Selected quad for the lemma: blood_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
blood_n drink_v eat_v word_n 14,073 5 4.8489 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A01752 An ansvver to the deuillish detection of Stephane Gardiner, Bishoppe of Wynchester published to the intent that such as be desirous of the truth should not be seduced by hys errours, nor the blind [et] obstinate excused by ignorance Compiled by. A.G. Gilby, Anthony, ca. 1510-1585. 1548 (1548) STC 11884; ESTC S103111 212,305 458

There are 25 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

againe Haueinge no nede as other byshopes haue to offer for hys owne sinnes and then for the synnes of the people for he hath done that once whan he offerred him selfe Againe in the. ix Chap By hys owne bloude wente he in once into ●he holie place euerlasteinge redemption op●ained The whiche euerlasteinge redemption if we haue optained al redie in that he offerred hym selfe by spirite euerlasteinge as Paule sayeth without spot vnto God and so hath purified oure conscience from deade workes what neade we an other pope Byshope or prieste to offer hym agayne Hath he not sufficiently and aboundantly offered hym selfe for the sinnes of the whole world Howe can the priest then offer hym to take a wa●e sinnes or profite quicke and deade For those selfe same sinnes wer taken away before by Christ or else shal they neuer be taken waie by the p●istes Therfore is this but vaine iug linge for money and for the maintenaunce of your dignities Againe Christe is gone into heauen that he maye appeare nowe in the sight of God for vs not that he may oft offer hym self what authorite than I pray you hath the priest oft to offer hym for than muste he oft haue suffered sith the world was made But now once at the later ende of the worlde for to driue awaye sinne dyd he appeare by the offeringe of hym self And where as all men once must die and after receyue iudgment so also Christe is once offerred vp that he maye take awaye the sinnes of manye Agayne in the. x. wee are made holie by the offeringe of the bod● of Christe once done What it is that yo● priestes do offer so ofte I shal tel you ano●… Euerie priest sayeth Paule standeth daie ▪ ly doinge sacrifice and offerringe the sa●… oblacions often tymes which neuer can take awaye sinne Which wordes ●houghe thei 〈◊〉 spoken onely of the priestes of the olde lawe yet cōparynge that which foloweth it shalbe proued true in you of the newe lawe For Christe after one offeringe offerred for sinnes ●●tteth for euer at the right hande of god A gaine By one onely offerringe hath he made pe●fecte for euer so many as are made holie I● he haue made vs perfect by one only offeringe wherto serue the priestes ▪ that we maye conclude as Paulle doeth Where ther is remission of and forgeuenesse of sinnes be 〈◊〉 in the olde testament or the newe ●h●re remaineth no farther oblacion or offerringe for them Contrariwise as Paulle reasone the with them so maie we reasone with you if thys offeringe myght take a waye sinne or make thē perfecte that vse it woulde they not haue leste of the offerringe of it for them selfe their foundars and all suche as they vsed it for Because nowe they shoulde haue had no conscience of their sinnes which hade thus sacrified and bene once purged Therfore sayeth Paule in the sacrifices of the olde lawe whyche were not done wyth out bloude was onely the commemoracion and remembraunce yerely of sinnes And Christe hym selfe sayeth of thys oure sacrament Do thys in the remembraunce of me Lyke as in the passouer whyche was the figure of oure deliueraunce by Christe the vn spotted lambe yerely remembraunce was commaunded to be done Though by the open word of god who is able to chaunge what lyketh hym whose powre no man euer doubted of that had but the gifte of reasone the ceremonie of oure redemption which they had but in shadowe and we haue in trueth and therfore it ceased whan the bodye that is Christe did come and offer the true passeouer lambe thoughe I saye thys ceremonie of the Iewes be by these open wordes of God thus named Thys is the passouer of the Lorde yet was ther neuer any of the Iewes priestes so mad to saye that God chaunged any substaunce by thys worde is yet were they all baptised by Moyses as Paule witnesseth in the cloude ▪ and in the sea And they all did eate the same spiritual meate and drinke the same spirituall drinck for they dyd drinke of the spirituall drinke whiche folowed them The stone was Christe But we more grosse and carnall by much in all oure doeinges blowe inges and bl●ss●i●ges then were ●he pharisies though Christe s●ke such worshipers as shall worsh●e hym in spirite not contented wy●h the spirituall fode of the soule wherwi●● onely he feadeth the soule because it is also a spirit and therfore taketh no fode but onely Christe and hys worde spiritually ministred whyche are spirite and life where as ●he fleshe profiteth nothinge ●oeth as we reade in the sixt of I●h● and the manifeste example of the olde byshopes haueinge hym carnally present amonge them ▪ and as you will haue it Iudas and all the wicked do carnally and fleshely eate hym and yet do not abyde in hym but haue damnacio● contrarie to the sainge of Christ He that eateth my fleshe and d●…h my bloude hath euerlastinge life and I shall raise hym vp at the la●●e daye And againe He that eateth mi fleshe and drincketh my ▪ bloude abydeth in me and I in hym And as Iohn sayth in hys firste Epistle God hath geuen vs euerlastinge lyfe and thys lyfe is in hys sonne He that hath the sonne hath life and he that hath not the sōne of God hath not lyfe All whiche scriptures ●oeth they that teach vs that Christe can no more nether neadeth againe in bodye to be offerred and sacrificed and therfore compell vs to graunt that these wordes thys is bodie which shalbe geuen for you were neuer ment so carnally that euerie prieste ●…blinge these wordes in a strange language with breathing and bloweing shoulde cause Christe to come downe from the right hand of the father to be chaunged into bread that he myght sacrifice hym newe againe to take awaye sinnes In lyke maner do those scriptures that teach all sacrifices to be perpetuall commemoracions and remembraunces of the spirituall eateinge of Christe amonge the fathers of the olde testamēt and that Christ likwise wyll haue thys sacrament ministred in the remembraunce of hym in the newe testamēt wher as the speache maye feme verie idle to saye make me in the remembraūce of me althought it so were that it myght be so sayed without intolerable arrogancie as it can not in any wise whether you saie you make him by hys worde or no as shall appeare afterwarde Those scriptures also whyche teach that we haue life euerlasteinge so ●●●y of vs as eate h●s fleshe and drinke hys bloude yea that we shall neuer be hongrie or ●hirstie agayne so many of vs ▪ as once do ta●e of thys bread comming from heauen Finally alscriotures that teach how and after what sort Christ is profitable vnto vs for they are the chiefe establyshementes of oure fayeth that were not present with him at suche time as he was budilie vpon the earth That is to saye that the flesh profiteth no thinge The wordes that I
owne grossenes Howe dare you for shame name this christes bodie that you do eate and saie that you eate it bodily May any thing be called a bodie but that may be perceyued bi some of our outwarde sences For by thē onely as by corporall instruments appointed of God to the same purpose maye we iudge what so euer is a bodie Seinge then our senses and bodilie instrumen●es perceiue no suche bodie the worcke beinge inwarde by the spirite what neade we to speake grossely and carnallie of the bodie or wha● profite can come by that strange doctringe Seinge then that Christe is not the meate of the soule that waye it is to muche shame thus to contrefaite a Christ in the breade good for nothinge But we beleueinge that Christe hath died for vs haue all the conforte that maye be continuallie refreshed wyth the body and bloude whyche are the onely foode of the soule For of thys spirituall eateinge the spirite encreaseth like as of the carnal eateing flesh onelie can be cherished and encreased For this worde must euer stād true That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that whiche is borne of the spirit is spirite And for this cause doeth Christe vnderstand a spiritual eateinge But howe I praye you That 〈…〉 maye be eaten carnally and bodily Then shal it be al one thinge to eate hym bodily 〈…〉 spiritually which euen by your sophistrie you must nedes iudge impossible If the ea●●ng of Christ be spiritual ▪ why do you say that you eate hym bodilye If it be bodilie what other thyng can it confort butthe bodi Christ sai●h that except we eat his flesh that is beleue that he died and shed his bloud for vs we cannot haue lyfe in vs. Agayn if we 〈◊〉 his flesh that is beleue that it was slaine for vs and drinke his bloude that is beleue shed that his bloud is shed for vs than is Christ in vs and we in him But is Christ in any man corporally and bodilie Naye ve rily What neadeth it vs than to make any ●…o doubtes of cateinge hym bodily for thā do we eate hys bodie when we beleue that it was slaine for vs. It is fayth therfore and ●…e other eateinge wher of Christ speaketh for man consisteth of two partes bodie and soule The bodie nether can nor dare by any meanes eate him because it is horrible and a gainste nature No thoughe it coulde and woulde eate hym it shoulde auaile hym no more then the bodilie kisse of Iudas and the handeling of the Iewes auailed them It remaineth therfore that the soule shal eate him which can be none other wayes but by liuely faieth in the bodie and bloude ▪ offerred for vs vnto hys father The soule hath no teth and therfore none other maner of eateinge Thus do we conclude that the soule beinge a spirite and the meate spirituall no mā ought to seke for to eate Christe in this sacrament bodilie really and carnally but onely spiritually as hys worde is spirite and lyfe But stil you wyl vse your eloquence and saye Thys is spoken by intollerable arroyancie deuillishe sophistrie carnall reasones deceitfull expositions croked argumentes contrefaite contradictions by the spirite of the deuell it is lies erroure and blindnesse Captiue your wittes vnto vs of the cleargie Christe speaketh still in the priest at the aultare and saieth This is my bodie And therfore it is his natural bodie Thys is it that you haue to saye Oh howe full of Christes holy worde and the conforte of the scriptures is thys blessed byshoppe These are the blesseinges that flowe from thê so sone as they wagge theire pope holye membres I wyll not raile againe to your worthynesse But as I haue begoue I wyll answere wyth scriptures The tonge is a worlde of wickednesse So is thetonge set in our membres that ▪ it defyleth the whole bodie and setteth on fire all that we haue of nature and is it selfe set onfire euen of hel Therwith do we blesse god and curse men made to hys owne Image Out of one mouth procedeth blesseinge and curseinge where it is contrarie by course of nature that one fountayne shoulde bringe fourth both swete and bitter water If any man be wyse and endued wythknowledge amonge you let him shewe hys worckes out of hys good conuersasion wyth mekenesse and wisedome But if you haue bitter enuie and striffe in y our herte reioyce not neither be ye lyars agaynst the trueth For such wise dome desceudeth not frō a boue but is erthly naturall and deuellishe For where enuie ann strife are ther is vnstablenesse and all maner of iuell workes But the wysdome that is from aboue is first pure than peaceable gentile and easye to be entreated Full of mercie and good fruites wythout iudgeing wythout simulacion Yea and the fruitte of rightuousnes is sownein peace to them that maintaine peace But to go forth with our purpose No arrogancie no deuellishe spirite or sophistrie can haue the whole course of scriptures thus to maintayne their cause To proue farther therfore that we be taught the spiritual worship onely and not the s●eshely and carnall that perisheth and consumeth by tyme marke the scriptures First howe Christ con maundeth to worcke the meate not that perisheth but that remaueth into lyfe euerlastinge whiche the sonne of man shal geue you Nowe Christ did geue vs none other meate wherbye we lyue for euer but thys gospell a●d glade tidinges that he freely hath sufferred death for vs. Againe this is the worke of God To beleue in him whom he hath sent Lo the plain wordes of christ Fayeth in him whom the father hath set worketh the meate that neuer perishe It is fayeth therfore in Christ crucified that maketh vs ▪ blessed and not to eate the bodie carnally bodilie and naturally For then should we haue two waies to lyfe The one by fayth and the other by this bodilie eateinge which no man I trowe wyll graunte Againe Christe sayeth that it is the true breade that cometh downe from heauen and geueth lyfe vnto the worlde So that Christ is the liuely fode as he is God and geueth lyfe vnto the world as he is God the sonne of God not as he is fleshe For if the bodily meate that we do eate be but a burthen vnto ●s tyll it be chaunged i●to spirite and altered from the grosse substaunce to nourish the liuely spirites and spirituall partes what do we so grossely thyncke that the flesh of christ swalowed into oure bealies shall do vs so muche good ▪ Thys opinion is verie grosse Therfore sayeth Christe to the Capernites in the same blindenesse What if you shal see the sōne of man go vp where he was before It is the spirite that geueth lyfe the fleshe profiteh nothing The wordes that I speake vnto you are spirite and lyfe Thus doeth he call from the earth to heauen from the fleshe to the spirite lyke
of hys benifites That this blesseinge is nothynge but a thankes geueinge to God the father and no suche cōsecracion as you do mataine Mathewe and Luke maye satisfie you Whoe haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is geueinge thankes Wheras Mark hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And agayne when he spake of the cu● he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to blesse and to geue thankes are all one Wherfore suche cousecracion as you make when you saye God consecrateth hym selfe can not be grounded here But you blinde the people wyth your darcke termes to blinde vs styl captiues vn der your tirannie The worde of thys heauenly supper maye clearely driue awaie al dreames if they were deapely considered wythout your gloses Wherfore I wyll reherse them out of the euangelistes and the Apostle Paule the wonderfull opener of goddes secretes Firste Christe when the Apostles were eateinge dyd take the breade and when he had geuen thākes he dyd breake it and gaue it to hys disciples and sayed Take eate this is my bodie And when he toke the cup also he did geue thankes and gaue it vnto them saieing drinke al of this This is my bloude whyche is of the newe testament whyche is shed for many in the remission of synnes I saye vnto yon I wyll not after thys tyme drinke of the fruite of the vyne vnto that daye that I shall drinke it newe wyth you●… the kyngedome of my father Agayne As they dyd eate sayeth Marke Iesus toke the breade gaue thankes brake it and sayed Take eate thos is my bodie And he toke the cup thanked and gaue it them and they dyd all drinke therof And he sayed vnto them thys is my bloude of the newe testament whyche shalbe shed for many Verely I saye vnto you that from heuse fourth I wyll not drinke of the fruite of the vine vnto the daye that I drinke it newe in the kingedome of God In Luke thus we reade I haue with great desier desired to eate this passouer with you be fore I suffer For I saye vnto you that heuse forth I wyll no more eate therof tyll it be fulfilled in the kingdome of God And he toke the cup gaue thāges and saied Take thys and deuide it amonges you For I saye vnto you I wyll not drinke of the fruite of the vyne vnto the kingedome of God do come And he toke the breade and gaue thankes and brake it and gaue it vnto them and saiede This is my bodie whiche shalbe geuē for you This do ye in the remembraunce of me Lykewise the cup after they had supped and sayed Thys cup is the newe testament in my bloude whyche shalbe shed for you Here be al the wordes of the Euangelistes concerning the last supper of the Lord wherin you do not heare one word that the priest by reherseinge of these wordes shall make God either that Christe is materially and bodily tourned into a fourme of breade or that God doeth tourne hym selfe and consecrate hym as you cal it into the quantities of breade neither any other of those blaphemies that you defende so with tirany That the lewde man shoulde receiue it but in one kind vpon paine of death though you haue pertily excused the matier saie●…ge that wee ●ewde soles wyll not haue it Ah shall we suffer you thus to captiue vs still We are captiues in deede For we must ransome ful largely if we either speake writte or kept a-any boke of christian religion contrarie to your popeishe doctrine But as you tender the helth of your soules deare brethern who so euer shall reade thys speede you to the scriptures of God and make them iudges boeth of those mens gloses my writtinges Whan they woulde iuggle with this worde consecrate remēbre ▪ the wordes of the Euan gelist that he blessed or gaue thankes for all is one thinge as it is proued Whā they wil saye no more but thys is my bodie and leue out the chiefe purpose and conforte set furth in thys supper that is whyche is geuen for you then saye We wyll eate heare the bodie that was geuen for vs vnto death which Mari Magdalen might not touche whiche is gone into heauen and as you saye your selfe is not come downe agayne But ther sitteth at the right hande of the father as the scripture recordeth and fayth beleueth from whence he shal come to iudge the quicke and the deade ▪ In whose remembraunce we must do thys sheweinge forth his death as Paule saieth tyll he come The whiche wordes vntyll he come and doe●…ge it in the remembraunce of Christe maye plainely declare what is ment by all to gether Besides this whē it is named bread wine and the fruite of the grape after that Christ had blessed why shall one set Christe to the schole and tell hym he lieth But if he come into Englande a monge the popeishe prelates they wyll teache him to lerne it other wyse Heare is no sophistrie but eternal tiranie Marke therefore the ende intent purpose of these Christes wordes and doeinges and thē shal eueri thing be easie and plain vn to vs. Thys maye be shewed by these wordes in boeh the par●es of the misteries plainly added which was geuen for you Which shalbe shed for the remission of sinnes Bi the whyche wordes we can not denie but that Christe taught that he woulde die for vs. And where he addeth as the ende of altogether doe thys in the remēbraunce of me this is the cup of the newe testamēt in my bloud what other thing can we lerne but that this is the newe testamēt and couenaunt of grace bitwen God and vs that he wil haue mercie vpon his for the bloud of his sōne ▪ And that we ought to kepe thys in perpetual remembraunce Nowe se●ge that these wordes do leade vs vnto these thinges hys deads must of good congruence worke thesame And therfore doeth the breake breade and geue it to be eaten commaundeinge the cuppe to be drunken Whyche deades dyd in maner represent before the eyes of the disciples the thynges that he had spoken euen in lyke maner as we se it generally vsed in all contractes and couenauntes of greate wayght and valewe which are made without warde signes as represētations of the same to the eyes of all men and cleare testimonies for remembraunce of couenauntes to be performed Nowe where as they wyll not speke al the text but sticke in these iiii wordes oneli this is my bodie answere thou againe that thou beleuest it to be the verie bodie euen as thou beleuest the cuppe to be the newe testament But for as muche as the chaunge of any of these creaturs can not be taught ●i any scriptures thou canst in no case beleue it For thy faith asketh the word of god Wherfore saye thou I wyl stick to the worde of Christ that the
