ys done in vs dothe it not make Chryst to dwelâ— in vs corporally to thorow the communicacyon of Chrystes flessh For why be the membres of faythfull folke the membres of Chryste Do ye not know sayth he that your membres be membres of Chryst shall I than make the membres of Chryste the membres of a struÌ„pet God forbede Our sauiour also sayth he that eateth my flesshe and drynketh my bloude dwelleth in me and I in hym Wherfore it muste be consydered that Chryst is in
wordes were so playnly spoken of the very substaunce that they coulde not be referred to the mystery turne them to his incarnacyon thoughe the wordes were precysely wryten of the sacrament And that good holy fathers preuentyng by the spirite of god the malice of the deuyll though none heretyke had yet ben so shamelesse as to holde the contrary had neuertheles moste playnely and apertly deuyded the mystery from the thyng selfe and yet shewed both twayne to be in that blessed saccament whyche thynge myghte I sayd vnto hym yf he lyste not to blynde hymself clerely appere vnto hym by many other places and by thys also of Chrysostom whyche I hadde brought vnto hym where folowed But that not onely by loue but also in very dede we myghte be torned in to that flesh that is done by the meat whych he hath geuen vnto vs. Here he sayth sayd I that by the meate whych he gaue vs we be tourned into that fleshe and not by hys byrth not onely mystycally by loue but also in very dede Howe canne you wyth all your gloses inuerte thys from hys corporall presence wyth eyther of your gloses He answered yt was trouth that receyuynge the mystery and sygnyfycacyon in dede we were by fayth tourned into hym and that the mysterye there bare the name of that whych yt â—â—th sygnifye as it doth in many places elles in scrypture And beyng asked than why he put this artycle that vnto the name of flesshe yf it were not to declare not a bare sygnyfycacyon but y e very fleshe whyche he spake of before he made no answere but desyred he myght be suffred to reade forthe shakynge of this mater with a certayne gyrnyng laughter after his fashyoÌ„ as though yt had ben nothynge to the purpose whyche made me euen then almoste despayre of any good effecte and suffred hym to reade forth when he came to this place whych Chryste dyd bycause he wold bynde vs wyth more charyte and because be wolde she we his desyre towarde vs not onely sufferynge hym selfe to be sene vnto those whyche desyred him but also to be touched and eaten the teth to be set in his flesh and all men to be fulfylled with the deâ—yre of hym Here he thought to haue hadde me in a ioly snare asked yf that place as precysely as it wrote were not spirytually to be vnderstanden whyther in dede we dyd tere the fleshe of our sauyour wyth our teth or not I tolde hym that I beleued in very dede as the wordes were y t we set our teth in his blessed bodye yet tere yt not For in what parte of the hoste so euer we set our teth in that same parte is his whole very bodye As I byleue that whan the preste brake the hoste he tare not the body of our lorde for that were to put hym euery daye to a new passyon but that euery parte of the hoste was his hole bodye and that he who made all thyng of nought coulde compasse this to Here he laughed and rede forth wyth many gloses by the wayelytell to the purpose tyll he came to the place were he compareth the lambes blode in tholde lawe to his bloode whyche was therby fygured sayenge thus But yf the fygure therof hadde so great strengthe in the temple of the Hebrewes in the myddes of Egypte sprynkeled vppon the threshold mych more the trouch This trouth he sayde was referred onely to the passyon of our sauyour and the shedynge of his blood and not to the sacrament of thaultare whan I replyed that in this place saynte Chrysostome treateth of the sacrament and not of the passyon he answered magno supercisio wyth a solemne contenaunce that this was nothyng to the purpose and that I wys he hadde loked red ouer that place whan he was at his lybertye And therewithall he shyt the boke and be ganne to comen where fyrste he began to induce me y t all were to be vnderstaÌ„den in mistery by a place of saynte Chrysostome in a homilye whyche my lorde hym selfe hadde giuen hym before And hereby ye shall se the symplycytie and the playnes of this euangelycall man and howe wyth false dissymulacyon he labored to haue gotten me to hys opynyon Saynt Chrysostome sayth he wylleth y e peple to call away theyr wittes from the wordes as they be spoken and vnderstande theym spiritually tellynge them y t elles they lyed whan the preste sayde vp with your mynde and your hartes and they answere we haue to our lord where as in dede saynt Chrysostome in that place onely blamed them whyche not consyderynge howe reuerently they oughte there to behaue theym selfe spent in babelyng of other maters that tyme wherin they sholde haue prepared them for the holy worde Se the myscheuouse mater of this wicked wreche how deceytfully and how lyke hys father the deuell wyth