Iewes sawe a miracle a litle before whych Christe had shewed in the deserte of fyue loues and two fyshes and they confessed that he was the very prophet whych the stripture promised should come but nowe for a worde or two as they thoughte in dede not worthy to be hearde farre oute of tune they iudged hym a very foole and a madde man What can be more folyshe or more impudente Wherefore whan Iesus sawe theire so greate rudenes he went not strayght waye aboute thys to declare hys wordes whyche semed obscure vnto theym and far out of the waye but he continued to speake styll that semed far more out of tune y ◠theyr folishnes myght iustlye be punyshed and that after the Prophet the herte of the people shoulde be made more blynde and theire eares more harde to heate and their eyes stopped because that those thynges whyche if they had take good hede thei might playnelye haue vnderstande they hadde rather lewdely interpretate and set naught by then to learne thē wel For whan Iesus before had resoned of the eatynge of his fleshe as thoughe it had bene a thinge indifferent and at theire libertye to eate hys fleshe or not eate it nowe he requyreth the eatynge as a thynge necessarye to get true lyfe and saluacion For Iesus sayd vnto them Verely ◅erely I saye vnto you except you eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke hys bloude you haue no lyfe in you He that eateth my fleshe and dryncketh my bloude hath lyfe euerlastynge and I wyll raise hym vp in the daye You se wyth what asseueracion he doeth affyrme the eatynge of hys fleshe to be necessarye and the drynkynge of hys bloude He sayeth not simply except you eate and drynke but he addeth an othe Uerelye verely I saye vnto you y ◠not so much the trueth of thys sayinge maye be confirmed as the necessitye of eatyng and drinckyng signified And because no man shuld dout of what lyfe he speaketh straightwaie he expoundeth it more playnely saying he that eateth my fleshe and dryncketh my bloude hath lyfe euerlastynge For he speaketh of true and eternall life not of thys transitorye and mortal lyfe where vpon he sayeth more And I wyll rayse hym in the last day for althoughe they that eate Christes fleshe and drynke his bloud seme in the eyes of men to die yet before god they are kept in dede in thys life whych also shall be opened by resurreccion Youre life sayeth Paule is hyd w t Christ in god Whansoeuer Christ shal be made o pen which is our life than shal you also be shewed openly wyth hym in glory But ther be some whych haue wrythē thys saying of Christ of the eatynge of his eshe and drynkyng of hys bloude to the takinge of the Lordes Supper and because they sawe that by thys sayinge of Christ that the eatynge of hys fleshe and drynckynge of hys bloude was necessarye to haue lyfe therefore they decreed that the supper ought to be gyuen vnto infauntes also But Christe in thys place speaketh nothynge at all of the eatynge of that supper whyche afterwardes he ordained for a remembraunce of hys death For thys eatyng of Christes fleshe drinking of his bloud y t we speake of nowe is plainly necessary to saluaciō Uerely verely sayeth he vnto you except ye shal eate y ◠fleshe of the sonne of man and drynke hys blud ye haue not life in you What can be spoken more playnely of the necessytye of thys eating and drinckyng But the eatyng of the lordes supper is not simplye necessarye to saluacion In dede great is the pro fit of that supper and in dede whan you maye muste be taken and that after the institucion of Christe and in very dede great thankes must be gyuen vnto the Lorde for this gift but the vse of it is not simply necessary For Christ sayth in Paule do thys as often as you shal drinke in the remembraunce of me he sayeth not except you shal eat this bread drynke this wine you cannot haue saluacion but he sayeth as often as you shal do in dede signifiyng y t the church ought in dede to vse this sa cramēt euen vntil his last cōming but not y ◠the vse of it is so greate y ◠except a man take it he may not tho rowe fayth in Christ get saluacion Infantes at thys tyme vse not this sacrament Shal thei thē if thei die in thier infācie ◅e al dāned althogh thei be graffed into Christ thorowe baptisme What can more vniustly or more cruelly be thoughte of these infāts And what if one of a good age Baptised into Christ should be led of hys enemies into Turkye or euer he receyued the Supper of the Lorde and beynge yet euen in the myddes of Turkye kepte styll hys fayeth towarde Christe and yet coulde neuer vse thys sacramente shoulde we iudge hym to hel Certaynely if the vse of thys sacrament were necessarye symply to saltion it could not be y t he that neuer vsed it should haue lyfe And true health is set in Christ hym selfe and in fayeth that is had in hym not in the outwarde receauyng of the lordes supper There is sayeth Peter health in none other Neyther is there any other name gyuen vnder heauen amonge men in the whych we muste be saued For althoughe in the supper of the Lorde the body of Christe and his blud is distributed yet hath not Christe so bounde hym selfe wyth hys body and bloud to his supper that he cannot be taken but in supper for he is receyued also in the preachynge of hys Gospell yea excepte the preachynge of the gospell be ioyned to the supper there shuld be no distribucion of the body and bloude of Christe He is receyued also in ba◅tisme For who soeuer as Paule sayth be baptised in Christe ye haue put on Christe These thynges be spoken not for thys entent that we shoulde not often and obedientelye vse the supper of the Lorde For vnto a good man and that is troubled wyth diuers calamities as it is much pleasaunt so is it also very profitable to comfort and hold vp hys conscience by the vse of thys Supper but therefore they be rehearsed that we may knowe the sayinge of Christe that he rehearseth in the sermon of thys syxte Chapter of the eatyng of hys fleshe and drynckyng of his bloud not to be vnderstande of the taking of the Supper of the Lorde and that we maye knowe that there is a greate dyfference betwixt Christe hym selfe whyche onelye i◅ oure health and hys Supper whyche is in dede a profitable but not an onely meane whereby we maye receyue Christe And as touchynge Infauntes althoughe it be manifest that in the tyme of Ciprian and Augustine the supper of the Lorde was gyuen vnto Infantes that this dede of holy fathers ought not rashly to be condēned yet we ought not to thincke y t it is necessarye that the supper
