death of a man is in the soule the occasion wherof commeth by the corrupt affection of the flesh so this spirituall medicine of Christes body and bloud in the sacrament worketh his effectes not onely in the soule of man but also in the body of man by healynge it by defendinge sanctifyinge strengthning and reducing it to immortalitye Fyrst seyng that we mortall and synful men be fleshe and bloude we can not be reformed in the corrupt and weake nature of our bodies and soules nor come agayne to the lykenes and symilitude of God in puritie and life except a conuenient playster be layde to our olde disease and in the healing of our desperate infirmitie one coÌ„trarye be remoued by an other like thinges be applyed and made agree vnto lyke as Christes lyuelye and sanctified bodye to our mortall and synnefull fleshe which thing is done in the receiuing of this most blessed Sacrament where the vertue of so great and holsome a medicine doth perse al partes both of body and soule and doth renew and make holl whatsoeuer sycknesse the corruption of old noughty liuing had before caused and engendred in the fleshe or in the spirite For the body of Christ our lord receiued into vs by the misticall benediction which is the sacrament and remayning in vs driueth awaye not onely death but also al sickenes and the poyson that was brought in by original sinne and it pacifieth and kepeth vnder the raging law of oure members it strengthneth deuotion it quencheth the froward and synful affections of the minde and those smal sinnes we be in it regardeth not but healeth the sycke restoreth the brused and from falling it lifteth vs vp In baptisme we were washed from all synne and the writing of our damnation was cancelled and grace was geuen vnto vs that the conâ—cupiscence and carnall desyre of our flesh shoulde not hurt vs if we abstein from consenting to it and so the corrupte and putrified matter of oure old sore was remoued and taken away But who is able to ouercome the violent motions of hys flesh and to quench the heat and itch of suche a sore â— surely no man of his own strength but we maye be bold for grace helpeth vs wherewyth we be indued by receiuing Christes blessed body and bloud in thys sacrament which hath in vs two effectes the one to take away our smal sins that we fele them not the other to take away or refraine our consent from great and mortal sins that we doo them not So that if any of you all do fele and perceiue in himselfe not so great motions or so violent prouocations to anger to enuye to lecherie or to other vyces or not so often times as he did before let him geue most humble and hye thanks to the body and blood of our lord for the vertue of the sacrament doth worke in him and he maye be glad that the rotten sore and old disease of his sensuall concupiscence is better amended and well nygh brought to helth and that the commotion and rebellion of his sodayne passions and carnall affections be so wel ceased and pacifyed Furthermore besyde the healing of our sinful flesh it sanctifieth and strengthneth it in vertue and godly liuing for like as material bread doth comfort and make strong a mans body euen so the bread of life that came from heauen which is Christes body one person with the godhed doth lykewyse make strong our bodyes in grace and more then that it sanctifieth both body soule And like as wyne maketh glad a mans hart euen so the bloode of Christ dothe fulfill a mans hart wyth spirituall gladnes and beside that is made a great stay and a sure defeÌ„ce for it which to a godly man is as it were a shield against his enemy and therefore in all daungerous and perillous times in remeÌ„braunce of Christes passion by which al grace and strength was purchased for vs we receyue Christes body and bloode for the defence preseruation of our bodies and soules wherby the power of the deuil is resisted his fiery dartes of tentations be driuen away So the churche of Christe vseth to doo with her faythfull soldiours in all persecutions eyther of furious tirantes or deceitful heretikes for wheÌ„ it prouoketh and exhorteth theÌ„ to fight agaynst their enemies it doth not leaue them naked and vnarmed but doth harnes and defend theÌ„ wyth the protection of Christes body and blood For seing this sacrameÌ„t is ordeined for this purpose to be a defence to the receyuers therefore it armeth al them with the harnes and shield of our Lordes meate whoÌ„ it would haue to be safe froÌ„ the hurt of theyr enemies For after a man hath receyued woorthely the heauenlye meate of our Lordes body and blood the deuil forsaketh him and flyeth away swifter then the wynde dare not approch nere When the angel that destroied the first begotten in Egipt saw the dore postes sprinkled with the blood of the paschal Lambe he passed by and durst not enter in to kyll How much more wil the wicked angel the deuil runne away when he shal see not the blood of the figuratiue lambe sprinkled vpon the postes but the body and bloud of the true lambe of God in the mouth of a Christen maÌ„ If the angel gaue place to the shadow or fygure howe muche more wyl the enemye be afrayde when he seeth the truth When he shall see the house of the soule occupied with the brightnes of Christes heauenly preseÌ„ce and al entraunce for his temptatioÌ„s shut away Thus are we made stronge agaynst our enemies by the vertue of this heaueÌ„ly foode wherby also our bodies being purified and refreshed be set at liberty and doth freely folow the soule and the motions of our spirite beyng deliuered from the heauye burden and weakenes whyche our carnall natiuitie dyd cause and finally they be made no more corruptible hauing thys heauenly meate for theyr hope and pledge of theyr resurrection to life euerlasting whereby they be preserued and prepared to the atteynyng of the same life For how can our flesh come to corruption and peryshe for euermore and not receyue eternall lyfe which is fed with the body blood of our Lord as our sauiour himselfe taught vs saying He that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my blood hath life euerlasting and I shall rayse him vp at the last day that is to say my bodye whyche is eaten being the body of life shall rayse vp hys body to eternall life in the last day For the very cause of our life is that we haue Christe by hys flesh remayning and abidyng in our fleshe And it wer not possible for this corruptible nature of our flesh being subiect to corruption and death to be brought to incorruption and immortalitie in the kingdome of heauen except an immortall nature such as is the body of Christ beyng
store vp a good treasure in the nexte worlde to the attayninge of euerlastinge lyfe And by thys gyfte of counsell we bee armed not to leane to oure owne strength nor to the power of anye multitude nor to the obstinacie of minde but to the helpe of God and for the glorye of hys name So that thys gifte of fortytude woorketh the vertue of mercifulnesse whereby a man vseth the worlde not as the deuyll tempteth hym to fulfyll hys greedy appetite which like dropsye wyll neuer be satiate but to the reliefe of the poore the defence of the innocent the forgeuinge of the offendour and the mayntenaunce of the truthe For suche a man is happye and shall receyue greater mercie at Gods hand And therefore when we lacke this gifte or doe not vse it let vs fyrste forgeue them that haue offended vs and than pray that our debtes may likewise be forgeuen vnto vs and that is the verye practyse of thys gyfte of counsell and the direction of oure spirytuall strength and fortitude The syxte darte of the deuell is gluttonye for when he hathe mooued a man to take pleasure and ioye in these outwarde and worldlye thynges he tempteth hym speciallye to followe that pleasure that is most naturall to his fleshe and not to be content with that the necessitye of nature requireth but to lette pleasure haue hys wyll eyther in excedynge measure or in to much delicatenes and preparation for the same wherupon foloweth the decaye of healthe and subuersion of reason For commonly wher there is a full belly there is also a dull witte for that cause the holye Ghoste hath armed vs wyth the gift of vnderstandinge out of whiche procedeth the vertue of clennes of hart that our spirituall eyes maye be simple and refuse to be made dull with the stuffing of our bellies and our hartes maye be cleane and pure from the corruption of the flesh not loden with surfeting and dronkennes to thintent we might escape the sayde vyce of glotonie and be promoted to so greate happynes as to see God whiche no man can do except the mist of ignoraunce errour and vncleane lyuynge be taken from his eyes by faythe and the gift of vnderstanding And therfore least these tentations of the fleshe specially concerninge the nourishing and pamperinge of the same do hynder vs from true vnderstanding and the syghte of God which he hath promised to all them that be simple and cleane of hart let vs diligētly pray that he suffer vs not to be led into temptation Finally the last of the deuils dartes is lechery which is the vylest kind of sinne of al other the sonest is a man tempted vnto it if the deuil haue any enteraunce before eyther by ydlenesse couetousnesse or dronkennesse For as the prophet saythe the cause of the iniquitye of Sodome was pryde to muche eatinge wealth and ydlenesse And thys vyce blyndeth a mans soule taketh awaye his reason for a tyme and the consideration he shoulde haue of death and bringeth him into hatred of God and in mistruste or desperation of the life to come And for remedye againste this most beastlye vyce the holye Ghoste hath armed vs with his greatest gifte which is wysdome whereby a manne pulleth awaye hys mynde and pleasure from the corruption of hys fleshe and refuseth to be subiect to his vnnaturall sensualitie and to defile his bodye the temple of God and setteth his hole ioye felicitye and rest in his Lorde God hauinge his mynde occupyed in heauenly thoughtes where nothinge is that can displease And thys is the wysdome of God that commeth from aboue which is chaste peaceable gentle easie to be intreated agreable to goodnes full of mercy and good fruite Happye are they that haue thys wysedome oute of which springeth the vertue of making peace because the fruit of rightwisnes is sowen in peace to theym that be peacemakers to whome God hath promised that they shal be called his sonnes and children for which cause when we lacke this gift of wisdome or waxe slacke to vse it let vs pray to almighty god to deliuer vs from al euill whiche deliueraunce setteth vs at libertye and maketh vs freemen that is to saye the chyldren of god indued with his spirit of adoption wherby we may boldly call God our father And thus I haue declared vnto you the seuen giftes of the holy ghost geuen vnto vs in our cōfirmation which for lacke of our good and vertuous bringinge vp when wee were chyldren do not so muche appeare and shewe theimselues in oure deedes as it were expedient they should but yf we rayse theym vp againe by oure prayer and diligent exercise as I haue partly told you we shall be sure to ouercome our spirituall enemye and in the daye of oure Lorde receyue the crowne of glorye throughe the merites of our sauiour Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all glorye and prayse Amen ⸫ ¶ Of the reall presence of Christes bodye in the Sacrament of the Aultar Ser. vii AS a man by his carnall generatiō is not onely borne to temporal life but also in proces of tyme waxeth strong which life strength cā not be preserued withoute nouryshement and holsome meate euen so a man by his spirituall regeneration is not onely borne againe to a spirituall life in Christ by baptisme but also waxeth strong in Christ by receiuing the giftes of the holy ghost in Confirmation which spirituall lyfe and strength can not bee preserued and continued without spiritual nourishmēt and holsome meate For which purpose our sauiour Christ who loued vs so vehemently that to bringe vs to life was content to dye and for the pryce and ransome of the same lyfe vouchsafed to geue his own body to death doth styll vouchsafe to nouryshe vs so redemed and brought to life with the swete and holsom milke of his owne bloude and geueth vs his fleshe to eate and his bloud to drinke that we might be fed and nouryshed for the continuaunce of oure spirituall life wyth the same precious thynges that we were redemed withall before And because our soules be as yet ioyned with oure bodies therfore for the time of this life our Sauiour Christ geueth vnto vs his vnuisible graces in sensible Sacramentes And as in Baptisme by water whiche is a sensible thing is geuen to vs the inuisible grace of regeneration euen so in the Sacrament of the Aultare vnder the vysible formes of breade and wyne is geuen to vs the substaunce of all grace which is Chryst hym selfe that is to saye hys bodye and hys bloude which though they be corporall thinges in theyr own nature yet now being glorified they be spirituall and therefore not sensible but where it pleaseth oure Sauiour by miracle to haue them appeare Thys is than most certeynlye and constantly to be beleued of vs all vpon payne of dampnation that in thys blessed sacrament of the Aultar wherof I entreate