lyenge and false alledgynge he went aboute to trappe me trustynge so to haue deluded me and to haue shaken me of therwithal bycause he thought I had not redde that place before who can doubte knowynge herin hys wylfull and malycyouse peruer syte of what deceytfull mynde he offered to condescende vnto the authoryte of the catholyke doctours For yf he had faythfully intended to folowe theyr doctryne he wolde neuer so malycyousely and wyttyngly for he had dylygently as he sayde hym selfe studyed that place haue falsely alledged that author for suche purpose as he knewe well he ment not nor no man redynge the place coulde so haue taken it These are saynte Chrysostoms wordes O thou man what doâ—… thou hast thou not mâ—de a promyse vnto the preste who sayd vp with your minde and your harte and thou dydest answere hym agayne we haue to our lorde Doste thou not feare and arte thou not ashamed Thou arte taken wyth a lye euyn at that same tyme. Oh the borde is furnyshed wyth the sacramentes the lambe of god is offered for the the preste is in care and anxiete for thy sake spyrytuall fyre flameth from the â—wter the Seraphiâ—s also are there present couâ—â— theyr face with syxe wynges all bodyles powres make intercession with the preste for the spyrytuall fyre is come downe from heuyn the bloude is receyued in the chalyce out of the immaculate syde for thy purifycacioÌ„ And arte thou not thanne ashamede Fearest thou not arte thou not confunded nor doste thou not reconcyle thy self to god O thou man doth not thy coÌ„scyence pryche the The weke hath viii score viii howres of theÌ„ god hath for hym selfe taken out but one howre and that thou spendest vppon seculare businesse and lawghyng maters and in kepynge company wyth what truste shalt thou than go to goddes borde O wyth how polluted and foule a conscyence If thou haddest stynkyng dyrt in thy handes durst thou approche nyghe vnto the hemme of a kynges garment Doest thou se brede or wyne whyther be they voided into y e drawght as
other meatê be god forbede ThiÌ„ke not so For the wise as wexe if it be brought to the fyre it waxeth lyke vnto the fyre none of tholde substauÌ„ce therof remayneth nor other substaunce ys therby encreaced so thynke here to that the sacramentes be consumed wyth the substaunce of the body And therfore when ye go to goddes borde thynke not that ye receyue godde body at a mannes hande but that ye receyue it of y e Seraphyns fyre with the tonges whyche fyre Esay foresawe you receyue CouÌ„te and rekyn that that holsome bloude in a manet floweth out of the dyuyne and vndefysed syde and so drawe nere and receyue it wyth pure and clene lyppes If the man wanted not lernyng to vnderstand yt as in dede he dyd not howe can his fautours shew that he waÌ„ted not playnnesse faythfulnesse and honesty in so declarynge yt Hereby a man maye playnely se by what meanes they allure meÌ„ to theyr secte whyther by the wordes of god as they pretende or by theyr owne inuencyons false dyssymulacyons and lyes whyche I wolde to god allthe world knew as well as all they who haue coÌ„mened with these members of the deuyll these gates of hell not beynge before of theyr owne noughtynes corrupte do spye and playnely perceyue when I hadde ones made answere vnto his allegacyon the subtyll euaÌ„ gelyst seynge hys falshode toke none effect but spyed layde manyfestly to his charge otherwyse than he hoped yt shulde haue ben was all astonyed and sat styll a good while with oute eyther spekynge or makyng any semblauÌ„ce to speke At the length I dyd interrupte his sylence shewynge my self to meruaile that he who pretented so myche symplycyte so aâ—dent a desyre to knowe the trouthe wold neuerthelesse in dede labour after suche synistre fashyon to blynde the trouth desyred hym that he wold at the laste rather mekely folowe the trouth than to drawe and hayle euery thynge to his purpose and so arrogantly at that worde he gyrned agayne set vnto euery place his glose as though whan he promysed to byleue the doctours of y t chyrche it had ben promysed hym agayne that we sholde vnderstande theym as he lyst and not as the wordes gaue why I praye you sayde he be not you fayn to glose those wordes wheâ— on you grounde your selfe moste And where the wordes be this is my body are not you fayne to say in this is my bodye or in this is conteyned my bodye ye se howe lyke a lerned man this was spoken The kynges hyghnes in his moste excellent and erudyte assertyon of the sacramentes layde this agaynst Luther who sayth that the blessed body of our lorde is in the sacrament the substaunce of brede neuerthelesse remaynynge as yt was before whose sayenge can not stande with the wordes of our sauyour wythout suche a glose as who so euer putteth vnto y e wordes of god is accursed of hym and to be detested of the worlde And Fryth thought this had made gayly agaynst the catholoque fayth whych without eyther addynge or dyminysshynge any thynge in the wordes of god is to beleue that the moste blessed sacrameÌ„t is his very body which was