of the lord should be giuen to infantes For it was chieflye instituted to acknoweledge the loue of Christe towarde vs and to strengthen our fayth in tentacions But infantes whyche be graffed into Christe thorowe Baptisme althoughe they haue fayth after their certayne maner so also after theyr fashion eate the fleshe of Christ and ◅ryncke his bloude that is euen after that manner whych Christe requireth in thys sermon yet neyther do they vnderstande fayeth nor the tentacions of fayeth Wherefore the vse of the supper of the Lord is not necessarye to theym But nowe to retourne agayne to our purpose the wordes of Christ whych in this place be spoken of eatynge of hys fleshe and drinckynge of his bloud must not be vnderstande of any out warde eatynge and drynckyng but of the verye fayeth in Christe whiche in thys sermon Metaphorically or by a translacion is called eatynge and drynckynge For whan Christe had take in hande thys sermon by occasion of that breade wherewyth he fedde more then fiue thousande menne in deserte and suche as they soughte for whyche came to hym into Capernaum he vseth also the name of breade for hys fleshe and the name of dryncke for hys bloude So by occasion of thys Metaphore or translacion he vseth the worde of eatynge and drynckynge for the worde of beleuynge as wh◅ he sayeth excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of manne and dryncke hys blud you haue not lyfe in you Thys is hys true meanyng except you beleue in me whyche wyll gyue my Ceshe for the lyfe of the worlde and wyl shede my bloude to put awaye the synnes thereof you shall not gette true health and in verye dede Christe by thys Metaphore doeth vnderstande playnelye the same thynge that before he sayed simplye All men that se the sonne and beleueth in him haue lyfe euerlastynge And after wardes Uerylye verylye I saye vnto you he that trusteth to me hathe lyfe euerlastynge For it is manyfeste that Chryste thinketh this eatynge and this drinkinge whiche he requireth in thys place to be necessarye to lyfe and saluation sayinge Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drynke hys bloude ye haue not lyfe in you But if we shulde saye as trueth is none other thynge is symplye necessarye to vs for oure health then fayeth in Christe Good worckes also after their manner be necessarye But we nowe speake of that thynge by the whyche we are iustified and be saued before God But we be iustified by Christ only and by faith onelye by the whyche we receyue Chryst yea rather we be receaued of hym and as I might say be our selfes in corporate vnto hym The iuste man saith the Prophet liueth by hys faith And Paule sayth we thynke that mā is iustified by faith withoute the worckes of the lawe And agayne We knowe that man is not iustyfyed by the worckes of y ◠lawe but by faith of Iesus christ Wherfore it is also manyfest that Chryste by the eatynge of hys flesh and drynckynge of hys bloude in this place vnderstandeth none other thyng than faith which is to be had of his fleshe his bloude y t is y t we beleue his fleshe to be giuē to death for vs that we may haue life hys bloud to be shed to y ◠remissiō of our synnes For so to eate the fleshe of Christ to drinke his bloud y t is to beleue in Christ is playnely necessa ry to our helth saluaciō And ther was neuer mā w tout this eatinge drinking which eyther hath gotten before or euer shal get saluaciō Adā him selfe the first man althoughe in y ◠time of his lyfe christ was not yet come yet eate he his fleshe dranke his bloude because he beleued that Christ shoulde come whiche by hys fleshe bloud y t is by his death put ged our synnes Noe also Abraham the other patriarckes prophets did eate the flesh of Christ drinke his bloud because they beleued that the◅ should get saluacion by Christ which shuld suffer in fleshe for their sines put away their iniquities by his bloud So also al good mē whiche after Christes cōming liue here in this world althoughe thei do not alwaies take y e supper of y e lord yet alwaies they eate the fleshe of christ drinke his bloud because they beleue y t Christe hath put away theire synnes by hys bloude death But let vs here now for what cause this eating drinckyng whych is fayth in Chryst doth bryng vnto vs or if you list so to saye receiueth lyfe and saluacion It foloweth For my fleshe is verely meate my bloud is verely drincke He that eateth my flesh and dryncketh my bloude he tarieth in me and I in hym Thys is the comparacion of meate and dryncke wyth the fleshe and bloude of Christe And the comparacion is made partelye by a dyssimilitude and partly by a lykelyhode The dyssimilitude is that althoughe corporal meate drinke noryshe the man and substayne hys lyfe yet are they not the meate and dryncke whych kepe man for euer but for a whyle in thys corporall and fadyng lyfe But the fleshe and bloude of Christe if they be receyued in fayth that is if ye beleue the fleshe of Christ to haue bene gyuen to death for