at this time is verelye and reallye present the true bodye and bloude of oure Sauiour Christ which suffered vpon the crosse for vs and is receyued there corporallye by the seruices of our mouthes not in the same forme of his body as it was vpon the crosse but in the formes of our dayly and special nutrimentes of breade and wyne the substaunce of which bread and wyne is conuerted and chaunged into the substaunce of Chrystes bodye and bloude by the omnipotent and secret power of his woorde assistinge the due administratyon of hys mynister This merueylous and heauenly doctrine is not inuented by mans wytte but reueled by Gods spirit in his holy scripture and taught vs by the mouth of our Sauiour Christe who instituted thys holy Sacrament in his last supper sayinge to his disciples take eate this is my bodye whiche is geuen for you this is my bloude of the new testament which is shed for many and for you in remission of sinnes Of these words the like which be written in the gospels of S. Marke S. Luke and in the epistle of S. Paul to the CorinthiaÌ„s the holy catholike church hath euer from the beginning vnderstaÌ„ded and beleued that after the speaking of those words by Christ or by his minister in his person sufficientlye authorised so to do by his commaundement is made present the naturall body and bloud of our sauiour Christe there to be receiued of his faithfull people to the increase of all grace and immortalitie bothe of bodye and soule For the Churche estemeth these to be the working wordes of God makinge the thinge to be as it was not before and not as the wordes of onely man whiche can onelye declare the thinge to be as it is before For yf Christes word be of such streÌ„gth that it can make thinges to be that were nothing before how much more hath it strength to make a thinge that was before to be chaunged into an other thynge that it was not Like as the heauen was not the earth was not yet he said the worde and they were made euen so the sacrament before the consecration was not the bodye of Christe but after the consecration it is now the body of Christ for he hath said the word the thinge is made And he that is the author of the gift is also the wytnes of the truth of the same gift so that our fayth in this thinge is grounded not in mans reason or sense but in the almighty power of gods worde For if Christ the speaker of this word were not Gods sonne and the woorde of God by whom all trees and herbes doo bringe foorth fruite it could not be certeine to vs that this blessed and sanctified breade of the Sacrament were Christes bodye and the cuppe of his bloude Therefore seing that he hath sayde this is my body this is my bloude who can neyther deceyue nor be deceyued let vs without all doubte stedfastlye beleue it to be so and looke vpon it wyth the eyes of our vnderstandinge For our faith in this matter is induced by hys onelye authorytie and not by our wytte whose wordes require necessarily our fayth and in no wise do admitte our reason they require a simple beleuer and reproue a wicked reasoner so that we must beleue simply that we can not serche profitablye wherefore lyke as wee maye not curiouslye serche howe it is done so we maye not Iewishlye doubte whether it be done but reuerently prepare vs to receyue that by faith we are sure is done And furthermore the holy Churche estemeth those wordes of Christ this is my body this is my bloude to be the formall wordes of a sacrament of the new Testament workinge inwardly the same grace that is signified outwardly whiche is the propertâ—e of euery sacrament of the newe Testamente whereby they differ frome the other shadowes of the olde Testament And because the grace that is signified by these formall wordes is the very bodye and bloude of Christe him selfe the author and fountayne of all grace therfore we must certeinly knowe by fayth that God assistyng the due ministration of thys Sacrament according to his promise doth inwardly woorke in the holy Sacrament the reall presence of his saied bodye and bloude It is not the power of the priest being a man that in the creatures which be set vpon the aultare to be consecrate causeth the body and bloud of oure Lorde to be made present but it is Christ himselfe that was crucified for vs. The wordes be pronounced by the mouth of the prieste as hys mynyster but the oblations be consecrate by Gods power and grace who is now there present and sanctifieth the creatures and chaungeth them by the inuisible working of the holy ghost which miraculous chaunge must be imputed to Christ who by hys woorde worketh this his presence aboue the reache of mans carnall vnderstandynge And we ought to thinke of this consecration farre aboue the consecration of other thinges For other thinges in the Church vsed about the holy Sacramentes be by prayer sanctifyed and called holy for that they be dedicate to some holy vse and the soule of man is by grace coÌ„secrate and sanctified because it is a substaunce wherin holines and vertue remaineth and a good mans bodye is also sanctified being made a membre of Christ and the temple of the holy ghost and the other Sacramentes be sanctified and holye for that they bee the instrumentes wherby GOD worketh holynes in the soule of man but aboue all other thinges this blessed Sacrament of the Aultar is most holy beyng as S. Chrysostome sayth not onely a thinge sanctifyed but also verye sanctification and holynesse it selfe For in that it is the bodye of Christe by sanctification wherunto is annexed the godheade by vnitye of person it muste nedes by holynes it selfe not in qualitie but in substaunce out of which procedeth all holynes vertue and goodnes And the holy Churche also estemeth those formall woordes of oure Sauioure Christe to be the performaunce of his promise whych he made at Capernaum to his disciples when he sayde the breade that I shall 〈◊〉 vnto you is my fleshe which I shall gâ—ue for the life of the worlde whiche promise he that is the verye truthe and can not lye dydde neuer at any tyme before perfourme but in hys laste supper when hee gaue hys bodye and hys bloude to hys dysciples to eate and sayde that whiche he gaue theym was hys bodye and hys bloude And as he promysed to geue vnto theym hys fleshe that shoulde be geuen for the lyfe of the worlde and not a figure of that flesh or a sygne so he gaue in verye deede the same fleshe and not a fygure or sygne of it and sayde precyselye that it was the same bodye that shoulde bee geuen to deathe for theyr redemption to whyche woorde euerye true Christen manne
lambe is sprinckled vpon both the postes of our doore when it is receiued not onelye wyth the mouth of the body for redemption but also with the mouth of the hearte for imitation Whyche bloude is not nowe shedde vpon the handes and coates of the souldiours that crucifyed him but is powred into the mouthes of the faithfull that receyue hym And this newe doctryne was not knowen to the worlde tyll our Sauiour Christe taught it hymselfe in his ghospell For the olde lawe dyd forbydde the eatinge and drinkinge of bloude with theyr mouthes and the newe law dothe commaunde it so to be dronken for which cause we that pertayne to the newe lawe do vse often tymes to drinke of this bloud knowynge that except we eate his flesh and drink his bloud we shall not haue lyfe in vs. Wherein wee are called to more dignitye than any of the prophetes of the olde testamente was For Dauid dyd neuer eate of thys bodye nor neuer dranke of this bloude although he beleued in Chryste as well as we or rather better and so was onelye pertaker of them spirituallye by fayth and not corporally by the sacrament as we be See with what great dignity almighty God doth honour our mouthes by which as by certeine gates and doores our sauiour Christ entreth into vs when we communicate and receiue his bodye and so hauing Christ within vs by his fleshe in hym corporally vnited by the sacrament of perfit and natural vnitie we shal likewise be partakers of his propretie which is life euerlasting I wil no more at this time good people occupy you with any longer processe concerninge this most true euidente matter but shall speake of it at other times besechinge you in our lordes name not to wauer in your faythe lyke reedes blowen a syde with euery wind but to stand stedfast in the certein belief of this most holy sacrament whiche is set forth to vs by the mouth of our sauior Christ himself and the sacred bookes of al his holye Euangelistes and is confirmed with the bloud of his martirs with the miracles of God and hys faintes shewed for that purpose with the testymony of all catholyke wryters in euery age and with the aucthoritie and consente of the holle church of Christ throughout the worlde as well in general couÌ„sels assembled in the name of oure Lord Iesus Christ as in euery perticulare prouince and realme which is the piller of trueth the surest staffe to leane vnto for a christen man to holde himselfe stedfaste in trueth so that the mooste manyfeste woorde whyche was spoken by Chrâ—ste oure Lorde vpon this holye Sacrament and the true meaninge of the same woord declared from tyme to tyme by his holye Catholike church deliuereth vs from all ignoraunce what it is and assureth vs that in this most holy sacrament is present by the omnipotent power of god the real and true body and bloude of our sauiour Christ god and man vnder the sensyble formes of bread and wine and is there receyued of the faithfull people not onelye spirituallye by faithe but also corporallye with their mouthes for the attayninge of immortalitie and euerlastinge life both of body and soule the which GOD of his infinite goodnes graunt vs through the merytes of his sonne Iesus Christ and the sanctification of hys holye spirite to whom bee all prayse honour and glorye world without ende Amen ¶ Of the chaunge of the breade and wyne that is to say of Transubstantiation