he had with his Apostles the night before his death at which time as Mathew sayth When they were eating Iesus tooke bread and when he had geuen thankes he brake it and gaue it to his disciples and sayd Take eate this is my body And he tooke the cup and when hee had geuen thankes he gaue it to them saying Drinke ye all of this for this is my bloud of the new testament that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes But I say vnto you I will not drinke hence forth of this fruite of the vine vntill that day whē I shall drinke it new with you in my fathers kingdome This thing is rehearsed also of S. Marke in these wordes As they did eate Iesus tooke bread and when he had blessed he brake it and gaue it to them and sayd Take eate this is my body and taking the cup when he had geuen thankes he gaue it to them and they all dranke of it and he sayd to them This is my bloud of the new testament which is shed for many verely I say vnto you I will drinke no more of the fruit of the vine vntill that daye that I drinke it new in the kingdome of God The Euangelist S. Luke vttereth this matter on this wise When the houre was come he sate down and the twelue Apostles with hym And he said vnto them I haue greatly desired to eate this Pascha with you before I suffer For I say vnto you hēceforth I will not eat of it any more vntil it be fulfilled in the kingdome of God And he toke the cuppe and gaue thankes and sayd Take this and deuide it among you For I say vnto you I will not drinke of the fruit of the vine vntill the kingdome of God come And he toke bread and when hee had geuen thankes he brake it and gaue it vnto them saying This is my body which is geeuen for you This doe in remembrance of me Likewise also when he had supped he toke the cup saying This cup is the new testament in my bloud which is shedde for you Hitherto you haue herd all that the euangelistes declare that Christ spake or did at his last supper concerning thinstitutiō of the communion and sacramēt of his body and bloud Now you shall here what S. Paul sayth concerning the same in the tenth chapter of the first to the Corinthians where he writeth thus Is not the cuppe of blessing which we blesse a communion of the bloud of Christ Is not the bread which we breake a communion of the body of Christ We being many are one bread one body For we al are partakers of one bread and one cuppe And in the eleuenth he speaketh on this manner That which I deliuered vnto you I receaued of the Lord. For the Lord Iesus the same night in the which he was betrayed toke bread and when he had geuen thankes he brake it and sayd Take eate this is my body which is broaken for you doe this in remembrance of me Likewise also he tooke the cuppe when Supper was done saying This cup is the new testament in my bloud Doe this as often as ye drinke it in remembrance of me for as oft as you shal eate this bread and drinke this cup you shew forth the Lords death til he come Wherfore who soeuer shall eat of this bread or drinke of this cuppe vnworthely shal be gilty of the body bloud of the Lord. But let a man examine him selfe and so eat of the bread and drinke of the cuppe For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh his own damnation because he maketh no difference of the Lordes body For this cause many are weake and sicke among you many doe sleepe By these wordes of Christ rehearsed of the Euangelistes and by the doctrine also of Saint Paule which he confesseth that he receaued of Christ two thinges specially are to be noted First that our Sauiour Christ called the materiall bread which he brake his body the wine which was the fruit of the vine his bloud And yet he spake not this to the intent that men should thinke that the material bread is his very body or that his very body is materiall bread Neither that wine made of grapes is his very bloud or that his very bloud is wine made of grapes But to signifie vnto vs as S. Paul sayth that the cuppe is a communion of Christes bloud that was shed for vs and the bread is a communion of his flesh that was crucified for vs. So that although in the truth of his humain nature Christ be in heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father yet whosoeuer eateth of the bread in the Supper of the Lord according to Christes institution and ordinaunce is assured of Christes own promise and testament that he is a member of his body and receaueth the benefites of his passion which he suffered for vs vpon the crosse And likewise he that drinketh of that holy cuppe in the Supper of the Lord according to Christes institution is certified by Christes legacy and testament that he is made partaker of the bloud of Christ which was shed for vs. And this ment S. Paule when he sayth is not the cup of blessing which we blesse a communion of the bloud of Christ Is not the can bread which we breake a cōmunion of the body of Christ so that no man contēne or lightly esteeme this holy cōmuniō except he contēne also Christs body and bloud and passe not whether he haue any felowship with him or no. And of those men S. Paule saith that they eate and drink their own damnation because they esteme not the body of Christ. The second thing which may be learned of the forsaid wordes of Christe and S. Paule is this that although none eateth the body of Christ and drinketh hys bloud but they haue eternall life as apereth by the wordes before recited of S. Iohn yet both the good and the bad doe eate and drynke the bread and wine which be the Sacramentes of the same But beside the Sacramentes the good eate euerlasting life the euill euerlasting death Therfore S. Paule sayth Who soeuer shall eate of the bread or drinke of the cup of the Lord vnworthely he shal be gilty of the body and bloud of the Lord. Here S. paul saith not that he that eateth the bread or drinketh the cup of the Lord vn worthely eateth drinketh the body bloud of the Lord but is gilty of the body bloud of the Lord. But what he eateth drynketh S. Paul declareth saying he that eateth drinketh vnworthely eateth drinketh his own dānatiō thus is declared the sum of al that scripture speketh of the eating drinking both of the body bloud of Christ also of the sacramēt of the same And as these thinges be most certaynly true
condemnatiō only And the learned mē in Christes church say that the ignoraunce and want of obseruation of these thrée maner of eatinges causeth the errour in the vnderstanding of the scriptures and such fathers sayinges as haue written of the sacrament And when the Church speaketh of these thrée maner of eatinges what an impudency is it to say that the church teacheth good men only to eat the body of Christ and drink his bloud when they receaue the Sacrament being the truth otherwise yet a diuersity ther is of eatyng spiritually only eating spiritually and sacramētally because in that supper they receue his very flesh bloud in deed with the effects of al graces gifts to such as receue it spiritually worthely wher as out of the supper when we eat only spiritually by fayth God that worketh without his sacramentes as semeth to him doth releaue those that beleue and trust in him and suffereth them not to be destitute of that is necessary for them whereof we may not presume contemning the sacrament but ordenaryly seke God where he hath ordred himself to be sought and there to assure our selfe of his couenaunts and promyses which be most certaynly annexed to his sacramentes whereunto we ought to geue most certayne trust and confidence wherfore to teach the spirituall manducation to be equall with the spirituall manducation and sacramentall also that is to diminish the effect of the institutiō of the Sacrament which no Christen man ought to doe Caunterbury WHo is so ignoraunt that hath red any thing at all but he knoweth that distinction of thre eatinges But no man that is of learning and iudgement vnderstandeth the 3. diuerse eatings in such sort as you doe but after this manner That some eat only the sacrament of Christs body but not the very body it selfe some eat his body and not the Sacrament and some eat the Sacrament and body both togither The Sacramēt that is to say the bread is corporally eaten and chawed with the teth in the mouth The very body is eaten and chawed with faith in the spirite Ungodly men whē they receaue the Sacramēt they chaw in their mouthes like vnto Iudas the Sacramētal bread but they eat not the celestial bread which is Christ. Faithful Christian people such as be Christs true disciples continually frō tyme to tyme record in theyr myndes the beneficiall death of our Sauiour Christ chawing it by fayth in the cud of their spirit and digesting it in their harts feding and comforting themselues with that heauēly meat although they dayly receaue not the Sacrament thereof and so they eat Christs body spiritually although not the sacrament thereof But when such men for their more comfort and confirmation of eternall lyfe geuen vnto them by Christes death come vnto the Lords holy Table then as before ehey fed spiritually vpon Christ so now they feed corporally also vpon the sacramental bread By which sacramētal feeding in Christes promises their former spirituall feding is increased and they grow and wax continually more strōg in Christ vntill at the last they shall come to the full measure and perfection in Christ. This is the teaching of the true Catholick Church as it is taught by Gods word And therefore S. Paule speaking of them that vnworthely eat sayth that they eat the bread but not that they eat the body of Christ but their own damnation And where you set out with your accustomed rethorical colours a great impudencie in me that would report of the Papistes that good men eat the body of Christ and drink his bloud only when they receaue the Sacramēt seyng that I know that the Papistes make a distinction of 3. maner of eatinges of Christes body whereof one is without the sacrament I am not ignoraunt in deed that the Papists graunt a spiritual eating of Christs body without the sacrament but I mean of such an eating of his body as his presēce is in the Sacrament and as you say he is there eatē that is to say corporally Therefore to expresse my mind more plainely to you that list not vnderstand let this be the comparison They say that after such a sort as Christ is in the sacramēt and there eaten so good men eat his body and bloud only when they receaue the sacrament so doe they eat drink and feed vpon him continually so long as they be members of his body Now the Papists say that Christ is corporally present in the sacrament and is so eaten only when men receaue the sacrament But we say that the presence of Christ in his holy supper is a spirituall presence and as he is spiritually present so is he spiritually eaten of all faythfull christian men not only when they receaue the sacrament but continually so long as they be members spirituall of Christes misticall body And yet this is really also as you haue expounded the word that is to say in deed and effectually And as the holy ghost doth not only come to vs in Baptisme and Christ doth there eloth vs but they doe the same to vs continually so long as we dwell in Christ so likewise doth Christ feed vs so lōg as we dwell in him and he in vs and not only when we receaue the sacrament So that as touching Christ himself the presence is all one the clothing all one the feeding al one although the one for the more comfort and consolation haue the sacramēt added to it and the other be without the sacrament The rest that is here spoken is contentious wrangling to no purpose But now commeth in Smith with his 5. egs saying that I haue made hete 5. lyes in these comparisons The first lie is saith he that the Papists doe say that good men do eat and drink Christs body and bloud only when they receaue the sacrament which thing Smyth saith the Papists do not say but that they then onely do eat Christs body and drinke his bloud corporally which sufficeth for my purpose For I mean no other thing but that the Papistes teach such a corporall eating of Christes body as indureth not but vanisheth away and ceaseth at the furthest within few houres after the Sacramēt is receaued But for as much as Smith agreeth here with you the answere made before to you wil serue for him also And yet Smith here shall serue me in good stede against you who haue imputed vnto me so many impudent lyes made against the Papistes in the comparisons before rehearsed and Smith saith that this is the first lye which is in the 8. comparison And so shal Smith being mine aduersary and your frend be such a witnes for me as you cannot except against to prooue that those thinges which before you said were impudent lies be no lies at all For this is the first lye saith Smith and then my sayinges before must be all true and not impudent lies Now to the ninth