doeth iustifie you can barke brale at hym biding him bring some opē scripture wher it is written faith alone We maye iustly therfore if you wil geue vs leue aske you wherit is writen in scripture breade alone In the. xxiiij of Luk it is writtē that Christ dyd take the breade blessed and brake it and dyd gyue it to thē theyr eies were opened But ▪ whether we wyll vnderstande that Christ vsed herein his accustomed old maner of thankes geuynge as he dyd allwayes whē he did take breade or such like creatures to teach hys to be alwayes thankefull as appeareth Iohn vi Luke ix Marke vi viij Math. xiiij and. xv or we wyll saye that he dyd also blesse the cup and not the breade alone you haue not one worde to confute vs. If you dare then put to your glose and exclusyue A lone in the seconde of the Actes where it is sayed that they dyd cōtynewe in the doctrine of the Apostles breaking bread by euerye house besydes that you make the Apostles verie lewde so sone to be forgetful of theyr Masters example and speciall commaundement to deuide this brotherlye cup amonge thē you maye likewyse be demaunded because you take somuche lybertye sometyme to speake merylie whether you wyll adde your exclusyue alone vnto the wordes next folowynge which are these ▪ Inuicem sumebant cibum They dyd take meate to gether As though they should eate meate alone without drinke But surely you prelates do ryght well knowe howe vnmete and perilouse a thynge it is to eate breade wythout drynke and therefore haue ye graunted vs pore lewede people to haue thre draftes of your chalyce to washe dow●e your clammye God when he cleaueth to the roufe of our mouthes And though you do not blesse the wyne that you gyue vs no not so much as once blowe vpon it or wagge your holie fingers ouer it I yromise you I like it neuer the worsse For I knowe that God hath blessed it as hys good creature and I can not perceiue howe your blessinge shoulde amende it Whether you wyl or not therfore I receiue it as the sacrament and holye semblaunce of the bloude of the vnspotted lambe in the newe testamēt that like as the fathers of the olde testament had the naturall bloude of their lambe and passeouer sprinkled on all their postes and dores so likewyse we of the newe testament seinge we can not haue the natural bloude of thys lambe of the newe testamente neither stande we nede of any suche carnall imaginacion to vs that are spirituall Yea some of the disciples of Christe would haue dronken the bloude that ran forth of hys syde if thys had ben so profitable We of the newe testament I say knowing that oure vnspoted lambe Christe Iesu hath deliuered vs out of the Egipt of sinne and the hellye Pharao do also knoweledge our deliueraunce by thys cup of the newe testamēt in his bloude offered for the sinnes of the whole worlde accordinge to the sayeinge of Paule in hys Epistle to the Corhinihyās The cup of thankes geueinge sayeth he where wyth we geue thankes is it not the partakinge of the bloude of Christe Thys cup sayteh Paule on hys maysters worde is the newe testamēt in my bloud Do this so ofte as you drinke in the remembraunce of me For as oft as you shal eate of thys bread and drynke of thys cup you shall shewe the Lordes death tyl he come What so euer he be therfore that woulde stope thys well of Iacobbe and thys spirituall spring wytholdeing vs frome drinckeing of thys cup wherin we do spiritually receiue the bloud of the immaculate lambe that was slayne for vs he doeth not onelye breake the commaundement of Christe oure mayster and sauiour refuseinge the cup of brotherly loue whiche ought to be deuided amongeste all them that be of Christe but he doeth also stoppe the memorie of oure deliueraunce by Christe hynder vs frome the communion and partaking of hys bloude and extinguish and blotte forth so far as in them lyeth the remēbraunce of hym that hath by his bloud bought vs. But nowe because you know that al you haue sayde hath but a feeble foundacion you ren styll to the cornor stone of your buildeinge and saye ❧ Vnto thys daye we be onely assertayned by tradicion of the churche in the true vnderstandeynge of the Euangelistes of oure order in the consecracion of the said sacramēte and the circumstaunce of the pronunciacion of Christes wordes wherby the same is wrought Al thought thys intricate sentence of yours of the order of consecracion and the circumstaunce of the pronunciacion myght minister iuste matier of an whole boke yet because I haue thys one marcke chieflye before myne eies to teache howe that you neither in thys nor in any other mattier wyll cla●e to the in fallible certaintie and trueth of the scriptures but accompt your selues to be ascertayned by the onely tradicions of your doctours whome you call the churche I geue warneinge to all good men that they geue no credence to thys your deceiueable sophistrie For by these termes of tradicions of the churche continued so long time you maye bringe in popes pardons pilgrimages and what ye luste But howe can any good hert beleiue that you would truely minister your tradicions secretly taken at the handes of your fathers when we se you minister falsely the thinges that are taught in scripture Cā you bewitch vs to belieue that you wyl minister the tradicions that you haue learned in secrete for our profite when we se you corrupt the openscripturs with your gloses for your owne profite Drincke of this you al are the plaine wordes of our sauiour Christ the maister of al trueth And shall we belieue you in your vnwritten verities when you go about to gloses this such lyke places of scripture Naye it is an hundred tymes more likely that you woulde be falser in secrete thynges thā in opē Wher fore as you myght cal him a fole that would trust such one to tel his money in his absence as hath picked his pursse and done falsely before his face euen so myght you recken vs worsse thē mad if we haueinge experience of you seinge you takē wyth the maner and reproued for the corrupting of y e opē scriptur before our eies yea ●o taken that you cā not denie i● woulde beliue that which hath these M. yeres lien in your roten mawes in the fleshly mire of mans inuēcions should nowe be holsome for vs seing that your fathers the Popes haue so ming led all their tradicions wyth the open blasphemies agaynste God and all godlynesse whiche is the verie doctrine of Antichrist and the phariseies that folowed them haue thriste all thynges so ful of their leuen of Hypocrisie and you theyr successours haue strayned them to suche vngodly purpose and maintayned them with suche crueltye ❧ The ceremoneis wherof
a daungerous thynge to knowe the scriptures and especially for pore men and to talke of oure fayeth Thys doctrine of yours spoyleth vs of fayeth and bringeth vs into the Idlenes of workes Oh diuelishe sophistrie and the spirituall subtiltie stryuing agaynst all godlines Sathan him selfe coulde not diuise suche a reason to hinder our fayth and stop knowledge The Popes bishops only could do it But marke howe this sophistrie is cōfirmed and proued The Bishoppe for lacke of scriptures bringeth furth Cato an heathē mā who dispised the greeke poetes because the youth of Rome waxed effeminate whi●se they set their delite in them thei rather reioyced in readinge of battayles then fightinge them selues But what is this to vs christen men whiche oughte to be readie to gyue answere of oure fayth to e●e●ie one that asketh vs which shoulde talke of the wyll of God towardes vs and his holy cōmaundemētes when we lye downe and when we rise when we go by the waye and when we sit at the table compting our selues then to be most happie when we were moste delited therin daye and night as Dauid sayeth But this is straunge doctrine vnto you because you are none of Paules bishops For he gaue his bishops in commaundement to be iustant in the worde in tyme and out of tyme. No you are an englishe bishop thynkinge the worde of God to be good but at those times that you wyll appoynt and that to a fewe gentlemen to whom you durst not denie it And to busilie occupied marchauntes whom you do espie not so muche to regarde it as they haue done giuinge them this knot in the ende of your boke that 〈◊〉 they wax wā ton they shalbe put to silence as well as women and yomen are all readie Oh Stephane this is thy worke as the chiefest englishe captitaine that euer Antichrist had For thou workest thy workes as his enemie but thou arte his friende Thou wouldeste seeme an Angell but thou arte a fiende I beseche all good men therefore that as they tendre their soules health they wyl take heede to your swete poyson and flatterynge wordes also to your darke termes whiche you do bringe furth of other languages For by them chiefly haue we ben deceiued euer syth we haue mistrusted your fayre wordes and marked the mattier in our owne mother tonge and naturall language We haue by litle and litle euer more more espied your subtilties Before we had the Creede in Englishe we ●…lde not know that this presence of the bodie naturally and really that is to say in his verie nature as he was man and a sensible thing and substaunce was contrarie to three of the moste manifest article of our fayth Moreouer where you adde as a couclusion fully proued and persuaded vnto al good men that Christe is really present in the Sacrament 〈◊〉 the aultare to feede oure weake bodies soules wherby to make vs stronge to come to him and ly●e wythout ende surely I can not perceiue howe you can persuade this thynge to any good man that marketh the Articles of his fayeth concernyng the ascendyng of Christe and his sittynge at the ryghte hande of his father and his comynge thence to iudge the quicke the dead though you haue wyth your darke termes deluded and blynded many good simple soules whō you woulde not suffre to haue and knowe their beliefe otherwise then in the lati●e tōge and so taken at your handes that you might mixt therwith your gloses so craftely handled and blynded with your sophistrie termes as really to be in the sacrament whiche you saye before is accidentes that the thynge it selfe and substaunce maye be really in accidentes And then shall it not onely be a spirituall meate to feede the soule but also a bodily fode to feede your bodies like fleshly Ca parnaites that wyll eate Christe as he was man walkyng vpō earth to the fode of your bodies To make you stronge you saye to come vnto hym What strength is it wherby you come to him Bodily or spirituall Oh men voyed of the spirite You wyl feede the body to haue the strength of the spirite to come vn to Christ Where learned you any like lesson in the scriptures This is your well doinge and well speaking without knowledge Firste laboure for knowledge of the worde of God and leaue the subtiltie of your owne brayne and you shal boeth speake more wisely worke more godlie I warrant you Christ teacheth in the. vi of Iohn that to come vnto him is to beleue in him sayinge He that cometh vnto me shal not be hungrie and he that beleueth in me shal neuer be thirstie And a litle after he calleth this the eatinge of the breade of life the eatinge of hym selfe and his fleshe saynge I am the liuinge breade that came downe from heauen if any man eate of this breade he shal loue for euer And the breade whiche I shall gyue is my fleshe whiche I shall giue for the life of the world He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude hath euerlasting life And he that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude abideth in me and I in him Then answereth he to the blynde Caparnaites that woulde eate him really and bodilie as the meate of their bodies My wordes are spirite life the fleshe profiteth nothinge Wherefore I saied vnto you that no man can come vnto me except it be giuen him of my father And this power giuen of the father to receiue Christe is taughte in the firste of Iohn He came into his owne sayeth Iohn and his owne did not receiue him But so many as did receiue him he graunted them to be made the children of God They thinke you that did receiue him bodilie eate him really to vse your termes to feede their bodyes and soules to make them strong to come to him What neede such mē to make thē stronge to come to him when they haue him in their bealies and haue eaten him alreadie Leaue of all grosse imaginations of the fleshe that profiteth not and folowe the doctrine of the spirite and Iohn wyll teach you and declare playnelie who receiueth Christe and cometh vnto him For all muste needes be one thing to come to Christ and to receiue Christe Reade this that ●oloweth therefore whiche you mumble vp at euerie Masse in euerie corner and yet wyll you not suffre the people to vnderstande it Quotquot autem receperunt eum dedit eis vt liceret filios dei fieri videlicet hijs qui credidissent in nomen ip●ius Quino● exsanguinibus neque ex voluntate carnis neque ex voluntate viri sed ex deo nati sunt So manie as receiue him he graunted thē to be made the children of God that is to saye so manie as beleue in his name Marke home diligentlie Iohn declareth him selfe of the receiuinge of Christe by fayth And further Which are not borne of bloude neither by the wil
speake are spirit and lyfe Wher vpon Peter saied Lord why ther s●hal we goo●thou hast the words of euerlasting life And these are the waters that Christe wyll geue after the whiche no man shall euer thurste But the water whiche I shall geue h●m saieth Christe shalbe made in hym a fountaine of water springeinge into ly●●e euerlasteing Blessed be they that heare the worde of God and kepe it whiche was sharpely answered agaynste them which dyd so highlie aduaunce to knowe God in the fleshe Against whom also Paule sayth we know none after the fleshe etc. Moreouer saieth he though we haue knowne Christ after the fleshe yet nowe do we not knowe hym so any longer But he that is in Christe muste be a newe creature in the spirite accordeinge to the saieinge of Christe to him N●codemus Excepte a man be borne a newe from aboue from heauen euen of the spirite the can not enter the kingdōe of heanē That whych is borne of the fleshe is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit Againe it is profitable that I go from you for it I go not the spirite of confort shal not come vnto you but if I go I wyl sende hym vnto you he shal leade you into al truthe Therefore should you reioyce because I saie that I go vnto my father Thys profite of the bodilie departeing to haue the confort of the spirite dyd appeare manifestelie in Petre and the other Apostles who deniynge and forsakeinge theyr maister whome they hade bodily present dyd nothing doubt to die for hym whan he was in bodie absent Besides that thys bodilie presens in euerie corner to take awaye sinne is preiudicial to the liuely fealeing of oure faith Firste for that he is verie man in al thinges haueing a naturall bodye as we haue sufficiently paiyng oure ra●●some to hys father vpon the crosse Secōdly it may cause vs to doubt whether we shall saye that he hath ascended into heauen and there sitteth at the right hand of the father and frō thence shal come to iudge the quicke and the deade other else saie with you that the prieste muste dayly offer hym a sacrifice here vpon earth for vs and that he muste kepe him heare styl in a boxe to ware mouldie and mustie and then chaunge hym for a newe Christe beinge infinitly created Who shall at the daye of dome starte forth of all these boxes at once into a newe shape I trow● to iudge all the e●●h or elfe muste you ●…des confesse that they shall al be iudged and ●…ned where they lye in their boxes The scripture I saye the liuely s●a●eing of my fayeth grounded onely vpon the spirite of Christ● and your owne madnesse that I haue reade in your owne bokes and no pride or arroganci● what so euer you saye I take god to recorde ca●se me that I dare not so carnally and grossely vnderstād the wordes of Christe as you do And I da●e maintaine 〈…〉 I haue many of your owne doc tours whose testimonie either in thys poynt or any other vn●es they bringe open scripture w●…h them I do not greately regarde but to your confution Yet haue I the better parte of them whiche do spiritually vnderstande and interprete thys scripture wyth me ▪ How be it I knowe we shall neuer make a● ende 〈◊〉 we bringe doctour vpon doctoure To answere therfore to thys text this is my bodye whyche is your onely sho●eaukere And to 〈…〉 a● your wode wordes taūtes that flowe frome your eloquet mouth as smoke doeth from a lake of brimstone But firste I wyll bringe forth the whole texte of Mathewe Marke and Luke And by the open worde of God I truste I shall declare the true sence and meaneing to him that wyth a spirituall eie shall iudge therof Christ in the xxvi of Mathewe when he was together wyth hys Apostles eateinge the passouer whyche was the most liue lyke figure in the olde lawe nowe makeing an ende in Christe the lambe wythout all spo●e and blemishe did ordeine this godly sacrament for the remembraunce of hym selfe to the worlde folowinge and that hys death myght be shewed and published vnto the worldes and like as in the passouer was cotinually mencioned and declared to the posteritie foloweinge the benifite of God in the deliueraunce from Egipt And as that ceremonie the eateinge of the lambe was called the passouer and he hym selfe called the lambe of god so like wise calleth he thys hight misterie and sacrament hys bodie and a newe testament in hys bloude That as truely as the Israelites were deliuered forth of Egipte the angel passing by not hurting the people of that house the dore posts wherof were sprinkled wyth the bloude of that lambe so verily shoulde Christe delyuer vs out of the Egipt of sinne and perfourme the thynge before figured For thys cause saieth Iohn beholde the lambe of God whych taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde And Christe sayeth Thys is my bodye whyche is gyuen for you And thys cup is the newe testament in my bloude whiche is shede for you By the which wordes it maye appeare that Christe dyd meane no chaunge of natures or traunssubstancion but onely that where the bloude of the lambe in the olde testament was sprenkled on the postes to saue frome the aduengeinge angell so many as shoulde be saued so lykewise thys bloude of Christ in the newe testament should be shede to saue vs so mani as haue our soules sprink led wyth the bloude of thys lambe Christe Ies● Therfore in lyke maner as the fathers of the olde lawe dranke of the spirituall ston that folowed them ▪ whiche was Christe euen so are we all commaunded to drinke of thys bloude none other wyse then the chyldren of Israell were commaunded that the bloude of the lambe shoulde be theire token in all the houses wher they were Ther was 〈◊〉 man so mad to saye that these wordes this cup is ●he newe testamēt in my bloud dyd chaunge the substaunce of the cup into the newe testament And yet are thei christes owne wordes who can not lye If you therfore be driuen to your ▪ gloses tropes and figures in the wordes spoken of thys sacrament why should we be cōdemned to death because we can not vnderstande youre carnal gloses ▪ You must neades haue one glose to declare what is mēt by the cup. Whether the wi●e the bloude or the cup it selfe either else a signe and sacrament of the newe testament or a performeinge of the same in the bloude of Christe as Luke teacheth you to speake and as Mathew and Marcke boeth do wittnesse This is my bloud of the newe testament whyche is shed for many to the remission of their sinnes Thus were the Apostles nothinge curiouse in wordes as they ought to haue bene if the wordes had made the cup or the wine God chaunging the substaunce therof so sone as they had●●e● spoken Thus you