Serm. viii WHat is the substance of thys blessed Sacrament we haue learned good people of oure sauiour Christes owne wordes who the nighte before he suffered at hys laste supper with his disciples toke breade and blessed it and brake it and gaue it to hys dysciples and sayd take and eate this is my body and takinge the chalice he gaue thankes gaue it to them saying drinke al you of this for this is my bloude of the new testament whiche shall bee shed for many for remission of sinnes Upon these wordes of Christe all true christen men ground their fayth concerning this blessed Sacrament and beleue verelye that the inwarde substaunce of this sacrament is the fleshe of oure Sauiour Iesus Christe whyche suffered for oure synnes and that in the chalyce consecrate is the same bloude that dyd runne foorth of Chrystes syde when it was opened with the speere And furthermore vpon the same woordes of Christ the holy churche and all true christen men her members doe grounde their faithe concerninge the chaunge whiche the holye ghoste by his vnspeakable power worketh in this sacrament where tâ—e inwarde substaunce of breade and wyne is chaunged into the substaunce of the bodye and bloude of Chryste the outwarde formes of the saied breade and wyne with the quantitie and qualities of the same still remayninge vnchaunged Whiche maner of chaunge because it is singuler and hathe none like it eyther in nature or otherwise therefore the holy Churche dothe call it by the name of TransubstantiatioÌ„ the whiche woorde was inuented by the holy churche in the greatest generall counsell that euer was which was called the counsell of Lateranense where there were present seuenty Archbyshoppes and foure hundred Bishops and they spake of thys chaunge by that name to thintent that lyke as the holie church of Christ in euery age dyd agree and was of one minde concerninge this chaunge of the bread and wyne euen so they should agre and be of one tong in the vtteringe and speaking of that chaunge that the diuersitie of manye wordes vttereth diuersly in the bokes of learned men should not impayre and bring in doubt the olde knowen trueth reueled to the Churche by the holye ghoste This olde trueth the Churche learneth of Christes owne woordes For where as it was but one thinge or substance which our Sauiour Christ gaue out of his hand to his disciples to eate whiche one thinge he saied plainly was his body which shoulde be geuen for them and in saying so made it so to be by hys almightie word for that cause the holy church beleueth that it is not breade but his very bodye in dede And also where as it appeareth to al a mans senses to be very bread which seÌ„ses be not deceiued so farre as they can skyll of reache vnto which is onely to the outwarde apparaunce and qualities or qualitie not to the inwarde substaunce therefore the holye Churche beleueth that the chaunge which is in the sacramente is made in the inward substauÌ„ce of the bread and not in the outward forme of the breade whiche remayneth as it was for whiche cause the Churche calleth that chaunge Transubstantiation For that bread which our lord reached to his disciples being chaunged in nature and not in forme by the omnipotency of his worde was made flesh And as in the person of Christe hys humanitie was sene and his diuinitie was secret vnsene
euen so in this sacrament the outwarde forme of breade appeareth to mans sight and the inwarde substance of Christ god and man appeareth not to a mans corporall eye but to the eye of his soule whiche is faith which fayth is stayed vppon the omnipotēt power of god For he that can create all thinges of nought with his woorde can also chaunge thinges that be created with his word and if the benediction of man can chaunge the natures of thinges as appeared when Moyses chaunged hys rodde into a serpent what shall we say of the consecration of God that worketh merueilously in his holy sacrament If the word of Helyas was able to bringe fyre from heauen shall not the worde of Christ be able to chaunge the substaunce of breade therefore vppon thys grounde of gods almightye power we submitte our reason to our fayth and aboue the reache of reason we beleue Christes worde and that ther is not the substaunce of bread which nature formed but the substaunce of Christe whiche benediction hath consecrate And so wee esteme thys Sacramente otherwyse than an infidell dothe Like as an vnlearned man when he looketh vppon a booke he vnderstandeth not the meaninge of the writing but a learned manne wyll fynde muche matter hyd there as the lyues and stories of men the vnlearned man wyl thinke ther is nothinge els but paper and ynke the learned man will vnderstande an others speakinge and speake to one beyng absent and aske by his letters what so euer he would haue euen so it is in these misteries the infidels althouhh they here what it is yet they seme not to heare But the faithfull man who hathe experience of the holye ghost can beholde the vertue and power of God in the secrete misteries where the substaunce of bread is consumed by the substaunce of Christes body and ceaseth to be there any more euen as waxe when it is put in the fyer it melteth away the substaunce of it remaineth no more These similitudes whereof the bookes of the olde writers be full be not to satisfy the subtle wits and curious questions of men that lack faithe whose reasons brought oute of naturall experimentes maye in no wyse be admytted of a Chrysten manne to dysproue anye parte of our faythe receyued but they be brought in to declare what is oure faythe in this poynte to whiche faythe Gods pleasure is that euerye mannes reason should be taken captiue and serue to the beliefe of his wonderful workes and Sacramentes euen as the natural inclination of our will should serue to execute the commaundement of godlye charitie For whatsoeuer fleshe and bloud dothe bring forth or the subtlenesse of mans wyt not indued with the spirit of God can inuente is to be reiected from the iudgement and dyscussion of this holy mistery and onely that is to be admitted which the father of heauen by the mouth of his sonne and the inspiration of hys holy spirite hath reueled to his churche And therewyth is euery good christen man contented and satisfied not like the vnfaithful Iewes asking howe it can be so seyng nothing is vnpossible to God but geuinge full credite to the churche of God in the presence of Christ in this Sacrament as the blessed virgine Marye dyd to the Aungel of god in the incarnation of Christe in her wombe and as she gaue full consente to the Aungels woorde when he tolde her that the holye ghoste shoulde come into her and the power of the moste highe god should ouershadow her euen so ought euery faythful soule to geue ful credite to gods church when it teacheth by the woorde of God that the holy ghost ouershadoweth this mistery and maketh present the body of Christ aboue the speach and reason of man and chaungeth the bread and the wine into Christes body and bloud the outward formes remaining stil so that nowe there be not two substances remaininge but one and the self same that was geuen for our redemptiō otherwyse the maner of it is not searcheable And it oughte to beleue also that lyke as the Churche of god in the first generall Counsell at Nyce dyd verye well whan it dyd inuente the worde of Consubstantialitie to expresse the old trueth that Christ was no creature but equall god and of one and the same substance with the father to the confusion of the heretyke Arius and all hys adherentes euen so that the same churche of god did very well in the general coūsell at Laterane when it inuented the woord of Transubstantiation to expresse the olde truthe that there is but one substance of Christe in the Sacrament and that the former substaunces of breade and wyne be conuerted and chaunged in to the body and bloude of Christe the qualities and figure of the same remaining styll vnchaunged to the cōfusion of the heretykes Luther and zwinglius and all their adherentes Furthermore it is to be considered that in this chaunge of the bread god did shewe his greate mercyfull goodnes towardes vs that for our reliefe bearing with our infirmitie he hath suffred the outwarde formes of bread and wine to remaine vnchaunhed For as our nature abhorreth the kylling of a mans fleshe and the sheding of a mans bloude so muche more it abhorreth the eatinge of mans raw fleshe and the drynkinge of mans liuely bloude And where as our sauiour Christ declaringe the necessitie of this Sacrament to thatteining of euerlasting life sayd that except we did eate his flesh and drinke his bloude wee shoulde not haue lyfe in vs therefore hath he by his godly wisdome inuēted this way to geue vs his flesh to eate his bloud to drink and yet our nature should not abhorre the eating and drynking of it but comfortablye and obedientlye receiue it For he geueth it in such nutrimentes of bread and wine as we be daily accustomed to be fedde withal and so cōdescending to our infirmitie lest we should abhorre the sight of his flesh bloude in their owne likenesse he reserueth the outwarde formes of the breade and wyne but their substaunces he chaungeth into his fleshe bloude Besyde diuers other commodities that come to vs thereby as that our fayth is more exercysed in beleuing that to bee there presente whyche we see not with our corporall eyes and the propretie of the sacrament is retained which is to teache vs by the composition and nature of the outward element what the holy ghost worketh inwardly in the soule of him that worthylye receiueth it whiche is the vnitie and perfyte coniunction of Christes misticall body And also the holy Sacrament it self is kept and cōserued in his due honour which otherwise should be cōtemned despised of the paganes and infidels if they perceiued how we christē men did eate the flesh drink y e bloud of Christ our lorde god For these causes he hath ordeined it to bee ministred in the formes of bread