And yet it is not to be denied but that Christ is truely eaten as he was truly born but the one corporally and without figure and the other spiritually and with a figure Now followeth my 11 comparison They say that the body of Christ is euery day many tymes made as often as there be Masses sayd and that then and there he is made of bread and wine We say that Christes body was neuer but once made and then not of the nature substance of bread and wine but of the substance of his blessed mother Winchester The body of Christ is by Gods omnipotency who so worketh in his word made present vnto vs at such tyme as the church praye it may please him so to doe which prayer is ordred to be made in the booke of common prayer now set foorth Wherin we require of God the creatures of bread and wine to be sanctified and to be to vs the body and bloud of Christ which they can not be vnlesse God worketh it and make them so to be In which mistery it was neuer taught as this author willingly misreporteth that Christes most precious body is made of the matter of bread but in that order exhibited and made preset vnto vs by conuersion of the substaunce of bread into his precious body not a new body made of a new matter of bread and wine but a new presence of the body that is neuer old made present there where the substāce of bread and wine was before So as this comparison of difference is meere wrangling and so euident as it needeth no further aunswere but a note Lo how they be not ashamed to trifle in so great a matter and without cause by wrong termes to bring the truth in sclander if it were possible May not this be accompted as a part of Gods punishmēt for men of knowledge to write to the people such matter seriously as were not tolerable to be by a scoffer deuised in a play to supply when his fellow had forgotten his part Caunterbury Christ is present when so euer the church praieth vnto him and is gathered togither in his name And the bread and wine be made vnto vs the body and bloud of Christ as it is in the book of common praier but not by chaunging the substaunce of bread and wine into the substance of Christes naturall body and bloud but that in the godly vsing of thē they be vnto the receauers Christes body and bloud As of some the Scripture saith that their riches is their redemption and to some it is their damnatiō And as Gods word to some is life to some it is death and a snare as the prophet saith And Christ himself to some is a stone to stumble at to some is a raysing frō death not by conuersion of substances but by good or euill vse that thing which to the godly is saluation to the vngodly is damnation So is the water in baptism and the bread and wine in the Lords supper to the worthy receauers Christ himselfe and eternall life and to the vnworthy receauers euerlasting death and damnation not by conuersion of one substance into an other but by godly or vngodly vse thereof And therfore in the book of the holy communion we do not pray absolutely that the bread and wine may be made the body and bloud of Christ but that vnto vs in that holy mistery they may be so that is to say that we may so worthely receaue the same that we may be partakers of Christes body and bloud and that therwith in spirit and in truth we may be spiritually nourished And a like praier of old time were all the people wont to make at the communion of all such offerings as at that time all the people vsed to offer praying that their offerings might be vnto them the body and bloud of Christ. And where you say it was neuer taught as I say that Christs body is made of the matter of bread you knowingly and willingly misreport me For I say not of the matter of bread but of bread which when you deny that the Papists so say it semeth you be now ashamed of the doctrin which the Papistes haue taught thys 4. or 5. hundred yeres For is it not playnely written of all the Papists both lawyers and scholl authors that the body of Christ in the sacramēt is made of bread and his bloud of wine And they say not that his body is made present of bread wine but is made of bread and wine Be not their books in print ready to be shewed Do they not say that the substance of the bread neither remaineth still nor is turned into nothing but into the body of Christ And do not your selfe also say here in this place that the substance of bread is conuerted into Christes precious body And what is that els but the body of Christ to be made of bread and to be made of a new matter For if the bread doe not vanish away into nothing but be turned into Christes body then is Christs body made of it and then it must needes follow that Christes body is made of new and of an orher substance then it was made of in his mothers wombe For there it was made of her flesh and bloud and here it is made of bread and wine And the Papistes say not as you now would shift of the matter that Christes body is made present of bread but they say plainly without addition that it is made of bread Can you deny that this is the plain doctrine of the Papists Ex pane fit Corpus Christi of bread is made the body of Christ and that the substance of bread is turned into the substance therof◠And what reason sentence or english could be in this saying Christes body is made present of bread Marye to be present in bread might be some sentence but the speeche will you in no wise admitte And this your saying here if the reader mark it wel turneth ouer quite and cleane all the wholl Papisticall doctrine in this matter of the Sacrament as well touching transubstantiation as also the carnall presence For their doctrine with one whol consent and agreement is this That the substance of bread remaineth not but is turned into the substance of Christes body and so the body of Christ is made of it But this is false say you and not tollerable to be by a scoffer deuised in a place to supply when his fellow had forgotten his part And so the wholl doctrine of the papists which they haue taught these 4. or 5. hundreth yeares doe you condemne with condigne reproches as a teaching intollerable not to be deuised by a scoffer in a play Why doe you then take vpon you to defend the Papistical doctrine if it be so intollerable Why doe you not forsake those scoffers and players which haue iugled with the world so long and embrace the
doubt not but the priest would haue absteined from ministration vnto more opportunitie and more accesse of Christian people as he would haue done likewise in saying of mattens and preaching Wherfore in your case I might well answer you as S. Hierom answered the argument made in the name of the heretike Iouinian which myght be brought agaynst the commendation of virginitie What if all men would liue virgines and no man marry How should then the world be mayntayned What if heauen fall sayd S. Hierom What if no man will come to the church is your argument for all that came in those dayes receaued the communion What if heauen fall say I For I haue not so euill opinion of the holy church in those dayes to think that any such thing could chaunce among them that no one would come when all ought to haue come Now when you come to your issue you make your case to straight for me to ioyne an issue with you bynding me to the bare and onely wordes of Clement and refusing vtterly his mynd But take the wordes and the mynd together and I dare aduenture an Issue to passe by any indiferent readers that I haue proued all my three notes And where you say that vpon occasion of this epistle I speake more reuerently of the sacrament then I do in other places if you were not giuen all together to calumniate and depraue my words you should perceaue in all my booke thorough euen from the beginning to the end therof a constant and perpetuall reuerence giuen vnto the sacramentes of Christ such as of dutie all Christian men ought to giue Neuerthelesse you interpret this word Wherin farre from my meaning For I meane not that Christ is spiritually eyther in the table or in the bread and wine that be sette vpon the table but I meane that he is present in the ministration and receauing of that holy supper according to his owne institution and ordinaunce Like as in baptisme Christ and the holy ghost be not in the water or fonte but be giuen in the ministration or to them thāt be duly baptised in the water And although the sacramental tokens be onely significations and figures yet doth almighty God effectually work in them that duely receaue his sacramentes those deuine and celestiall operations which he hath promised and by the sacramentes be signified For else they were vayne and vnfrutfull Sacramentes as well to the godly as to the vngodly And therfore I neuer sayd of the whole supper that it is but a significatiō or a bare memory of Christes death but I teach that it is a spirituall refreshing wherein our soules be fedde and nourished with Christes very flesh and bloud to eternall life And therfore bring you forth some place in my booke where I say that the Lordes suppper is but a bare signification without any effect or operation of God in the same or else eate your wordes agayne and knowledge that you vntruly report me But heare what followeth further in my book Here I passe ouer Ignatius and Ireneus which make nothing for the papists opinions but stand in the commendation of the holy Communion and in exhortation of all men to the often and godly receauing therof And yet neither they nor no man else can extoll and commend the same sufficiently according to the dignitie therof if it be godly vsed as it ought to be Winchester This author sayth he passeth ouer Ignatius and Ireneus and why Bicause they make nothing he sayth for the Papistes purpose With the word papist the author playth at his pleasure But it shal be euident that Irene doth playnly confound this authors purpose in the deniall of the true presence of Christes very flesh in the sacramēt who although he vse not the wordes reall and substanciall yet he doth effectually comprehend in his speach of the sacrameut the vertue aud strength of those wordes And for the truth of the sacrament is Ireneus specially alleaged in so much as Melanghton when he writeth to Decolampadius that he will alleage none but such as speake playnly he alleageth Ireneus for one as apeareth by his sayd Epistle to Decolampadius And Decolampadius himselfe is not troubled so much with answering any other to shape any manner of euasion as to answer Ireneus in whome he notably stumbleth And Peter Martyr in his work graunteth Irene to be specially alledged to whome when he goeth about to answer a man may euidently see how he masketh him selfe And this author bringeth in Clementes epistle of which no great count is made although it be not contemned and passeth ouer Ireneus that speaketh euidently in the matter and was as old as Clement or not much yonger And bicause Ignatius was of that age and is alleadged by Theodorete to haue written in his epistle ad Smirnenses whereof may apeare his fayth of the mistery of the sacrament it shall serue to good purpose to write in the wordes of the same Ignatius here vpon the credite of the sayd Theodoret whome this author so much commendeth the wordes of Ignatius be these Eucharistias oblationes non admittunt quod non confiteantur Eucharistiam esse carnem seruatoris nostri Iesu Christi quae pro peccatis nostris passa est quam pater sua benignitate suscitauit Which wordes be thus much in english they do not admitte Eucharistias and oblations bycause they do not confesse Eucharistiam to be the flesh of our sauiour Iesu Christ which flesh suffered for our sinnes which flesh the father by his benignitie hath stirred vp These be Ignatius wordes which I haue not throughly englished bicause the word Eucharistia can not be well englished being a word of mistery and signifieng as Ireneus openeth both the partes of the sacrament heauenly and earthly visible and inuisible But in that Ignatius openeth his fayth thus he taketh Eucharistia to be the flesh of our sauiour Christ that suffered for vs he declareth the sence of Christes wordes This is my body not to be figuratiue onely but to expresse the truth of the very flesh there giuen and therfore Ignatius sayth Eucharistia is the flesh of our sauior Christ the same that suffered and the same that rose agayne Which wordes of Ignatius so pithely open the matter as they declare therwith the fayth also of Theodoret that doth alleage him so as if the author would make so absolute a worke as to peruse all the fathers sayinges he should not thus leape ouer Ignatius nor Irene neither as I haue before declared But this is a color of rethorik called Reiection of that is hard to answer and is here a prety shift or slaight wherby thou reader mayst consider how this matter is handled Caunterbury IT shall not nede to make any further answer to you here as cōcerning Ireneus but onely to note one thing that if any place of Ireneus had serued for your purpose you would
other visible sacrament of spirituall nourishment in bread and wine to the intent that as much as is possible for man we may see Christ with our eyes smell hym at our nose taste hym with our mouthes grope hym with our handes and perceiue hym with all our senses For as the word of God preached putteth Christ into our eares so likewise these elementes of water bread and wyne ioyned to Gods word do after a sacramentall maner put Christ into our eyes mouthes handes and all our senses And for this cause Christ ordeyned baptisme in water that as surely as we se feele and touch water with our bodyes and be washed with water so assuredly ought we to beleue when we be baptised that Christ is veryly present with vs and that by him we be newly borne agayne spiritually and wafhed from our sinnes and grafted in the stocke of Christes owne body and be apparailed clothed and harnessed with hym in such wise that as the deuill hath no power agaynst Chryst so hath he none agaynst vs so long as we remayne grafted in that stocke and be clothed with that apparell and harnessed with that armour So that the washing in water of baptisme is as it were shewing of Christ before our eyes and a sensible touching feelyng and gropyng of hym to the confirmation of the inwarde fayth which we haue in hym And in like maner Christ ordeined the sacrament of hys bodye and bloud in bread and wine to preach vnto vs that as our bodyes be fed nourished and preserued with meate and drynke so as touching our spirituall life towardes God we be fed nourished and preserued by the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ and also that he is such a preseruation vnto vs that neither the deuils of hell nor eternall death nor sinne can be able to preuayle agaynst vs so long as by true and constant faith we be fed and nourished with that meate and drynk And for this cause Christ ordeined this sacrament in bread and wine whiche we eate and drynke and be chiefe nutrimentes of our body to thintent that as surely as we see the bread and wine with our eyes smell them with our noses touch them with our handes and taste them