haueinge but one texte thorough out al the Bible that maketh for your purpose do swareue frome that and put ther vnto your gloses whyche do also driue you frome the firste texte this is my bodye when you write that it is in fourme of bread and vnder the accidentes and qualites of breade For Christe dyd not saye in thys is my bodie or vnder this is mi bodie But this is my bodie Wherfore nowe 〈◊〉 ●…e you shoulde slaunder vs no more wyth denieing of the scripture for we denie but your gloses It is scripture that we striue for It is scripture that we desier It is scripture that you denie vs vnder the degre of gētile men Wherein doublesse if we boeth had our sen●… diligently occupied and ex●…sed spiritually ▪ n● doubte not onely thys text but al the misterie of redempcion shoulde be so well knowne that we woulde no longer seke our redemer vpon e●…er here nor ther but onely at the right hande of hys father from wh●●e sendeing● his spirite he maxe saue vs at the f●ll so many as by hym wyll go to God We do beleue wyth oure herte and must playnely and simplye cōfesse with oure mouth that thys is the bodie of Christ thys is the bloude of Christ thys cup is the newe testament that the fleshe of Christe is verie mea●e and hys bloude verie drinke That Christ is the waye the trueth and the li●… the do●e the good shepeherde Christe is the verie true vine and we the braunchese That all we are one breade and one verie bodie so mani as be partakers of one breade And al these thynges I do beleue more surely then if I dyd se them wyth mine eyes or perceiue them with any other sense ●ecause the knowledge of the spirite farre passeth all other knowledge and the heauenly thynges are sure when the other are but dec●euable shadowes It is neither Manna that fed the fathers neither any other thinge or name vnder heauen but onely the breade comminge downe from heauen that is the verie true mea●e geueinge lyfe to the worlde Thus are we fully taught in the text of Iohn where we maye most playnely se this sp●…ual eatinge whereof onely all confort lyfe and fode of the soule do arise and stowe forth In that Chap we learne that the people folowinge Christ for the hope of meate because he had fed them a little before were by him called according to the whole course of the scriptures as maye appeare specially to hym that hath bene diligently exercised in the misteries of the prophetes from the sensible and outwarde bodily thynges to thynges inwarde and spirituall For the beautie of thys kinges daughter as Dauid saieth is inwarde And therefore doeth our sauiour admonishe them that sought hym for meate that before all thynges they shoulde worcke the meate that neuer perisheth Thus goeth he frome the meate that nourisheth the bodie vnto the meate of hys heauenly worde that nourisheth the soule This meate he calleth the heauenly meate that geueth lyfe vnto the worlde and that so abundantly that who so eateth it shall neuer be hungri agayne Thys meate as the maner of the Hebrues is to call all kinde of meate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so doothe he same tyme call it breade 〈◊〉 meate When they hearinge thys dyd imagine bodily meate as Manna that Moses gaue he openeth thys meate sayinge I am the breade of lyfe He that cometh to ●●e shall not be hungrie and he that beleueth in me shall neuer be thirstie By the whyche wordes he meaueth none other thynge but that those that come vnto hym that is to saye beleue in hym for so are the wordes folowinge they can none other wayes be wrasted Qui veuit ad me non esuriet et qui credit in me non sitiet vnquam They shall seke none other foode but onely thys verie breade that cometh downe from heauen The Iewes astonied that he called hym selfe the breade comming downe from heauen and the liuely meate sayed Is not thys the sonne of Ioseph But Christe admonished them againe byddinge them not grudge at thys for it standeth not in the capacite of man but by the inspiracion of the spirite as the prophet saied They shalbe al taught of God Wherfore it is not possible for any mā to beleue that Christe was borne from heauen the meate of the soule excepte the father drawe hym Then goeth he farther to shewe howe he is the meate of the soule and howe he shoulde be eaten For the firste he saieth thus Verilie I saie vnto you He that beleueth in me hath euerlasting life I am the breade of life whiche came downe from heauen that men might eate of thys breade and not dye But to tell the wattier plaine Thys breade that I wyll geue you is my fleshe which I wyll geue for the lyfe of the worlde Thys offeringe of my selfe for you shall reconcile the worlde vnto my father and therby geue it life This therfore is it that I haue spoken so longe vnto you whan I shal be offerred vp for the worlde and dye for the sinnes therof than shall I be the meate of soules wherby they liue ascerteined of the mercie of God who nowe can denie nothinge vnto man seinge he hath geuen his owne sonne for him Thus therfore is my fleshe the meate of the soule beinge flaine for the deade that thei might liue Not as you thinke geueing it vnto you as I am counersant amonge you for that whyche is engendred of the fleshe is fleshe and therfore my fleshe carnally eaten can bring furth nothing but fleshe but contrariewise the fleshe of Christe ●…ge for vs maketh vs spiritua●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therfore the childrē●… of God On thys sorte it is verie mea●e and verie drinke But the Iewes coulde not perceiue thys but sayed againe Howe can he geue vs his flesh to eate● vnto 〈◊〉 Christ sayeth againe excepte 〈◊〉 the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke his bloude you shal no● haue lyfe in you What Lorde hath no man lyfe but that denoureth the wy●h hys te●h and swaloweth the downe hys throte Or hath euerie suche euerlastynge lyfe as doeth eate the carnally and bod●●e euen the same bodie wherein thou liuedest whē thou saidest He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude hath euerlastinge lyfe and I wil raise him at the laste daye Naye surely For than euerie Idolatour and whor●●onger who can haue no parte in thy kingdome myght make them selfe sure of life by their owne worcke For they saye they eate the carnally and bodily fleshe bloude and bones But o men ouer muche carnall and fleshlye and yet not once vnderstādinge what should folowe of the cōmone iudgment of the senses B●t as Iudas prop●ecied vpon you euê in suche thinges as you haue the knowledge of by the course of nature commune wyth brute beastes in the same you are corrupted Ipraie you therfore suffer me to reasōe with you accordeinge to your
be deceiued wythout the helpe of reasone set in man to be their lady and masters and wyth hir helpe they maye iudge of all bodily and sensible creatures muche more are they able to iudge of breade their continuall obiect dayely offered vnto them wherin not one sense but the sigh taste smelle and feleinge doe wittnesse together reasone approueth and alloweth theyr iudgment and faythfully established in the worde of God affirmeth the same Christe hym selfe as we haue sayed calleth it ●reade and wynne Paul to the Corth ▪ calleth it breade that we breake and sayeth that wea●e one bread and one bodie so many as are pertakers of the same breade Againe in the. xi So ofte as we ●ate th●s br●ode and drinke thys cup we shewe the death of the Lorde vnto he come Therfore who so ●ateth this bread drinketh this cup vnworthily is gilty of the bodye and bloude of the Lorde Let a man proue hym selfe therfore and so ea●e of this breade and drinke of thys cuppe Agayne in the Actes of the Apostles Thei co●…ed in the doctrine of thapostles In feloweshipe and breakynge of breade Againe he was knowne vnto them in breakeinge of breade Luke xxiiii dayely continuinge with one accorde in the tēple and brake bread frō house to house oure sences also do one after other beare witnesse hereunto We heare Christ and his apostles saye This is bread We smell tast and feale it to be breade We se it is breade and so cōclude ●i reasone after thys sor●e The baker dyd bake it as breade before it was put to thys vse and in this vse it is nothyng chaunged frō the kind of bread for it musteth mouldeth and wil be eatē of ●…sse as other breade wyl Wherfore we be inge enstructed firste by li●… fayeth and thā by our senses ruled by reasone dare boldelye conclude thys same to be breade If you myght leade captiue all these three ▪ then shoulde we folowe where you woulde haue vs as oure fathers haue done before As for the misteries and principles of our religion wherof you saye we stande greate neade to be taught ▪ you teache f●ll slender lie that is to saye onely wyth a sentence of doctour and a verse songe in the churche But we knowe that so many of them as be corporal and therfore sensuall it hath pleased God so to wrocke them that the verie senses maie perceiue them and therfore be as a testimonie of our fayeth beareinge witnesse of their trueth Nowe as for the misterie of the Trinitie and the vnitie of godhed you do know full well they are not in the numbre of sensible and bodilie thinges and therfore can in no wyse be offerred vnto the s●ses wherfore it is no good proffe to iudge them vnable to declare vnto our reasone what is breade and what is wine because the can not attain to that wherwyth they maye by no meanes meddle Or to thynke them not murtified in other thynges because thei witnesse heare agaynste you But you go aboutte to slander vs as thought we dyd not beleue We knowe by our fayeth grounded vpon the boke of Genesis and all other scriptures settinge forth the almyghtie powre of God teacheinge vs to belieue in God the father almyghtie maker of heauen an erth and in hys onely begotten sonne oure Lorde Iesus Christe who was cōcerned by the holy gost and borne of the virgine Marie wherin resteth the chiefe poynte of religion and onely saluacion So sone as he came into the worlde ther were called to wittenesse three herdemen or shepeherdes and three wyse men out of the easte to se wyth theire eyes and testifie vnto other thys the cheife misterie of oure religion that Christe was come in the fleshe bisides the resorte of the men of Bethlehem to se theyr sauioure wyth theyr eyes and the plaine testimonie of Simion saieinge Now haue mine eies sene thy saueing helth More ouer Christ thus comeinge in the fleshe was bodily present in the syght and eyes of al the worlde the space of xxx yeres and what so euer miracle he wrought in the dodient appeared to the eyes and outwarde senses As when he chaunged water into wyne streigh waye it appeared wyne to all the outwarde senses Inlyke maner such as Christe healed bodeli were thei lame blind or lazar streigth waye they appeared whole And so conseqētly in all the miracles that Christ wrought in sensible thinges bodilie they so appeared vnto oure senses Whan he raysed Lazar us frō death to lyffe it was not countertaite for he dyd eate and drinke in the sight of all men So lykewyse when Christe suffered moste paynefull death in the syght of the whole world vnder ponce Pilate he was crucified deade and buried that no eie or tonge shoud wittnesse the contrarie He desended into hel as Peter witnesseth in spirite which falleth not vnder the knowelege of our sences because the spirite goeth and cometh man knoweth not howe Than haue wee wittnesses that God raysed hym the thirde daye and shewed hym to all the people but firste to his wittnesses appoynted for the same purpose whyche dyd eate and drinke with hym after he was risen from death Moreouer that we should nothinge doubt of this misterie so darcke vnto reasone christ appered vnto them agayne and commaunded Thomas Didimus who was before in doubte to put hys fynger in hys syde to see h●s handes and the woundes of the nayles that thei al might knowe it to be his natural bodye thus risen frome death yea a bodye whyche hath fleshe and bones contrarie to your doctrine whyche wyll haue ve belieue in a bodie that hath neither fleshe nor 〈◊〉 quantitie nor qualitie that is as much to ●aie as no propretie of a bodie excepte it be borowed of the bread But we beieue according to the ●…e spirite that Iohn describeth that Iesu Christe is comen in the fleshe and hath died in the same accordinge to the saieinge of Paule and testimonies of al scripture in the which he is also raised againe and ●owe sitteth at the right hand of God the father frō whence he shal come to iudge the ▪ quicke and the deade Vnto whom al the propheres geue wittnesse that who so euer beleueth in hym shall haue remission of ●ynnes by hys name We beleue in the holy gost one God with the father and the sonne euen from the beginninge as appea●eth by the firste creacion of the worlde Now that the euerlasteing Lord and euer liueinge God hath created al thinges by his worde oure Christe and sauiour wyth so vniforme powre of thys holie goste that nothinge coulde come forth to any shap or forme vntyll this spirite procedeing from them boeth dyd mone vpon the walte depe or vnformed waters Wherfore thys almyghtie powre of the tr● and euer lasting God is in Hebrue called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plurallye for the diuersitie of persōes throughout
erthly God that coulde not erre ●…deceiued yea offerring his shoes to be ki●… kinges and Emperours Thus I saye thys Romeish church changed frome pouertie to pride creepeinge vp like the Iuie by the rootes of the great trees be gan to ouer renne and subdue kingedōes and empieres yea to put downe kinges and Emperours For the mainteners of this diuellishe life and doctrine they had tāken such awaie and order that if we take theym and their adherentes that is to saye all theyr sworne doctours anointed byshoppes and shauen priestes for the true church we muste neades by theyr learning lyuinge and all their workes cōdemne Christ and his membres The true churche remayneth still pore persecuted and sore oppressed all the time of their tyrannie whiche coulde neuer beriefe Christe of hys witnesses for in al times and ages ther haue ben faitheful witnesses of the truthe though their names and doctrine haue alwaies bene obscured and sclaundered by these papistes who were allwaies bothe the Iudges and accusers the scribes and reporters of their doeynges This churche as it was alwaie ruled by the spirite of Christe so did it vnderstande the scripture spiritually by the spirite of god and worship him in spirite and truthe Like as amonge the fathers of the old testamēt the ambitiouse scribes and phariseis and the fleashly minded bothe priestes and people did knowe non other holmesse by the circumcision of the fleshe and the bodily sacrifices where contrary wife Moyses and Dauid and the little chosen flocke led bi th● spirite of god did knowe circumcision of the fleashe to be nothing● wythout the circumcision of the hert and the sacrifices to be but shadowes of our Christe vpon whom all waies they did feade and s●tt their delyght knowyng him to be the vnspoted lambe and red heyfer offred for the finnes of the people euen so the hole popeyshe churche cleane cōtrarie to the doctrine of the spirite hathe fol lowed fleashely Imaginations of their own brayne in all their doctrine and sete up their own workes and sacrisices to take awai sinnes as did the old phariseis wherby it commethe to passe that al Idolatrie i●… stablished their own doctours and decres strōgly mainteined and the word of god ●…alli regarded The pore shepe of Christe fisshers and shepherdes plowemen and all vnder the degre of gentilmen are by your decrees banished frō the swete pastours and fode of they● soules And yf it chaunce any of thē to break in to the pleasaunt bankes of Christe his doe trin and fead on the hilles of saluatiō the popysh bishops can smel hym xl myles frō thē and then shall the innocent lambe be burned and suffer death for the reding of this word for the whiche Christe his shepeherde and heade died for the establisheynge therof by the sh●adynge of hys herte bloude Iudge nowe who is the true churche for Christe did not cheuse the wise nor the men of powre nor many menne of noble birth But the eternall wisdome of god chose that whiche was foleishe before the worlde that he might shame the wise And those that are weake in the worlde did he cheuse to shame the mighty and strōg powrs And those that are vile and dispised and of no reputacion ❧ The vtteringe of the popeyshe Sophismes BVt to returne to your wordes and to cōsider how you of this popeish churche wolde captiue our wittes aboute this sacramēt thus you say and writ Ther is in the sacrament of the aulter non other substaunce but the substaunce of the bodie and bloude of our sauiour Christ and yet remaynethe the forme and accidentes of breade and wyne not altered by this miracle from knowelege of the senses wherewithe they were before knowne and also by god his sufferaunce subiectes to the passibilitie that they were in before Oh when will you wax● ashamed The mouse may eate yt as you say your selfe 〈◊〉 yet it must be the self same substa●nce of the body of Christ wer it not for shame to bable longe in this matter I wolde bringe in the scriptures that proue all them to haue euerlastinge lyfe that eate his fleshe and drincke his bloud But go to I wil stope your monthe withe your owne madnes Pope Victor the thyrd was poysoned in this sacrament and yet must it be the bodie of Christ which can bringe nothinge but helthe and life The Emperour Hēry the seuenth was poysoned by a Dominik frier named Barnardinus de monte policiano in receyuinge the sacramēt and yet may it be non other substaunce but the bodie and blo●de of our sauiour Christe God and man wher yf he had ben man they had poysoned hym firste but yf he had bene God he woulde first haue espied theyr poyson by cause he can not be deceyued and bycause he can not deceyue he would not haue poisoned the Emperour who mistrustid no thinge But let them passe they be the learnynge and practises of your churche You goo on still with the same Sophistrie of the forme and accidentes of bread and wyne Alwaye synginge one songe that with often rehersall you maye bringe it into credence If you preache this forme these accidentes 〈◊〉 this passibilitie to the pore people they may wel wonder at your high learnyng but thei can knowe litle what you meane These thinges I haue somwhat touchide and shall d● more here after You say that these accidētes are not altered vnto the senses but are subiect to the same passibilitie I pray you what sophistrie hath taught you that accidentes are become subiectes of passibilitie If euer you learned Logike or philosophi you know that the subiect to passibilitie must neades bee a substaūce Wherfor seyng you wil haue such passibilitie suche chaunges both corruptiō of the cake and generation o● anewe bodie you must cōfesse some other substāce in thes chaūges that sustaynethe the accidentes after the chāge for the infallible rule of Logike is this Ther is no accident without his subiect periculiar substance And cōsequētly if you wil wade in these dark termes of sophistrie ▪ you shalbe cōpelled to graunt an other substance which sustayneth the accidētes bysides the bodie and bloude of Christ And seyng that Godhath created none other substāce which hath these peculiar qualities that we feele smel se and tast stil to remain but onli bread and wyne we must nedes by the properties bi god onli attributed to these creatures conclud against you that here be the two substātes and creatures of breade and wyne vnto whome God did in theyr creation attribute and gyue these qualities these accidentes these selfe same properties the selfe same forme and shape that we se doth stil remayne vuchainged vnder your fingers and in your mouthes As for your holi entralies I know not what passibilitie thei suffer there In this place of your booke I muste pas ouer with scilence certayne of your wordes as are these The creatour of al