and wine And although our sauior Christ when he did first institute this sacrament in his supper did minister it to his Apostles whoÌ„ he than made priestes vnder bothe the kindes of bread wine to thintent his death and passioÌ„ might be declared remembred therby where his bloude was seperate from his body as the bread was seperatly consecrate from the chalice which maner is yet coÌ„tinually obserued in the sacrifyce of the Churche whiche is the Masse yet for diuers weighty considerations as well concerning the honor of the sacrament and the auoidinge of theffusion of Chrystes blouds which might chauÌ„ce as for the more coÌ„modious administration of the Sacrament to the people the holy church hath vsed euen from the tyme of Christ himself and his Apostles to minister this sacrament vnder the fourme of bread onely both to lay men women and also to priestes sauing when they doe consecrate and minister to them selues with their owne handes in which doing it hath the example of Christ who the daye of hys resurrection ministred this sacramente to two of his disciples in the Castell of Emaus vnder one kinde alone and also the people be defrauded of no part of Christes body bloud nor of no effect or grace that commeth by the worthy receiuinge therof for it is most certain that the holle body bloud of Christ is as truely conteined vnder the one kinde of breade as vnder both the kindes of bread wine seing that Christes liuing body caÌ„not be without his bloud nor his liuely bloud w t out his body And it is also most certeinly true y t if the outward element of breade be diuided into smal parts ther is y e holle body of Christ coÌ„teined in euery part as it was in the holle elemeÌ„t before it was deuided euen as the soule of man is but one and holle in the holle body and is lykewyse one and holle in euery part of the bodye and also as a glasse when it is broken into peces the holle ymage of a mans face appeareth in euerye parte seuerally which before in the holle glasse appeared but one eueÌ„ so the holle body and holle bloud of Christ is geuen vnder euerye part of the outward formes equall portion is geuen to euerye one it is holle deliuered it is distribute to many and not dismembred it is incorporate to the receiuers and suffereth no iniurye it is receiued not included it dwelleth with weake persones is not made weake is muche delited with the pure faith cleane minde of him that receiueth For these most weyghtie godly considerations when the Sacrament is ministred to other than to hym selfe that consecrateth it it is deliuered vnder the forme of breade onely and the chalyce is not consecrate nor yet deliuered as any parte of the sacrament but for the more commodyous receyuinge of the other parte wherein was conteyned the body bloude of our sauiour Christe Therefore seyng that the doctryne of Transubstantiation is as I haue shewed a truth necessarily deduced of Chrystes manyfest woordes sayinge This is my bodye declaring the singular and onelye substaunce of that hee gaue to theym to eate to be his bodye and so not breade seynge the vniuersall Churche of Chryste hathe determined thys to be goddes trueth and for finall endynge of all controuersyes that all men mighte speake one thing and be of one tong hathe ordered it to bee spoken of and vttered in this terme of Transubstantiation and seynge the testimonies of aunciente doctours to bee all agreable in this poynt that the bread is chaunged into the bodye of Christ wherby appeareth the consent of the vniuersall churche whyche is the pyller and vpholder of all trueth for that cause let euery man that loueth the trueth and the saluation of his soule stedfastlye kepe hymselfe in the belief of this truth so to be a member of Christes catholike Churche withoute the whiche there is no saluation and lette hym not ioyne hymselfe to any faction of men out of the catholyke Churche of Christe that for syngularitie or gayne of the worlde trouble the peace of the Churche and styrre vp the ashes of olde heresyes whiche by the greateste aucthorytye that euer Christe lefte in his Churche that is to say by the iudgement of the successour of saynct Peter in the chayre of Christe and of the Bysshops and pastours of Christes flocke called froÌ„ all the partes of the world in a general counsell haue bene discussed before this tyme and fullye determined Let vs not shew so muche dyshonor to our most certaine and heauenlye religion as to thynke that it may be variable after the wylful and furious appetite of a few men whiche is one and vniforme and so hath bene froÌ„ Chrystes time tyll this day being by gods holy spirit the scholemaister of his holy churche inspyred reueled multiplied ordered continued and so stablished that hell gates that is to saye tyrannye schismes and heresy shall neuer preuaile against it He that by vnitie of fayth in doctryne and by the peace of charitie in good liuinge kepeth hym selfe within the folde of gods catholike Churche as a liuely member of the same may be sure of the protection of gods holy spirit in grace and be in good hope to attaine the glory of God in the kyngedome of heauen by the merites of Christ to whom with the father and the holye ghoste be honoure and praise worlde without end Amen ¶ Of the effectes of Christes body and bloude in the worthye receiuer Ser. ix HOw much good people are we bound to loue our Lorde Iesus Chryste that lyke a good shepeherd hath geuen hys soule for vs hys shepe and hys fleshe to bee oure meate and his bloude to be our drinke and so is he both our redemer and redemption our feder and our daylye foode Greater loue can no man shewe than thys whiche Christ our Lord hath shewed to vs but if wee would consider for what cause and purpose hee fedeth vs wyth hys fleshe and bloude and what wonderfull graces and effectes he woorketh in vs bothe in bodye and soule by those heauenlye meates our loue towardes hym shoulde bee a greate deale more increased and oure desyre shoulde bee more inflamed to fyll our hungrye soules with so profitable and precious meates In whiche matter I intende God wyllinge to laboure at thys tyme and to make but a shorte recitall of certayne beneâ—ytes whiche the worthye receyuinge of thys mooste blessed Sacrament worketh first in our soules and than in our bodyes for to speake perfitly at length of it and as the worthynes and dygnitie of the matter requireth woulde aske a great processe and a longe tyme whyche I verelye hope youre good affection in perceyuynge the trueth and in folowynge the same in your lyues wyll supplye First of all this holy Sacramente is ordeyned and geuen to man to nouryshe hym to eternall
in a new sepulchre so ought we to laye it in a cleane harte and a chast bodye Whiche thing if we diligently procure as it maye be done in litle time make our selues not vnworthy receiuers of so great a treasure than shall Christ our lord with the Father and the holy ghost come vnto vs and dwel wyth vs and worke in vs all the godlye and wonderfull effectes of this blessed Sacrament both in our soules and bodies and nourishe vs into Christes mistical bodye wyth hys owne naturall fleshe whiche as a pledge maketh vs to bee in sure hope of life euerlasting to the which he bring vs that made vs to whom be all honour and glorye for euermore Amen ¶ How a man may come worthely to receyue the blessed Sacrament Ser. xi I Purpose by the grace of god in this Sermon to instructe you good people howe to prepare your selues to come worthelye to receiue this holy sacrament ye know the great and meruailous benefites whyche Christe our Lorde worketh in their soules and bodyes that worthelye come vnto it and also ye knowe the daungerous and damnable state of theym that come to it vnworthely and that ye may the better auoyde the one and bee pertakers of the other First ye ought certainly to know that it is required that ye dooe come to it and receyue it For as the vnworthy comminge is perilous so not to bee pertakers of this mysticall supper at all is a great offence and a verye destruction of a mans soule as our sauiour Christ taught vs saying Excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of manne and drinke his bloud ye shall not haue lyfe in you and he that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude hath lyfe euerlastynge Whyche is to bee vnderstande of hym that eateth Chrystes fleshe as it oughte to bee eaten For manye eate it that dooe not dwell in GOD nor GOD in theim because they eate it not wyth a cleane harte and after that maner whyche Chryste sawe when he sayde so Manye forbeare to come to it because they perceyue theyr conscyence greeued wyth deadlye synne and in that they dooe well yf they can so forbeare iustelye without offence of other persones But yf they forbeare because they haue a wronge and false opinion of thys holye Sacramente or because they wyll not bee reconcyled to their neighbors or intende not to amende and forsake theyr noughtye lyuing then besyde theyr heresye and other damnable liuing they offende deadlye diuers wayes bothe in contemninge Christe and his Sacramentes whyche he hath ordayned to bee instrumentes wherewyth he myghte geue vnto vs grace and saluation and also in contemninge the Churche of Christe whiche hath ordeyned that euerye manne and woman beyng of yeares of discretion shoulde faithfullye confesse alone to his owne curate or by his permyssion to some other mete and learned Prieste all his synnes once in a yeare at leaste and shoulde to his power fulfill that penaunce and satisfaction whiche is inioyned hym receiuinge reuerentlye at leaste at Easter the blessed Sacramente of the aultare excepte perchaunce by the counsell of hys owne curate for some reasonable cause he thynke meete for a time to forbeare the receiuinge of it And that he whiche contemneth this ordinance should be accursed and kept from the entring into the church amonges chrysten men and when he is dead should be kept frō Christen mennes buryall This is the discipline and ordinaunce of the Churche at thys daye whyche is not a restreyning of a manne to come but once a yeare but correcting of him that commeth not once a yeare The oftner he commeth the better it is and the more is he nouryshed to euerlastinge life And the better the man is the more desirous is he to be ioyned to god corporally by this Sacrament For as Christ by geuing to vs his fleshe and hys bloude declared moste of all his exceadinge loue towardes vs euen so declareth he his loue moste of all towardes GOD that the oftneste and with moste reuerence commeth to receyue this precyous foode of his fleshe and bloude So did the holy man Iob say of hys seruauntes that loued hym most repetinge their wordes whiche were these who shall geue vs of his fleshe to eate that we may be full withal Which no man euer dyd but Chryst our Lorde to thintent he myght bynde vs to hym wyth more charitie Suche was the feruente charitye of the people in the begynninge of the Churche that came euerye daye or in a maner euerye daye to this holy Sacrament and afterward when deuotion decreased they came euerye sondaye and further as the charitie of the people waxed colde the fewer tymes they prepared themselues to receiue this Sacrament in so much that it was decreed by certaine prouinciall counsels that he that came not thrise a yere that is to say at Easter at Pēthecost and at Christenmasse shoulde not be taken as a Catholyke manne But after that when deuotion decayed and charitie was cold iniquitte did abound so that men geuinge the brydle to the fleshe were carelesse of theyr saluation than the Churche oure mother beyng carefull for her children and compelled by loue partly to condescend to the infirmitie of the people and partly by discipline to reduce the people again to their duties did in a general counsel decree that euery person of discretion should fulfyll gods commaundement in receyuinge thys Sacrament once a yeare at least as I haue sayd before vnder the paine of excommunication which is the spirituall sworde of Christ to compell men to do their dueties which nede not to be drawen but for the hardnes of our hartes that loue the worlde more than God and to serue the deuyll rather thā Christ the authour of al grace which is geuen to vs in this blessed sacrament Whervnto I shall most earnestly exhorte euerye man and woman as they loue theyr owne soules and to be preserued in grace the fauor of God to dispose themselues often tymes effectuallye to receyue the bodye of oure Sauyour Christe whiche is euerye daye bothe offered to GOD the father for the synnes and infyrmities of the people and also is prepared offered to all them that wyll with a pure harte receyue it For they that wilfully abstain from it they depriue themselues of all the graces and Godlye effectes whyche bee geuen by it they loose theyr spirituall strengthe to fyghte againste the deuyll and they waxe rotten and dead members of Christes bodye lackynge theyr foode and spyrytuall nourishment and so are meete for nothinge els but to be cast into the fyre And they that be in cōsciēce of deadly sinne let them by penaūce make cleane their conscience for otherwise we that be ministers maye not minister but to the worthye receiuers so farre as we knowe for if we know any man to come to it vnworthely we ought rather to shedde our bloud than to geue Chrystes