betrayed for vs. I am suer sayd he ye wold not say that that whyche ye se or perceyué by your other sences is his body forthaÌ„ sholde ye saye that the forme of brede and wyne were his bodye I asked hym where he lerned that new logyke to say that by this word thys were shewed the outwarde resemblaunce of any thynge to the sences and not the mater or substaunce therin conteyned And asked hym whyther whan he sayd this a stone or a stocke he ment y e colour or bignes or smothenes or other accydentes or elles the substaunce the very stone yt selfe He wolde haue persuaded me farther bycause I myght he sayde wellse with myne eye that yt was very brede wheruppon I answered that in this hygh mater of fayth that argumeÌ„t was very faynt while in thynges naturall a pore peynter myghte sometyme begyle both myne eye and hys to And therfore I willed hym rather to mystrust his sences wherby we be dayly deceyued than the wordes of god whyche neuer can fayle how impossyble so euer they appere vnto our syght He sayde he mystrusted not the wordes of god but byleued theym as he vnderstode them that was that god gaue the name of his bodye to that thynge whyche onely betokened his bodye I answered hym to shew that it was no bare token of his body but his very bodye in dede our lorde sayd this is my body whyche shalbe betrayed for you and no mystery no sacrameÌ„t nor sygnyfycacyon of his bodye was betrayed for vs but his very natural body whych henge on the crosse when he persysted styll saynge yt ought to be vnderstanden for the token of his body which was betrayed I began more ernestly to deteste his arrogaÌ„ce in my mynde who dyd not onely falsely allege and fondly glose the wordes of men but also durste take vpon hym to expounde the wordes of our sauyour hym selfe contrary to hys owne exposycyon Nay not so quoth he For saynte Austayne ad Adimantum sayth that our lord calleth the sygne of his body hys body So do all chrysten men sayde I call it a sygne a token a fygure a sacrament a mystery a sygnyfycacyon and what suche name ye lyste to call it and yet both call it and afferme it to be his blessed body to And what saynt Austayne mente in that one place wrytynge vnto an heretyke whome he labored to conuince in an other mater maye easely be perceyued by many other places of his workes where he speketh moost catholykely and reuerentely of the blessed sacrament whych I told hym myght wel appere vnto him by such places of the sayd saynt Austayne as were alledged agaynste hym at his examinacyon And yf saynt Austayn had ben of his opynion in dede as in dede he was not yet had not his opinion alone haue ben to be preferred before the fayth of all the other olde holy doctours and saintes agaynst thauthoryte of the whole chyrche of god But this hath euer ben a crafte of heretykes by false alledgyng or false vnderstandynge of some one catholyke doctour whose authoryte were moch reputed amonge good men to pretende that there opinioÌ„ were also catholyke So dyd the prechers of the cyrcuÌ„cycyon with saynt James the Arrianes with Origene and Theognostus the Donatistes wyth faynt Cypryane the Origenystes wyth saynte Hierome Theophilus these mysty mystycall heretykes with saynt Austayne euyll vnderstaÌ„den and all the rable of Luthers secte wyth wordes mysse taken among some wrytynges of Erasmus wherin how playnely syncerely they haue euer delte yet do any man maye se who hath vnderstandynge in the laten tongue and lyste to rede theyr actes After all this comenynge longe wyth hym of his arrogaunce foly amonge other thynges I bad hym shewe me that euer any man before
vs not onely habitually by cheryte but also by naturall partycypacyon For lyke wyse as yf a man take wex that is mosten with fyre with other wex y t is in lyke maner molten so myngle it that bothe â—wayne be made one so by the communion of Chrystes body and bloud he is in vs and we hym For this corruptible nature of y e body coulde ellys in no wyse haue bene brought to incorrupty byâ—ite and lyfe but yf y e body of naturall lyfe that is to wyt the body of Chryste were ioyned with it Fynally after many mo places of dyuers olde holy sayntes very connynge doctours alledged vnto Frith all whych here to reherse were a very longe besynes we layed before hym a place of saynt Hieromes whose wordes be these God forbede that I sholde any euyll speke of them that succedynge into y e place of thapostles with theyâ— holy mouth consecrate the body of Chryste by whome also we be made chrysten menne who hauynge the heyes of the kyngdome of heuyn are seâ— iudges in a maner before the generall iudgement kepe the spowse of our lord wyth sobre chastyte Howe playne these places be yese playnely and yet he denyed them to be playne ynough After that we had shewed hym these places with many mo so playn that he could fynde no gloses for theym but onely fled to his conscyence and his spyryt vnto whyche onely they se med not playn I beganne to repete that I had promysed vnto hym and he to me desyrynge hym eyther to shewe that I