oure synnes and hys bloude to haue bene shed for the remission of synnes are meate and dryncke in dede bycause they kepe man in lyfe perpetuall For he that beleueth in Christ he semeth in dede to dye as other men but hys death is no death but a slepe because that hys lyfe is hyd wyth Christe and kept of Christe vntyll he be raysed agayne in the last daye And the similitude is that as the iuyce of corporal meate and drinke is sent into all the partes of man and turneth the hauioure of hys bodye into hys nature as if a manne vse to moyste mea◅ ▪ the body also is made moyst if he vse could meate the body is also made coulde so also the fleshe bloude of Christe turne hym that taketh them that is the beleuer into their nature He that eateth sayeth he my fleshe and dryncketh my bloude abydeth in me and I in hym that is we be made one fleshe one bloude And the same nature that my fleshe and my bloud hathe the same also getteth he that eateth me And the fleshe of Christe is lyfe I wyl gyue my fleshe sayeth he for the life of the worlde The fleshe also of Christe coulde not peryshe in death but rose agayne from death And the bloude of Christe putteth awaye synnes because it is iust and innocent bloud Wherefore he that eateth thys meate and dryncke as he is counted iuste before God ▪ so al so is he made alyue that he dye not in death but ryse agayne and haue lyfe euerlastynge And what canne come to man eyther more profitable or more holsome thā this meate and dryncke which
Iewes as gentiles and in dede that he sytteth on the ryghte hande of GOD and heareth rul◅ in the myddes of hys enemies and iustifieth and maketh alyue al that beleue in hym For these be certayne and suar argumentes by whyche the diuyne maiestye of Christe hath bene shewed and proued Therefore whan he sayeth When you shall se the sonne of man ascendynge thyther where he was before thys is the meanynge I sayde vnto you that I was descended from heauen Be not therfore so offended w t thys worde to fall awaye from me For that that I sayed in worde I wyll proue in dede I wyl ascend againe thether where I was before and I wyll reuele myne heauenlye and dyuyne maiestye that you maye playnelye knowe that my learnyng is true and that I verelye am descended frō heauen that is haue taken man vpon me in dede and to be God in dede To thys also appertayneth y ◠Iesus in an other place whan he was axed by Caiphas before the Councell whether he was Christe the sonne of GOD he answered hereafter sayeth he you shall se the sonne of man sittyng on the ryght of the myghtye and commynge in the cloudes of heauen y ◠is I seme in dede nowe in youre syghte to be an abiecte and captiue but after thys tyme I wyl so shewe my maiestye that I wyll playnely proue that I am not onelye true Messias or Christe but also verye God euen of the same beynge and power wyth God And of thys in dede that Iesus sayde that he was come downe frō heauen thus much haue we sayde Let vs heare now al so of y ◠he sayed hys fl◅she should be eaten and hys bloude shoulde be droncken This sayth he offendeth you because I haue bydde you eate my fleshe and dryncke my bloude You thyncke peraduenture that I by thys doctryne do ordayne an eatyng of man or a tearynge of mans fleshe or a mutuall conspiracye to inuade the empires of thys worlde And therefore ye are afearde leaste by raysynge of sedicion I cast you by my doctryne into extreme ieoperdies of youre lyfe But be of good chere If you se me ascending thyther where I was before ▪ you shal proue in dede that my doctrine wyll do you no hu◅te For I wyll declare by my goynge vp into heauen that my kyngdome is not worldelye but an heauenlye kingedome Wherefore ye nede not to feare sedicion whereby I wyll inuade worldelye kingdomes Nor it is not to be feared least my doctrine shoulde brynge anye distruccion to you Do no more but stande and abyde still you shall fele in dede that you by my doctryne shall receyue lyfe and saluacion Let vs se than howe Iesus proueth hys doctrine to be more healthful than hu◅tfull and that he is rather the authour of life than of death It is the spirite sayeth he that gyueth life The fleshe profiteth nothynge The wordes that I speake are spirite and lyfe ▪ Thys place some vnderstande one wayes some an other but we wyll folowe the verye playne sentence and that the thynge it selfe declareth For if we wyl consider in what estate this controuersie doeth stand which is risen bewixt Christ and the Iewes it is manifest that this contencion is of the doctryne of Christ wherewyth the Iewes in dede be of ◅ended and the which they reproue but Christe defended it But Christ also hym selfe whan he sayeth The wordes whyche I speake vnto you are spirite playnely sygnifieth that here he speaketh of hys doctryne◅ and expoundeth what hys doctryne is For the Iewes dyd fear least if they continued to be hearers and folowers of Christe they shoulde by hys doctryne be caste into all kynde of troubles yea into death it selfe But thys f◅ar Christe refuteth and he teacheth hys doctryne not to brynge deathe but to brynge lyfe not to brynge destrucci on but saluacion For the spirite in thys manner of speakynge is taken for spiritual heauenlye and diuyne doctryne Therefore the maner of reasonyng is shorte in dede but worthy to be marked sayinge the spirite that is the spiritual and heauenly doctrine gyueth lyfe But the fleshe that is carnall and humayne doctryne as is the doctryne of the Phariseis or of sedicious persons profiteth no thynge bycause it bringeth distruccion and death But my wordes be spirite that is be spiritual doctrine and not carnal wherfore thei be life and bryng not death or destruccion as you iudge You haue the reasonynge of Christe Let vs nowe run