with our mouthes so assuredlye ought we to beleue that Christ is a spirituall lyfe and sustinaunce of our soules like as the sayd bread and wine is the foode and sustinance of our bodyes And no lesse ought we to doubt that our soules be fed and liue by Christ then that our bodies be fed and liue by meate and drinke Thus our sauiour Christ knowing vs to be in this world as it were but babes and weakelinges in fayth hath ordeyned sensible signes and tokens whereby to allure and drawe vs to more strength and more constant fayth in hym So that the eatyng and drynkyng of thys sacramentall bread and wine is as it were shewing of Christe before our eies a smellyng of hym with our noses felyng and gropyng of hym with our handes and an eatyng chawing digestyng and feedyng vpon hym to our spirituall strength and perfection Fiftely it is to be noted that although there be many kindes of meates and drinkes which feede the body yet our Sauiour Christ as many auncyent authors write ordayned this sacrament of our spiritual feding in bread and wine rather then in other meates and drynkes because that bread and wine doe most liuely represent vnto vs the spirituall vnion and knot of all faythful people as well vnto Christ as also amonges them selues For like as bread is made of a great number of grains of corne ground baken and so ioyned together that therof is made one lose And an infinite number of grapes be pressed togither in one vessell and thereof is made wine likewise the whole multitude of true christen people spiritually ioyned first to Christ and then among them selues togither in one fayth one baptisme one holy spirite one knot and bond of loue Sixtly it is to be noted that as the bread and wine whiche we doe eate be turned into our fleshe and bloud and be made our very fleshe and very bloud and so be ioyned and myxed with our fleshe and bloud that they be made one whole body togither euen so be all faythfull christians spiritually turned into the body of Christ and so be ioyned vnto Christe and also togither amonge them selues that they doe make but one misticall body of Christe as S. Paule sayth We be one bread and one body as many as be partakers of one bread and one cup. And as one lofe is giuen among many men so that euery one is partaker of the same lofe and likewise one cup of wine is distributed vnto many persons wherof euery one is partaker euen so our Sauiour Christ whose flesh and bloud be represented by the misticall bread and wine in the Lords Supper doth geue him selfe vnto al his true members spiritually to feede them nourish them and to geue them continuall life by him And as the branches of a tree or member of a body if they be dead or cut of they neither liue nor receaue any nourishment or sustinance of the body or tree so likewise vngodly and wicked people which be cut of from Christes misticall body or be dead members of the same doe not spiritually feede vpon Christes body and bloud nor haue any life strength or sustentation thereby Seuenthly it is to be noted that where as nothing in this life is more acceptable before God or more pleasant vnto man thē christen people to liue together quietly in loue and peace vnity and concord this Sacrament doth most aptly and effectuously moue vs thereunto For when we be made all partakers of this one table what ought we to thinke but that we be all members of one spirituall body wherof Christ is the head that we be ioyned together in one Christ as a great number of graynes of corne be ioyned together in one loafe Surely they haue very hard and stony hartes which with these thinges be not moued and more cruell and vnreasonable be they then bruit beastes that cannot be perswaded to be good to their christen brethren and neighboures for whom Christ suffered death when in this Sacrament they be put in remēbrāce that the Sonne of God bestowed his life for his enemies For we see by daily experience that eating and drinking together maketh frendes and continueth frendshippe much more then ought the table of Christ to moue vs so to doe Wilde beastes and birdes be made gentile by geuing them meate and drinke why then should not christen men waxe meeke and gentle with this heauenly meate of Christ Hereunto we be stirred and moued as well by the bread and wine in this holy Supper as by the wordes of holy Scripture recited in the same Wherefore whose hart soeuer this holy Sacrament Communion and Supper of Christ wil not kindle with loue vnto his
from place to place he spake of him selfe that thing which was to be vnderstand of the arke And Christ him selfe often tymes spake in similitudes parables and figures as whan he sayd The field is the world the enemy is the diuell the seed is the word of God Iohn is Helias I am a vyne and you be the branches I am bread of lyfe My father is an husband man and he hath his fan in his hand and will make cleane his flower and gather the wheate into his barne but the chaffe he will cast into euerlasting fyre I haue a meat to eat which you know not Woorke not meat that perisheth but that indureth vnto euerlasting life I am a good shepherd The sonne of man will set the shepe at his right hād and the goates at his left hād I am a dore one of you is the deuyll Whosoeuer doeth my fathers will he is my brother sister and mother And when he sayd to his mother and to Iohn This is thy sonne this is thy mother These with an infinite number of lyke sentences Christ spake in Parables Metaphores tropes and figures But chiefly when he spake of the sacramētes he vsed figuratiue speaches As whan in Baptisme he sayd that we must be baptised with the holy ghost meaning of spirituall baptisme And like speach vsed S. Iohn the Baptiste saying of Christ that he should baptise with the holy ghost and fier And Christ sayd that we must be borne agayn or else we can not see the kingdom of God And sayd also Whosoeuer shall drincke of that water which I shall geue him he shall neuer be drye agayn But the water which I shall geue him shall be made with in him a well which shall spring into euerlasting life And S. Paule sayth that in baptisme we cloth vs with Christ and be buried with him This baptisme and washing by the fyre and the holy ghost this new birth this water that springeth in a man and floweth into euerlasting life and this clothing and buriall can not be vnderstand of any materiall baptisme materiall washing materiall birth clothing and buriall but by translation of thinges visible into thinges inuisible they must be vnderstand spiritually and figuratiuely After the same sort the mistery of our redemption and the passion of our sauiour Christ vpon the crosse as well in the new as in the ould testament is expressed and declared by many figures and figuratiue speaches As the pure Paschall lambe without spot signified Christ. The effusion of the lambes bloud signified the effusion of Christes bloud And the saluation of the Children of Israell from temporall death by the lambes bloud signified our saluation from eternall death by Christes bloud And as almightie God passing through Egypt killed all the Egiptians heires in euery house and left not one aliue and neuerthelesse he passed by the children of Israels houses where he sawe the Lambes bloud vpon the dores and hurted none of them but saued them all by the meanes of the Lambes bloud so likewise at the last iudgement of the whole world none shall be passed ouer and saued but that shall be found marked with the bloud of the most pure and immaculat lambe Iesus Christ. And for as much as the shedding of that lambes bloud was a token and figure of the shedding of Christes bloud than to come and for as much also as all the sacramentes and figures of the olde testament ceased and had an end in Christ least by our great vnkindnes we should peraduenture be forgetfull of the great benefite of Christ therfore at his last supper when he toke his leaue of his Apostles to depart out of the world he did make a new will and testament wherin he bequethed vnto vs cleane remission of all our sinnes and the euerlasting inheritaunce of heauen And the same he confirmed the next day with his owne bloud and death And least we should forget the same he ordayned not a yearly memory as the Pascall lambe was eaten but once euery year but a dayly remembrance he ordeined therof in bread and wine sanctified and dedicated to that purpose saying This is my body This cuppe is my bloud which is shed for the remission of sinnes Do this in remembrance of me Admonishing vs by these wordes spoken at the making of his last will and testament and at his departing out of the world bicause they should be the better remembred that whensoeuer we do eat the bread in his holy supper and drinke of that cuppe we should remember how much Christ hath done for vs and how he dyed for our sakes Therfore sayth S. Paule As often as ye shall eat this bread and drinke the cuppe you shall shewe forth the Lordes death vntill he come And forasmuch as this holy bread broken and the wine deuided do represent vnto vs the death of Christ now passed as the killing of the Pascall Lambe did represent the same yet to come therfore our sauiour Christ vsed the same manner of speach of bread and wine as God before vsed the Paschall Lambe For as in the old testament God sayd this is the Lordes passeby or passouer euen so sayth Christ in the new Testament This is my body This is my bloud But in the old mistery and sacrament the Lambe was not the Lordes very Passeouer or passing by but it was a figure which represented his passing by So likewise in the new Testament the bread and wine be not Christes very body and bloud but they be figures which by Christes institution be vnto the godly receauers therof Sacramentes tokens significations and representations of his very flesh and bloud instructing their fayth that as the bread and wine fede them corporally and continue this temporall lyfe so the very flesh and bloud of Christ feedeth them spiritually and giueth euerlasting lyfe And why should any man think it strange to admit a figure in these speches This is my body This is my bloud seing that the communication the same night by the Papistes owne confessions was so full of figuratiue speaches For the Apostles spake figuratiuely when they asked Christ where he would eat his passeouer or passeby And Christ him selfe vsed the same figure when he sayd I haue much desired to eate this passeouer with you Also to eat Christes body and to drink his bloud I am sure they will not say that it is taken properly to eate and drink as we doe eate other meates and drinkes And when Christ sayd This cup is a new testament in my bloud here in one sentence be two figures one in this word cup which is not taken for the cup it selfe but for the thing conteined in the cup an other is in this word testament for neither the cup nor the wine contayned in the cup is Christes testament but is a token signe and figure wherby is
all his misticall conuersation here in his flesh and his doctrine consisting of his whole life pertayning both to his humanitie and diuinitie wherby the soule is nourished and brought to the contemplation of thinges eternall Thus teacheth Basilius how we eate Christes flesh and drincke his bloud which pertayneth only to the true and faythfull members of Christ. S. Hierom also sayth All that love pleasure more then God eate not the flesh of Iesu nor drincke his bloud Of the which himselfe sayth He that eateth my flesh and drincketh my bloud hath euerlasting lyfe And in an other place S. Hierom sayth that heritikes do not eate and drincke the body and bloud of the Lord. And more ouer he sayth that heretiks eat not the flesh of Iesu whose flesh is the meat of faythfull men Thus agreeth S. Hierom with the other before rehersed that heretikes and such as follow worldly pleasures eate not Christes flesh nor drincke his bloud bicause that Christ sayd He that eateth my flesh and drincketh my bloud hath euerlasting life And S. Ambrose sayth that Iesus is the bread which is the meat of sainctes and that he that taketh this bread dyeth not a sinners death For this bread is the remission of sinnes And in other booke to him intituled he writeth thus This bread of life which came downe from heauen doth minister euerlasting life and who soeuer eateth this bread shall not dye for euer and is the body of Christ. And yet in an other booke set forth in his name he sayth on this wise He that did eate Manne dyed but he that eateth this body shall haue remission of his sinnes and shall not dye for euer And agayne he sayth As often as thou drinckest thou hast remission of thy sinnes These sentences of S. Ambrose be so playne in this matter that there nedeth no more but onely the rehersall of them But S. Augustine in many places playnly discussing this matter sayth He that agreeth not with Christ doth neither eate his body nor drinke his bloud although to the condemnation of his presumption he receaue euery day the sacramēt of so hygh a matter And moreouer S. Augustine most playnly resolueth this matter in his booke De ciuitate Dei disputing agaynst two kindes of heretikes Wherof the one sayd that as many as were Christned and receaued the sacramēt of Christes body and bloud should be saued how so euer they liued or beleeued bycause that Christ sayd This is the bread that came from heauen that who so euer shall eate therof shall not dye I am the bread of lyfe which came from heauen who so euer shall eate of this bread shall liue for euer Therfore sayd these heretikes all such men must nedes be deliuered from eternall death and at length be brought to eternall life The other sayd that heretikes and scismatikes myght eate the sacrament of Christes body but not his very body bycause they be no members of his body And therfore they promised not euerlasting life to all that receaued Christes baptisme and the sacrament of his body but to all such as professed a true fayth although they liued neuer so