wer of Angelles in the thinges thei se not being pu●fed vp without cause through their own fleshly mindes not haueing the head wherof the whole bodie bi ioincies and cōplings receiueth nourishemēt and is ●●it together and encreseth with the ēcreasing that cōith of god Of this kinde is al your doctrine because it is not grounded on the worde of God I meane vayne superstition and blynde holynes Euē very belyed and misnamed knowledge as thys is whiche foloweth cōcerning Iudas and the wicked For you saye Iudas and euyll men hauing the Deuyll in them haue yet receyued into their bodies the hoste consecrate wherein was the bodie of Christe God and man Nowe must we of necessitie demaunde of you what felowshippe there coulde be of lyghte and darknes lyfe and death Christe and Belzabub God and the Deuyll Scripture teacheth vs that the wycked haue the Deuyll dwellyng in them and the faythful haue Christe and the spirite of Christe dwellyng in them But howe Christ and the Deuyl can dwell together I am ryght sure you can not declare The good spirite departed from Saule and the wycked dyd entre into hym Likewyse the Deuyll possessed Iudas wholy when he ranne busily about his mischiefe for God departed from him immediatly after the soppe was gyuen hym We muste therfore at al tymes make our bodies temples of the holy go●te and oure membres the weapons of ryghtuousnes or els are we a dwelling place for the Deuyl and our mēbres prepared for vnrightuousnes For there is no couplynge of good and euyl together heate and colde fyre and water This is our doctrine that we haue learned of the worde of God contrarie to that you teach by your Pope holie Doctours We affirme that no wycked man muche lesse any vnreasonable beaste can eate the bodie of Christ Our reason grounded vpō scripture is this No wicked mā or brute beast hath fayth But Christ can not be eaten otherwise then by fayth no wycked man therfore or brute beast can eate Christ Agayne He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude hath euerlastynge lyfe and I wyl reyse him at the last day But the wicked haue not euerlasting life neither shal any vnreasonable beast be reysed agayne to lyfe wherefore neither of them doth eate the fleshe of Christe Agayne He that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloude dwelleth in me and I in hym But no beaste or wycked man can dwell in Christe or haue Christe dwellynge in hym wherefore they eate him not Agayne He that eateth me he lyueth for me And he that hath the sonne hath life An hundrede places mo there be whyche moue vs to speake more reuerētly of Christ then you do that is that the trewe fayethfull man onely maye be parte ta●ar of the bodye bloude and death of oure Sauioure Christ Who as they onely are parte takers of the lyfe euerlastynge so are they onely and continually fedde wyth the fode whiche fedeth into the lyfe euerlastynge wyth thys breade that cometh downe from heauen whereof who so eateth shall neuer dye who so eateth or drinketh therof shal neuer be hun grie or thirstie Nowe for your substanciall solution for the subduinge of the senses You saye thus The trewe churche of Christe hath subdued theyr senses that they haue continually seene such notable repugnaunce to their senses and yet were not moued in theyr fayth For thys cause oughte we not to beleue theyr tales Thys is like as the Pharisies myghte haue answered Esaye Hieremie and other of the Prophetes cryinge out on theyr Idolles sayinge that they had eyes and could not see eares and could not heare mouthes and coulde not speake And feete and coulde not go They myght haue answered as they dyd to Ieremie Templum domini templum domini The church of the Lorde chosen by God furth of the stocke of Leuie hath so captiuated their senses that they haue sene continually these Idolles to be suche as you speake and yet were they neuer moued wyth them Let these tales passe therefore For thus dyd the priestes keepe the Israelites captyue in the tyme of Christe to their owne damnation We are the disciples of Moyses saye they and God dyd speake vnto Moyses But we knowe not thys Christe frō whence he cometh None of the princes or heades of holy church beleue in hym nor yet any of the Pharisies but onely thys vnlearned multitude The Rabbies see his miracles they heare his preachinges but they captiue their wittes and say that he is a sinner and al that confesse his name they caste out of their churches Thys church adourned and decked with much outwarde holines hauyng their office or duitie prescribed or appoynted vnto them by the worde of God longe tyme together rebuked the poore blinde man that reasoned the cause of Christ with them saying Thou arte borne all in synne and wilte thou teache vs Nowe because in all ages this cloke and craftie argumēt hath deceyued many wherfore we wyll are no more what you of the churche do saye but what Moyses the Prophetes the Apostles the scripture of God and Christ hym selfe do saye Of whō with cleare voice and manifeste miracle it was hearde from heauen This is my dearly beloued sonne in whō I delite heare you him For if we shoulde heare you in thys reason you woulde by the same brynge vpon oure neckes agayne the Pope his Pardones Pilgrimages Abbayes yea the filthy Stewes maynteyned continually in your eyes and vnder your nose so longe And yet in al these thinges you gentlemen of the churche haue so well captiuated your wyttes that you haue beleued and thought the open mainteinaunce of whoredome both bodily and speritually to be worthely cherished and that the one was seruiseable for the commune wealth the other profitable to Christes religion You haue so longe deceyued vs that vnlesse you do bring the worde of Christ with you we dare not truste you any longer vnder the name of Christes vicares and Christes church whiche termes you do vse as appeareth by your bokes not for any loue you haue vnto Christe for then woulde you persecute no mā professing Christ and cleauing vnto him onely and his worde but be ready to e● daūger your soule● for you●… therne And by thys badge of loue should we know you to be Christes disciples In the meane season we wyll folowe the commaundement of Christe we wyll not folowe the voice of any straunger we wyll playnely proteste oure fayth in the simplicitie of lambes or doues Yet wyll we alwayes haue regarde vnto oure heade Christe And that is the proprietie of the serpente And we wyll stoppe our eares whē you bringe in your inchauntmentes For those wordes of yours are of wouderfulle force Fyrste you do by them call downe into a litle cake or as you do glose it more fynely into a fewe accidentes God the seconde personne in trinitie who sitteth at the ryghte
the name of hys sonne Christe and that we haue none other name vnder heauen wherby helth is promised to men your doctour wyll be healed by the prayers of our ladie Ther is muche other made stuffe in your doctour whyche I do passe wyth silence because al men maye iudge him what he is by that he hath spokē alredie Yet this one thing maye not bee omitted He addeth more ouer that the bodie cometh not downe from heauen and yet the breade and wine be tranfourmed into the bodie and bloude of God Thus confoundeth he the natures callinge it the bloude of God He bringeth in newe and strainge schole learneinge of transubstāciacion He maketh ii bodies of Christ One that cometh not downe frō heauē and an other that is in thys transformacion vpon earth Thys is your great clarke and principal witnesse worthy to be set forth in al languages and his learneinge enlarged wyth your annotatiōs and al the conning and wit you haue You are much more mete to be an interpretour of such one thā to trouble your selfe wyth commentaries vpon scripture But aske hym how it is transformed and chaunged and he saieth the maner is inscrutable and can not be serched Yet will he not be ashamed as thought he knewe thynges that coulde not be knowne to teache howe ij wayes First as Christe was borne of the virgine marie Thē as the breade by eateing and the wine by drinkeinge are chaunged in to the bodye and bloude of him that eateth and drinketh naturallye so are these chaunged into the bodie of Christe a boue nature But neither of your similitudes agreth For these two worckes afore named are worckes of trueth and therfore do thy so appeare vnto the knowledge of man as they are done in dede Christe was borne of Marie the virgine verie mā accordeinge ▪ to the Prophecies that were spoken of hym before and was sene conuersaunte wyth mē the space of xxx yeares But your myracle did neuer appere one moment The meate is chaunged bi a natural course and order digested in the stomake and parte sent into the veynes parte sent forth other wayse But I can not perceyue what lyke similitude you can fetch herof to the thinges aboue nature wherfore you renne to your shote anchor This is my bodi No man denieth but thys is true You brynge the worde and we brynge the worde But the doubt is onely in the signification and meaneynge You saye that est is signifieth is chaunged is trāsformed whē both the form remaineth styll and you haue neuer one scripture that maketh for you but manie that maketh against you bysides the liuely feleynge of our fayeth which must haue God in higher estimacion then for to tye hym to any dyle creature Yea the whole course of the christen religion which acknowlegeth that ▪ Christe is ascended vp from the earthe to the heauens and there sytteth on the ryght hand of God the father to be our mediatour and meane whom he hath chosen ther to reygne tyll he come agayne to treade downe hys enimies vnder hys fete We can therfore receyue non so grosse fōtence of the chaunge and traunsformacion of bred and wine into the bodie of Christ But according to the whole course of scripture we worshype our lorde God spred thorowe all ouer all and in all hys creatures Infinite in cōprehensible whom the heauen of heuenes can not contayne and hys sonne Christ humblynge hym selfe vnto our vyle nature but nowe exalted farre aboue the Angelles And where we finde any thynge spoken or writtē not agreable with this doctrine of our faieth and christē religiō if a man do say it though he take vnto hym the face of an a●gell by cōterfayte holynesse we compt hym Anathema that is accursed bi the lessō of Paul And al such scriptures as might serue for his purpose and mayntenaunce of hys errour we must confute with more opē places and testimoneis of the same Now wher as you speake vnworthely of God his sacred maiestie and his sonne Christe haueynge not one lyke place of scripture wherby this worde est is doeth make a sodayne chaunge and transformation we haue boeth in the olde testamēt and the newe veri many where est is is spoken of the thynge represented As. vii fat kyne are vii yeares vii good eares of corne are vii yeares This is the pasouer Circūcision is the couenant And he is Helias The sto● was christ I am the dore I am the verie vine You are one bread and one bodie so manie as be partakers of one breade We haue beleue the wordes this is my bodie as wel as you We striue onely a gainst youre gloses We graunte the omnipotencie and almighti powre of God that he might haue changed creatures in all these sentences But that he dyd so is oure controuersie and thys thinge are you not able to trye nor iustifie But you thinke it is inoughe to denie all thys at one worde and saye thys is not the figure or signe of Christes bodie no fie for shame but the verie bodie of our Lord glorified For oure Lord sayed this is not the figure of my bodye but my bodie And euen so and more plainelye Christe sayde I am the verie vine and not the figure of the vine But your doctoure as Ecolāpadius geueth warneinge in the begininge of hys boke is nothing substāciall The texte that he bringeth out of Iohn maketh cleare againste him For no man can be saued vnlesse he eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke hys blonde Moises and the prophetes were saued therfore dyd they eate hys fleshe and drinke hys bloude And yet had they neuer Christ bodilie naturally and carnalli amongeste them It is not ment therfore of the carnall and bodilie eateinge but as Christe teacheth in the beginninge of the same sermon he is eaten by fayeth for so onely myght the olde fathers eate him And so doth Paul witnesse that the fathers dyd eate hym The fathers sayeth he dyd eate the same spirituall meate and drinke the same spirituall drinke They dyd all drynke of the same spirituall stone The stone was Christ Againe where Damascene bringeth in this texte he that eateth me lyueth for me it maye proue playne that the ●●eshelie and carnall eateinge is not ment therby For thē the wicked haue life by Christ Streight after your doctour cōeth to the point you would haue him to teach Idolatrie boeth wyth outwarde gesturs and in warde affections And vpon this do you discant in your annotaciōs But to handle this mattier worthily would aske a whole boke I wil therfore bring in one onely text which Christe bringeth out of Deu. against the diuil The Lord thy God shalt thou worship him only shalt thou serue And whē you can proue me y t this bread Images or ani other creature is god thā wil I promise you to fal downe worship it But if I should
bicause the houre is at hande whē the Masse and all mans inuentions shal melt like waxe before the brenning fyre of the word of god But what mattier maketh it whereof thys worde cometh seinge al the worlde seeth that your Masse is a Masse and heape of ceremonies and fonde gestures nothinge after the forme that Christ our maister did institute it Seinge therfore you haue both geuen it a newe name chaunged the thinge it selfe also men that do mislyke your doinges maye wythout blame gyue it the name that they fynde in scriptures to call Christes deede into remembraunce whiche you haue almoste extinguished We therefore do cōmunely call it the supper of the Lorde as Paule doeth because at his last supper Christ dyd ordeine this sacramēt for a memorie remembraunce But for the worde Cena it is inough for chyldren to daly as you do in the scholes And the text of Paule is playne inough It is the mattier that we cōtende for not the termes Thys terme the supper of the Lorde doeth signifie vnto vs the worke that Christe dyd and the thing that shoulde be had in memorie Your masse you say signifieth but no mā cā tell by what propertie of lāguage al these thynges The gloriouse presence of the bodie and bloud of Christ the whole circumstaūces vsed and ceremonies done the deuoute prayers that be spoken by the priest Wel it is a smal mattier for you that can chaunge thynges and creatures to chaunge wordes and names at your pleasure Polidore semeth to speake in differētly for vs both in this mattier where he sayeth that in the Masse there was an offeringe and gathering for the poore whiche fauoureth some thynge of the Hebrue worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tributum collectum But the pore are dispised and therfore there remayneth only the songe that is called the Offertorie sayth he which was songe whi●se the money was in gathering Finally whether you prelates whiche cal your selues the church may say with Paule Ego accepi a domino quod et tradidi vobis Let al me iudge that haue knowledge to perceyue what is in your Masse and what the Lorde dyd at his supper when he cōmaunded vs to do this in the remēbraunce of hym and that we shoulde al drinke thereof Yea that so ofte as we eate of this bread drinke of thys cup we shoulde shewe furth the death of the Lorde vnto that he come whiche is the onely thynge that we desyre to haue the death of Christe preached in thys sacrament for that is the only fode life of the soule where you wyll haue nothynge but blynde diguisinges wherwith neither the body nor soul cā be fed ❧ Of theues that ste●e awaye the fode of the soule THey would steale awaye the precious fode of the body and bloude of Christ make it a bare drinking of breade and wine Iudge you that be of god how we would steale awaye the precious fode of the body bloud of Christ whē we do cōtinually teach that this is the only fode of the soule and the working of the meate that neuer perisheth to beleue hym whom the father hath sent And would haue therfore the cōming sufferyng of Christ preached vnto the people by this sacramēt that they mighte continually feede of his body brokē for them for the only fode of their soules Yea rather you are the theues the whole worlde to witnes that robbe the shepe of the fode of their soules You rob the pore people of the testament of their father You rob vs lay leude mē of the one halfe of the sacrament You take frō vs the testament which only was strikē and established in the bloud which was cōmaūded in the olde testamēt to be sprinckled vpō al the people of the which we were al cōmaūded in the new testament to drinke And bisides that in the ministering of this sacramēt you wyl preach nothing of the death of Christ vnto vs though it be the sacrament therof No you will not speake one worde of his death passion nor once name vnto vs his body broken and his bloude shed for our synnes that it mighte be the fode of our soules You cause vs to gape gase at dead dombe ceremonies whereby the soule that is spiritual cā not be fed Yea that is worste of al in the steede of this fode of Christ you do kyl the soule not only with famine for lacke of this fode but also wyth the moste present poyson of Idolatrie The vtter confusion and distruction of all that wyllyngly folowe it And where they wyll passe none of their owne suppers on the greatest fastinge daye without fleshe yet in this supper of the lorde they diuise a diete wythout deinties to haue nothynge present but breade and wyne In our owne suppers we do vse no superstitiō of meates nor daies because God hath created al his creatures to be takē with thankes giuinge as his good creatures and hath made mā Lorde ouer dayes and times to vse thē to his necessitie to serue to his vse And though the Iewes were nourterid for a time with shadowes of daies meates like ordinaūces tyl Christ the body did come set vs at libertie frō al such bōdage yet because we christiās haue once professed to worshyp god in spirite truth we may not turne backe frō the same to folowe the grosse superstitiō that the Pope hath sowē thorowout his kyngdō but labour to breake it to take it awaye for the wealth of our brethrē leste peraduenture they that be weake do stil thinke it an high honour vnto god great holines to eate fish vpō certeine daies cōmaūded by the Pope to be so fasted and cōtrariwise that the eating of fleshe on those daies is dishonour vnto him a crime deseruing sore punishment And thus by our strēgth the weake be offēded established in their errour Euē as thei did that dyd styll eate of the meate offered vnto the Idols amongest the Corhinthians though thei dyd know that nothing was poluted or vucleane of it selfe yet thei sitting at the table of the Idoles were the occasion that the weake brothers who fraimed their fayth after thexēple of thē that had knowledge were established in their errour by seing thē sit at the meate of Idols For it was not the maner that any mā shoulde syt at the Idoles table but suche as would be partakers of the Idolatrie In this point dyd Peter offēde also whē he dissēbled in the eating of ●eat paul rebuked him therfore In our owne suppers therefore we eate flesh or fish indifferētly as is offred vnto vs giue god thākes for his creatures Whē we fast we absteine frō both And not regarding bodily things for the time we do occupy our selues in spiritual meditation in mournynge for our sinnes the sinnes of the people And whē