our sinnes that the bytternesse of our penaunce mighte wype awaye the fylthye humour of our corrupt life from our soules The Iewes did eate their lambe standinge hauinge their stafes in their handes and in greate haste ready to flye out of Egipte euen so oughte we to stande in true faythe and good lyfe not to syt or lye in corrupt doctryne or lyuing but to haue the staffe of true hope of eternall ioyes to come in our handes to stay vs in the daūgerous iourney of this worlde that wee neyther faynte for werines nor giue ouer for cowardnes to our gostly enemies knowing that theyr iorney was but from Egipt to Iewry and our iorney is frō the earth to heauen the strong and holsome vittale of whiche iorney is this heauenlye foode of Christes body and bloode And as they were in readynes to departe out of Egipt by and by after the eating of the lambe so ought we cōmyng to this blessed sacrament to haue our liues so vp righte and pure from all synne as thoughe we shoulde euen then depart out of this transitorye worlde For looke in what state of clene lyfe aman wold auenture his soule when he dyeth let him with all diligence prouide and procure that his soule be in the same state when he commeth to communicate By this comparison ye may learne good people howe to proue iudge your selues and so to come worthely to this heauenly foode The next thing is to lerne how to iudge and discerne the body of our Lord whē we come vnto it that is to say we may not vndiscretlye negligentlye take it but we oughte to discerne Christes body from other common meates and considering the great dignitie and worthynesse of it we ought to geue honour and reuerēce due to so great a thing as is the flesh and bloode of Christ God and man not the fleshe of man one lye for than it could not geue life but the proper fleshe of Gods sonne vnited to his person in diuinitie and is therfore able to geue lyfe eternall to our mortal bodies For which cause we ought with feare reuerence and a deuoute mynde to come vnto it which beyng the same in substaūce that suffered is also the best wytnesse of Christes paynful passion Wherefore when thou doest go vp to the Aultare to bee fedde wyth thys spirituall and heauenlye meate beholde wyth fayth the most holy body and bloude of thy God honour it maruel at it touch it with thy minde take it with the hand of thy hart and speciallye drynke of it wyth the draughte of the inwarde man No man eateth worthely this flesh but he that first honoureth it with godly honour in the holye Sacrament considering that it is greate synne not to honour it seinge it is the bodye of him that made thee and wyth it redemed thee and shall by it rayse thee oute of dust and ashes for the which thou hopest to receiue heauen and the ioyes that bee therein and to bee associate to his holy angels But wher as in this sacrament there be two thynges conteyned the outwarde fourme of breade which is sene with the eyes of the bodye and the bodye and bloude of Christe whiche is seene onelye with the eyes of the soule which is fayth Therefore let euery man or woman when he seeth this sacrament in the Priestes handes direct the eye of his faythe and hys intent to honour onely that substaūce of Christ God and man whiche he seeth not with hys bodelye eyes but beleueth it moste certeinlye to be there present and let him not fyxe hys thoughte vpon the visible whitenes or roundnesse of the bread which be sensible creatures reserued ther for the vse of this mistery and may in no wise be adowred and worshipped with godlye honour but let him intend to honour the body and blood of Christ and yet not those as onely creatures but as they be vnited to the Godhead and made one person in diuinitie for onelye God is to bee honoured with godlye honoure whiche we doo when we honour Christe God and man present in the blessed Sacrament This honour specially consisteth in oure true and lyuely fayth which we haue of Christe there present which honour we declare outwardly by kneling and other reuerent behauour of our bodies protesting thereby what is our faythe and iudgement concernynge the substaunce of thys most blessed Sacrament and so we truly iudge and discerne our Lordes bodye And for further honour to be geuen vnto it when so euer we receiue it we take it fastinge before all other meates except extreme sicknes or the instant danger of death doo require otherwyse to take it when and as we maye For euer synce the Apostles time it pleased the holy gost that for the honour of so great a Sacrament the body of our Lorde shoulde first enter into the mouthe of a Christen man before all other externall meates For thys maner and custome is obserued vniuersallye througheout the holle worde And for that cause it is decreed by the vniuersall Churche of Christ that this moste honourable Sacrament shoulde bee reserued for the necessitie of theym that be sicke or absent least where as it can not bee duelye consecrate at all tymes and places of a priest not fasting the sicke folkes should die wythoute thys heauenly foode whyche is theyr strengthe and the staye of theyr passage to the next worlde Furthermore at the tyme of the receyuing of this Sacrament we ought to haue our myndes occupyed in remembryng the passion of Christe For by this sacrifice which Christ geueth to vs we know assuredly that he boughte vs wyth no worldly treasure of golde and syluer but wyth this same his moste precious bodye and bloude and by it we are prouoked to remēber alwayes his most hye benefite and therewithall continuallye to render moste humble thankes to him in deuout affection and obedient seruice according to hys good wyll and pleasure Thus receyuing the bodye and bloode of oure Lorde we oughte thankfullye to remember and confesse that oure sauiour Christ hath geuē his body to death and shed his bloude for vs knowyng that we ought agayne rather to suffer our bodyes to be slayne and our bloud to be shed for hym and in defence of hys truthe and edifyeng of his people if the case so required than to forsake or denie him or the truth of his gospell reueled by the holy ghost to the catholike churche By this good people ye knowe how to iudge and discerne the bodye of our Lord and how to behaue your selues when ye come to receyue it Now likewyse know what is your dutye to do after ye haue receiued it Ye ought to keepe and preserue your selues clene from synne rather after than before lest you commit anye thyng that might displease the presence of his maiesty whō ye haue receiued and therby be an occasiō of his
departing from you and of wythdrawing hys grace froÌ„ your hartes that haue desyre to haue synne whych is the mother of deathe rather to reign in your mortall bodies thaÌ„ to haue Christ and hys heauenly father with the holy ghoste to make theyr habitation ther. As it is more shame for a man to dislodge hys honest gest and thrust him out of doores aâ—ter he hath receiued him into his house than at the first tyme to haue sayde him nay and to haue denied him lodging euen so it is greater damnation to defyle thys our flesh with the fylthines of synne when it hath receyued Christes fleshe and bloude and so to treade vnder foote Gods sonne than to haue absteined and not to haue receyued hym before makynge the last end worse then the first Wherein we be like cursed Absolon that called his brother Amnon to a feast and caused his seruauntes to kyll him there And also wee be lyke to the traytour Iudas that after with Christe in his supper he receiued Christes body at Christes hande gaue place to the deuils suggestion betraied Christ his mayster to the wicked Iewes and we be also like to the Iewes that met Christ coÌ„ming to the citie with vowes of palmes and olyue trees and within fiue daies after cryed Crucifige vpon him and pursued him euen to the death But our duty is to geue as much reuerence to Christ being present and dwellyng with vs as we did when he was commynge to vs and not to take hys precious body and blood in vayne and with out cause but to expresse in our lyues that we imitate and folow his footesteps and so keepe a perpetuall commemoration of him that died for vs and rose againe in that we be now mortified to synne and the world and liuyng to GOD in Christ our Lord. For this sacrament of the Aultare wherin we receiue Christes body bloode doth signifie and teach vs that we should communicate with Christ in his passions and folow that coÌ„uersation in our maners which be shewed in his fleshe and as his bodye in forme of breade is seene to enter into our mouthes so we maye knowe that he also entreth into vs by that conuersation which he vsed in earth to dwel in our hartes by fayth Therefore hee that so remembreth Christes deathe that he accordyng to Christes example doth mortifie his members which be vpoÌ„ earth that is to saye fornication vnclennes noughtye desyres couetousnesse and suche lyke he eateth woorthely Christes body and blood and hath euerlastyng lyfe remayning in him and sufferynge wyth Christe shall raygne with Christ in the glory of hys father with the holy gost world without end Amen ⸫ ¶ Of the sacrifice of the newe Testament which is called the Masse Serm. xii AS Christ our Sauiour hath geuen vnto vs hys moste precious bodye and blood in the Sacrament to be our meate to feede and nouryshe vs to euerlastyng lyfe So hath he geuen good people vnto vs the same hys bodye and bloode to be our daylye Sacrifice for that teynynge of remission of synnes and eternal saluation and as he commaunded vs to take and eate that hys bodye whyche he gaue vs so hath he commaunded vs to offer it to GOD the father in remembraunce of his passion So that the Sacrifice of the Masse whych is the proper Sacrifice of the newe Testament whereupon by Gods helpe I intreate at this tyme is the execution of Christes commaundement in his last supper when he sayd to his disciples Do this in my remembraunce wher in the bread and wyne be consecrate and chaunged and the bodye and bloode of Christe beynge made present there by the almyghtye power of the holye Ghost be offered to God the father by the Churche for the Churche and be receiued of the faythfull people Christ our Lord God who loued vs synners so excedynglye that for oure redemption and saluation abased hym selfe to be made manne and was made obedyent in humblynge hymselfe to the moste paynefull and vyle deathe of the Crosse and for our iustification rose agayne the thyrde daye and ascended to heauen to the glorye of hys father whyche be the wonderfull woorkes of God and therefore mâ—rueylous in oure syght hath also instituted and ordeyned a memory of these merueyles sayeng So often as ye shall doo these thynges ye shal doo them in my remembraunce And when sayd our mercyfull Lorde that woorde verelye euen than when hee gaue the meate of hys bodye to them that feared hym And than in hys last supper did he beyng our most hye Priest fyrst of al offer a Sacrifice to God the father and commaunded the same to be done of the Priestes of hys Churche that occupy hys office in memorie of hym and so taughte the newe oblation of the newe Testament whych oblation the Churche receyuing of the Apostles dothe offer to GOD throughout the holle worlde And for playner vnderstandyng of thys matter good people I praye you call to your remembraunce the summe and grounde of all our faythe which is that we beleue to be saued onelye by the merites of our Sauiour Christe and that he bearing our synnes in his body vpon the Crosse and beyng the innocent Lambe of God wythoute all synne hym selfe shedde hys moste innocent bloud for vs sinners and by the voluntarye Sacrifice of hys owne bodye and bloude made satisfaction for all the synnes of the holle worlde and reconciled the wycked world to the fauour of God agayne Thys bloudye Sacrifice made Christe oure Sauiour vpon the Aultare of hys Crosse but ones and neuer but ones and it is the propitiatorye Sacrifice and a sufficient pryce and raunsome for the synnes of al people from the beginnyng of the worlde to the last ende Al our comfort and ioye is and ought to be in thys Sacrifice and passion of oure Sauioure Christe by whyche onelye we haue and may haue sure hope of saluation All that were saued from the creation of the worlde and the fall of Adam were saued by the vertue of thys Sacrifice and by lyuelye faythe in Christe that was promysed to Adam and Noe and Abraham and the other Patriarches and fathers of the olde testament and all the Sacrifices whych they offered then were but fygures of thys Sacrifice of Christe whereby they dyd protest theyr fayth in Christe to come And lykewyse all we that haue bene iustifyed and saued synce Christes tyme and shall be to the worldes ende obtaine and receyue that redemption remission of synne and saluation by the onelye vertue of the same bloodye Sacrifice of Christe vpon the Crosse. When so euer we be in synne wee resorte to that passion to haue remission when so euer our woorkes be vnsufficient and vnperfite we runne to that passion to haue that supplyed that lacketh in vs when so euer we go aboute to render thankes to God for all his benefites wee can not doo it