vngodly For such sayd they do eate the body of Christ not onely in a sacrament but also in deede bycause they be members of Christes body But S. Augustine answering to both these heresies sayth That neither heretikes nor such as professe a true fayth in theyr mouthes and in theyr liuing shew the contrary haue eyther a true fayth which worketh by charitie and doth none euil or are to be counted among the members of Christ. For they can not be both members of Christ and members of the deuill Therfore sayth he it may not be sayd that any of them eate the body of Christ. For when Christ sayth he that eateth my flesh and drincketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him He sheweth what it is not sacramentally but indeed to eate his body and drincke his bloud which is when a man dwelleth so in Christ that Christ dwelleth in him For Christ spake those wordes as if he should say He that dwelleth not in me and in whom I dwell not let him not say or thincke that he eateth my body or drincketh my bloud These be the playne wordes of S. Augustine that such as liue vngodly although they may seme to eate Christes body bicause they eate the sacrament of his body yet in deed they neyther be members of his body nor do eate his body Also vpon the gospell of S. Iohn he sayth that he that doth not eate his flesh and drincke his bloud hath not in him euerlasting lyfe And he that eateth his flesh and drincketh his bloud hath euerlasting lyfe But it is not so in those meates which we take to sustayne our bodyes For although without them we cannot liue yet it is not necessary that who so euer receaueth them shall liue for they may dye by age sicknes or other chaunces But in this meat and drincke of the body and bloud of our Lord it is otherwise For both they that eate and drincke them not haue not euerlasting lyfe And contrariwyse who so euer eate and drincke them haue euerlasting life Note and ponder well these wordes of S. Augustine that the bread and wine and other meates drinckes which nourish the body a man may eate and neuerthelesse dye but the very body and bloud of Christ no man eateth but that hath euerlasting life So that wicked men can not eate nor drincke them for then they must nedes haue by them euerlasting life And in the same place S. Augustine sayth further The sacramēt of the vnitie of Christes body bloud is takē in the Lordes table of some men to lyfe of some mē to death but the thing it selfe wherof it is a sacramēt is takē of all men to lyfe of no man to death And more ouer he sayth This is to eate that meate and drincke that drincke to dwell in Christ and to haue Christ dwelling in him And for that cause he that dwelleth not in Christ in whome Christ dwelleth not without doubt he eateth not spiritually his flesh nor drincketh his bloud although carnally and visibly with his teeth he byte the Sacrament of his body and bloud Thus writeth S. Augustine in the xxvj homely of S. Iohn And in the next homely following he sayth thus This day our sermon is of the body of the Lord which he sayd he would geue to eat for eternall life And he declared the maner of his gift and distribution how he would geue his flesh to eate saying He that eateth my flesh and drincketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him This therfore is a token or knowledge that a man hath eaten and drunken that is to say if he dwell in Christ and haue Christ dwelling in him If he cleaue so to Christ that he is not seuered from him This therfore Christ
fayth to snare them rather thē to saue them But what skilleth that to the Papistes how many men perish which seeke nothing elles but the aduaūcement of their Pope whom they say no man can finde fault withall For though he neither care for his own soules health nor of his christen brother but draw innumerable people captiue with him into hell yet say the Papistes no man may reprehēd him nor aske the question why he so doth And where you speake of the sobernesse and deuotion of the schoole authors whom before you noted for boasters what sobernesse and deuotion was in them being all in manner monkes and fryers they that be exercised in them do know wherof you be none For the deuotion that they had was to their God that created them which was their Pope by contention sophistication and all subtle meanes they could deuise by their witte or learning to confirme and establish whatsoeuer oracle came out of theyr Gods mouth They set vp their Antichrist directly agaynst Christ and yet vnder pretence of Christ made him his vicar generall giuing him power in heauen earth and in hell And is not then the doctrine of Transubstantiation and of the reall and sensuall presence of Christ in the sacrament to be beleued trow you seing that it came out of such a gods mouth was set abroad by so many of his Aungels And is not this a simple and playne doctrine I pray you that visible formes and substances be transubstantiated and yet accidents remayn A playne doctrine be you assured which you confesse your selfe that the simple and playne people vnderstand not nor your selfe with the helpe of all the Papistes is not able to defend it where the true doctrine of the first catholick christian fayth is most playne cleare and comfortable without any difficulty scruple or doubt that is to say that our Sauiour Christ although he be sitting in heauē in equality with his father is our life strēgth◠food and sustenaunce who by his death deliuered vs from death and daily nourisheth and increaseth vs to eternall life And in tokē hereof he hath prepared bread to be eaten and wine to be drunken of vs in his holy supper to put vs in remembrance of his sayd death and of the celestiall feeding nourishing increasing and of all the benefites which wee haue thereby which benefites through fayth and the holy ghost are exhibited and geuen vnto all that worthely receiue the sayd holy supper This the husbandman at his plough the weauer at his loume and the wife at her rocke can remember and geue thankes vnto God for the same This is the very doctrine of the Gospel with the consent wholly of al the old ecclesiastial doctors howsoeuer the Papistes for their pastime put vysers vpon the sayd doctors and disguise them in other coates making a play and mocking of them Now followeth the second absurdity Secondly these Transubstantiatours do say contrary to all learning that the accidentes of bread and wine doe hang alone in the ayre without any substance wherin they may be stayed And what can be sayd more foolishly Winchester The Mayster of the sentences shewing diuers mens sayings in discussion as they can of this mistery telleth what some say that had rather say somewhat then nothing which this author rehearseth as a determination of the church that indéede maketh no doctrine of that poynt so but acknowledgeth the mistery to exéede our capacity And as for the accidentes to be stayd that is to say to remayne without their naturall substaūce is without difficulty beleued of men that haue fayth considering the almighty power of Christ whose diuine body is there present And shall that be accounted for an inconuenience in the mistery that any one man saith whose saying is not as a full determination approued If that man should encounter with this author if he were aliue so to do I think he would say it were more tolerable in him of a zeale to agrée with the true doctrine to vtter his conceit fondly then of a malice to dissent from the true doctrine this author so fondly to improue his saying But if he should appose this author in learning and aske him how he will vnderstand Fiat lux in creation of the world where the light staied that was then create But I will proceed to peruse the other differences Caunterbury THe doctrine that euen now was so simple and playne is now agayne waxed so full of ambiguities and doubtes that learned men in discussing therof as they can be fayne to say rather some thing than nothing and yet were they better to say nothing at all then to say that is not true or nothing to purpose And if the master of the sentences saying in this poynt vary from the cōmon doctrine of the other Papists why is not this his errour reiected among other wherin he is not commonly helde And why do your selfe after approue the same saying of the Master as a thing beleeued without difficultie that the accidents be stayed without their naturall substāce And then I would know of you wherin they be stayed seeing they be not stayed in the ayre as in their substance nor in the bread and wine nor in the body of Christ For eyther you must appoynt some other stay for them or els graunt as I say that they hange alone in the ayre without any substance wherin they may be stayed And eyther I vnderstand you not in this place you speake so diffusely or els that thing which the Master spake and your self haue here affirmed you cal it a tollerable conceit fondly vttered And where as to answere the matter of the staying of the accidents you aske wherin the light was stayed as the creation of the world this is a very easy opposall and soone answered vnto For first God created heauen and earth and after made light which was stayed in them as it is now although not deuided from the darkenes in such sort as it was after Now followeth the third absurdity Thirdly that the substance of Christes body is there really corporally and naturally present without any accidents of the same And so the Papistes make accidents to be without substances and substances to be without accidents Winchester How Christes body is in circumstance present no man can define but that it is truly present and therfore really present corporally also and naturally with relation to the truth of the body present and not to the maner of presence which is spirituall exceeding our capacitye and therefore therein without drawing away accidentes or adding wee beleeue simplye the trueth howesoeuer it liketh this author without the booke to terme it at his pleasure and to speake of substaunce without accidentes and accidents without substance which perplexity in wordes can not iest out the truth of the catholike beleefe And this is on the authors part nothing but iesting with a wrong surmise and supposall as
viii chap. prouing by authority of the oldest authors in Christs church that he called bread his body and wine his bloud And agayne in the ix x. xi and xii chapters I haue so fully intreated of such figuratiue speaches that it should be but a superfluous labour here to speake of any more but I referre the reader to those places And if M. doctor require a further answere herein let him looke vpon the late bishop of Winchesters booke called the detection of the diuels sophistry where he writeth plainly that when Christ spake these wordes This is my body he made demonstration of the bread THan further in this prologue this Papist is not ashamed to say that I set the cart before the horses putting reason first and fayth after which lye is so manifest that it needeth no further proofe but onely to looke vpon my booke wherein it shall euidently appeare that in all my fiue bookes I ground my foūdation vpon gods word And least the Papistes should say that I make the expositions of the scripture my selfe as they commonly vse to do I haue fortified my foundation by the authority of all the best learned and most holy authors and martyrs that were in the beginning of the church and many yeares after vntill the Antichrist of Rome rose vp and corrupted altogither And as for naturall reason I make no mention therof in all my v. bookes but in one place onely which is in my second booke speaking of Transubstantiation And in that place I set not reason before fayth but as an handmayden haue appoynted her to do seruice vnto fayth and to wayte vpon her And in that place she hath done such seruice that D. Smith durst not once looke her in the face nor find any fault with her seruice but hath flylye and craftely stolen away by her as though he saw her not But in his owne booke he hath so impudently set the cart before the horses in Christes owne wordes putting the wordes behind that goe before the wordes before that goe behind that except a shameles Papist no man durst be so bolde to attempt any such thing of his owne head For where the Euangelist and S. Paule rehearse Christes wordes thus Take eate this is my body he in the confutation of my second booke turneth the order vpside downe and sayth This is my body take eate After this in his Preface hee rehearseth a great number of the wonderfull workes of God as that God made all the world of nought that he made Adam of the earth and Eue of his side the bush to flame with fire and burne not and many other like which be most manifestly expressed in holy scripture And vpon these he concludeth most vainly and vntruly that thing which in the scripture is neyther expressed nor vnderstanded that Christ is corporally in heauen and in earth and in euery place where the sacrament is And yet D. Smith sayth that Gods word doth teach this as playnly as the other vsing herein such a kind of sophisticall argumēt as all Logitiās do reprehend which is called petitio principij whē a mā taketh that thing for a supposition and an approued truth which is in controuersy And so doth he in this place when he sayth Doth not Gods word teach it thee as playnly as the other Here by this interrogatory he required that thing to be graunted him as a truth which he ought to proue and whereupon dependeth the whole matter that is in questiō that is to say whether it be as playnly set out in the scripture that Christes body is corporally in euery place where the sacrament is as that God created all thinges of nothing Adam of the earth and Eue of Adams side c. This is it that I deny and that he should proue But he taketh it for a supposition saying by interrogation doth not the word of God teach this as playnly as the other Which I affirme to be vtterly false as I haue shewed in my third