it nor to drynke there of but oure maister person or oure sir Iohn are worthy men for the purpose But oh blynde bishoppes we are not all so fonde to be illuded styll For many haue reade your bokes wrytten for thys purpose to maynteyne your pompe and to keepe vs as your vnderlynges and therfore wyll we no lōger suffer you to say that we lewde men will not haue it But we desyre and require you for the loue of God in his sonne Christ by whom we are made al one perfect and knigeli priesthod to offer vp our selues a lyueing sacrifice purified by the bloud of his vnspotted lambe whiche maketh perfecte all thinges in thys uewe testament which he cōmaūdeth vs to deuide generalli willeth vs all to be partakers therof that you do set vp no doctrine of wyll holynesse agaynste the manifest worde of Christ the sonne of God who sayed Drinke of this you all For if you do it must neades be styl spoken of you that is sayed by the prophet Esaie They worship me in vayne teachinge the doctrynes preceptes of men Now leste any simple man shoulde be deceyued wyth your iuglinge wordes when you saye that good men might by the ordre of the churche cōmunicate vndre boeth the kindes though they haue contēted thē selues with the communion of one kinde and that it was neuer denied but that all states of mē might cōmunicate in boeth the kyndes and that ther was ●euer lawe made to the contrarie neither any estate of men repelled a● vnworthye to receyue the one kynde as well as the other but that they haue of theyr selues forborne reerently I haue agaynst you not onely your canon lawe and popeishe decrees whych you haue so perfectly learned but your cruell statute of the syxt articles also wherein you made it death to defēde these open wordes of our Master Christ Drinke of this you all This is inough to cast you in this mattier For if it were lawfull for all christē men to communicate in boeth kindes what crueltie cal you this to make it to be proclamed fourth tymes in the yere in euerye church and euery moneth in all sessions assises courtes lawe daies that who so mayntayneth it to be lawful shalbe iudged an herityke and as an heryteke suffer death by burnynge Is there any such charitie in you as Paule had in the settynge forth of his doctrin concernynge that a woman ought to be couered in the congregacion Or is the drinkinge of this cup a more wayghtie matter or more hurtfull to them that do it Christ commaundeth vs to do this and Paule doeth but reasone in the other accordeynge to the lawe of nature Why are you so shamelesse then Oh byshopes to kyll Christes shepe for doeinge theyr masters cōmaundement and mayntaynynge his wyll declared in his scriptures seynge that Paul is readie rather then there shoulde be any coutencion about it to call his doctryne backe agayne teachinge most plainely that the church of god ought not to mayntayne any suche doctryne of any man as may styre any contencion debate or stryfe ❧ The determinaciō of the doctoures of the greate vniuersitie of Paris against the ministracion of the sacrament in boeth the kyndes FVrther more to open vnto the simple as I haue promised what your popeishe diuinitie doeth determine in this cause in the yere of our Lord God a thousande v. hundreth fortie and. ij the. x. daye of march all the doctoures and bachilers of diuinitye of the vniuersitye of Paris gathered to gether into theyr schole called Sorbona haue by solemne oth professed this article of communion in one kynde to be truely and worthyly mayntayned and many suche lyke nolesse shamefull then wycked whyche are published in the newe statue● of that facultie with shame inough Theyr fonde foleish and wycked wordes be these in the. vij article The cōmunion vnder boeth kindes is not 〈…〉 vnto laye men vnto saluacion And it is rightly and iustly in olde tyme decreed by the church that they should communicate vndre one kynde onely the kynd of breade Whych they proue by these worthye reasones For thē were it dainger leste the bloud shoulde be spilt But wher the lutherians do demaunde whether the church be wyser thē Christ because it prouideth for this inconuenience wherof Christ was not ware in commaundeynge the wyne to be taken I do answere that Christ dyd forse the thinge but he kept it secrete to proue the wisdome of his churche Ther is also an other inconuenience For the bodie of the Lorde must be kept in Cibario to be gyuen to the sycke But if the wine shoulde be reserued also it woulde be made vinacre and so for the corruption it shoulde be no lōger bloud Ye● the lutherians would deride vs sayeinge doeth it not wel appeare that there is wyne styll And so this shoulde make agaynste the opinion of traunsubstantion and chaunge of substaunce Thyrdely this is also reasonable that the priestes should haue some priueledge to suppresse and holde downe the pride of the people Fourthly this doeth auayll to proue the opinion De concomitantia of what so euer the Lutherians do clatter that we shoulde folow obserue kepe the ordinaūces of Christ which he hath appoynted for our infirmitie Also ther shoulde be an other daynger if the bloude should be geuen to drinke for thē the taste therof myght engender a suspicion to the laye men ther remayned wyne styll wherof woulde arise many slaunders But if they do reason that the church hath no powre to dispense with the cōmaundementes of God I do answer that the worde Bi bite Drinke you must be takē as a counsayle and no precepte Ther is yet one thinge that I dare scarsely alledge which is wel worthy to be deeply pondered For ther be some that drinke no wyne which maye not be depriued of those kyndes But I dyd defer to bringe this same because the Lutherians will deride vs and saye that ther is no wyne nowe but bloude This is the verie doctrine that your popish doctours were wont to teach preach in all plares But nowe that it hath pleased the Lorde to open the eyes of his people to e●pie the leude reasones of you so blynde guides so that you can no lōger hope to worke your wickednesse so openly the Deuyll steareth vp Stephane Subtile his felowes by deceyuable wordes to maintaine the same matters Fyrste you laye all the faulte in the laye men as surely we are much to blame doeth in thys and other thynges because we haue suffered you so longe sayeinge that the laye mē compelled by no lawe haue of their owne foleishenesse holinesse you saye ▪ for borne the one kynd Secondlie you establishe your purpose ful craftely with the ministeryng of one kinde to the disciples in Emaus And the breakynge of breade mencioned in the Actes Where vnto you adde this exclusiue Alone And yet when Ioye sayeth that fayth alone
deceite is to make euerie man thinke of hym selfe furder then is in deed in hym by this perswasion that God graunteth true vnderstandeinge and wisedome to hym that woulde haue it hath neede of it and axethe it in hys name Whyche thinge is true but not as the vnlerned take it In make answere by scripture to your first Chap and so to enter into your boke we are taught by oure sauiour Christe the onely Authoure of all trueth that what so euer we aske the father in hys name that same shal be geuen vs. And Iames the holie Apostle and openare of his wyll towardes vs saieth If any of you lacke wysdome let hym aske of hym that geueth euen of God whiche geueth to all men indifferent lye and casteth no man in the teethe and it shal be geuen him But let hym a●ke in fayth and wauer not Forhe that doubteth is lyke the waues of the sea tossed with the winde caried wyth violence neyther let that man thincke that he shall receiue any thinge of the Lorde This moste sure fayethe and truste that we haue conceiued of our Lorde and father you go aboute spedilie at the beginninge to extinguish by your blinde sophistrie casteinge this bone in our waye that it is not so as we vnlerned take it Oh Lord shal not we beleue thi worde most open promises tyl some one of Antichristes schole haue set to his glo●es If this be not wranglinge sophistrie to go about to darke these so open scriptures what shal we cal sophistrie Must we go seek some subtile doctour to teach vs the sence meaning of these th● plaine wordes Yea thā som bishope to opē the meaneing of this doctour for our senses vnderstādeyng be captiuated vnto thē Nay nay oh heauēli father we are thi childrē and the shepe of thi folde ▪ heareing thy voice none other fulli cōtented wyth thy teacheing Wherfore we cleane only to this thine opē worde and saye with S Iohn that we haue this ful trust in it that what so e●er we shall aske accordinge therunto thou hearieste vs. And seinge we know that thou heareste vs we know also that we haue the peticions that we haue asked of the. You saye we wyll aske it out of order as a newe miracle as to haue heruelle in februarie so properly can you iudge our thoughtes We saye we wyll ▪ aske it first and principally by oure faieth of God the father for the loue of his sonne Christe accordeinge to hys commaundement knoweinge that it is the gifte of God onely and that fleshe and bloude can not reueile thys vnto vs. Neuer the lesse we do vse the meane order of the studining of goddes holy scriptures which beinge enspired by the holi goste are able to leade vs into all trueth We exercise our selues in the worde of God I saye wherin thys wisedome and knowelege of God lyeth hid so farre and so muche as we maye and dare by your cruel forbydinge vs the same Wherfore if either part be about to driue Christe to a newe miracle out of order it is you forbydinge vs pore men to loke on the scriptures that the scriptures maie shortly be founde true which do promise that the stones bi miracle ▪ shal beare witnesse against you and God wyll make perfet his praise bi the mouth of yong sucklinges and babes We are as Hieremie was not all together dombe and speachelesse al thought partelie your wichednesse oppressinge vs and oure weakenesse puttinge vs to silence we dare do nothinge vntill the Lorde saye vnto vs as he dyd to Hieremie Thou shalt go to all that I shall send the and what so euer I shal commaunde the that shalt thou speake Be not a fraide of theyre faces for I am wyth the saieth the Lorde When we heare thys spoken in oure hertes by the spirite of God who continueth wyth vs vnto the worldes ende then lo with herte do we beleue to our rightuousenes and with our mouth do we confesse to our saluacion Lo this is the continuall course and miracle without misorder that Christ worketh in the hertes of his faithful though your eies dimmed and daseinge with popeishe madnesse can not espie it Fo●der you saye that we make thys sophistical reasone Because God can alwaies worcke by miracle therfore he wyll alwaies do it ▪ But you may perceiue by this that I haue spoken that it is none of ours neyther did you euer here it of any of our mouthes but yours it is and the chiefe of your argumentes wherwyth you do all the sorte of you establishe your purpose For thus do you reason Nothing is impossible vnto god God can chaunge him into breade therefore is he chaunged into breade Oh diuellish sophistrie and subtiltie of Sathan By thys possibititie you maye chaunge him into a verie vine tree a stone or a materiall dore For you haue boeth the worde possible for you ▪ and these plaine wordes also I am a verie vyne Ego s●m vitis vera Petra fuit Christus Christe was the stone Ego sum o●… I am the dore Or to go furder as some of your owne doctours do doore Deus potest suppositari mulierem equum asinum God can chaung him selfe as subiecte into a woman an horse or an asse ▪ whyche wordes of your maddesse whan I dyd wrute myn hande dyd tremble They are so lewede that a reuerent herte can not heare them that God immortal and vnchaungabel whose maiestie filleth the heauenes and the earth shoulde be chaunged into any vile creature worsse then asshes yea leaseth nothinge compared to his highnesse Wyth lyke fondenesse do you dispute for your Sodomiticall chastitie beinge geiuen vp into mindes reprobat because you woulde tourne the glorie of God immortall vnto the corruptible creature You saye it is possible for God to geue all your marke chastitie and to make them Ennuches And straight waye you conclude that you haue the gyfte and do swere that you wyll lyue winelesse Thoughe all the worlde maye se it to be possible in the cause and impossible in the effecte because God doeth it not nor wyll not do it yet in your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 againste the Godly man bucere you are nothinge ashamed to maynetayne with much bablinge that this saieinge of Christ Capiat qui capere potest spoken of the gifte of chastitie is to be vnderstand Capiat qui capere vult Thus do you alwayes dispute sophistically your selfe A potentia ad ac●ū A. posse ad velle et esse like a craftie sophister and cal other mē by the name that you your selfe are worthy to beare as Mockus dyd when he cried stoppe the theafe Therfore take thys answere as a full solucion to your sophistrie set furth by your owne sophisters A posse ad esse non est bona onsequencia Because it is possible to proue therfore it is so is very slender reasone I pre●e you
the good man for he hath no Idoll I know there haue ben good men whiche haue hated all Idolatrie and the persecution of al ages can report the same The bokes also of theyr fayth so many as haue escaped your handes do yet testifie that they were sore offended wyth thys blynde chaunge of these dead ceremonies in the steede of the lyuely feaste of the Lorde where al men shoulde be fed wyth the body and bloud of Christ the sonne of God not turned into bread but lyuely workynge by the spirite in our soules And they do a●he thys question why you do breake his body in three and why you do put one piece into the chalice to the wyne seinge you d● teache that the wine alone is fleshe bones though you do put no grosser substaunce thereunto For because it is liquidum you can make it what you lust and dare entre some deale far ther then Christe did for he at the vttermost made it but bloude but you wyll make it bloud bones and fleshe say we shalbe brēt if we do not beleue you and yet for all the stickinge to the bare letter you haue not one word through out the whole Bible wherby you maye clooke thys matter that the wyne shalbe the whole body fleshe bloud bones though ye crie The worde the word Faith fatyh These heritickes wyll not beleue the worde of God For your terme really presēt you shal vnderstande that after Bonifacius the thirde about the yere of our Lorde vi C. and. iij. obteyned of Phocas the false Emperour to be the heade of the churche by the craftie practise of the monkes Paschasius Humbertus Guimundus Algerus Rogerus Frauciscꝰ Anselmus and such other was realitie inuēted and termed to the sacramēt Before that time the spiritual eating only was magnified amonge the olde doctours But then beganne the churche of Rome to be gyuē ouer to al pōpe wickednes and Idolatrie the mother church of al mischiefe The bishop his adherētes of the Antichistes generation are now fully bent to lifte vp thē selues against euery thynge that is good and godly commaunding Images and other vile creatures to be worshypped But the Emperour Leo the. iiij gathered a counsayle at Bysantium of CCC bishoppes which decreed that only God ought to be worshypped and caused the Images to be brēt and destroyed Then Damas●en becommeth their proctoure stubburnely resistynge the Emperour so longe tyll he had his ryghte hande cut of howe he gatte it agayne you must bringe some credible authoure or els we wyll not beleue you longe after when Idolatrie had gotten the vpper hande then dyd Petrus Lombardus maister of your sophisticall sentēces bringe vp your transmutation and transaccidentatiō About the yere of our Lorde M. Cxlvi gathered out of certeyne blynde wordes of the doctours afore his tyme. Then Pope Innocent the thyrde gaue it thys newe name that you maynteyne wyth fyre He called it Accidens sine subiecto Of the whiche Sophisme doctoure Duns doctoure Dorbell and doctoure Thomas de Aquino do dispute verie subtilely Theyr termes you may see more at large by the moste diligent confounder of theyr errours Ihou Bale in his boke named the misterie of iniquitie Then folowed the blynde rable of Scotistes and Thomistes and they haue broughte the worlde into thys contention that we nowe heare and are busyed wyth all Thus was thys high misterie of mannes saluation and moste comfortable sacrament cleane chaunged from the institution of Christe whiche was to be taken wyth thankesgyuynge in cōmune amongest christian men that wyth open herte euerie man myght reioyce in the death of his Sauiour and gyue thankes for his redemption that thereby fayth myghte be established and brotherly loue nourished But nowe it is become a vayne gasyng and starynge vpon the sacrament in the steede of the Sauiour takyng the sacrament for hym that made it a sacrament Worshippyng the creature in the steede of the creatoure as we see nowe thys blynde swarme whiche for the lyuely preachynge of the death of Christ to be the life of the soule do cause mumbling al in a straunge tonge that the people might surely be kept from the consideration of the misterie And where Christ cōmaundeth vs to deuide it amongest vs and that we shoulde all dry●… of the ●●ppe the popishe priest muste get him into a corner alone and there so many shall be part takers of the merites of his blowing blessyng and other coniuringe a●… wyll gyue hym any thynge They shall be prayed for in the middest of his Masse and shal haue their sinnes takē away This win● they that wyll be the priestes benefactou●s The other shal see Christ really they saye but because he is dombe there and can not speake and the pristes lesson is no peny no Pater noster they maye knocke hande on breast and worship they wot not what lyfte vp their hādes and stroke their heades lyke the Popes owne deare chyldrē but they shal haue no parte there neither of the sacrament whereof they are appoynted to be part takers by the opē worde of Chiste eate and drinke of this you all nor yet of the remissiō of those synnes that the priest wor●heth for ●nlesse they gyue some money Thys money it is that causeth it to fyght so sore agaynste Christes institution and to maynteyne your gaynful sacrifice and reall presēce This money for the maynteinaunce of your dignities and Lordelyke porte hath caused you euer sith you were first poisoned therewyth to magnifie your owne handy worke But the God immortal wil aduenge his iniuries vpon al Idols and Idolatours Nowe to mistrust the immortalitie of the euerlastynge God as you laye vnto oure charge by whom all thynges endure were extreme blindnes And so likewise to compt your God which neuer had breath of lyfe immortall when the priest that hath made him and perchaunce eaten him the same day that he dyeth is mortall and goeth to the graue with his newe made God and many other mē as you say that dye wythin a quarter of an houre after they haue eaten him In whō you make the doubte whether the hoste consecrate shall mouide corrupte or cōsume lyinge in their bodies beinge deade for you are the first to my knowledge that euer moued that question To call this immortall I saye that neuer lyued lyeth in the grounde wyth the dead man maye well be called fo●de Sophistrie But to toutche your wordes a little more You call thys the hoste wherein the body of Christ is presēt You begynne me thynketh to waxe ashamed to call this your hoste the bodie of Christ contrary to your playne text of scripture Thys is my bodie I must also laye thys vnto your charge Why you dare call hym hoste by a newe terme and not breade by the olde terme Some thynke it is because you take your owne wordes to be wyser then the wordes of Christe and his chosen Apostles And surely it is
begin ninge who commynge downe from oure heauenlye father dyd declare hym selfe to be the hed corner stone of the true church thoughe the byshoppes refused hym in their buildeinge And when he ascended vp agayn leading capteyue wyth hym captiuitie hyrselfe he gaue gyftes vnto menne makynge one sorte Apostles an other sorte Prophetes some other Euangelistes some Shepeherdes and ●eachers These onely be appointed to be the ministers of his church in the new testament that they shoulde all together in spirite and trueth boeth worship him and cause other to do the same for the spirite is the worcker of al diuiding to eueri one as pleaseth him The bodye of thys churche then is not one membre as of long tyme you haue named your selues onely to be the church but it is many membres as the Apostle witnesseth amonge the whyche membres I feare me you shall not bee worthy to be numbred onles you do amende your life so contrarie to Christ the heade of this churche For thys churche hath he begotten vnto hym selfe by his worde as the parent and onely mother therof that it should be without spot or wrinkle gloriouse holy and without blame and especially saithe Paul the bisshope muste be such a one that no man sholde find any faute with him Thus writethe he to his dearely beloued Timothe and Titus makinge it moste euident and playne vnto vs that you bishopes prestes teachinge for your gaine sake or els teachinge nothinge at all are not the true byshopes and members of the true churche but the hierlinges and hypocrites that haue no parte in the Kyngdom of God and his Christe who dyd come ▪ pore not hauinge wher to laie his heade and dyd chuse pore sheperdes to be his first witnesses and after them fishers toulers and tentmakers And the words that he spake to his disciples are far ouer harde for you byshopes to bear Who so doeth not saieth he for sake father mother goodes lyfe and al together for my sake and the Gospell can not be my disciple Moreouer wher as the bishops of the Iewes and chife priestes doe crie Tēplum domini Templum domini As thoughe they them selues and none other were the true church Christe answereth that the sonne of man shalbe betraied to the chief priestes and they shall condemne hym vnto the death so that they were none of the trwe churche thoughe they were of the seéde of Leui to whome the gouernance ▪ of the churche was promised and performed In like maner you so longe as you persecute Christe hys members and burne his worde crie you holie church neuer so much you shalbe no more of the true churche then ▪ they were For ther is all one worcke and purpose in you boeth that is to saye to miantayne your pompe and estimacion your powre and your holynesse before the people But now is the time come that the thing which ▪ was most holy in the sight of the world as you your iewels haue bene shalbe abominable ▪ vnto God Yet one other thing nothinge pleasaunte to your lordlike stomakes He that wilbe the cheife in this church must be the seruante of al Like as the sonne of manne did come not that he shulde haue seruice done vnto hym but that he him selfe shuld serue and giue his soule for many As many therfore as we finde agreable withe this heade Christ as were the. xij Apostles and all the true disciples who continued together in the breaking of breade and praier acceptinge none of the possessions of this worlde as their owne but makinge all that was theirs commune to the necessitie of their brothers we esteme to be the true and faiethful membres of this church Paule also geueinge him selfe for the Gospell to be imprisoned stoned and slayne was of thys churche Stephane also stoned for the defence of GOD his glorie and Antipas the true and fayethfull witnesse of Christ slaine at Pergamis Ignatius the scholar of Iohn who suffred for the Gospel Ignatius I saié Who so ernestly desired the breade of God the heauēly bread of life whiche is the flesh of Iesu Christ the sonne of the liuing God who was borne in the last ende of the world of the seede of Dauid and Abraham and desyred to drincke the bloude of hym that is wythout corruption and the life euerlasting All these I saye we knowe to be the lyuelye membres of Christes true churche but not these onelye whiche sufferred vnder the Romishe tirantes but theim also the whiche in al countreis and at al tymes haue witnessed and suffered for the trueth ▪ of God his word for all are created for hys glorye and God hath not at any tyme or in any place ben altogether without hys witnesses if the world woulde receiue theim He sente into oure na●ion Iosephe of Aramathia He stirred vp Gildas he enstructed the plowemen o● kent and other contries of whome we haue the monumentes After warde dyd he sende Robert Grosheade who boeth by worde and by writinge dyd rebuke the worlde of blynde iudgement Then came the greate clarke that wrate so mani godli bokes Iohn Wicklife of whose workes though Subincolepus the bishop of Prage did bren to the uombre of two hundred yet are ther manie of them reserued vn to thys daye by the prouision of God to the cōfusion of the kingdome of Antichrist cleare testimonie that the worlde before vs hath not ben vtterly destituted of true know ledge thoughe frome tyme ▪ to tyme whan the lyghtte hath come into the worlde the kingdome of darckenes the children of prid● haue loued darkenesse better then light and therfore haue laboured to extinguishe it and haue prohibited these bright sterres to geu● lighte saue onelye to a fewe whome he had chosen and longe a fore appoynted euen to the weake abiectes and caste awaies in the sight of the world of the whyche sorte parte were slaine and part liued vnknowne to the worlde for this litle flocke euen from the beginninge hath not bene of the wife and stout worldely men and therefore sayeth Christ I thanke the father that thou haste hid these thynges frome the wyse and prudent and haste shewed the same to littleones smallye regarded And Esaie saieth I wyll destroie the wisedome of the wise and the vnderstāding of the prudent wyl I caste awaye And agayne Where is the wise Where is the scribe and interpreter of the law wher is the disputer of this worlde Hath not the Lorde made folyshe the wisdome of this worlde For after that the worlde by hir wysedome could not know God in his wisdom it pleased god by the folishenesse of preachinge to make salfe them that beleue This preachinge of the liuing god whiche sent his sonne an euerlasting sacrifice for the lyfe of the worlde caused the sacrifices to waxe colde and that was it that caused the priestes of the Iewes to persecute the christians so sore that