ouer his partes spiritual heauēly learnyng sayth he gyueth lyfe and bringeth saluacion But carnal and humayne doctryne bryngeth dysstruccion and death What shal we saye than of the lawe of the Lorde whyche althoughe it be spirituall and heauenlye doctryne yet bryngeth it death or as Paule sayeth kylleth What shall we saye also of doctrines of men of conscience Ma thematicall of Physicke and other artes whiche partelye be profitable for mannes lyfe yea and partly after theyr facion necessarye also Shall we saye that they also profite nothynge but rather brynge men to destruccion Of the lawe of god therfore thus must we thinke that it mortifieth in dede and kylleth man but that is not thorowe the faut of the lawe but of the man For if we should speake of the selfe nature of goddes lawe verelye because it is a spirituall and heauenlye doctrine it hath also the nature of giuing life and bringing saluacion Kepe saieth he my lawes and iudgementes whyche the man that doth shal lyue in them They bring therefore of theyr owne nature life And when Moyses had made an ende of the ministerye of makynge a lawe he sayde Consider that nowe I haue set in thy syghte lyfe and good Christe also sayeth If thou wylte enter into lyfe kepe the commaundementes of God And Paulle the lawe is holye and the precepte is holye iuste and good Stephen also sayeth Moyses sayeth he toke the lyuelye wordes to gyue theym to vs. Wherefore as muche as pertayneth to hys nature as it is spirituall and heauenlye doctrine so it bryngeth also spirituall and heauenlye life But because men be carnal soulde vnder synne therefore it commeth to passe that the doctryne of the lawe bringeth rather deathe than lyfe and rather damnacyon than saluacion whyche thynge sith it is not imputed to the lawe but vnto manne and vnto hys synne it doeth yet remayne suer and stedfaste that spirituall learnynge dooeth gyue lyfe And as touchynge mans sciences whyche be profitable in thys world to kepe the lyfe of man here we speake not For thys earthelye and corporall healthe is one and the spirituall and heauenlye healthe is an other If we shoulde speake of thys bodelye and worldelye healthe there be manye and dyuers doctrynes whyche profyte verye muche Physicke profitteth to conserue and recouer the good healthe of y ◠body Mathematical profiteth to knowe the marueylous mocions of the bodyes celestiall and to measure the yearthe Housbandrye profitteth to the tyllynge of
For to eate Christe or the breade 〈◊〉 Christe in thys place is to beleue in Christe as it foloweth afterwardes Therfore when he sayth This 〈◊〉 the breade descendynge from hea â—…n because that no man shoulde â—…rstande thys sayinge neyther of that breade wherewyth Iesus a lytell before had fedde fyue thouâ—…â—…en or of anye other earthely and corporall breade anone he sayeth further I am the liuynge bread whych am come downe 〈◊〉 heauen that we maye playnely vnderstande hym that he speaketh of hym selfe And when he sayeth after wardes y â— a man may eate of it and dye not straight waies he doeth expounde what to dye meaneth and sayeth if any maÌ„ eate of thys bread he shall lyue euerlastyngly For not to dye is to liue euerlastigly What shall we saye then to these thinges If in thys comparynge together of Manna wyth Christe the communicacioÌ„ is of a spiritual and heauen lye lyfe how shal thys that is sayd your fathers haue eaten Manna in deserte and be deade be true of Mo ses Aaron Phinees Iosue Calib and manye other good Israelites which theym selues also haue eaten MaÌ„na w t the rest yet be not dead spiritually but as AbrahaÌ„ Isaac Iacob lyue before god so do those liue also And if this speaking be of corporall and earthely death Howe can thys sayinge if a man eate of thys breade he shall not dye but lyue for euer be true of Iohn Baptist and afterwardes of Peter and of the other Apostles and Dysciples of Christe Dyd not all these eate â–ª of Christe that is beleue in Christe and yet be deade not onely â–ª corporallye but also were cruellye kylled of theyr aduersaryes What â—…eth it than that is sayed the fathers that haue eaten Manna be deade but he that eateth this bread dyeth not but shall lyue for euer Fyrste here in the begynnynge we wyll speake of Moyses and other good men that eate Manna in deserte For these in dede were preserued in death and lyue before God but they were not saued nor lyue not for Manna whyche they eate but for Iesus Christ in whom they did beleue whan they eate Manna by the promises that were spoken of Christe For excepte they had eaten hym together wyth Manna vnder Manna truly they also them selues had died by death euen wyth the vngodly of whome Paule spea keth All dyd eate that spirituall meate and al did drincke that spiritual drynke for they dranke of that spiritual rocke that folowed them and the rocke was Christe But God dyd not allowe many of them For they were ouerthrowen in the wyldernes And nowe because Mo ses and other good men in eatynge of Manna beleued also in Christe that was promised therefore thorowe Christe they were saued in death and got euerlastynge lyfe That that we haue spokeÌ„ of Manna the same muste we thyncke oâ—… the Supper of the Lorde For the bread and wyne of the Lordes supper are heauenly meat and dryncke because they be halowed and sanctified by the lordes institucion thâ—… they maye be hys bodye and bloud And althoughe al eate of the Supper of the Lord yet are not al saued in death nor haue euerlasting ioye For some in dede eate the supper of the Lorde and yet beleue not verelye in Christe they truste not in the bodye and bloude of Christe which they receyue in the sacramente Wherefore as to the wycked the ea tynge of Manna nothynge profited so to the