boobe the xi and twelfe chap. where I haue most manifestly proued as well by Gods word as by aūcient authors that these wordes of Christ This is my body and This is my bloud be no playne speaches but figuratiue THen forth goeth this papist vnto the vi chap. of S. Thou saying Christ promised his disciples to geue them such bread as should be his owne very naturall flesh which he would geue to death for the life of the world Can this his promise sayth M. Smith be verified of common bread Was that giuen vpon the crosse for the life of the world Wherto I answer by his owne reason Can this his promise be verified of sacramentall bread was that geuen vpon the crosse for the life of the world I meruayle here not a little of M. Smithes eyther dulnes or maliciousnes that cannot or will not see that Christ in this chap. of S. Ihon spake not of Sacramentall bread but of heauenly bread nor of his flesh onely but also of his bloud and of his godhead calling them heauenly bread that giueth euerlasting life So that he spake of him selfe wholy saying I am the bread of life He that cōmeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleueth in me shall not thirst for euer And neyther spake he of common bread nor yet of sacramentall bread For neyther of them was giuen vpon the crosse for the life of the world And there can be nothing more manifest then that in this vi chap. of Ihon Christ spake not of the sacrament of his flesh but of his very flesh And that aswell for that the sacrament was not then instituted as also that Christ sayd not in the future tense the bread which I will giue shal be my flesh but in the present tense the bread which I will geue is my flesh which sacramentall bread was neyther then his flesh nor was then instituted for a Sacrament nor was after giuen to death for the life of the world But as Christ when he sayd vnto the woman of Samaria The water which I will geue shall spring into euerlasting life he ment neyther of materiall water nor of the accidents of water but of the holy ghost which is the heauenly fountayne that springeth vnto eternall life so likewise when he sayd The bread which I will geue is my flesh which I will geue for the life of the world he ment neyther of the materiall bread neither of the accidents of bread but of his owne flesh Which although of it selfe it auayleth nothing yet being in vnity of persō ioyned vnto his diuinity it is the same heauenly bread that he gaue to death vpon the crosse for the life of the world But here M. Smith asketh a question of the tyme saying thus When gaue Christ that bread which was his very flesh that he gaue for vs to death if he did it not at his last supper when he sayd This is my
wound they should receiue if the Archbishop had stoode stedfast in his sentence and againe on the other side how great profite they should get if he as the principall standerd bearer should be ouerthrowen By reason wherof the wylie Papistes flocked about him with threatning flattering intreating and promising and all other meanes especially Henry Sydall and Frier Iohn a Spaniard De villa Garcina to the end to driue him to the vttermost of their possibilitie from his former sentence to recantation whose force his manly constancie did a great while resist but at last when they made no end of calling and crying vpon him the Archbishop being ouercome whether through their importunitie or by his owne imbecillitie or of what mynde I can not tell at length gaue his hand It might be supposed that it was done for the hope of life and better dayes to come But as we may since perceaue by a Letter of his sent to a Lawyer the most cause why he desired his tyme to be delayed was that he would make an end of Marcus Antonius which he had already begon but howsoeuer it was he recanted though playne agaynst his conscience Mary the Quéene hauing now gotten a time to reuenge her old grief receaued his recantation very gladly but of her purpose to put him to death she would nothing relent But taking secret Counsell how to dispatch Cranmer out of the way who as yet knew nothyng of her secret hate looked for nothyng lesse then death appointed Doct. Cole secretly gaue him in commaundement that agaynst the 21. of March he should prepare a funerall Sermon for Cranmers burning and so instructing him orderly and diligently of her will and pleasure in that behalfe sendeth him away Some after the Lord Williams of Tame and the Lord Shādoys Sir Thomas Bridges and Sir Iohn Browne were sent for with other worshipfull men and Iustices cōmaunded in the Quéenes name to be at Oxford at the same day with their seruauntes and retinue lest Cranmers death should rayse there any tumult Cole the Doctour hauing his lesson geuen him before and charged by her commaūdement returned to Oxford ready to play his part who as the day of execution drew neare euē the day before came into the prison to Crāmer to try whether he abode in the Catholicke fayth wherin before he had left him To whom whē Cranmer had aunswered that by Gods grace he would dayly be more cōfirmed in the Catholicke fayth Cole departing for that tyme the next day folowing repayred to the Archbishop agayne geuing no signification as yet of his death that was prepared And therefore in the mornyng which was the 21. day of March appointed for Cranmers execution the sayd Cole commyng to him asked if he had any money To whom when he aunswered that he had none he deliuered him 1◠Crownes to geue the poore to whō he would and so exhorting him so much as he could to constancie in fayth departed thence about his businesse as to his Sermon appertained By this partly and other like argumentes the Archbishop began more and more to surmise what they went about Thē because the day was not farre past and the Lordes and Knightes that were looked for were not yet come there came to him the Spanish Frier witnesse of his recantation bringyng a paper with Articles whiche Cranmer should openly professe in his recantation before the people earnestly desiring that hee would write the sayd instrument with the Articles with his owne hand signe it with his name which when he had done the sayd Frier desired that hee would write an other Copie therof which should remaine with him and that he did also But yet the Archbishop beyng not ignoraunt whereunto their secret deuises tended and thinking that the tyme was at hand in which he could no longer dissemble the profession of his fayth with Christes people he put secretly in his bosome his Prayer with his exhortation written in an other paper which he mynded to recite to the people before he should make the last profession of his sayth fearyng lest if they had heard the Confession of his fayth first they would not afterward haue suffered him to exhort the people Some after about ix of the clocke the Lord Williams Sir Thomas Bridges Syr Iohn Browne and the other Iustices with certaine other Noble men that were sent of the Quéenes Counsell came to Oxford with a great trayne of wayting men Also of the other multitude on euery side as is wont in such a matter was made a great concourse and greater expectation In this so great frequence and expectation Cranmer at length commeth from the prison Bocardo vnto S. Maries Churche because it was a foule and a raynie day the chief Church in the Uniuersitie in this order The Maior went before next him the Aldermen in their place and degree after them was Cranmer brought betwene two Friers which mombling to and fro certaine Psalmes in the stréetes aunswered one an other vntil they came to the Church doore and there they began the song of Simeon Nunc dimittis and entring into the Churche the Psalme saying Friers brought him to his standyng and there left him There was a stage set vp ouer agaynst the Pulpit of a meane height from the ground Cranmer had his standyng waytyng vntill Cole made him ready to his Sermon The lamentable case and sight of that man gaue a sorowfull spectacle to all Christē eyes that beheld him He that late was Archbishop Metropolitane and Primate of England and the kynges priuie Counsellour beyng now in a bare and ragged gowne and ill fauoredly clothed with an old square cap exposed to the contempt of all men did admonish mē not onely of his owne calamitie but also of their state and fortune For who would not pitie his case and bewayle his fortune and might not feare his own chaunce to sée such a Prelate so graue a Counsellour and of so long continued honour after so many dignities in his old yeares to be depriued of his estate adiudged to dye and in so paynfull a death to end his life and now presently from such fresh ornamentes to descēd to such vyle and ragged apparell In this habite when hee had stoode a good space vpon the stage turnyng to a piller neare adioyning thereunto he lifted vp his handes to heauen and prayed to God once or twise till at the length Doct. Cole commyng into the Pulpit and begynnyng his Sermon entred first into mention of Tobias and Zachary Whom after that he had praysed in the begynnyng of his Sermon for their perseueraunce in the true worshyppyng of God he then deuided his whole Sermon into thrée partes accordyng to the solemne custome of the Schooles entendyng to speake first of the mercy of God secondly of his Iustice to be shewed and last of all how the Princes secretes are not to be opened And procéedyng a litle
backe the people that were ready to depart to Prayers Brethren sayd hee lest any man should doubt of this mans earnest conuersion and repentaunce you shall heare him speake before you and therfore I pray you Maister Cranmer that you will now performe that you promised not long agoe namely that you would openly expresse the true and vndoubted profession of your fayth that you may take away all suspition from men and that all men may vnderstand that you are a Catholicke in déede I will do it sayd the Archbyshop and with a good will who by and by rising vp and putting of his cap began to speake thus vnto the people I desire you well beloued brethren in the Lord that you will pray to God for me to forgeue me my sinnes which aboue all men both in number and greatnes I haue committed but among all the rest there is one offence whiche of all at this tyme doth vexe and trouble me wherof in processe of my talke you shall heare more in his proper place and then puttyng his hand into his bosome he drew forth his Prayer whiche he recited to the people in this sense ¶ The Prayer of Doct. Cranmer Archb. of Cant. at his death GOod Christen people my dearely beloued brethren and sisters in Christ I beséech you most hartely to pray for me to almightie God that he will forgeue me all my sinnes and offēces which be many without number and great aboue measure But yet one thyng gréeueth my conscience more then all the rest wherof God willyng I entend to speake more hereafter But how great and how many soeuer my sinnes be I beséech you to pray God of his mercy to pardon and forgeue them all And here knéelyng downe he sayd O Father of heauen O Sonne of God redeemer of the world O holy Ghost three persons and one God haue mercy vpon me most wretched caitiffe and miserable sinner I haue offended both against heauen and earth more then my toung can expresse Whether then may I goe or whether should I flye To heauen I may be ashamed to lift vp myne eyes and in earth I finde no place of refuge or succour To thee therfore O Lord do Irunne to thee do I humble my selfe saying O Lord my God my sinnes be great but yet haue mercy vpon me for thy great mercy The great mistery that God became mā was not wrought for litle or few offēces Thou diddest nor geue thy sonne O heauenly Father vnto death for small sinnes onely but for all the greatest sinnes of the world so that the sinner returne to thee with his whole hart as I do here at this present Wherfore haue mercy on me O God whose property is alwayes to haue mercy haue mercy vpon me O Lord for thy great mercy I craue nothyng O Lord for myne owne merites but for thy names sake that it may be halowed thereby and for thy deare sonne Iesus Christ sake And now therfore our Father of heauen halowed by thy name c. And then he rising sayd Euery man good people desireth at that tyme of their death to geue some good exhortation that other may remember the same before their death and be the better thereby so I beseech God graunt me grace that I may speake some thyng at this my departyng whereby God may bee glorified and you edified First it is an heauie case to see that so many folke be so much doted vpon the loue of this false world and so carefull for it that of the loue of God or the world to come they seeme to care very litle or nothyng Therefore this shal be my first exhortation that you set not your myndes ouer much vpon this glosing world but vpon God and vpon the world to come and to learne to know what this lesson meaneth whiche S. Iohn teacheth That the loue of this world is hatred agaynst God The second exhortation is that next vnder God you obey your Kyng and Queene willingly and gladly without murmuryng or grudgyng not for feare of them onely but much more for the feare of God knowyng that they be Gods Ministers appointed by God to rule and gouerne you and therefore who soeuer resisteth them resisteth the ordinaunce of GOD. The third exhortation is that you loue altogether lyke brethren and sisters For alas pitie it is to see what cōtention and hatred one Christen man beareth to an other not takyng ech other as brother and sister but rather as straungers and mortall enemyes But I pray you learne and beare well away this one lesson to doe good vnto all men asmuch as in you lyeth to hurt no man no more then you would hurt your owne naturall louyng brother or sister For this you may be sure of that who soeuer hateth any person and goeth about maliciously to hinder or hurt him surely and without all doubt God is not with that mā although he thinke him selfe neuer so much in Gods fauour The fourth exhortation shal be to them that haue great substaunce and riches of this world that they will well consider and wey three sayinges of the Scripture One is of our Sauiour Christ him selfe who sayth It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen A sore saying and yet spoken of him that knoweth the truth The second is of S. Iohn whose saying is this He that hath the substaunce of this world and seeth his brother in necessitie and shutteth vp his mercy from him how can he say that he loueth God The thyrd is of S. Iames who speaketh to the couetous rich mā after this maner Weepe you and howle for the miserie that shall come vppon you your riches doe rotte your clothes be moth eaten your gold and siluer doth canker and rust and their rust shall beare witnesse agaynst you and consume you like fire you gather a horde or treasure of Gods indignation agaynst the last day Let them that be rich ponder well these three sentences for if euer they had occasion to shew their charitie they haue it now at this present the poore people beyng so many and victuals so deare The description of Doct. Cranmer how he was plucked downe from the stage by Friers and Papistes for the true Confession of his Fayth First I beleue in God the Father almightie maker of heauen and earth c. And I beleue euery Article of the Catholicke fayth euery word and sentence taught by our Sauiour Iesus Christ his Apostles and Prophetes in the new and old Testament And now I come to the great thyng that so much troubleth my conscience more thē any thyng that euer I did or sayd in my whole life and that is the settyng abroad of a writyng contrary to the truth which now here I renounce and refuse as thynges written with my hand contrary to the truth which I thought in my hart written for feare of