nowe remayninge to them that be in Christe and walke not after the flesh And although originall sinne bothe in infantes and all other be taken awaye by Baptisme and fully remitted so that in them that be baptised duely as they ought to be no synne remayneth nor no other thinge that dothe offende and displease God but that the infection which euery person taketh by carnall generation from the firste earthlye man Adam is nowe washed and cleane purged by spirituall regeneration in the bloode of the seconde heauenlye man Christe our Sauiour yet it is to be vnderstande that there remayneth in euerye persone after Baptysme a certeyne infirmitye or inclinatyon to sinne whiche is commonly called concupiscence of the flesh whereby a man is made weake and lesse able to wythstande synne and hys appetite is muche inclyned to sinne which thoughe it be sometymes called by the name of synne as a mans wryting is called hys hande and hys speche is called his tounge yet it is not synne and hatefull to God nor imputed to vs as synne so longe as our wyll dothe not consent vnto it but by grace withstandeth it and God hath suffered it to remayne in our flesh not that we shoulde obey it and be ruled by it but that we shoulde resyst and fight againste it whiche is left in vs for our exercise as an inwarde familiar enemy making continually ciuill warre against vs which if wee by the ayde of Gods grace and hys holye sprite do finally ouercome and subdue shall be a matter and occasion of our greate glorye and euerlastinge rewarde And that we maye so doe God as he hathe by this sacrament of baptisme forgiuen vs all sinne so by the same sacramente he doth geue vs special grace to ouercome synne â–ª and to suppresse thys bytter roote of synne that it spring not and bringe foorth in vs the wycked fruite of synne makinge vs more able to wythstand the carnall lustes and desires of our fleshe than is any other man that was neuer baptised The next effect of Baptisme after remission of synne is our spirituall regeneration in that wee are borne agayne of the water and the holye Ghoste and made newe menne in ryghtwisnesse and holynesse and by adoption are made Sonnes and Chyldren of allmyghtye GOD as Saynt Paul sayth God according to his mercie hathe saued vs by the water of regeneration or new birthe and the renewing of the holy spirite which he hath poured vpon vs aboundantly by Iesus Christe oure sauiour that we being iustified by his grace might be heyres by hope of eternall lyfe For lyke as a fowle vessell if it be neuer so well washed scoured yet it wil kepe stil some mark or taste of the euyll humor whyche was in it before but if the vessell be put agayne into the fornace and be ther with the flame renewed it will haue no seÌ„t remayning of the old corrupt licour euen so God dothe put vs into the fountayne of water as it were into a fornace and wyth the grace of his holy spirit as it wer with the flame of a fyre doth renewe vs and make vs bryghter then the sunne beames And as we were borne when we came foorthe of our mothers wombe euen so wee are borne agayne when wee come foorth of the water of baptisme whereby God hath deliuered vs from the power of darknesse and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his welbeloued sonne and hath of hys own will begotten vs by the woorde of truthe and of hym we haue receyued the spirit not of bondage to feare hym as a tyraunt but the spirit of adoption of the children of God by whyche as beynge now chosen to be his children we louinglye and with humble reuerence call hym father whyche spirit also beareth witnes with our own spirite that we be the children of god if we suffer with hym that wee myghte lykewyse be gloryfyed with him The thirde effect of Baptisme after remission and regeneration is to be appareled and cladde with Christe and his rightwisnes For lyke as when a childe is first borne than hath he a coate put vpon him to couer his nakednes and to anourâ—e him so when we be borne agayne of the water and the holye ghost we haue a spirituall coate put vpon vs which is our Sauiour Christ as S. Paule saithe All you that be baptised in Christ haue put on Christ as a garment which garment couereth the deformitie of our corrupt nature defendeth vs from the stormes of all teÌ„tations maketh nothing appeare in vs but the ymage of Christ in godly vertuous conuersatioÌ„ For like as a table beinge made plaine smoth hauing the picture of the kings image prynted in it is estemed of all men not accordynge to the value of the matter be it golde or siluer but according to the conninge workmanship in that it liuely representeth the very face of the king and therfore causeth the lookers on to honour it and to be in loue wyth it euen so a man that hathe by baptisme put of his old man with his actes corrupte liuing and hath put on the newe man whiche is made newe in the knowledge of God and in rightwisnes and holines of truth in that part of his soule wher the image of God is printed by turning his loue hollye from temporall and carnall thinges to eternall and spyrytuall thinges aboue is now much estemed of almighty God and accepted of him as a louinge childe because in al his conuersation he is made lyke to the image of Christ foloweth Christes footesteppes that did no synne nor no deceypte was found in hys mouthe so hath put on Christ in that his faith is imputed to him as rightwisnes The fourth effect of baptisme after remission of synne and the makynge of vs the children of God by our newe birthe and the apparelling of vs with the rightwisnes of Christ is to be made heyres of God and of his heauenly kingdome fellow heyres with our sauiour Christ as saynt Paul sayth If we be the children of God by Baptisme we be also the heires of God and felow heires with Christ which inheritaunce we haue not yet in full possession but onelye by hope of eternall lyfe And as Christe Gods sonne by nature came to his inheritaunce by suffring his passion so oure hope shall be sure that yf we suffer with Christ and paciently beare the afflictions of this world and forbeare and contemne the vanities of the same we shall without fayle enioye gods inheritaunce with Christ as Gods chyldren for whom the same inheritaunce was prepared before the beginning of the world Many mo effectes of baptisme I mighte reherse vnto you seyng all other graces take their beginning here be builded vpon it but in these foure which I haue rehersed they maye be considered as how in baptisme we are made fre froÌ„ sinne
geueth credyt and hee that beleueth not that it is hys verye true bodye as he sayde it was he is fallen from all grace and saluation And no manne oughte to bee in doubte of the truthe of this real presence of Christes body in the sacrament because he hathe eyther redde himselfe in certeyne holy wryters bookes or hath heard say of other that they say how in this Sacrament is a sygne or a figure or a similitude of Chrystes body For those same authours eyther in the places where they vse those wordes or els in some other places declare most manifestly theyr faythe concerning the real presence to be al one agreable with the common faythe of the vniuersall Churche of Christ. And for your better instruction in thys matter ye shall vnderstande that there be twoo thinges whiche be partes of thys Sacramente the visible formes of breade and wyne and the vnuisible body bloud of our lord Iesus Christ. The outwarde forme of that is seene is a fygure and signe of that hydden truth whyche is there conteined beleued and not sene Ye shall also vnderstand that in the Sacrament there be two graces to be considered the one is the substantial grace of Christes body there present and conteyned the other is the accidental grace onely signifyed and not conteined which is wrought in the soule of the worthye receiuour wherby he is more inwardly ioined to Christes mistical body not onely spirituallye by fayth and charytye but also by naturall and corporall participation with Christ and his church This vnity of Christes misticall body the church is as wel signified by Christes natural body there present as it is by the visible element of breade whiche as it is made one loafe of many granes so the church is made but one bodye of Christ consistinge of manie men and women And this is Christes naturall bodye in the Sacrament a figure of his misticall bodye the Churche and of the vnitye of the same And further where as our Lorde commaunded his disciples and all vs to doo the same that he didde that is to saye to consecrate and to raceiue his bodie and bloude in the remembraunce of his death and passion till his last commynge ye may thereby vnderstande that the inuisible spiritual and intelligible flesh blood of Christ in the Sacrament signifyeth and representeth the same visible mortall and palpable bodye of Christ vpon the crosse for which respect the sacrament of diuers Doctours is called a fygure or sygne Finally because all thinges that be in this present worlde be they neuer so true yet they be called figures and images in respecte of the same thinges in heauen whiche be seene as they be wythoute all shadowes or coueringes therfore like as the very oblation of Christ vpon the crosse which is a thing of most truthe is called an image in respect of that oblation whiche he the same time at al times maketh in heauen before his father where he appeareth as an aduocate for vs euen so the natural bodie of Christ in the sacrament which can not here be sene but by fayth may wel be called a figure or an image of the same body in heauen which is there seene without couer receyued by perfite fruition of al the blessed angels saintes that be ther in the kyngedome of God For here the Churche hath Christ her spouse in a sacramente and there she shall haue him without all sacrament both here and there is the truth but here it is couered and there