vnbeleuynge and vnâ—…epentaunt the eatyng of y â— supper of the Lorde nothyng profiteth Other not onelye eate of the Lordes supper but beleue verely y â— Christe hath gyuen his bodye for their sinnes and hath shed hys bloude that they myghte be made cleane from theyr sinnes before god These ther fore be saued in the houre of death and lyue for euer not in dede for y â— selfe eatynge of the supper but thorow Christ in whom they verely beleue in whose â—…ayeth they be streÌ„g thened by y â— sacrameÌ„t of the supper For Christ only by â—…ayeth thorowe the gospel taken eyther with the sacramentes or w tout the sacraments is he thorowe whom men get true euerlasting helth The sacramentes haue in dede theyr vse in confirmynge the faieth of him y â— receiueth theÌ„ and must diligently be taken obediently but our health is not set in y â— self taking of the sacramentes but in Iesus Christe only receiued thorowe â—…ayeth For thys is the lyuing bred coÌ„ming downe froÌ„ heaueÌ„ y â— who so euer shal eate of him or beleue in him should not dye but liue euerlastinglye Furthermore wher it is saied of the death of Iohn bap tist and y â— Apostles of other good mâ—… that beleued in Christe we must thinke y â— althoughe they be killed 〈◊〉 to men to be dead yet are they dead before god for before hym thei lyue yet styll For theyr soule is not loste because Christe Keapeth it neither perisheth theyr bodye For althoughe it turne agayne to duste yet shall it be raysed agayne in the laste daye into lyfe euerlastynge Therefore when Christ sayeth that the fathers be dead althoughe they haue eaten Manna but those that beleue in hym not to dye he sygnifieth and teacheth that the carynge of Manna did not bryng of it selfe lyfe and healthe no not to Moses and other good men for if they had eaten Manna only they also theym selues euen wyth the other vngodlye shoulde haue bene deade for euer but that onely he hym selfe that is true Mâ—…ssias receyued in fayeth to be the author and gyuer of lyfe and health But because Christ calleth hym selfe the breade of lyfe he sheweth the manoure also howe he is made breade that is our lyfe and health and sayeth The breade whyche I wyll gyue you is my flesh whych I wyl gyue for the lyfe of the worlde Hytherto I haue made mencion of my breade and haue promised lyfe vnto him that eateth of this bread Wherefore because you should not care and looke for of me for suche breade as Moyses hath geuen vnto you in deserte or suche as you hadde a litell before when wyth that and two fyshes I fedde more than fyue thousande men Go to I wyll declare vnto you playnelye what I vnderstande by bread For the breade whych I speake of now is my fleshe whyche I wyl gyue to get lyfe vnto the worlde I came in to thys worlde I toke man vpon me and I toke also all the infyrmi ties of man not to synne as manne dyd but y â— thorowe my passion and death I woulde put awaye the synnes of men and reconcile men wyth God the father that they might get not onelye pardon of theyr synnes but also lyfe euerlastyng Therfore my passion whyche I shall take in fleshe or after my humanitye is the deliueraunce of the worlde and my death whyche I shall suffer is the lyfe of the worlde that as manye as beleue in me maye be saued and lyue
shame if beynge the sonne of God he do these thynges that be vnmete for the sonne of god to do But what nede manye wordes Se what God hath forbyd by hys worde To vse dyspighte towarde God to iudge God a lyer to hate thy â–ª neyghboure to enuye thy neyghbour to studye to begyle to be aglotten and many other such thynges Those thynges in dede be vnmete for the Sonnes of god and he that folowethe these thynges leadeth not hys lyfe as the Sonne of GOD or GOD but as the sonne of the dyuyll or the dyuyll hym selfe For these be the workes of the diuel whiche he that doeth he must nedes â—…e of the dyuel his father Whâ—…â—…ore the worckes of the dyuell must be eschewed and the workes of god muste be folowed that the maiestye wyche we haue gotten in Chryste thorowe fayeth the same also we maye kepe stil finallye y t Christe ad deth This is the bread which descended froÌ„ heauen not as pour fathers haue eaten Man na and be dead He that shall eate this breade shall spue for euer is the conclusyon of thys sermon In the whichâ—… conclusyon Christe repeteth the principal state of his sermon almost eueÌ„ with the same wordes wyth the whyche he set it out before For seing Christ is the verye meate and drynke and is not onelye the sonne of manne but also of God whyche lyueth for hys father and is lyfe it selfe it is manyfest that thys breade is farre more excellente then Manna in deserte the whyche althoughe thâ—… fathers dyd eate yet died they but thys Iesus Christe is suche bread that he that eateth of it or in hym beleueth neuer shoulde dye but lyue for euer These thynges seynge they be largelye ynoughe declared before it is but in vayne to speake lenger of them wherefore let vs regarde nothynge more then in thys moost myserable honger of goodnes of oure lyfe we receyue thorowe fayth this bread whyche is Iesus oure lyfe gyuer GOD euen wyth the father and the holy goost blessed for euer Amen ☞ ☞ The tenthe Homilye THe Sermon that christ hath made of the eatynge of his flesh drincking of his blod as muche as per tayneth to oure purpose I thyncke we haue made playne by oure interpretacion For the principal state or poynte of this sermon is that not Moses but Iesus Christe is oure true sauioure and that he that beleueth in Iesus Christe for that is to eate his fleshe and dryncke hys bloude doeth get true and euerlastyng lyfe Thys is the summe of all Christes Gospell which seing it is ofteÌ„ times vereli much repeted in other places of this Euangelist