death and to saue my life if it might be and that is all such Billes and papers which I haue written or signed with my hand since my degradation wherein I haue written many thynges vntrue And for as much as my hand offended written contrary to my hart my hand shall first bee punished therefore for may I come to the fire it shal be first burned And as for the Pope I refuse him as Christes enemy and Antichrist with all his false doctrine And as for the Sacrament I beleue as I haue taught in my booke agaynst the Byshop of Winchester the whiche my booke teacheth so true a doctrine of the Sacrament that it shal stand at the last day before the Iudgement of God where the Papisticall doctrine contrary thereto shal be ashamed to shew her face Here the standers by were all astonyed maruailed were amased did looke one vpon an other whose expectation he had so notably deceiued Some began to admonish him of his recantation and to accuse him of falshode Briefly it was a world to sée the Doctours beguiled of so great an hope I thinke there was neuer crueltie more notably or better in tyme deluded and deceiued For it is not to bee doubted but they looked for a glorious victorie and a perpetuall triumph by this mans retractation Who as soone as they heard these thynges began to let downe their eares to rage fret and fume and so much the more because they could not reuenge their grief for they could now no longer threaten or hurt him For the most miserable man in the world can dye but once where as of necessitie he must néedes dye that day though the Papistes had bene neuer so well pleased now beyng neuer so much offended with him yet could he not be twise killed of them And so whē they could do nothing els vnto him yet lest they should say nothyng they ceassed not to obiect vnto him his falsehode and dissimulation Unto which accusation he aunswered Ah my Maisters quoth he do not you take it so Alwayes since I liued hetherto I haue bene a hater of falsehode and a louer of simplicitie and neuer before this tyme haue I dissembled and in saying this all the teares that remained in his body appeared in his eyes And when hee began to speake more of the Sacrament and of the Papacie some of them began to cry out yalpe and baule and and specially Cole cried out vpon him stop the heretickes mouth and take him away And then Cranmer beyng pulled downe from the stage was led to the fire accompanied with those Friers vexyng troublyng and threatnyng him most cruellie What madnes say they hath brought thée agayne into this errour by which thou wilt draw innumerable soules with thée into hell To whom he aunswered nothyng but directed all his talke to the people sauyng that to one troublyng him in the way he spake and exhorted him to get him home to his study and apply his booke diligently saying if he did diligently call vpon God by reading more he should get knowledge But the other Spanish barker ragyng and fomyng was almost out of his wittes alwayes hauyng this in his mouth Non fecisti diddest thou it not But when he came to the place where the holy Byshops and Martyrs of God Hugh Latymer Ridley were burnt before him for the confessiō of the truth knéeling down he prayed to God and not long tarying in Prayers puttyng of his garmentes to his shirt hee prepared him selfe to death His shirt was made long downe to his féete His féete were bare Likewise his head when both his cappes were of was so bare that not one heare could bee sene vpon it His beard was long and thicke coueryng his face with marueilous grauitie Such a countenaunce of grauitie moued the hartes both of his frendes and of his enemies Then the Spanish Friers Iohn and Richard of whom mention was made before began to exhort him and play their partes with him a fresh but with vayne and lost labour Cranmer with stedfast purpose abidyng in the profession of his doctrine gaue his hand to certaine old men and other that stoode by biddyng them farewell And when he had thought to haue done so likewise to Ely the sayd Ely drew backe his hand and refused saying it was not lawfull to salute heretickes and specially such a one as falsely returned vnto the opinions that he had foresworne And if hee had knowen before that he would haue done so he would neuer haue vsed his companie so familiarly and chid those Sergeauntes and Citizens which had not refused to geue him their handes This Ely was a Priest lately made and Student in Diuinitie beyng then one of the Fellowes of Brasennose Then was an yron chayne tyed about Cranmer whom when they perceiued to be more stedfast then that he could be moued from his sentence they commaunded the fire to be set vnto him And when the wood was kindled and the fire began to burne neare him stretchyng out his arme he put his right hand into the flame whiche he held so stedfast and immouable sauyng that once with the same hand he wiped his face that all men might sée his hand burned before his body was touched His body did so abide the burnyng of the flame with such constancie and stedfastnesse that standyng alwayes in one place without mouyng of his body hee séemed to moue no more then the stake to whiche he was bound his eyes were lifted vp into heauen and often tymes he repeated his vnworthy right hand so long as his voyce would suffer him and vsing often the wordes of Stephen Lord Iesus receiue my spirite in the greatnesse of the flame he gaue vp the Ghost This fortitude of mynde whiche perchaunce is rare and not vsed among the Spaniardes when Frier Iohn saw thinkyng it came not of fortitude but of desperation although such maner examples whiche are of the like constancie haue bene common here in England ran to the Lord Williams of Lame crying that the Archbyshop was vexed in mynde and dyed in great desperation But he whiche was not ignoraunt of the Archbyshops constancie beyng vnknowen to the Spaniardes smiled onely and as it were by silence rebuked the Friers tollie And this was the end of this learned Archbyshop whom lest by euill subscribyng he should haue perished by well recantyng God preserued and lest he should haue liued longer with shame and reproofe it pleased God rather to take him away to the glory of his name and profite of his Churche So good was the Lord both to his Church in fortifying the same with the testimonie bloud of such a Martyr and so good also to the man with this Crosse of tribulation to purge his offences in his world not onely of his recantatiō but also of his standyng agaynst Iohn Lambert and M. Allen or if there were any other
because they be spoken by Christ hym selfe the auctor of all truth and by hys holy Apostle S. Paule as he receaued them of Christ so all doctrines contrary to the same be moste certaynly false and vntrue and of al Christen men to be eschued because they be contrary to Gods word And all doctrine concerning this matter that is more then this which is not grounded vpon Gods word is of no necessity neither ought the peoples heads to be busied or their consciences troubled with the same So that thinges spoken and done by Christ and written by the holy Euangelists and S Paule ought to suffice the fayth of Christian people as touching the doctrine of the Lordes Supper and holy communion or sacrament of his body and bloud Which thing being well considered and wayed shall be a iust occasion to pacifie and agree both parties as well them that hetherto haue contemned or lightly esteemed it as also them which haue hetherto for lacke of knowledge or otherwise vngodly abused it Christ ordeyned the Sacrament to moue and stirre all men to frendshippe loue and concord and to put away all hatred variance and discord and to testifie a brotherly and vnfained loue between all them that be the members of Christ But the deuil the enemy of Christ and of all his members hath so craftely iugled herein that of nothing riseth so much contention as of this holy Sacrament God graunt that al contention set aside both the parties may come to this holy communiō with such a liuely faith in Christ and such an vnfained loue to all Christes members that as they carnallye eate with their mouthes this Sacramentall bread and drink the wine so spiritually they may eate and drink the very flesh and bloud of Christ which is in heauen and sitteth on the right hand of his father And that finally by his meanes they may enioy with him the glory and kingdome of heauen Amen Winchester Now let vs consider the tertes of the Euangelistes and S. Paul which be brought in by the Author as followeth When they were eating Iesus tooke bread and when he had geuen thankes he brake it gaue it to his disciples and sayd Take eate this is my body And he tooke the cuppe and when he had geuen thanks he gaue it to them saying Drinke ye all of this for this is my bloud of the new testament that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes But I say vnto you I will not drinke henceforth of this fruite of the vine vntill that day when I shall drinke it new with you in my fathers kingdome As they did eate Iesus tooke bread and when he had blessed he brake it and gaue it to them and said Take eate this is my body And taking the cup when he had geuen thankes he gaue it to them and they all dranke of it and he said vnto them This is my bloud of the new testament which is shed for many Uerely I say vnto you I wil drink no more of the fruite of the vine vntill that day that I drinke it new in the kingedome of God When the houre was come he sate downe and the twelue Apostles with him and he sayd vnto them I haue greatly desired to eate this Pascha with you before I suffer for I say vnto you henceforth I wil not eate of it any more vntill it be fulfilled in the kingdome of God And he tooke the cup and gaue thankes and sayd Take this and deuide it among you for I say vnto you I wil not drinke of the fruit of the vine vntil the kingdome of God come And he tooke bread and when he had geuen thankes he brake it and gaue it vnto them saying This is my body whith is geuen for you this doe in remembrance of me Likewise also when he had supped he tooke the cup saying This cuppe is the new testament in my bloud which is shed for you Is not the cup of blessing which we blesse a communion of the bloud of Christ Is not the bread which we break a communion of the body of Christ We being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of one bread and of one cup. That which I deliuered vnto you I receaued of the Lord. For the Lord Iesus the same night in the which he was betrayed tooke bread and when he had geuen thanks he brake it and sayd Take eate this is my body which is broaken for you doe this in remembrance of me Likewise also he tooke the cup when supper was done saying This cup is the new testament in my bloud Doe this as often as ye drink it in remembrance of me for as often as you shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup ye shew forth the Lordes death till he come wherefore who soeuer shall eat of this bread or drinke of this cup vnworthely shall be gilty of the body and bloud of the Lord. But let a man examine himselfe and so eate of the bread and drink of the cup. For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh his own damnation because he maketh no difference of the Lordes body For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many doe sléepe After these tertes brought in the author doth in the 4. chap. begin to trauers Christes intent that he intended not by these wordes this is my body to make the bread his body but to signifie that such as receaue that worthely be members of Christes body The catholick church acknowledging Christ to be very God and very man hath from the beginning of these textes of scripture confessed truely Christes intent and effectuall miraculous worke to make the bread his body and the wine his bloud to be verely meate and verely drinke vsing therin his humanitie wherewith to féede vs as he vsed the same wherewith to redéeme vs and as he doth sanctifie vs by his holy spirite so to sanctifie vs by his holy diuine flesh and bloud and as life is renued in vs by the gift of Christes holy spirite so life to be increased in vs by the gift of his holy flesh So as he that beléeueth in Christ and receaueth the Sacrament of beliefe which is Baptisme receaueth really Christes spirite And likewise he that hauing Christes spirite receaueth also the Sacrament of Christes body and bloud Doth really receaue in the same and also effectually Christes very body and bloud And therfore Christ in the institution of this Sacrament sayd deliuering that he consecrated This is my body c. And likewise of the cuppe This is my bloud c. And although to mannes reason it séemeth straunge that Christ standing or sitting at the table should deliuer them his body to be eaten Yet when we remember Christ to be very God we must graunt him omnipotent and by reason therof represse in our thoughtes all imaginations how it might be and consider Christes