manyfest without couer in earthe we eate the breade of angels in a Sacrament in heauen we shall eate the same bread euidentlye without a sacrament where the presence of the most hye priest shall shewe it selfe openly to all men as it is For these respectes whiche I haue rehersed no man ought to be in dout of the truth of Christes real presence in the Sacrament because of these wordes figure or signe founde in certayne authors which wordes as I haue declared do in no wyse denye the truthe of the presence but eyther they declare the secret and couered maner of it in the sacrament or they signifye the vnitye of Christes misticall body or els they bringe into oure remembraunce the passion of Christes bodye whiche is paste or the cleare fruition of the same in heauen whiche to vs is yet to come And here ye ought to marke diligentlye that I haue sayde concerninge the twoo maners of being of Christes bodye the one in heauen at the ryghte hande of hys father manyfestlye wythout all couer or Sacrament the other the same momente of tyme here in earthe amonges vs in a Sacramente to be receyued of vs for oure spirituall sustenaunce in whyche thynge wee maye not consider the nature of a mannes body but the infinite power of GOD that canne dooe wyth hys bodye what hee wyll and doth with it what he saith And because he saith euidētly that he geueth to vs his body that suffred and his bloude that was shedde therfore we ought to beleue his woorde whyche can not deceiue vs seinge that all thinges be possible to God which be vnpossible to man Christes bodie is but one and although it bee consecrate and offered in many places yet there is but one Christ in euery place being bothe full Christ here and full Christ there one bodye And where as Chryste Gods onelye begotten sonne goeth into euery man diuisiblye that receyueth him and by his flesh sanctifieth their soules and bodies yet he in his flesh remayneth hole wythout diuision in euery one beinge but one wher so euer he be by no meanes diuided And in thys miracle oure Sauioure Christe excelled Helias and all other prophetes for Helias left his mantle vnto his disciple but the sonne of God ascending left to vs his fleshe Helias ascended without his mantle him self but Christ both left hys fleshe vnto vs and ascended hauing it also with him And this is not of our desertes but of hys exceding mercye and good wyll that beinge hole in his maiestie and glory at the ryght hande of God hys father yet dothe vouchesafe the same tyme to be with vs in earth vnuisibly being but one in dyuers places not onelye comfortinge vs that be here trauelinge wyth the presence of hys diuinitie and holye spirite but also feeding and nourishynge vs with the heauenlye foode of hys body and bloud to euerlasting life This feading of vs with Christes body bloud we muste vnderstand that it is not only spiritually by faith when we remember and thinke vppon his passion and death but also corporallye with the seruice of our bodies and senses when we receiue it in the sacrament For as in the olde law the bloud of the paschal lambe was cōmaunded to be sprinckled vpon both the postes of the doore euen so the bloude of Christe our paschall
God and eternall life it selfe were ioyned to it after the waye of meate by participation whereof it myght be delyuered from the possession of death and corruption and be indued with the property of Christes body which is eternall lyfe For as Christ reduceth our soules to life eternal by geuing to them his holy spirit in the sacrament of Baptisme euen so he reduceth our bodyes to life eternall by geuing to thē his lyuing and immortall body to eate in the sacrament of the Aultar And this is the ordinary way of gods working in vs althoughe he be not alwayes bounden to his Sacramentes but that he saueth men some times of his absolute power before Baptisme and rayseth some to lyfe eternall wythout thys sacrament such as for lack of age can not proue them selues or departe in the faythe of Christe without contempt or refusall of the sayd sacrament when by some vyolence or other impediment they were letted to receyue it in dede These be good people some of the effectes which Christ woorketh by thys Sacrament in mans body which in very deede be merueilous but aboue all other thys is the greatest that he maketh vs all that worthelye receyue him to be one body with him indued with his holy spirite whereby the perfit influence of his grace beynge our heade is deriued and deduced vnto vs that be members of his body fleshe of his fleshe and bones of his bones For as s. Paul saith we that be many are made one bread one body because all we do receyue and eate of one breade whych is the naturall body of Christ the breade of lyfe that came from heauen whiche he promysed to geue to vs al as he gaue it to death for vs all In nature we be all diuers persons and haue sondry and diuers substances but because we be all fed with one singulare substance of Christes flesh which can not be diuided into partes and also are sealed with one holy spirit that likewise can not be diuided therefore these singular thinges vndiuisiblye receiued into oure bodyes and soules drawe vs to theyr vnitie and make al vs one body misticall with Christ. Which vnitie is to be called true and natural vnitie and not onely in wyll and affection by faythe and charitye where accordyng to Christes prayer immediately after hys last supper he is in the father by the nature of his diuinitie and we in hym by his corporall natiuitie and he in vs by the Sacrament of his fleshe and blood and so by Christ is made a perfite vnitie Like as when two waxes be melted at the fyre one holle thing is made of them both euen so by the communion and receyuing of Christes bodye and bloode into ours he is in vs and we in him and so by receyuynge the vertue of this heauenlye meate we are incorporate into hys fleshe that for our saluation was made our fleshe Therefore good people consyderyng these gloryous and wonderfull graces and effectes whych by thys holy sacrament he worketh both in our soules and bodies let vs not defraud our selues of them neither by to long absteyning frō it nor yet by the vnworthye receyuing of it but as his exceedyng loue towardes vs moued him to geue it to vs so let it and the benefites we receyue by it increase oure loue towardes him and as he that geueth hys lyfe for vs and his fleshe to vs wyll denye vs nothyng that maye doo vs good so let vs serue hym wyth harte and wyll and omyt nothyng that may please hym so shall we finally inioye the speciall fruite of thys most blessed Sacrament in the kyngdome of God whych is incorruption and immortality of body and soule by hys grace and free gyfte to whom wyth the father and the holye ghost be al honour glory and prayse for euermore Amen ¶ An exhortation for the worthy receyuing of the holye Sacrament Serm. x. BEyng sufficiently and most manifestlye taught good people by the mouth of our Sauiour Christ that in this most holye sacrament he geueth vnto vs his bodye and his bloode that was slayne and shed vpon the crosse for the life of the world Let vs faythfully beleue God by his woord and not repugne against him although it seme not so to our senses and our carnall thoughtes for his misteries exceede our reason wherein we ought to consider not what oure eyes sheweth vs but what hys worde teacheth vs. For our eyes may easely deceyue vs but hys word can not deceyue vs who in sensible thinges geueth vs heauenlye and intelligible thynges whyche our senses canne not iudge and discerne but geueth place to our faith directed by Gods woorde to the knowledgynge of this infallible truth Therefore it is now oure partes to prepare and make cleane our bodyes and soules from al fylth of the flesh or spirite that we may receyue thys heauenlye meate woorthely considerynge the manyfolde graces that come by it and the eternal dampnation that hangeth ouer theyr heades that vnwoorthelye presume to receyue it Remember howe euerye man is displeased and angry with the traytour Iudas and them that crucifyed our Sauiour Christe and so beware that you be not likewyse giltye of the bodye and bloud of Christe They most cruellye shedde his bloude but he that vnworthelye receyueth hym with a foule and synfull conscience spitefullye treadeth his precious blood vnder his feete No fylth or myre is so vnworthy his pure and heauenly bodye as is the bodye or soule of man defyled with mortall synne And as the thyng we come vnto is most honorable so the woorthy receyuing of it is moste profitable But if a man come vnto it with a gilty and noughty consciēce it encreaseth his faulte and dampnation for he that eateth and drinketh the body and bloude of our Lord vnworthely eateth drinketh iudgement and dampnation to himselfe For as they that do defile the kings purple robe are worthy to be punished as wel as they that cut or rent it euen so it is no maruel if they that receiue Christes bodye with an vncleane conscience do suffer the same punishment that they doo whyche dyd nayle him to the crosse Se how terrible a payne S. Paul threatneth to the vnworthy receyuer saying A man that transgresseth the law of Moyses being conuict by two or thre witnesses suffreth death how much more and greater punishment deserueth he to suffer that treadeth vnder foote Gods sonne with no reuerence regardeth the blood of his testament by whiche he was sanctified but taketh it as comon meate doth iniurie to the spirit of grace and in that he betraieth and deliuereth Christ as Iudas did not now to the synful Iewes but to his own synfull members wherwith he presumeth to dishonour so inestimable a sacrament S. Peter and Iudas at one table in one supper did both eate of one consecrate breade whych was Christes bodye but Peter
all our Temples and Aultars be builded erected and dedicate onely to God ther to doo Sacrifice to God and to no Saynte although in our Sacrifice we name and haue remembraunce of the holy Martirs and sayntes both to thanke God for theyr vicâ—ories and also to prouoke oure selues to imitate them in the ouercomming of our ghostly enemies By thys good people that I haue declared vnto you ye ought truly to vnderstand and beleue that Christes naturall bodye in the blessed Sacrament is the proper sacrifice of Christes churche and that Christe himselfe both by hys owne deede and also by his expresse woorde and commaundement did institute and ordeyne that the church his spouse shoulde by her publike ministers beyng Priestes offer to almyghtye God the father wyth the sonne and the holy Ghost in sacrifice the same his naturall bodye in remembraunce of his passion which passion the churche now dayly to the worldes ende dothe renewe in misterye and dothe represent before God in the holy Masse for the atteynynge of all the graces and benefites purchased by the same passion before after the measure of hys goodnesse and as our faythe and deuotion is knowen vnto hym and in all her needes and troubles it resorteth to GOD trustyng to haue reliefe and mercy onelye for the merites of that passion whych it representeth to GOD as a full satisfaction for all her offences and as a full perâ—ection of thankes for all his former benefites and gyftes And finally by this Sacrifice of Christes bodye and blood in the Masse we certenly declare and professe that nothing doth exercise our faythe in the knowledge of God and of oure selues more then this Sacrifice of the Masse doth and that nothing dothe more increase oure charitie and hope in the mercye of God and it declareth that we beleue that there is no