whoÌ„ we haue takeÌ„ vpoÌ„ vs to expound we wyl not tary any lenger in thys part but we wyl run ouer those thynges whyche Iohn discribed after the Sermon saying These thynges Iesus sâ—…yde in the 〈◊〉 â–ª teachyng in â—…apernaum The Euangelist not only described the sermon of Christe but he addeth also the place in the which this sermon was made that is in Capernaum the chiefeste citye of Galilea and in the sinagoge that is in the most frequeÌ„ted place of the city By whych dyscripcion the Euangeliste not onely signifieth thys sermon to be spokeÌ„ in dede but setteth forth al so the veritie of Christes doctryne For those thynges y â— Christ taught he did not wyth a fewe onelye in secrete places whyche heretikes and sedicious persons are wonte to do which when they perceyue them selues that their teachyng is false they hate the lyghte but he taught those thynges openlie in the scholes and in the temple Let vs se then howe the hearers of Christe toke this sermon And in thys place is set forthe a great dyfference of hearers they are deuided into two partes For some and they very fewe that is to â—…ete twelue onely take the sermon wyth a contented mynde and tarye stil in hearynge his doctryne as it foloweth a litle after But other and those the greatest parte of hys chiefe hearers abhorre his sermon and fall from Christe Manye sayeth the Euangelist of his dysciples when they hadde hearde these thynges sayde Thys is an harde sayinge who is able to heare hym The thinges that they were offended wythall that were rehearsed before by them selfe nowe are rehersed together For there be two thynges wherewyth the hearers were offended in this sermon The one is that Iesus had sayed that he was come downe from heauen wherby he sygnified that he was the sonne of god and verye god hym selfe In other is that he had sayde hys â—…eshe shoulde be eaten and hys bloud dronken Those thinges ther fore at whyche seuerallye the hearers hadde murmured before wyth theym selfes nowe they repete togither and saye These be hard words he bosteth him self to become doune froÌ„ heaueÌ„ that is that he is god but we se knowe him to be a maÌ„ of meÌ„ what shulde then become of vs if we shulde folowe him teachynge so blasphemous thynges Uerelye we shulde brynge our selues into parel and ieopardye not only of oure corporall lyfe but also of euerlastinge healthe For there is a lawe If ther ryse amonge you a prophet and do shewe before of a signe or woÌ„derous token and it come to passe that he hath spoken and he say vnto the let vs go and folow straunge goddes whyche thou knowest not and let vs serue them thou shalt not heare the wordes of that Prophet but let the Prophet be kylled Seyng ther fore that thys Iesus hath shewed in dede manye and great miracles and thrusteth forth hym selfe to vs for a God whyche knowledge not but one god the maker of heauen earth go to nowe frindes let vs â—…tie farre from thys teacher that not on lye we heare not so blasphemous thynges but also that we be not kil led of our nacioÌ„ euen together with hym Thys also is harde that he re quyreth of vs the eatynge of hys fleshe and drynckyng of his bloud What Goeth he aboute our lawes beynge abrogated to ordayne the maners of the Scithians or of the Indians in oure common wealth They say there be people not farre from Schithia whyche of eatynge mans flesh be called Anthropophagi that is deuourers of men And in Inde they saye there is a nacion in the whych it is a coÌ„mon vsed thing that the children shoulde kyll theyr fathers and slâ—…a them as it were for sacrifice and after wardes eate their fleshe which is counted among the not crueltye but godlines Seynge therefore that Iesus doeth byd vs eate his fleshe wyll he make vs of the Iewes Indians and Scitâ—…iaÌ„s of the Israelites And that he reher seth of the drynckyng of his bloude is nolesse to be abhorred than very perillous For say they as far as we can iudge he signifieth by this drin kyng y â— he requireth of vs a couenauÌ„t of coÌ„iuracion for in diuers na cions ther be diuers facions of makynge a couenaunte Among the Arabians one is set
in the myddes amongest theym that wyll make the leage whych fyrst doeth cut wyth a sharpe stone the palme of the hande that is nexte the thombe than takyng a shred of either of theyr garmentes he anoyntethe wythe the bloude stones that be set in the middes before theym By the which custome you maye se that couenauntes and bondes wer not made suar wythout the bloude of those y ◠were confederate or ioyned together In some other countreis it was a common maner in makynge couenauntes not onely to shede bloud but also to dryncke it For they that came into y t felowship together be wonte to bynde theyr ryghte handes and their thombs together wyth a knot and thā to let out wyth a litle stroke and to licke the bloud that was ga thered at the later ende of the rybbes That bonde was counted a secreate and very sure bonde because it was consecrated and halowed wyth eche others bloude The Romayne hystorye doeth testifye in the sedicion of Cateline howe y t it was vsed that Cateline the begynner of the sedicion bare aboute in greate boles the bloud of mās body ming led with wine dyd to dryncke of it al that knewe of y ◠conspiracye that by thys dryncke the othe made amongeste theym shoulde be confyrmed and to be more fayethfull amonge them selues You haue now that the drynckynge of mans bloud was vsed in makyng bondes or couenauntes and in doynge treason Wherefore when the Capernaites hearde Iesus preache of the drynckynge of hys bloude I doute not but they thoughte vpon suche a custome and thoughte that Iesus required of theim such a bond whereby they shoulde so bynde theim selues wyth hym that onely thei