so no certayntie of any true body to be in Christ This reason had been more fitte to be made by a man that had lost both his witte and reason For in this place Tertullian must needes be so vnderstand that by the body of Christ is vnderstand the figure of his body because Tertullian so expoundeth it him selfe And must it be always so bicause it is here so Must euer Christes body be taken for a figure bicause it is here taken for a figure as Tertullian sayth Haue you so forgotten your Logike that you will make a good argument à particulari ad vniuersale By your owne manner of argumentation bicause you make a naughty argumēt here in this place shall I conclude that you neuer make none good Surely this place of Tertullian as you haue handled it is neither secret nor manifest poynt eyther of learning witte or reason but a meere sophistication if it be no worse What other papistes haue aunswered to this place of Tertullian I am not ignoraunt nor I am sure you be not so ignoraunt but you know that neuer none aunswered as you do But your answer varieth as much from all other papists as yours theyrs also do varie from the truth Here the reader may note by the way how many fowle shiftes you make to auoyd the saying of Tertullian First you say that bread was a figure in the prophets mouth but not in Christes wordes Second that the thing which the prophet spake of was not that which Christ spake of Third that other haue aunswered this place of Tertullian before Forth that you call this matter but a wrangling argument Fift that if Tertulian call bread a figure yet he termeth it not onely figure These be your shiftes Now let the reader looke vpon Tertullians playn wordes whyche I haue rehearsed in my booke and then let him iudge whether you meane to declare Tertullians mynd truely or no. And it is not requiset for my purpose to proue that bread is onely a figure for I take vpon me there to proue no more but that the bread is a figure representing Christes body and the wine his bloud And if breade be a figure and not onely a figure than must you make bread both the figure and the truth of the figure Now heare what other authors I do here alleadge And saynt Ciprian the holy marter sayth of this matter that Christs bloud is shewed in the wine and the people in the water that is mixt with the wine so that the mixture of the water to the wine signifieth the spirituall commixtion and ioyning of vs vnto Christ. By which similitude Ciprian ment not that the bloud of Christ is wine or the people water but as the water doeth signifie and represent the people so doeth the wine signify and represent Christs bloud and the vniting of the water and wine together signifieth the vniting of Christian people vnto Christ himselfe And the same saynt Ciprian in an other place writing here of sayth that Christ in his last supper gaue to his apostles with his owne handes bread and wine which he called his flesh and bloud but in the crosse he gaue his very body to be wounded with the handes of the souldiours that the apostles might declare to the world how and in what manner bread and wine may be the flesh and bloud of Christ. And the manner he straight wayes declareth thus that those things which do signifye and those thinges which be signified by them may be both called by one name Here it is certain by saynt Ciprians mind wherfore and in what wise bread is called Christes flesh and wine his bloud that is to say because that euery thing that representeth and signifieth an other thing may be called by the name of thing which it signifieth And therfore Saynt Iohn Chrisostom sayth that Christ ordayned the table of his holy supper for this purpose that in that sacramēt he should dayly shew vnto vs bread and wine for a similitude of his body and bloud Saynt Hierom likewise sayth vpon the gospell of Mathew that Christ took bread which comforteth mans hart that he mght represent thereby his very body and bloud Also Saynt Ambrose if the booke be his that is intituled De his qui misterijs initianter sayth that before the consecration an other kind is named but after the consecration the body of Christ is signified Christ sayd his bloud beefore the consecration it is called an other thing but after the consecration is signified the bloud of Christ. And in his booke De sacramentis if that be also his he writeth thus Thou doost receiue the sacrament for a similitud of the flesh and bloud of Christ but thou doost obtayne the grace and vertue of his true nature And receiuing the bread in that foode thou art partaker of his godly substaunce And in the same booke he sayth As thou hast in baptisme reciued the similitude of death so likewise dost thou in the sacramēt drink the similitude of Christes precious bloud And agayne he sayeth in the sayd booke The priest sayth Make vnto vs this oblation to be acceptable which is the figure of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesu Christ. And vpon the epistle of Saynt Paule to the Corinthians he sayth that in eating and drinking the bread and wine we doe signifie the flesh and bloud which were offered for vs. And the olde tastament he sayeth was instituted in bloud because that bloud was a witnes of gods benefite in signification and figure wherof we take the mistical cup of his bloud to the tuitiō of our body soule Of these places of saynt Chrisostom saynt Hierom and saynt Ambrose it is cleare that in the sacramentall bread and wine is not rially and corporally the very naturall substance of the flesh and bloud of Christ but that the bread and wine be similitudes misteries and representations significations sacramentes figures and signes of his body and bloud and therfore be called and haue the name of his very body flesh and bloud Winchester Ciprian shal be touched after when we speake of him agayn Chrisostom shall open himselfe hereafter playnly Saynt Hierom speaketh here very pithely vsing the word represent which signifieth a true reall exhibision for saynt Hierom speaketh of the representation of the truth of Christes body which truth excludeth an onely figure For howsoeuer the visible matter of the sacrament be a figure the inuisible part is a truth which saynt Hierom sayth is here represented that is to say made present which onely signification doth not Saynt Ambrose shall after declare himselfe and it is not denied but the authors in speaking of the sacrament vsed these wordes signe figure similitude token but those speaches exclude not the veritie and truth of the body and bloud of Christ for no approued author hath this exclution to say an onely signe an only token an
in the sacrament I graunt that he is really present after such sort as you expound really in this place that is to say indede and yet but spiritually For you say your selfe that he is but after a spirituall maner there and so is he spiritually honored as S Augustine sayth But as concerning heat of disputation marke well the wordes of S. Augustine good reader cited in my booke and thou shalt see clerely that all this multiplication of wordes is rather a iugling then a direct answer For saynt Augustine writeth not in heate of disputation but temperatly and grauely to a learned Bishop his deare frend who demanded a question of him And if Saynt Augustine had aunswered in heate of disputation or for any other respect otherwise then the truth he had not done the part of a friend nor of a learned and godly Bishop And who so euer iudgeth so of Saynt Augustine hath small estimation of him and sheweth him selfe to haue litle knowledge of Saynt Augustine But in this your answer to saynt Augustine you vtter where you learned a good part of your diuinitie that is of Albertus Pighius who is the father of this shift and with this fleight eludeth Saynt Augustin when he could no otherwise answer As you do now shake of the same Saynt Augustine resembling as it were in that poynt the liuely countenauÌ„ce of your father Pighius Next in my booke foloweth Theodoret And to this purpose it is both pleasaunt comfortable and profitable to read Theodoretus in his Dialogs where he disputeth and sheweth at length how the names of things be chaunged in scripture and yet thinges remayne still And for example he proueth that the flesh of Christ is in the scripture sometime called a vayle or coueryng sometime a cloth sometyme a vestment and sometyme a stole the bloud of the grape is called Christes bloud and the names of bread and wine and of his flesh and bloud Christ doth so chaunge that sometyme he calleth his body corne or bread and sometime contrary he calleth bread his body And likewise his bloud sometime he calleth wine and sometime contrary he calleth wine his bloud For the more playne vnderstanding wherof it shall not be amisse to recite his owne sayings in his foresayd dialogs touching this matter of the holy sacrament of Christes flesh and bloud The speakers in these dialogs be Orthodoxus the right beleuer and Eranistes his companyon but not vnderstanding the right fayth Orthodoxus saith to his companion Doost thou not know that god caleth bread his flesh Eran. I know that Orth. And in an other place he calleth his body corne Eran. I know that also for I haue heard him say The houre is come that the sonne of man shal be glorified c. Except the grayne of come that falleth in the ground dye it remayneth sole but if it dye then it bringeth forth much fruite Orth. When he gaue the mysteries of sacraments he called bread his body and that which was mixt in the cup he called bloud Eran. So he called them Orth. But that also which was his naturall body may well be called his body and his very bloud also may be called his bloud Eran. It is playne Orth. But our sauiour without doubt chaunged the names and gaue to the body the name of the signe or token and to the token he gaue the name of the body And so wheÌ„ he called himself a vyne he called bloud that which was the token of bloud Eran. Surely thou hast spokeÌ„ the truth But I would know the cause wherfore the names were changed Orth. The cause is manifest to them that be expert in true religion For he would that they which be partakers of the godly sacraments should not set their mindes vpon the nature of the things which they see but by the changing of the names should beleue the things which be wrought in them by grace For he that called that which is his naturall body corne and bred and also called himselfe a vyne he did honor the visible tokeÌ„s and signes with the names of his body and bloud not changing the nature but adding grace to nature Eran. Sacraments be spoken of sacramentally and also by them be manifestly declared things which all men know not Ortho. Seyng then that it is certayne that the Patriarch called the lords body a vestiment and apparell and that now we be entred to speak of godly sacraments tell me truely of what thing thinkest thou this holy meat to be a tokeÌ„ and figure of Christes diuinity or of his body and bloud Eran. It is cleare that it is the figure of those thinges whereof it beareth the name Orth. Meanest thou of his body and bloud Eran. Euen so I meane Orth. Thou hast spoken as one that loueth the truth for the Lord when he tooke the token or signe he sayd not This is my diuinity but This is my body this is my bloud And in an other place The bread which I wil giue is my flesh whiche I will geue for the life of the world Eran. These things be true for they be Gods words All these writeth Theodoretus in hi first Dialogue ' And in the second he writeth the same in effect yet in some thing more playnly agaynst such heretiques as affirmed that after Christes resurrection ascention his humanity was changed from the very nature of man turned into his diuinity Agaynst whom thus he writeth Orth. Corruption healeth sicknes and death be accedents for they goe come Era. It is meet they be so called Orth. Mens bodies after their resurrection be delyuered from corruption death mortalitie and yet they lose not theyr proper nature Eran. Truth it is ' Orth. The body of Christ therfore did rise quite cleane from all corruption death and is impassible immortall glorified with the glory of God is honored of the powers of heauen and it is a body hath the same bignes that it had before Era. Thy saying seeme true according to reason but after he was ascended vp into heauen I thinke thou wilt not say that his body was not tourned into the nature of his godhead Orth. I would not so say for the persuation of mans reason nor I am not so arrogant and presumptious to affirme any thing which scripture passeth ouer in silence But I haue heard S. Paule cry that God hath ordayned a day when he will iudge all the world in iustice by that man which he appoynted before performing his promise to all men and raysing him from death I haue learned also of the holy angels that he will come aâ—ter that fashion as his disciples saw him goe to heauen But they saw a nature of a certayn bignesse not a nature which had no bignes I heard furthermore the lord say You shall see the sonne of man come in the cloudes of heauen And