hadde not kept my promyse or elles to kepe his Then he desyred vs bothe to be content wyth his answere wherfore seyng no more truste in his worde and promyse nor no better hope of amendement we were purposed to departe saue onely that we abode to se thende of an other mannes communicacyon with hym wyshynge rather than hopynge any good to ensue After whose communycacyon ended we resoâ—ted agayne vnto hym not to dyspute any more with hym by authorite agaynste all whyche he wolde euer at length vse his own conscience for a shote anker when all reason and craft fayled but onely to lament wyth hym his folysh or rather malycyouse obstynacie and arrogance so myche estemynge hys owne fantasye that none authoryte myght dryue yt froÌ„ hym not of those whose lernynge and vertue he could not doute of hauyng by theyr paynfull deth and sharpe lyfe borne wytnes to that doctryne whyche they taught and whom god by many myracles hath declared for holy saiÌ„tes requyâ—yng hym to folow rather theyr iudgement then his owne fantasye ye haue not yet shewed sayd he that this was theyr doctryne we haue shewed sayde I so playne wordes of theyrs for our fayth that ye can not yet deuyse how to make theym agres with your opinion Moreouer sayde we there is with vs one authoryte passyng all these y e spiryte of god promysed to Chrystes chyrche whyche teacheth all men beynge in the vnitie of Christes chyrch to confesse as we do Here beganne a newe disputacyon what was y e chyrch whyther knowen or vnuisible comen of both good and bad or elles of electes onely For he sayde that the fayth was euer preserued amonge the electes whan I asked hym how thaÌ„ y e fathers which alledge the authorite of y e chyrch knew the chyrch which was of authorytie yf yt were not a knowen chyrch ye by my fayth ê™ he yf yt were not for your chyrche ye could saye very lytle For that is your onely shyft whan ye come to extremyte By my fayth you say very trouth ê™ I for yf yt were not by the authoryte of the chyrche I se not howe we shuld proue this gospell whyche we reade and reache to be Christes And than to shewe hym that this worde chyrche not onely spoken of the vnyuersall chyrch but also spoken of any parte of the same betokeneth both good and badde whyche we oughte in any thynge to folowe were lyke wyse to be vnderstanden I asked hym howe he vnderstode that place Tell the chyrch and whyther he dyd therin admyt saynt Chrisostomes authorite expouÌ„dyng dic ecclesiae praesulibus scilicet praesidentibus whyche he sayde he dyd Than I asked hym yf god dyd not by this place authoryse that chyrch of his comeÌ„ to good and bad and bynde vs to folow the iudgemeÌ„t therof addynge a fore payne yf we dyd not whaÌ„ he denyed not y e I said â–ª than muste ye nedes grauÌ„te y t where we be commaunded to folow the iudgement of the chyrche yt is ment of knowen men of the chyrche whether they be good or bad In smale maters said he brethern be commaunded to folowe the iudgement of theyr curate yt is his parte to set them at one Then he that was wyth me asked hym where he serned that glose â–ª and yf a greater mater chauÌ„ced whyther yt shulde haue no iudge bycause of the greatnes specyally hauynge therfore moste nede to be iudged wheruppon takyng occasyon I put hym his own case for example saieng â–ª if I saw you besye in teachyng such doctryne as offended me and that you neyther wolde for myne admonicyon or any other elles leue yt ought I not than to tell the chyrch hereof he sayd yes And whych chyrch I pray you your vnknowen chyrche of onely electes â–ª or elles the comen knowen chyrche of good and bad of whyche we spake byfore and y e gouernours of y e same whych chyrch than yf you dysobeyed ought we not than and were we not bounde by the worde of god to take you as 〈…〉 hethen To this he wolde not answere dyrectely but sayde take me as you wyll â—aye not so sayde I we muste order our wyll yf we wold do well â–ª And for myne owne part I am desyrouse to knowe the trouth I pray you tell me whyther I am bounde by the worde of god so to take you doyng otherwyse whyther I breke the coÌ„maundement of god or no specyally knowynge theyr pryuate iudgement herein to haue be preiudycate by the hole catholyque chyrche of Chryste ye may take me sayth he here as youâ— coÌ„science serueth you But yf I were beyond the sees from whens I came I shuld not be condempned for this and you shulde be excoÌ„municate for the contrary yet sayd I there is but one truth and one chyrche whyche professeth y e truth so that one of these two chyrches is not of god If our chyrche be not the ryghte chyrche then within these fewe yeres byfore these new gospellers began to instytute theyr chyrches and founde these newe fangle opinions there was no chyrch at all yes sayd he the fayth was euer proserued amonge the electes Then y e yonge manne whyche was with me seynge hym thus torne the whele retorne euer agayne to that whyche he had sayd before though it were neuer so fonde and playnely confuted beganne to repreue hys vanyte who could for shame