shuld healpe him to get a worldely dominion thorowe out al the worlde not onely by venturyng all their goods but theyr liues also And althoughe the Iewes were verye desirous and soughte principallye for thys thynge in theyr Messias that they shoulde beare rule in thys worlde yet because they thoughte that Iesus dyd thys thynge not that they liuynge in rest and wythout the arrowe shot he woulde get worldlye felicitye they abhorred hys sermon and toke councell to go awaye What Say they we thought that seyng he prophesied hym selfe to be Messias he woulde haue made vs happye in thys worlde wyth out all oure losse or hurte But nowe bycause we perceyue that he goeth aboute a conspiracye to make vs sworne to hym by drynckynge hys bloude and that he wyll cause vnto vs most extreme ieoperdi who cā be hys scholar or folowe hym For he sayeth He that eateth my flesh and dryncketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in hym What other thynge is thys than if he sayde that we oughte so to bynde oure selfe wyth hym that we shoulde sticke vnto hym and neuer go awaye but folowe hym whyther soeuer be it thorowe sworde or fyarre he shall leade vs whither it be to the besigeynge of the citye of Hierusalem or the citye of Rome Let vs fly therefore and let vs leaue hym and hys bloud to least euen wyth hym as it hath chaūsed to other sedicious persons we lese also oure owne bloude and oure lyfe You se here a greate prudēce in dede of the Capernaites but a naughtie and carnal wit For prudence is not to be partaker of an other mans wyckednes and not to make anye bonde wyth sedicious personnes but it is wyckednes that whom they did knowe to haue the wytnes of Iohn Baptiste a verye holy man and whome they sawe to haue the authoritye of hys doctryne confyrmed wyth so manye miracles they dyd not giue so great credence vnto hym to beleue that hys Sermon was true althoughe they vnderstode it not and woulde not vouchesafe to gyue hym so muche honoure to axe reuerentelye of the meanynge of thys Sermon Wherefore they are worthye not onelye of a verye greate rebuke but also of a sore punyshemente And yet Christe accordynge to hys Gentilnes handleth theym Gentilye For Iesus knowynge wyth hym selfe that hys Dysciples murmured for thys thynge ◅e sayde vnto theym Doeth thys offend you If then you se the sonne of manne ascendyng vp thither where he was before we must vnderstand you shal perceyue in dede y ◠I haue sayd trueth In this pla◅e fyrst is signified that the secretes of menne be knowen to Christe oure Lorde For althoughe hys hea◅ers dyd not obiecte vnto hym manifestlye the absurditye of hys sermon but priuilye murmured wythin theym selues yet he seeth and hereth their thoughtes and theyr murmurynges We are warned therefore that before the maiestye of Chryst wherwith nowe heauen and earth is filled not onely we do nothynge but not once thyncke anye thynge fylthilye and synfullye Also Christe sygnifieth that he wyl proue in dede hys sermon to be true He sayde that he was come downe from heauen Why sayeth he doeth that offend you so greatelye that you wyll fal from me But be contente That that I haue spoken in wordes I wyl proue in dede For there is no man that ascendeth into heauen but he that dyscended from heauen as it is sayed before But I wyll ascende into heauen Wherefore if you shall se me ascendynge into heauen than you shall proue in dede that I dyscended from heauen But that we may ryghtelye vnderstande that that is sayed of commynge downe from heauen and goynge vp to heauen we muste marcke that in thys sermon to come downe from heauen is t◅◅aue of hys owne nature an hea◅enlye and diuyne begynnynge that is to be verye God For except thys were the meanynge of the com mynge downe from heauen howe shoulde the Iewes haue bene offended They woulde not haue bene offended if they hadde vnderstande that Iesus hadde so come downe from heauen that he hadde an heauenly vocacion as was the vocacion of Moyses or Elias or of the other Prophetes And whan by thys speach they were so greatelye offended yea they fel awaye from Iesu there is no doubte but that they vn derstode Iesus by these wordes to attribute vnto him selfe a diuinitie whyche thynge whan they iudged to be vngodly blasphemous they thoughte nothynge to be more for theyr saftye than to forsake Christe euen wyth his doctrine And to ascend into heauen in thys place is not to be vnderstande of suche a go yng vp as Elias went into heauen nor of that ascencion only of Christ whyche was made in the mount O liuete the. xl daye after his resurreccion but thys assencion of the whyche we speake now comprehendeth al thinges wherewyth Christe dyd proue hys diuynitye that is that he rose the thirde daye from the deade that he ascended the xl daye after hys resureccion into heauen that he sente the holye spirite that he shewed in hys name manye and greate miracles by hys Apostles y ◠he hath spread by the ministrye of hys Apostles hys Gospell into the whole worlde and hath defended it in the myddes of the pe◅sequutors aswell