is presēt the substaūce of the bodie and bloude is receyued vnder accidentes and the true feaste and feadinge is in the masse For this your assersion I demaunde some scripture wherbi you may declare it to be of Christe And for the later parte therof I vtterly denie that in your masse is any ●uche feast or feading for it is but a gaping vpon shadowes and dombe cerimoneis Agayne wher the Apostles cal it the breking of bread you cal it the breaking of accidentes or of the hoste for you ar fa●… to sheft your termis for shame bycause neuer man yet coulde handle an accedent nor breake it handsomly excepte it had a bodi or a subiect As for you I trow you be Iuglars for you will haue the bodie of Christ ther presēt you wil handle it make it hop aboute your chalice teare it in ij or iii. pieces but yet you wil not breake it for you say it is impassible and can not be broken nor can suffer any violence But I shall tell you If you were not playne Iuglars and coniurers we would swere so many of vs as stād by you that you do breake the same thinge that you handle ●ou swere nay by the holie masse for you break you saie but a few accidentes vnder whiche the bodie lurke the and that the same precious bodi is after in eche of the partes wholy and whole Christ in the peces broken withoute encrease of nombre you will not gyue an a●●e leaue to tel one two thre as Inglers wyll I am ashamed that I haue occasion thus to wr●● But ●alde propositions must haue balde solutions ¶ And now say you men ash how a mouse can eate God And how can God corrupt waxe moulde howe can god be broken in pieces We demaunde the same questions still warne you that geue the occasiion of suche questions to repent you For as Bell in Babilon and all the other Idoles were by the wrathe of God destroyed so shall you with your false god be consumed excuse the mattier wythe accidentes as longe as you liste And this causeth vs to speake of your Idole as Baruche the prophet did But you make a godly answere or twayne Beleue saye you that a mouse can not deuour god beleue that god can not corrupt Beleue that god can not be broken Al this do we beleue and therfore ▪ we cōcl●… that this your cake is no God And where you adde yet one other precepte and bed vs belieue that Christ god and mā is naturally present in the sacramēt of the aultare if you were a right bishop of Christ you would be ashamed to belie your maister for he saith in no place of the scripture that he is naturally present Be ware therfore for you maye not adde vnto the wordes of Christ lest he do ad and encrease your plages Liars worshy ppars of Idoles sleiars of mē sorcerers and dogges are iudged without the gates of the newe Ierusalē But you haue a cōmone refuge the church you saie saith it And when you wil bite vs thā the deuil saieth it But it is no newe or straing thinge to heare this of your mouth seing that the sam your mother holie churche multiplieth lyke language against ●ure maister Christ He is mad saied the phariseis he hath the greate diuel Belzebub And by the prince of diuels casteth he forth deuels saide the Scribes Iufine they al agred that he had a wicked spirite Thus can you not gofrō your nature and we must nedes be like oure maister in sufferinge your reproch Then vpō other mēs reasōing with you you procede thus ¶ If heare be nothing but this bodie thē either it corrupteth or else whē goeth it awaie or wher haue you scripture to declare the going away of Christ frome thys hoste This cā you not answer and therfore are you faine to dal●ie in wordes But I shal answere for you He renneth awaie whē he spieth the mouse cōming and al the strength of your God is loste whā he once begineth to mould for it is no more able marchaunte or mans meat after it is mouled and corrupted Than speake you grauely acknowledginge your ignoraunce sayeinge Shal the true faith perish because I or such other can not answer thi sophistical reasone We answere that you blynde bishoppes ought to thruste nothing with so greate violence of sworde and fire into your churches but that you can fulli geue answere vnto by the word of God For if you do not bringe this doctrine in all your lessones we are cōmaūded not to receiue thē nor to saie a●e vnto thē lest we be partetakers of your il workes For the scripture of god is able to teach to reproue to correcte and enstructe in rightuousnes that the mā of god maie be perfect redi to eueri good worke And you bishops are cōmaūded whā you teach that you teach the word of god ▪ yea christwold saie nothing but that which he had hard of his father Some scripture in dede you bring for your purpose and you haue it in Paule that mens wordes do not perswade our fayeth Whyche sayinge maketh so cleare against you that nothing can be more euidēt For you go about to establishe a fayeth with naturall reall accidentes quantities qualities and such philosophie termes takē forth of the wysdome of the subtile boke of the greke sophistes whiche had much disputed wyth Paule and were highly estemed in Corhinth And therefore sayeth he ▪ I do not come in such high and darcke termes of wisdome No I do iudge my selfe to knowe nothinge but Iesu Christ and hym crucified You might and wold haue answred I dout not that you dyd knowe him naturallye in the bread and the chalice●… if your generacion had thē ben spronge vp And thinke you this gear had not ben ●…ete for Paul to preach if it had ben so necessarie as you make it But Paull preached such wisdome as none of the wise of thys world knoweth For if they had they woulde neuer haue crucified the Lorde of glorie neither woulde you persecute hym still in hys mēbres He spake wordes that he learned not of mans wisedome but suche as the holie spirit teacheth so that he cōpareth spiritual thinges vnto spiritual thinges not 〈…〉 you do heape vp flesh and carnal doctrin ●nto the spirite makinge the bodilie eatinge and the spirituall to be all one thynge heare you accuse vs of our beliefe to bringe vs into slaunder as though we were warueringe and vnstable But what our beliefe is in god we haue alredie shewed And whether our religiō be wauering or no God shal iudge Our religion is grounded on the worde of God that can not stacker nor chaunge And wherther bishopes or else wee pore abiectes do liue as ther were no God whiche thinge you laie to our charge all the worlde maye iudge As for
hande of the father Then when you haue wroughte so wittilie and myghtely wyth Christe you take man in hande and woulde bewitche hym to beleue that that cake is no cake and that the breade is fleshe bloude and bones You tell hym his eyes be blynde His taste and senses deceyue hym His reason is nothynge worth in your mattiers For thoughe all the miracles of Christ dyd euē apeare as he wrought them As if they were spirituall they so appeared vnto the soule of man and were felte spiritually as the forgyuenesse of synnes the healynge of soules and suche lyke so doubtles the miracles that Christe wrought bodilie dyd appeare in the bodies wherein he wroughte them But thys straunge miracle of yours muste clearely mocke and delude all oure senses and vnderstandynge and leade vs captyue to beleue that you can make God by his worde of a vyle piece of paste Yet surely in conscience I thynke it your selues do not beleue that there is so greate power in the wordes of God For if you dyd surely you coulde not be so bolde as to burne it For no fayle if it can make God it can destroye wycked men yea though they be byshoppes Moreouer you saye Two thynges are to be considered in the Sacramente of the aultare one that it is a Sacramente An other that it is the thynge it selfe of the Sacramente that is to saye Christes mooste precious bodye and bloude Vpon thys I demaunde what you do meane by thys terme Sacramente If you saye that a Sacramente is a signe or remembraunce of an holie thynge as all your owne Doctours haue defined a Sacramente then wyll we saye as the trueth is and as we haue taughte heretofore that this is the moste holie signe and blessed remēbraunce of Christ our Sauiour which offered his bodie for our sinnes and cōmaunded vs to frequent and vse the same in the remembraunce of him who dyed once for vs and sitteth nowe at the right hande of God a perpetuall meane betwene God and man And heare is the ful profite vse and commoditie that any man can haue by thys Sacramente Yet this wyll not satisfie you vnlesse you haue vs so captiue that we wyl saye after you The Sacramente is the selfe same thinge that it signifieth Christ must be made in the remembraunce of Christ I demaunde of you in all other thynges be they holie or prophane where you cā fynde me one thinge that is both the signe and the thinge it selfe The holie Sacramente of Baptisme is not so The holy Sacramēt of circumcision was not so The holy Sacrament of the Paschal lambe was neuer named so in the olde testamente Yet had they as playne wordes for them as you haue for yours For the circumcision is called the couenaunt and the lambe is called the passeo●er But you wil haue the Sacrament to be the thinge it selfe and the signe to be the Sauiour For this intent no fayle that you being but the signes and shadowes of true Bishoppes your two forked cappes and labelles the signes of muche holines and knowledge in both the testamētes your white raichet the signe of chastitie and purenes your precio●s shoes the signes of precious fnote steppes in preaching the Gospel may be accompted the verie thinges thē selues that be signified So shoulde we neither loke into heauen for our only Sauiour sitting at the righte hande of his father nor yet for true holines in you vpon earth being satisfied by your signes and shadowes your lyinge Poprie dombe and deceyueable ceremonies It foloweth in your text When we cal the Sacrament of the aultare God we vnderstande the substaunce of the Sacrament whiche is Christe God and man there present And according to that vnderstanding we attribute al goodly honour vnto it And in thys speache the worde Sacramēt signifieth and giueth vnderstanding by a special significacion and by excellencie as learned men speake of it the thinge signified beinge there present that is to saye the bodie and bloude of our Sauiour Christe whiche can not be broken with hande cā not be torne wyth teeth or denoured of beastes or putrified Neither can the bodily senses herein beare any witnes to the contrarie for they can not atteyne that But when we vse the worde Sacramente or the worde hoste and applye the speach of it to suche a matter as may not be sayed of the naturall bodie of Christe then the speache is verified in those formes of breade and wyne vnder the which the most preciouse body and bloud of Christ is couered as when we saye the sacrament is broken or moulded or altered it is onely vnderstanded of the sayed forme of breade and wine being the outward accidētes as the qualities or dimētiōs which god ther preserueth not otherwise by outward miracle being thē susteined by his moste preciouse bodilie substance Then when they be naturally ioyned to the substance of bread whereof that God thus doeth not mans senses because those accidentes be sensile may Iudge for we se it so and those accidentes be perceptible by the bodelie syght and sense ▪ and withe the eie of the soule in faieth we se the presence of oure moste blessed sauiour Christ who ther is the onely substance of the sacrament so longe remayninge vnder those accidentes as the forme of bread and wyne vnder whiche by the omnipotēcie of his worde it pleaseth him to exhibite him selfe vnto vs doe remayne and contynewe In your first liues wherin is taught that the sacramente is god and man and therfore muste be worshiped withe all godly honour is intollerable blasphemie For neither haue you any scripture to proue it to be God nor yet that euer Christe or his dearely beloued apostles taught that it should haue al godly honour At his holy supper he cōman̄ded thē al to eate this breade and drinke this cup deuiding it amonge thē To sette vp any newe God therefore not taughte in the scriptures is blasphemie ▪ and the settynge vp therof deserueth stoning to death by the law of Moyses And Paule byddeth that if an Angell come downe frō heauē to preache any other Gospel then that whiche the Apostles haue preached we shoulde take hym as accursed And is not thys a newe Gospell to teach a Sacrament to be a God to teache that the bread which is a vile creature is very God and that it ought to be worshypped wyth all diuine honour worship The sacramēt that Christ made and ordeined to be a memoriall of his death redēption by him to be made Christ him selfe is it not blasphemie A piece of past whiche was made but yesterday can it be made a sacrifice to take awaye synne wythout blasphemie If a man shoulde call the sacramēt of baptisme god and do al godly honour thereunto woulde you not say he were mad And yet is Baptisme the chiefe sacramēt both because it is the first sacramēt 〈◊〉 signe wherein the free mercie of God
is broken eaten and mouldeth And what so euer goeth into the mouth sayeth Christe the same goeth into the bealie and so is conueighed farder So that this whiche you teach of the reall carnall and bodilie presence of Christe may well be called deuellish sophistrie For seyng that al lies are of the deuell as the father and authoure of them these lienge blasphemies must neades be of him and verie dyuellesh sophismes to set forth his kyngdome of darkenesse The spirite of God and the spiritual doctrine of the holie goste can not dwell yn you bycause you be fleashe The spiritual eating of the bodie of Christ by fayeth How Christ who sitteth nowe at the ryght hand of his father and hath by his death and passion payed sufficient raunsome for all our sinnes hath pacified the wrath of his ●ather by the takynge our synnes on his backe hathe gotten vs life by hys death and wh●● so euer benefit we haue receyued by the deth of our sauioure Christe thys wyl you neuer teache and preache vnto vs in the ministring of the Sacramente and in your Pope holie Masse but you teache vs to gase and galpe at a thinge we knowe not whiche you saye is in your chalice and is holden vp betwexte your fingersto be worshiped with all godly honour vnder the forme of bread vnder outwarde accidentes qualities and dimensions And thus doe you bliude vs with your sophistrie termes that we can not perceyue what you meane But yf you woulde answere simpliciter as you are wonte to laye to our charge either that this sacrament is Christ God and man or that it is not Christ him selfe really carnally and naturalli then shuld this strife be son●at an end But seyng that it shalbe Christe God and man bodilie present whan you will name it so and qualities accidentes and dimensions when you wil haue it so surely we can not but of force call you sophisters Agayne when Christe must be in the forme of bread and vnder the forme of breade I can not tell what scripture you haue for you you go frome your sh●… ●nchor this is my bodie and other handfast I can se you take no●e Then procede you wyth your sophistrie and therby charge vs wyth the thinges in thys wyse i. First you saye that we woulde haue all in out warde miracle ii Thē that if accidētes were made imp●ssible the deuell woulde require that mans bodie shoulde be imp●ssible iii. Thirdly that the senses maye not empayre oure fayeth For the fyrste we answere that we do re●…ier no miracle other wise thē whā we sa●… that Christe is the lambe of God But you would haue suche a miracle dayely wrought is Christ neuer did vpon the erth euen such ●ne as 〈◊〉 her scripture testifieth nor any cōmon sense wit nor reason should perceiue A miracle good for nothinge but to maintaine your powre A miracle that no mā cā espie but priestes and such as geue eares to pophish li●… A miracle muche more blinde then Magipharaonis for theirs dyd at the lestway s● appeare as they enchaunted it to be Secondly that mans bodie shoulde be impassible ▪ you ar the first that named it Wherfore if it be of the deuel as I thinke no lesse take it to your selfe for it is your own terme 〈…〉 ●●l the sēs●● and reasō● to do seruice and beare witnesse vnto our faieth i● like maner as the Apostles do witnesse the thinges that they sawe with their eies harde with their eares and hādled with their hād● We aske no forder signe nor miracle but those that Christ hath wrought alredie But you must haue ●…ie new miracles to strēgthē your faieth cōtinualli ▪ makeing this cake of yours Christe boeth God and man And besides this which is more like madnesse thē miracle eue●… whoremoungar dr●…ckarde and Idi●… shal haue a God of his owne making so sone as he hath ●…nbled ▪ vp iiii latine wordes And that the diuell maie playe his pagia●t among the childrē of darcknesse he helpeth you forth with manie pretie miracles both by the appearaūce of the dede and other waies as your lieing bokes do testifie Thus maie you worthily be called Gens incredula que signum querit et signum non dabitur ei nisi signum Ione prophete You haue the sygne of Ionas the prophet that is to saye of Christe lieinge in the erth and riseing again Yet this wil not serue you onlesse you haue him impanate and bodilie carnallye reallie by a wonderful miracle in an hundred thousād places at once Whether of vs twaine is nowe more like the capparnites You that wil eate christ flesh bloud and bones as they required and maye not abyd that we should ●eke in this supper onely the breade that did come downe from heauen as Christe taught or we that haue abundantly found this bread into life euerlasting and do cō●…esse with Peter that the wordes of Christ are l●fe euerlastinge and not the ●…heli eate inge of his bodie ▪ We belieue Mosses and the prophetes for they haue geuen clare testimonies of thys that I do writte in that thei teach one Messias and sauiour of the world ▪ We belieue also that which Paule doth saie of theym all that all the fathers were vnder the cloude Thei were'al Baptised in the sea they dyd all eate of one spirituall meate and drinke one spiritual drinke for thei dranke of the spirttual stone whiche folowed them the stone was Christe We do beleue al thinges that are written tuen frō the fyrst begining of Genesis to the last word of the reuelasions But as you say we can not beliue your newe miracles nor the appeareing of the dead No nor yet you bishopes pristes nor any of your doctoures forther then you bringe the word of God in your inouthes So long wil we saie Ane vnto you and receiue you most willing lie For our faieth hath hir onely ground vpon heare inge not of euerie fable but onelie the worde of God Nowe bishopes cōsider that if you wil haue vs hear ani doctrin that is not groūded on the scripture as your doctours you● dreames and visions you cause vs to sinne For that which is not of faith is sin Againe without fayeth it is impossible to please god and as fa●e impossible is it to haue faith and to beleue the doctours For they are one cōtrari to an other so that no fayth can be grounded vpon thē Yea they thē selues woulde not be belieued father thē they bring the scripture for them Their owne cōfession therfore and the cōtrarietie that is in them declareth them to be fleshe and we were accursed if we should make fleshe oure arme and settle our faith vpō mās wordes for euery mā is a lia● ¶ Of the wordes and the meaneinge wherin the meaneinge of Christe is declared at large by the manifolde circumstances and certaine other thinges towcheing the occasion offered AN other point of the diuelles