Sauiour but onelye Christe our Lorde and that we haue no refuge but to him ascribing altogether to the merites of his passion and so by it we most of al set forth our humilitie and the glorye of Christe and hys true honour Which sacrifice if we dayly and deuoutly exercise and come vnto and behaue our selues as becommeth Christen men and in suche affection and intent as I haue declared nowe howe the church doth no doubt of it but we shall perceiue great comfort in our hartes great amendement in our lyues and great furtheraunce to the atteyning of euerlasting lyfe to the which he bring vs that by his passion redemed vs to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour glory and prayse for euermore Amen ⸫ ¶ Of the godly prayers and ceremonies vsed in the sacrifice of the Masse Serm. xiii YF in that Sacrifice whiche is Christe no man is to be followed but Christ it is meete for vs to bee obedient and to doo that thing whyche Christe did and commaunded to be done And therefore good people considering that this our sacrifice of the Masse is accordynge to Christes commaundement the commemoration of Christes passion the holye Churche of Christ euer since the time of hys passion hath obedientlye vsed to doo as he dyd He didde consecrate the breade and wyne wyth hys omnipotent blessinge and made there present his very bodye and bloude and also he offered that hys bodye and bloude after the order and maner of Melchisedech to his father and thirdlye receiued it him selfe and gaue it to hys disciples Euen so the holy Churche in Christe and Christe by the holye Churche doth the same in all poyntes at this daye for the speciall and substantiall part of the Masse consisteth in these three poyntes in consecratinge the breade and wyne into the bodye and bloode of Christe in offering of the same body and bloude of Christe to God the father and in receyuing of the same by the deuout and faythfull people Christe also afâ—er his supper and before hys passion dyd say an hymne before he went foorth to the mouÌ„t Oliuet and he taught hys disciples many necessarie thinges and promysed to send vnto them his holy spirite which shoulde teache them all truth which then they could not beare and afterwarde prayed longe and feruentlie for his faythfull disciples and for the holle Church that shoulde by theyr woorde beleue in him and speciallye for theyr peace and vnitie in God and among them selues In these thinges also the holye churche dothe followe the example of Christ her heade whyche in the ministration of this Sacrifice vseth to ioyne almoste all the other in warde Sacrifices of a Christen man as confession of synnes inuocation of Gods mercie the prayse of God petitions for thinges needefull the doctrine of the people the profession of our common faythe the geuing of thankes to God prayers for all states of Gods churche the honouryng of Christe the asking of Gods peace the exhorting to the same with diuers other godlye exercises whyche I shall God wylling at this tyme shortelye and particularlye shewe vnto you to the intent you may knowe howe there is nothing conteyned in the Masse but a heape of all godlynes and spirituall Sacrifices and thereby to be the more prouoked and disposed to the often vsynge and frequenting of the sayd Masse First of all the holye vestementes wherewith the priest goeth to the Aultare beside other misteries which they teache and signifye they renew the memory of Christes passion in our hartes For as the Iewes did firste couer Christes face and did mocke hym and buffet hym so hath the Priest in memorye of that an Amise put vpon his head and also the whyte Albe put ouer al hys body doth bryng vs in remembraunce how Christ was contempned of kynge Herode who in mocking of him put vpon him a white apparell and sent him backe againe to Pilate And the Maniple vpon the priestes arme and hys gyrdle about his white Albe and the stole about his necke doo shewe to a man howe Christ was bounden fast to a pillar when he was whypped and scourged And as Christ was crowned with thorne and had his handes and feete nayled to the crosse so in the Amysse and Albe of the priest there be tokens of these fiue woundes And the the vpper vestement of the priest putteth vs in memorye of the purple robe that Pilates soldiours put vpon Christe after they had scourged him And vpon the backe of this vestement commonly there is made the signe of the crosse teaching vs how Christ was compelled to beare his own crosse vpon his backe throughe the citye so that when so euer we see the priest thus appareled go vp to the Aultare to celebrate the commemoration of Christes passion we may remeÌ„ber how cruelly Christe was handled of the Iewes and after what sorte he went vppe to the mount of Caluerye to suffer his passion for the redemption of man The priest comming to the Aultar beginneth first of all with the sacrifice of a contrite harte
is not onelye expressed in the wrytinges of the holy Prophetes and in the old lawe of Moyses whyche was the fygure declaryng what ought to be done in the new testament where ryghtwisnes doth and ought more to abound than it did in the Scrybes and Pharisyes and yet in this point concerninge the lyuinge of the ministers it was not a bare ceremonye shadowinge a truthe to come nor yet onelye iudiciall perteyninge onelye to the gouernement of the cyuyle state of that people of the Iewes whiche is nowe dissolued but did instructe men how they should behaue theim selues in that behalfe to God and their neighbour whiche ought to take place be obserued aswel now amonges vs in the newe Testament as amonges them in the old but also is declared to be due to be payed of Christen people nowe in the time of the newe testament by the consente of Christes vniuersall Churche as well by the testimonye of the holye Fathers and the vniuersall custome of the sayde Churche euer since the time that anye Realme was holly conuerted to the fayth of Chryste as by the determinacion of generall counsell The consent and iudgement of whom our Sauioure christ hath taught to be obserued in all doubtes as a sure argumente of the vndoubted truthe and a sure pyller for euerye Christē man to leane vnto And as the withdrawinge or not payinge of this duetie of tythes from God that hathe reserued the same in token of hys vniuersall dominion to thintent men should learne to feare hym at al tymes is verye sacrilege and the contempt of God and his true religion so is it the cause of darth and famyn and many other plages which by Gods iuste iudgemente fall vpon the people therfore lyke as the honouringe of God and hys ministers in this point and the true paymente of the same is the cause that God dothe blysse hys people in sendinge vnto them aboundaunce and plentye in all corporal and spiritual benediction For which cause I shal most hartely require you to consider what I haue saied concerninge your duetie to God and the ministers of hys Churche in louing obeying and honouring thē whiche I speake not for their glory or gayne worldly but for your profyt discharging my selfe in declaring vnto you the wyll and commaundement of God in thys behalfe to thintent ye might auoide his high displeasure for doynge the contrary and on the other side obteyne the aboundaunce of hys grace and blessing like obedient seruauntes and thankful children whom he shall at the last day rewarde with the fruition of his glory throughe the merytes and mercy of his onelye sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glorye world without end Amen ¶ Of the Sacrament of Matrimonye and what grace is geuen in it Ser. xxvii AFter that almightye GOD oure Lorde good people had created and made the first man Adam and had placed him in Paradyse he by and by coupled and ioyned vnto him in mariage a woman created of hys owne fleshe and bone wherby appeareth that matrimonye is the elder and more auncyent than al the other Sacramentes and instituted by God hym selfe before the fall of man for good and necessarye causes As for the ayde and comforte of man both in their common lyfe together and also for multiplication of mankynd and the Godlye bringinge vp of theyr children it beinge prepared and ordeyned of almighty God to be a meane and instrument for lawfull generation betwene theym and perpetuall continuaunce of mankynde to the worldes end For whiche purpose almightye God when he had ioyned them in mariage together he blessed them wyth hys holy worde sayinge to them Increase you and be you multiplyed and fulfyll the earth Furthermore almyghtye GOD to whome nothing is vnknowen but al thinges both past present and to come be presētly before his eyes foreseinge that man woulde be deceyued by the crafte of the Deuyll and fall from that rightewisenes whiche he had created him in and that as he woulde by his owne free wyl disobey God his superiour so hys fleshe and carnall desyre should by Gods iust iudgement likewyse disobey him therfore he ordeined Matrimony that as it should be to man and woman before their fall a meane of that generation and multiplyeng of Gods people so it should be also after their fal a remedye to excuse the vnlawfull desyre of theyr sinful fleshe Last of all almightie God foreseinge the bondage and damnation of mankynde for hys dysobedience to God and of his infynite mercye purposing to redeme mankynd againe from the said bondage and damnation by sendinge hys onelye begotten sonne to be made man and in our flesh to regenerate vs and to restore vs to be the louinge children of God againe therfore to teache vs this his good wyll purpose that we should by faith continually knowe his godlye counsell concerninge our redemption and regeneratyon he ordeined and instituted this lawfull cōiunction of man and woman in Matrimonye to be a signe or Sacrament of the mariage betwene his onelye sonne the lambe of God oure Sauioure Christ and his spouse the holy Churche Wherof Saint Paule wrote to the Ephesyanes sayinge thus For this cause a man shall forsake hys Father and mother and cleaue vnto hys wyfe and they shall be two in one fleshe For this Sacrament is great I say in Christ and in the church and for the better vnderstandinge of this thing ye maye consider that GOD in the beginninge made twoo merueylous coniunctyons in man One betwene the soule of manne and his fleshe and thys coniunctyon is naturall the other betwene manne and woman in maryage and thys coniunction is voluntarye and Sacramentall euen so there bee twoo merueilous cōiunctyons betwene Chryste and the nature of man the one lyke the coniunction betwene mannes soule and hys fleshe which is when the worde was made fleshe that is to say when Gods sonne in his incarnation dyd ioyne oure mortall nature to hys Godly nature in vnitie of persone The other is lyke the coniunctyon betwene manne and wyfe whyche is made by voluntarye loue betwene Christ and his Church that is to saye that companye or congregation of all Christen people redemed sanctifyed and nouryshed by Chrystes precious bloude And of thys coniunction Matrymonye is an holye Sacrament For as by the vse of Matrymony are borne and broughte forthe into the world naturall children so by the vertue of thys maryage betwene Christ and his spouse the Churche are daylye begotten to GOD spyrytuall chyldren And as GOD made vnto Adam oure forefather a wyfe of a rybbe taken oute of hys syde when he was cast into a slepe euen so by the bloud and water that ranne foorth of Chrystes syde when he sleped by death vpon the crosse was the Church of Christ maried vnto hym and made his spouse to cleaue vnto him as one fleshe