that all maye be one as thou O father art in me and I in the. Paule also sayeth I thorowelye beleue that neyther death nor life neyther Aungeles nor rulers neyther powers neyther thynges that be nowe nor thynges that be to come neither heith nor deapth neither any other creatur shal be hable to seperate vs frō y ◠loue w t whyche god loueth vs thorow christ our Lord. Heare also thys saying of the Prophet Mountaines shalbe moued and hylles shal tremble but my mercy shal not depart from the and my leage of peace shall not be moued sayth the merciful Lord. Wherfore thou muste be verye suer that god whych hath gyuen the his sōne and whome thou haste receyued nowe by fayeth wyll prouyde also that thou kepe styll hys sonne yea in the myddes of death also or rather to speake more ryghtelye thou shouldeste be kepte of hym and saued Furthermore the holye gooste hathe opened in the Scripture the doctryne of free eleccion of GOD for thys purpose that good menne shoulde not be offended eyther with the smalle number or vylenes but shoulde truste and that the euyll menne shoulde not be prowde of theyr multitude power wysdome and maiestye whyche they haue in thys worlde but feare For if ye compare together the congregacion of the good and the badde in thys worlde ye shal alwayes fynde the badde hygher in degree more in number in more dignitye honour and greatenes and in all other thynges In the begynnynge of the worlde the congregacion of Cayne semed to be beste and that onelye shoulde possesse the worlde And the churche of good Patriarckes as it was smalle in number so was it counted verye litell worthe Abraham when he was called out of hys coūtrye had no great authoritye amōg the Gentiles and yet he wyth Melchisedech and fewe other was the verye true churche of GOD. Other nacions were bygger in nūber power and wysdome and yet were rected of God In Egypte the Israelites were the churche of god whyche althoughe they were encrea sed in nūber yet were thei oppressed w t bondage the Egipcians in the meane seasō which were the church of the wycked bare greate rule and were in very ▪ great maiestye of thys worlde What shall I say of the examples of those times that folowed after In the same people whyche were called by the name of god one was the verye churche of god an other fained Whan Ahab was king of Israell the churche of god semed to be the kyng the quene the courtiers the priestes and all Israell but a fewe other that is to wit Elias Abdias and some that were hyd in the caues by Abdias were thought to be abiected from god But they were the true church and that other the fayned What tyme Christe was borne the byshoppes the scribes the Pharises were iudged the churche of god and as many as fauoured the authoritie and doctrine but zacharias Elizabeth Marye Iosephe Simeon and a fewe other as in comparison of the mulitude and maiestye of the other they were counted nothynge so were they not taken nother for the true churche But the iudgemente of god is one and the iudgement of men another And afterwardes Iohn Baptiste Christe the Apostles and certayne other were the verye church of god when for all that Annas Caphas the byshopes the priestes the scribes y ◠Pharises al the other companye of the Iewes helde the hieste place and dygnitye in the churche in comparison of whome they were counted vyle and abiecte These thynges verilye are wonte much to offende good men They se they are but a fewe dyspised to haue no shewe of the churche of god that their aduersaries are manye great mightye wise and not onelye beare the title and name of the church but also haue the ▪ chiefe place in it God therefore shewed the doctrine of his fre elecciō cōforted the good mē and byddeth thē haue a good hope saying y t euerlastyng saluacion stādeth not by mans authoritie multi tude power or wysdom but only by y ◠fre elecciō of god And seyng god hath chosen thē out which thyng is manifest by thys y t the know Iesus Christ the sonne of God beleue in hym they ought not to be fered by y ◠hie dignitie of their enemies fal away frō true godlines but stād so much y ◠more strongly y ◠vilar they be taken in y e eies of mē I thāke the sayth Christ O father lord of heauen earth that y u hast hidden these thinges frō witty wise men shewed thē to y e litle ons Uerely father this was thy good wil. And againe feare not litle flocke for it hath ple sed your father to giue you a kingdom And Paule sayeth you se your vocacion that not many wise mē after the fleshe not manye men of power not many of noble bloude but those that were folishe after y e world god hath chosē to make y e wise ashamed Wherfore y e more suar that it is that God doeth chose his church not after the merits of man or flesh ly maiestie but after the purpose of hys owne mynd so muche the greater owghte they truste of good men to be y t whan they knowe Christ in whō god hath opened y t they be the elect members of the churche it is no doute but they shall be saued for euer yea althoughe the whole worlde woulde saye contrarye and threaten the contrarie But we haue nowe spoken inoughe of thys matter we wyll tourne agayne to oure purpose All that haue harde sayeth he and learned of my father commeth vnto me And it is sayde more not that any man hath seen the father but he that is of God he hath seen the father What shall we say then If none other hathe seen god the father but he whych is of God that is but Iesus Christe the onelye sonne of god whyche is in the bosome of hys father what remaynethe but that none other also hath harde god and learned any thynge of hym and can not obtayne saluacion What shall we thyncke than of Moses and other Prophetes of the whyche the scripture wytnesseth that they haue seen God and learned manye thynges of hym But greate dyfference is betwixte the seynges of the Prophetes and Christes seynges For y ◠Prophetes are sayed to haue seen God in dede but they haue not seen hys substaunce and beynge but onlye certayne sygnes of hys presence But Christe seeth the beynge of God yea and is one God in dede wyth hys father Moreouer the Prophetes haue heard the voyce of God not the naturall but that that was taken for a tyme by whych the wyll of God shoulde be declared But Christe is the verye naturall voyce of GOD and hys eternall worde Finallye the prophetes and other good men haue gotten saluacion in dede but not by theyr owne merite but by an others benefite but