killed grat Goliath it is easilie perceiued by cōparing of his bokes with Ecolāpadius zwin glius how far vnable he was to defēde thys cause What mildenes of spirit ouer much care of christian quietnesse caused Bucere in wordes so far as the trueth could any thing yelde to agre with you al men that read his bokes with iudgement may iudge Zwinglius workes who so readeth thē as he was a man of in comparable eloquence and lerneing are able to cōfound all the rabble of the papistes and al his aduersaries that speake againste him But nowe come you into your ruffe againe with your doctours of thousād yeres yet maie we proue some of thē to haue ben scarselie v. hundred yeres other some of small Authoritie and the best smally serueing for your purpose Amōgest thē all the most aunciēt is S. Andrewe the apostle you saie whom you alledge not out of the scripture for we haue nothinge of his writeinge there but out of your holy legēda auria as I suppose or else I praie you whens shall this thing haue his authoritie of the porteous perchan̄ce which techeth vs to locke for saluaciō by the merites of Thomas Beket by setting vp a cādle or building a chapel in the name of S. Margarete It appeareth that you would faine haue the mattier good whē you flie to your popeish portous Thus woulde you craftilie deceine the people Let Paul answere your porteouse mā which saieth he doth dailie sacrifice Christ on the aul●…re of the crosse We lerne in the Epistle of Paule to the Heb. that it is the propre peculiar office of Christ to offer him selfe that with his owne offering he hath made his holy for euer by his own offering once don therfore was he made prieste after the order of Melchisedech without successour Wher for they that go about to sacrifice Christe do rob him of his priesthod For Christ onely was called vnto that office for he ouelie was called as Aaron was and no mā maye take vnto him that office vnlesse he be caled as Aaron was Not with standinge that we maie please al and offēd no mā if it be so possible take the wordes of S. Andre spirituallie as no doubt he was spiritual would speake thē none otherwaies but spiritually and thā make thei nothing against vs. He sacrificed not on the aultare of stone but vpō the aultare of the crosse And for the maintenaunce of thys sacrifice he hym selfe was also sacrificed on the crosse What dyd he sacrifice The vnspotted lambe Where he alludeth to the olde figure as is saied whose flesh and bloud beinge spiritually receyued feadeth al the faythfull people Thus maist thou answere gentle reader euen vnto the best of the doctours vnderstandeinge them spirituallye And that they shoulde be so vnderstanded appeareth by the firste wordes that you bring out of Chrisostome we offer sayeth he but for the remembraunce of hys death Again this sacrifice is a resemblan̄ce of the other Agayne alludeinge to the olde figure he sayeth We do offer one lambe or else should ther be many Christes Then sheweth he who is the byshop that offereth the sacrifice Not Chrisostom nor Andrewe ▪ but Christe And thys whiche they do is the remembraunce of that whiche is done alredie These olde writtes had muche more libertie to speake such wordes because at that tyme ther wer no suche errours hard of as you do defend nowe by your popeishe prerogatiue But whan you answere that Christe byde●h you pristes sacrifice him because he sayeth Hoc facite I dare saye you finne in wylfull blindenesse And that boeth for that you lea●e out thef●●t and principall parte of the sentence whiche moste declareth the purpose of Christ in the remembraunce of me and also because you knowe well inowghe what significacion Hoc facite muste haue boeth in thys place and all other I knowe well that you english bishopes be not so slēderly learned as the Sorbouistes or doctors of Parise whiche in their determinations do bringe incum faciam vitulam Take the whole sētēce together therfore and make of it what you can Hoc facite in mei memoriam do thys in the remembraunce of me Donec veniat tyll he come maketh cleare against you that saye he is heare al redie let Damascene dote as longe as he lusteth If you wreast this playne text do this in the remembraunce of me vntill I come what scripture can be salfe from your gloses Yet by your doctoures by whom you cā glose forth al thinges I wyl not greatly contende with you as I dyd proteste in the begining First and principally because our fayeth maye be grounded vpon no mās saings but vpon the worde of God onely whiche is able to teach to reproue and to enstructe a man to euery good worcke Secondly because this contencion shal neuer haue an ende so long as you maye haue authoritie to glose euerie worde of the doctours accordinge to your owne pleasure Thirdely because ther hath ben no ●…ning so lewed but it hath ben proued and is at this daye allowed by the authorite of the doctours Fourthli because the scripture must be the to●chston and i●dge of all other thynges wordes sayinges and writeynges and may be Iudged by non other Sixtli because we our selues shalbe Iudged and examined whether we haue kept that whyche Christe cōmaunded vs and not that which doctours haue written Seuenthly and finally because in the worde of god lyeth al truth and we haue an especiall commaundement frome the father to here Christe the authoure therof the spirite comeynge down from heauen with his open testimonie Thys is my dearly beloued sōne in whom I delyte heare hym where the doctours contrarie wyfe as they are men and this scripture must nedes be true Omnis homo mendax euerie man is a lyar so do they trie them selues as men contendeynge one with an other eche one cōtrarie to his felowe Yea and the selfe same man retracteynge and recanteynge that that he had wrytten before that we may learne to trust in no man nor to put fleshe our arme for feare of the great curse but to stycke vnto the euerlastinge worde of God as a lantern vnto our fete wherof ther shall not one Iote or tytle perishe though the heauen and the earth do melt awaye In thys we shall finde sufficient fode for our soules if we can paciently rest and fead therin Wherfore for this tyme all your doctours set aparte and your dyuell sayeth neglected because your hope is so muche in man and you are not ashamed so often to brinde in the deuil sayeth I praye you here the complaynt of God by his prophetes vpō the Idolatours of al ages and do not thinke much to herkē what God sayeth of you of this time which cā non other wayes mayntain your pompe but with the cōtumely of your creatour the plain denial of the only sacrifice of his son
that all such be put out from amonge my people And who so euer wilnot repēt this grosse errour beinge admonished be it knowen vnto them that they are not of my shepe For my shepe do heare my voice And being once raysed wyth my voice they wyll folowe no straunger but wil with open voice crie vnto the straunger and say Oh Idole shepeherde Al this haue I spokē because I your god am so opēly cōtemned and a weaks Idol embraced Gyue eare nowe and herken what I shal saye for my sonne whō I sent to be your sauiour and the onely sacrifice that can take awaye synne in my sight You make hym of none effect that so you maye establishe your owne glorious workes and sacrifices I was and am fully cōtented and satisfied wyth the offering of his body once done What neede is there then of your lyeinge sacrifice If his onely sacrifice be ynough as it is ynough more then ynough to satisfie for al what nedeth you to sacrifice and offer him vp again Wyl you or cā you kyl him againe For that which is sacrificed must needs be slayne and wythout bloude can there be no remission of sinnes I know your hertes bloudy bishops by the betrayinge of him whē he was in the earth amonge you nowe by the brennyng of his worde by the tirānous destroyinge of his flocke which wolde cal againe the memorie of his passiō which you haue extinguished wyth your sacrifice for the quycke the dead making it a cloke for your couetousnes and a buckler for the pompe and rigorous authoritie you chalendge ouer my litle flocke I appointed him priest according to the ordre of Melchisedech without successoure or felow I anointed him with the spiritual oile of my spirite that I mighte haue a bishop to offre vnto me sacrifice which should be pure and without spot whiche shoulde not neede many times to offer or to be offered but makinge al thynges perfecte by one onely offeringe of him selfe vnto me his father and by his bloude which all other sacrifices so oft iterated and repeted as thinges vnperfect dyd onelie signifie In this my dearly beloued sonne is my delyte He is the greate bishop whiche once for all hath entered into the place most holie And beinge founde lyke one of you in althings sinne only excepted he hath now penetrated and passed throughe into the heauens there to be your bishop for euer to offer hym selfe alwayes for you in my syghte by whom you maye come to the throne of my grace to haue healpe by tyme. If you wyl seeke any other bishoppe to offre for yo● I tell you he is poluted and muste firste offre for hym selfe And because of the imperfection that is in hym he can not please me nor pacifie forhim selfe Yea you may also perceiue that his offeryng is vnperfecte or els should he not neede to reiterate it so oftē If you wil not be deceiued therfore sticke fast vnto the offering ofmy sōne once for all made for you And as I haue giuē him to the deth for your sakes so wyll I deny you nothinge that you aske in his name be you sure Hōse comethit that you be called christiās that Christ my sonne was for your sakes manifestly made man in the flesh was iustly declarede God by the spirite and shewed vnto the Angels and after receyued into glorie This must you beleue if you wyl be partakers of the same glorie That he was verie man as one of you are synne onely excepted conuersant vpon the earth in all humilitie care and miserie at my cōmaundemēt wherby for his obedience toward me he deserued to be ▪ crowned wyth a crown of glorie wherfore I sendynge the holye gost vnto you at his desyre whyche may teach you how you are become my chyldren by hym dyd take him vnto my selfe and raised him aboue al the heauēs euen to sitte at my ryght hand for euer Wher you shal seke him if you intende to find hime But neither here nor ther in ani corner of the earth He tolde you that he must departe from you And if you loke for my fauoure you muste not compt him a liar But wylt thou seke my sonne Lo he hath offered one offerynge for sinne and sytteth for euer at the ryght hande of me hys father lokynge for that whiche remayneth That is that hys enemies be made his fote stole And thus doeth my spirite witnes vnto you that in this my newe testamēt established in hys death your sinnes shoulde be done awaye so that I woulde no more remembre them Then if you beleue them to be forgyuen how can you offer for them any more It is a manifest token therfore that all you which wilbe styll sacrificeynge for your synnes do not beleue that they beforgeuē by the death of my sonne Christe You also whych wyll carnally and grosely eate hym and feade vpon hym as chaungeynge breade into hys fleshe can not worthly beleue vpon hym For he departeyngefrō the earth dyd cōmaund you to eate the bread of this supper which he louyngly called hys bodye for your weake remēbraunce and for the declaracion of the benefite which he then shewed vnto all the faythful beleuers in hys death and bloud shedeynge For the declaracion and remēbraunce I saye of this benefite he cōmaunded all his faythful folowers brotherly to deuide amonge them the bread and wyne so ofte as they woulde eate or drynke in the remembraunce of hym whom they shoulde not haue any longer presently conuersant amonge them For he was then commynge vnto me his father for your profyte And therfore byddeth he you do this thynge in the remēbraunce of hym wyll you then know what it is to do the worke that he commaundeth you or to worke the meate that ne neuer perisheth whiche meate he promised to geue vnto you and I haue sēt him downe and appointed hym for the same purpose If you wil knowe this worcke reade in the. vi of Iohn wher you shal learne that the worke of God is to belieue in hym whome he hath sent This is al that you can geue me This is all that I require at your handes I geue you therfore the breade of life if you can receiue it by faieth vnfainedlie That is to say trusteinge to my promise onely in the death of my sonne and to none other creature Yea my sonne is this breade of lyfe and he that cometh vnto hym shall not be hongry he that beleueth in hym shal not be thirsty And thys he tolde you was my wyll and pleasure that who so euer doeth see him and beliue in hym hath euerlasteynge lyfe For thys is the lyfe euerlasteynge to knowe me and to knowe my sonne whome I haue sent Iesu Christe By thys knoweledg do the Angelles and blessed spirites lyue reioyce and take their comfort Thys is the heauenlye fode Thys is the Manna that comethe frome heauen Therfore so muche haste
thou of euerlasteinge lyfe as thou haste of the knoweledge and fealeinge of my grace and goodnesse why che chiefely and principally was openned vnto the worlde in the sendeinge of my sonne into the worlde to be made fleshe leste al flesh should haue perished for wickednesse Thys is the breade then that comethe from heauen wherof who so eateth shal not perishe but lyue for euer And thys breade is the flesh of my sonne as it was geuen for the lyfe of the worlde for so was it a verye heauenly gifte and heauely breade comeinge frome heauen Other wayes was it but an erthly thynge and nothinge profitable For the phariseis and all the wicked that do not compt thys onely thynge to knowe me the father and my onely sonne Christe geuen for the lyfe of the worlde to be the onely saluacion therof but secke more helpe of saluacion at any creature in heauen or earth be it man saincte or Angell be it workes sacramētes or any other thynge that man can imagyne as they can not vnlesse they compt some insufficiencie and lacke in me shall not haue any parte in my sonne Christe whome they haue in so small estimacion howe grossely so euer they imagine to eate hym No to them that this slenderly and vilely esteme the hilpeinge and saueing that I haue geuen him he is the sauour of death vnto death and the stumblynge stone But vnto them that wholely and onely do cleaue vnto him feadeinge on hys bodye thus offered for the life of the worlde and drinckeinge of his bloude geuen for the remission of synnes he is the breade of lyfe hys fleshe is verie meate and hys bloude verie drinke so that you haue alwayes in mynde that it is the spirite that geueth lyfe and that the fleshe profiteth nothynge And take it for a generall lesson to vnder stande the worde of godly doctrine that the wordes which I and my sonne do teache you are spirite and lyfe And to beleue them is to eate the meate of the soule to worcke the worcke of God and therfore to haue lyfe For the ryghtuouse lyueth by hys belyefe ▪ And Abraham dyd beliue wherfore it was compted vnto hym as ryghtuousenesse before circumsicion or any other out warde sacrament was geuen hym Yea thys Abrahame maye teache you that without the regarde of any creature yea contrarye to the workeinge of all creatures thou muste belieue and be made sure of my goodnesse that thou mayeste wyth ▪ an vpryght face vp towordes the heauens saie O Lorde I haue belieued in the I shall neuer be ashamed For thys is the nature of fayth to loke strayght vp vnto me your heauenly father and to receyue at my hande by the merite of my sonne all grace fauour and goodnes Wher if you declyne asyd and appoynt your selfe meanes aydes and helpes of any creature otherwise thē I haue cōmaunded you must be compted miscreāts mistrustinge my goodnes Here falleth the Iustice that you seke for by your workes and sacramentes and here ariseth the Iustice of fayeth which is onely acceptable in my sight For Israell in the olde tyme folow ynge theyr lawes of righteousnes by their workes sacramentes and ceremoneis coulde not come to ryghteousnesse And wherfore I praye you Because they did not followe ther vpon by faieth but onelie by workes of the lawe They stombled at the stomblinge stone as it is written Lo I will put in Sion a stombling stone and a stone to fall vpō who so beleueth in him shal not be ashamed Because they haue beleued they haue attained this righteousnes which is of faieth of whiche if they will follow and not forsake they shall neuer suffer shame This faith one lie in the seede promised and no signe or sacrament was it that refreshed your first father Adain Neither was ther any other signe geuen vnto Achas but that a virgine shoulde cōceiue a child whiche by an holy and pure byrth of the holy gofle myght take awaye and purifie the corrupt byrth of the olde Adaine and deliuer the house of Iuda from the bloudie Sennacherib Vnto the whyche signe you must alwayes loke for you shall haue none other signe of saluacion but the signe of Ionas the prophete All the Israelites drinckeinge of the same spirituall drincke and eateinge of the same spirituall meate that you do for it is all one fayeth that saueth you boeth euen as I am all one God and no chauncelinge dyd in their lambe vnspotted feade and take comfort of no signe or sacramēt but onely of the bloude of our vnspotted lambe whyche I had promised to sende into the worlde For by the strayght commaundementes and son drye charges whyche my seruant Moyses dyd geue them for the choseynge and eateynge of thys lambe they dyd perceiue a thynge far more spirituall then coulde be finished in so grosse a banket Much more thē the Apostles of my sonne beynge vsed to suche spirituall feadeinges myght perceiue what my sonne ment in abolisheinge of the olde ceremonies of the lambe and cōmaundynge a newe memorie to be made of hys bodie geuen for them and hys bloude shed for the remission of synnes and for to delyuer vs frome the helly Pharao They dyd knowe that thys worde of the promise whiche is geuen for you shoulde be fulfylled vpon the crosse and therfore ought not to be applyed vnto any sacramēt It is not the offering of ani signe or sacramēt that I regarde but the osferinge of my sonne vpon the crosse whiche you muste by your sacramentes shewe your selues to haue in perpetuall memorie as the onely lyfe whereby your soules can liue Lyke as they also had learned before of the Prophetes that the Messias whome I shoulde sende shoulde be striken for the synnes of the people and then shoulde be exalted and sende hys gyftes plentuouslye from aboue spoyleinge all hys enimies wyth triumphe Thys dyd my sonne beate in theyr eares But he neuer tolde them of any such chaunges of bread into his flesh such carnall consecracions as you do teach wherin you wyll haue that without any profite my son christ shold come downe frō my bosome into your breade and Chalice blowen and blessed by your inuencion and worke so great a miracle without eyther necessitie or profite Haue you not inough that you haue euerlastinge life by hym ▪ hathe not he humbled him selfe lowe inough that he hath become manne for your sakes and died for your sinnes What woulde you haue more of him would you that he shoulde take the forme of breade for your sakes what are you the better if he so did Yea how much the worse should you be This is one thinge you shoulde brynge the veritie of his bodie into suspicion for that it should go and come so like a spirite which is no small hinderaunce to the perfection of your kinde For mine intēt was whē I made my sonne man to haue iust occasiō therby to
together with you into the blinde pit of darknesse Thus haue you led our fathers before vs so many as would take you for their scho maisters and had none other secrete motion of the spirite to lifte their hertes vp into the heauens d●…nge the ayde and healpe of al other ●r●… And yet 〈◊〉 can not content your selues with the kingdome that you haue vsurped in the consciences of men where none ought to reigne but God more then these thousande yeres onlesse you maye styll haue the same authoritie in establishinge your popetrie and Idolatrie beating euermore into oure eares that your Idolatrous and superstitious religion hath continued these M. D. yeres Where as we partly haue declared might more at large declare were it not to tedious that it hath crept vp onely with your wicked papacie and possessions of the churche and hath continued onely the tyme that Sathan hath bene lose and sent furth into the worlde to worke his wyll when you his stoute souldiour dyd shit vp the kyngdome of God his worde and neither woulde enter in your selues nor suffre them that woulde entre But now that the lambe hath vnlocked the boke Sathan begynneth to roare for feare of the fal of his kingdome and you bishoppes his champions do rage and fight agaynst God his worde yea agaynste euery thinge that is God or godly But we shal ouercome by the bloude of the lambe and by the worde of his witnesse And therefore do we ieoperde oure soules vnto death not onely against the Romishe Antichriste but the Mahumetaine also who is like to reigne ouer vs as a worthy plage for slidynge from the worde of God euē as he hath many yeres reigned ouer many christian nations whiche boeth in life and learning were as holy as we be now cōpted If thys thynge I saye shall come to passe as no man knoweth Goddes secrete working but suche onely as it shall please him to endue with this knowledge we shall be redie both to speake and write as we nowe do for the glorie of God against al Idolatours so far as God shal open our hertes and giue vs strength For without his audacitie and boldnesse of spirite poured into vs we shall stande in as gerate feare to perfourme thys as we shoulde be to write against your abominations knowing your crueltie towardes thē that haue hertofore moued your paciēce What other men haue written in the fauour of Mahumete I can not tell But thys do I see with myne eyes that you bishoppes do opē a great dore for him to entre in at by the Idolatrie that you do maynteyne in settyng vp so weake a creature to be God For what playner waye can ye haue to impunge the christian religion then to fynde it to be groūded vpon so fonde a foundation as this weake Idol of yours And on the other side by your wicked life and tirannouse handlynge of the pore flocke of Christ you ministre great occasion for vs to thyinke that we shall lyue vnder the turckes as quietly and safly as vnder you both in auoydynge the Popishe Idolatrie and also in escapynge of outragiouse tiranny Beware howe your malice leadeth you to minister suche occasions For though we abhorre euē frō the bottomes of our hertes the turrkeshe Mahumete and his lawes and are ready to wryte and speake agaynste them in the defence of our Christ and his religion rather wishyng to dye then to be subiect vnto him yet thys present necessitie and more greuous bondage that we suffre nowe vnder the byshoppes the lymes of the Romishe Antichrist are so intollerable that we had rather proue any thynge then longe to abyde it If they ouercome here the victorie wyll hardly be stayed from conquest in the reste Call backe your tiranny therefore aboute the worshyppynge of thys Idoll Surely it is full tyme as you saye for you to stryue for your God and to encourage your companions to sticke to their taklynge for if we maye once get the victorie herein all the residue of your Poperie wyl haue a foule fall Note our simplicitie as much as you wil and skoffe on styll wyth the Deuyll is simple iwys we wyll neuer be ashamed to call breade breade so longe as we haue Luke the Euangelist and Paule the Apostle of Christ to take our parte Come you in wyth your double gloses and put furth two faces in owne hoode in euerie thinge you go about as longe as you luste But it is an high mattier to vnderstand what breade meaneth and what the worlde signifieth you saye Go to go to And all the worlde what so euer the worlde signifieth wyll shortly deride you and thynke you worthy of your ii forcked myters for your doublenesse ❧ Of thys name Masse and of the diriuation of the same NOw labour you to haue this name Missa or Masse diriued of an Hebrue worde wherein I wyll not greatly contende thoughe it make not much for your purpose because I know the subtiltie of the generation that fyrste named it whose caste it is alwayes to busie mens myndes wyth straunge names darcke termes and subtile disputations aboute the same to holde men occupied in trifles and to keepe them frō the playnes of the trueth Other wise they could haue ben cōtent to haue named it the breaking of the bread with Luke or the supper of the Lorde wyth Paule But for the nature of the Hebrue worde Lerne what Sanctes Pagninus wryteth in Thesauro lingue sancte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Missa sufficientiā significat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Sufficientiam voluntatis aut spontis manns tue Targhū Deut. xv xviii pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est sufficiētia habet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rabbi Selomoh in cōmētaries exponit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficiētiā Rabbi Abrahā hoc pacto scribit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daghessatur samech nam deducitur a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est sign●m Ihero●i●nus Oblationē spontaneā man● tue Vnde dicūt nō nulli quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est oblatio que fit deo propter aliquod munus personale quibus non assentior cum nullus ex Hebreis doctoribus ho●dicat quos legerim Hactenus Pagninus These wordes declare the nature of this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by diriuatiō euen frō the original Whiche howe wel it agreeth with our englishe word masse let the learned iudge It cā not be tried hereby that it is a sacrifice for the quicke for the dead but rather cleane cōtrarie by that whiche Pagninus affirmeth Ther is yet an other Hebrue worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifiynge a tribute whiche some men saye is the originall because of the contribution and payment that was gathered for the reliefe of the pore in the beginning There is also a verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which betokeneth to melte or to be dissolued awaye where of you may diriue Missa if you wyll
we returne to bodily fode to cōforte the body withal then knowinge that the thinge whiche entreth in at the month defileth not the body we do without superstition and excesse vse indifferētly al such meates as occasion ofsereth And why should not we as well do thus as you bishops to eate on the greatest fastynge dayes you haue swete sucket grene ginger marmilade such like deinties for the punishinge of your Pope holy carkases Is a piece of biefe or bakō more perilous for the prouocation of sleshly appetite in vs pore mē of the contrey that labour al the day long in hōger colde thē these subtilties are to your sleuthful idle bealies If we do not fast the true fast lamēt for our sinnes so oft as were cōuenient the great cause is that we are neuer taught of this true faste very seldō do we heare the worde of god truly preached whiche might moue vs to this repētāce mourning for our sinnes So that alwaies the fautes of the people must needes returne vpō your neckes O bishops the bloude of the shepe that perish must berequired at your hādes because you are negligēt in doinge of your duties Now this great matter that ye do lay so oftēto our charg Thatin the lords supper we diuise a diete without ani dainties that we wil haue nothing presēt but bread wine we haue partly proued to be vntruly reported of vs who do in the Lordes supper set forth the fode that feadeth into lyfe euerlasteynge But the same thinge may well iustly be spoken of you that do set vp the mūblinge of a masse in a tonge not vnderstand in the steade of the lyuely fedyng of the faithfull in the death of Christe which ought all waies to be preached shewed forth in thys supper of the Lorde that the flocke of Christ may continually feade on these dainties of the heauenly manna accordinge to the sayeinge of Christ Not Moyses but my father geueth the true breade frome heauen For it is the bread of God that cōmeth from heauē and geueth lyfe vnto the worlde I am the same bread that am come down from heauen He that cōmeth vnto me shall not be hongrie he that beleueth in me shal neuer be ●hyrstie Lo what dainties we do set forth in our supper But what daintis do the pore people find in your masse You saye that ther is rawe flesh bloude and bones which thynges cōpared vnto oures are no daynties The people saye that you do eate al in a cornar and will gyue no man part with you What so euer daynties you haue they go home hongrie boeth in theyr bodies and soules Yea what geare is ther in your masse the gospell and epistle Hoc est corpus meum onli excepted that can fead the soule of the vnlearned man Yea how doeth that gospel epistle fed their soules that vnderstād not one word that you speake As for yourblasphemus collectes geueing so much to the merites of sanctes your secretes where in you do talke with Annas and Cayphas your beadroles one of benefactours and an other of hallowes as Peter Paul and Crisogonus whose memorial you name it to be not the memorie of Christ by whose merites and prayers you desyre to be defended in all poyntes If all this I saye were in english and vnderstand what daynteis Yea what deuellieshnes shoulde hereby enter into the hearers herte● This is no fode but filth this is no breade but poyson But you thynke perchaunce that we lewde people maye feed vpon fonde gestures vpon youre fonde bloweynges and blesseinges mockeinge and moweynge vpō your cake holden vp betwyxt your fyngers and hopped about the chalice These be all your spiritual workes But they neither feed soules nor yet bodies For you are those shep herdes that fede theim selues and despise the flocke The best you haue to say is that you do eate this supper for vs that you drynke this cup of the newe testament for vs. But nowe haue we learned of late in the testamēt of our master which you haue most vilanouslye plucked forth of our handes beynge no gentillmen that it is hys wyll and pleasure that all we should eate drinke of the breade and wyne of this supper Wherfore I praye you eate our meat no lenger neither for vs nor from vs. For that which you do eate cā do vs no more good thē if you did eate away from vs our bodilie diner And if you wilbe partakers of our bodily labours goodes let vs be partakers with you in this supper And if you compt vs saued redemed by the bloude of the newe testamēt thē suffer vs to drinke of the cup of the same in Christes blud If you do caste vs frō it esteme vs so lewdly as you haue done herebefore thinke non other but the arme where vpon you haue trusted shalbe broken the donge of your solēnyties shalbe scatered vpon your faces But to come to your dainties agayne You doe mixt the thyrde parte of your cake with the wyne then you saye Hec sacro sancta commixtio this ▪ holye mixture be helth of bodie soule By the whiche blasphemouse wordes wherein you wysh that thys same mixture that you make shoulde be saluacion of bodie and soule we may espie that you haue here dainties prepared for the deuilles owne toth Your preparatiues to these daynties are like to the daynties them selues That is to saye deuillishe Reade the Rubrica of the masse to eschew mortalitie and the masse of the fyue woūdes where as it is written that what priest so euer sayeth the office of this masse v. tymes either for hym selfe or any other he shall in thys worlde haue grace and health in the world to come euerlasteynge lyfe if he continewe in good And in what so euer tribulaciō a man shalbe in this worlde if he procure this office to be sayed for him v. tymes by a priest wythout dout he shalbe deliuered And if it be read for the soule of the dead strayt after it is read v. tymes the soule shalbe deliuered frō payn Wyth such lies and blasphemies do you prepare the peoples mindes to your dayntie dyshes Now your cautiles subtillities that you haue about these daynties declare you to be more supersticiouse then were the phariseis and far more foleish then the heathen In so moch that I am ashamed to write them ❧ Of the pure sacrifice of Malachie the prophete BVt you do establishe your masse and ▪ sacrifice as you suppose verie strong lie by the prophete Malachie whom your doctour Damascē doeth alledge for the vnbloudie sacrifice And you brynge hym in againe here in the ende of your boke though he speake cleare agaynst you These be hys wordes after he hath rebuked the priestes of couetousnesse I haue no pleasure in you sayeth the Lord of hostes I wyll allowe none offeringe of
of the fleshe nor by the wyll of man but are borne of God as Peter sayeth Borne againe not of mortall seede but by the worde of the lyuinge God This is the milke not of the bodie saieth Peter but it is the meate and milke of the soule that knoweth no gile Thus renneth all the scripture by metaphors and borowed speache from bodilie meate to spirituall meate from the bodilie teeth and eatinge to the spirituall eatinge by the soule whiche can be done by faith onely So that he whiche is not borne from aboue of the spirite can neither see the kingdome of God nor come vnto Christe let him eate the breade wherein you saye is really the fleshe so longe as you luste For this muste needes be true That whiche is borne of the fleshe is fleshe and that whiche is borne of the spirite is spirite Euen like as Moyses set vp the serpent in the wildernesse that so many as woulde come vnto it mighte be saued from the firie serpentes so likewise was the sonne of man exalted that al that do beleue in him shoulde not perishe but haue euerlasting life Againe So hath God loued the worlde that he hath giuen his onely sonne that who so beleueth in him shall not perishe but haue life euerlastinge Againe He that beleueth in him shall not be condemned And he that beleueth not in him is condemned all readie because he beleued not in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God Thus may we see that fayth and not ea●…inge of Christ really in the sacrament doeth ●…aue and bringe life euerlasting And not to ●…eleue in the onely begottē sonne of God is ●…amnation of bodie and soule So is it not to ●…enie your gloses really present and bodilie ●…aten Yea mainteininge this grosse opinion ●…ou can not esteme him to be the sonne of the ●…uinge God nor beleue the worke that his ●…ather hath wronght in his death For God the father dyd not sende hys ●…ne in the fourme of breade or any other creature but onely in the fourme of man to the entent to exalt man therby to make man of his householde to giue life vnto man by his sonne Christe to raise him againe wyth Christe and cause him to sit together wyth Christ amonge the heauenly spirites And to shewe furth in the worlde to come the passing richesse of his grace in his godnesse towardes vs by Christe Iesu We beleue in the onely begotten sonne whiche was made man to saue the worlde ▪ wherefore we can not be condemned though we do seeke none other straunge beliefe of really present and bodisie eaten to feede the bodies whiche thinges are not taught in the scriptures You do not beleue in the onely begotten sonne made man but made breade to take awaye sinnes wherfore vnlesse you do repent your dānatiō is at hande because you beleue not in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God whiche is the onely begotten sonne as he is man cōceiued by the holie goste and borne of the virgin Mary not as he is bread blowen with your stinkinge breathes Neither is he the onely begottē sonne of God as he is wine whispered into your chalice Howe do you beleue in this name the only begotten sonne of God whē the scriptur●… teacheth you that there is none other name vnder heauen wherby men should be saued and yon do saye that there is an other thinge whiche some name the Masse and some the sacrament of the aultare that saueth from sinnes and is a sacrifice boeth for the quicke and the deade and as your man Damascen wryteth it purgeth all diseases and incommodities Furthermore We do beleue that Iesu Christe is the Christ that is the anoynted of God to offre the sacrifice wherewyth onely the father coulde be pleased and therefore are we borne of God You do say that you are the Christes and anointed priestes to offer styll for the sinnes of the people Who is your father but he that woulde darken the sacrifice of the onely begotten sonne of God and sit in the temple of God boasting him selfe for God being in deede the aduersarie and is lifted vp agaynst euerie thinge that is God or godly the wycked man the cursed childe Againe God the father sayed this is my dearly besoued sonne in whō I am pleased and pacified heare you him We beleue this worde and wyll seeke no further but to thys onely begotten dearly beloued sonne of God Neither to pacifie the wrath of God for oure trespasses nor yet to seeke any other teacher of his wyll then the sonne of God whom we are commaunded to heare You wyll sette vp the Masse your owne worke to pacifie the father for the sinnes of the quicke the deade You wyll haue your owne doctours to descant newe gloses and these must the pore flocke of Christ heare beleue and confesse or els they shall be brent But to heare Christe the onely begotten sonne of god speake in the scriptures is poyson to al men vnder the degree of gentlemen and punishable by your lawes as in the cases of heresie What call you this but to make the onely begotten sonne of God an hereticke Call you thys the beleuynge in his name Thus maye we proue that you beleue in the Popes name whose lawes and wrytynges are reserued of certeyue men for certeyue purposes and are as muche practised and more stoutely defended then any thynge that Christ cōmaundeth Yea howe can we thinke but that you beleue more in the Pope when you defende his Actes more styfly then the lawes of the lyuynge God What if it shoulde be proclamed that no maner boke concernynge any parte of the Popes re●igion shoulde be broughte into the Realme and that al those which are brought in alreadie shoulde be brent coulde you byshopnes beare this thynge so guietly as you dyd diligently laboure to haue all s●che bokes of christen religion brent and banished But to make an ende where we beganne Iohn sayeth that euerie spirite that contelleth Christe to be comen in the fleshe is borne of God Thys do we con●esse that denie him to be come in breade wherefore we be borne of God And thus bele●ing in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o●ten sonne of God we can not be condemned But that spirite whiche doeth not confesse Christe to be comen in the fleshe is not of God And thys is the spirite of Antichriste of whom you haue hearde that he shal come and he is in the worlde alreadie Nowe seinge that we so many of vs as confesse Christe to be come in the fleshe be borne of God why shoulde nor we for the glorie of oure heauenly father a●d for oure saluation be so readie to laye downe oure soules in the faythfull handes of his c●…todie as the spirite of Antichriste and the chyldren of this worlde are to speake 〈◊〉 ●or the mainteinaunce of Ido atric ●he kingdom of Antichrist to their owne 〈◊〉 ●amnation Worldly Pompe and