I know that euery thing that men see hath a certayne bignes For that nature that hath no bignes can not be seene Moreouer to sit in the throne of glory and to sette the Lambes vpon his right hand and the goates vpon his left hand signifieth a thing that hath quantitie and bygnes Hitherto haue I rehersed Theodoretus wordes and shortly after Eranistes sayth Eran. We must tourne euery stone as the prouerb sayth to seeke out the truth but specially when godly matters be propounded Orth. Tell me than the sacramentall signes which be offered to God by his priestes wherof be they signes sayst thou Eran. Of the Lordes body and bloud Orth. Of a very body or not of a very body Eran. Of a very body Orth. Very well for an image must be made after a true paterne for Paynters follow nature and paynt the images of such thinges as we see with our eyes Eran. Truth it is Orth. If therfore the godly sacramentes represent a true body than is the Lordes body yet still a body not conuerted into the nature of his Godhead but replenished with Goddes glory Eran. It cometh in good tyme that thou makest mention of Gods sacramentes for by the same I shall proue that Christes body is tourned into an other nature Answer therfore vnto my questions Orth. I shall answer Eran. What callest thou that which is offered before the inuocation of the priest Orth. We must not speake playnly for it is like that some be present which haue not professed Christ. Eran. Answer couertly Orth. It is a nourishment made of sedes that be like Eran. Than how call we the other signe Orth. It is also a common name that signifieth a kind of drinke Eran. But how doest thou call them after the sanctification Orth. The body of Christ and the bloud of Christ. Eran. And doest thou beleue that thou art made partaker of Christes body and bloud Orth. I beleue so Eran. Therfore as the tokens of Gods body and bloud be other thinges before the priestes inuocation but after the inuocation they be chaunged and be other things so also the body of Christ after his assumption is chaunged into his deuine substaunce Ortho. Thou art taken with thine owne nette For the sacramentall signes go not from their owne nature after the sanctification but continue in their former substance forme and figure and may be seene and touched as well as before yet in our mindes we do consider what they be made and do repute and esteme them and haue them in reuerence according to the same thinges that they be taken for Therfore cōpare their images to the paterne and thou shalt see them like For figure must be like to the thing it selfe For Christes body hath his former fashion figure and bignesse and to speake at one word the same substance of his body but after his resurrection it was made immortall and of such power that no corruption nor death could come vnto it and it was exalted vnto that dignity that it was sette at the right hand of the father and honoured of all creatures as the body of him that is the Lord of nature Eran. But the sacramentall token chaungeth his former name for it is no more called as it was before but is called Christes body Therfore must his body after his ascention be called God and not a body Orth. Thou semest to me ignorant for it is not called his body onely but also the bread of lyfe as the Lord called it So the body of Christ we call a godly body a body that giueth life Gods body the Lordes body our masters body name ning that it is not a common body as other mennes bodies be but that it is the body of our Lord Iesu Christ both God and man This haue I rehersed of the great clerke and holy byshop Theodoretus whom some of the Papists perceiuing to make so playnly agaynst them haue defamed saying that he was infected with the errour of Nestorius Here the Papistes shewe their old accustomed nature and condition which is euen in a manifest matter rather to lie without shame than to giue place vnto the truth and confesse their owne errour And although his aduersaries falsely bruted such a fame agaynst him whan he was yet a liue neuerthelesse he was purged therof by the whole Councell of Calcedon about a leuen hundred yeares agoe And furthermore in his booke which he wrote agaynst heresies he specially condemneth Nestorius by name And also all his iij. bookes of his dialogues before rehersed he wrot chiefly agaynst Nestorius and was neuer here in noted of error this thousand yeare but hath euer bene reputed and taken for an holy Byshop a great learned man and a graue author vntill now at this present tyme whan the Papistes haue nothing to answer vnto him they begin in excusing of them selues to defame him Thus much haue I spoken for Theodoretus which I pray thee be not weary to read good reader but often and with delectation deliberation and good aduertisement to read For it conteineth playnly and breefly the true instruction of a Christian man concerning the matter which in this booke we treate vpon First that our sauiour Christ in his last supper whan he gaue bread and wine to his apostles saying This is my body This is my bloud it was bread which he called his body and wine mixed in the cup which he called his bloud so that he changed the names of the bread and wine which were the misteries sacramentes fignes figures and tokens of Christes flesh and bloud and called them by the names of the thinges which they did represent and signifie that is to say the bread he called by the name of his very flesh and the wine by the name of his bloud Second that although the names of bread and wine were changed after sanctification yet neuertheles the thinges them selues remayned the selfe same that they were before the sanctification that is to say the same bread and wine in nature substance form and fashion The thyrd seing that the substance of the bread and wine be not changed why be then their names changed and the bread called Christes flesh and the wine his bloud Theodoretus sheweth that the cause therof was this that we should not haue so much respect to the bread and wyne which we see with our eyes and tast with our mouthes as we should haue to Christ him selfe in whome we beleue with our hartes and fele and tast him by our faith and with whose flesh and bloud by his grace we beleue that we be spiritually fedde and norished These thinges we ought to remember the reuolue in our myndes and to lift vp our hartes from the bread and wine vnto Christ that sitteth aboue And bicause we should so do therfore after the consecration they be no more called bread and wine but the body and bloud of Christ. The forth It is in these sacramentes of bread and wine
more then the assertion of this Author specially when thou hast red how he hath handled Hilray Cyrill Theophilact and Damascene as I shall hereafter touch Caunterbury WHether I make an exposition of Cyprian by myne own deuise I leaue to the iudgement of the indifferent reader And if I so doe why do not you proue the same substancially agaynst me For your own bare words without any proofe I trust the indifferent reader will not allow hauing such experience of you as he hath And if Cyprian of all other had writ most plainly agaynst me as you say without profe who thinketh that you would haue omitted here Cyprians wordes and haue fled to Melancthon and Epinus for succor And why do you alleage their authority for you which in no wise you admit when they be brought agaynst you But it semeth that you be faint harted in this mater and beginne to shrinke and like one that refuseth the combat and findeth the shift to put an other in his place euen so it semeth you would draw backe your selfe from the daunger and set me to fight with other men that in the meane tyme you might be an idle looker on And if you as graund capitayne take them but as meane souldiours to fyght in your quarell you shall haue little ayd at their hands for their writings declare opēly that they be agaynst you more then me although in this place you bring them for your part and report them to say more and otherwise then they say indeed And as for Cyprian and S. Augustine here by you alleaged they serue nothing for your purpose nor speake nothing against me by Epinus own iudgement For Epinus sayth that Eucharistia is called a sacrifice because it is a remembrance of the true sacrifice which was offred vpon the cros and that in it is dispensed the very body and bloud yea the very death of Christ as he alleadgeth of S. Augustine in that place the holy sacrifice wherby he blotted out and canceled the obligation of death which was against vs nayling it vpon the crosse and in his owne person wanne the victory and tryumphed agaynst the princes powers of darknesse This passion death and victory of Christ is dispēsed and distributed in the Lords holy supper and dayly among Christs holy people And yet all this requireth no corporal presence of Christ in the sacrament nor the words of Cypriā ad Quirinum neither For if they did then was Christes flesh corporally present in the sacrifice of the old testament 1500. yeares before he was borne for of those sacrifices speaketh that text alleaged by Cyprian ad Quirinum whereof Epinus and you gather these wordes that the body of our Lord is our sacrifice in flesh And how so euer you wrast Melancthon or Epinus they condemne clearely your doctrine that Christes body is corporally contayned vnder the formes or accidents of bread and wine Next in my book of Hilarius But Hylarius thinke they is playnest for them in this matter whose words they translate thus If the word were made very flesh and we verely receaue the word beyng flesh in our lords meat how shal not Christ be thought to dwel naturally in vs Who beyng borne man hath taken vnto him the nature of our flesh that can not be seuered hath put together the nature of his flesh to the nature of his eternity vnder the sacrament of the communion of his flesh vnto vs. For so we be all one because the father is in Christ and Christ in vs. Wherfore whosoeuer will deny the father to be naturally in Christ he must deny fyrst eyther himselfe to be naturally in Christ or Christ to be naturally in him For the beyng of the father in Christ and the being of Christ in vs maketh vs to be one in them And therfore if Christ haue taken verily the flesh of our body and the man that was verily born of the virgin Mary is Christ and also we receaue vnder thè true mistery the flesh of his body by meanes wherof we shal be one for the father is in Christ and Christ in vs how shall that be called the vnity of will when the naturall property brought to passe by the Sacrament is the sacrament of vnity Thus doth the Papists the aduersaries of Gods word of his truth alleage the authority of Hilarius eyther peruersely and purposely as it semeth vntruely reciting hym and wrasting his words to their purpose or els not truely vnderstanding him For although he sayth that Christ is naturally in vs yet he sayth also that we be naturally in him And neuerthelesse in so saying he ment not of the natural and corporall presence of the substaunce of Christes body and of ours for as our bodyes be not after that sort within his body so is not his body after that sort within our bodies but he ment that Christ in his incarnation receyued of vs a mortal nature and vnited the same vnto his diuinity and so be we naturally in him And the sacraments of Baptisme of his holy supper if we rightly vse the same do most assuredly certify vs that we be partakers of his godly nature hauing geuen vnto vs by him immortality and life euerlasting and so is Christ naturally in vs. And so be we one with Christ and Christ with vs not onely in will and mind but also in very naturall properties And so concludeth Hylarius agaynst Arrius that Christ is one with his father not in purpose and will onely but also in very nature And as the vnion betwene Christ and vs in baptisme is spirituall and requireth no real and corporall presence so likewise our vnion with Christ in his holy supper is spirituall and therfore requireth no reall and coporall presence And therfore Hilarius speaking therof both the sacraments maketh no difference betwene our vnion with Christ in baptisme and our vnion with him in his holy supper And sayth further that as Christ is in vs so be we in him which the Papistes cannot vnderstand corporally and really except they will say that all our bodyes be corporally within Christes body Thus is Hylarius answered vnto both playnly and shortly Winchester This answere to Hylary in the lxxviii leafe requyreth a playne precise issue worthy to be tried apparant at hand The allegation of Hylary toucheth specially me who do say and mayntayne that I cited Hylary truely as the copy did serue and translate him truely in English after the same words in latin This is one issue which I qualyfy with the copy because I haue Hilary now better correct which better correctiō setteth forth more liuely the truth then the other did and therfore that I did translate was not so much to the aduantage of that I aledged Hylary for as is that in the book that I haue now better correct Hilaries words in the booke newly corrected be these Si enim verè verbum caro factum est nos
for all our sinnes and is the raunsom for our redemption from euerlastyng damnation And although in the olde testament there were certayne sacrifices called by that name yet in very deed there is but one such sacrifice whereby our sins be pardoned and Gods mercy and fauour obtained which is the death of the sonne of God our Lord Iesu Christ nor neuer was any other sacrifice propitiatory at any time nor neuer shal be This is the honor and glory of this our high priest wherein he admitteth neither partener nor successor For by his owne oblation he satisfied his father for all mens sinnes and reconciled mankinde vnto his grace and fauour And whosoeuer depryue him of his honour and go about to take it to themselues they be very Antichristes and most arrogant blasphemers against God and agaynst his sonne Iesus Christ whom he hath sent And other kind of sacrifice there is which doth not reconcile vs to God but is made of them that be reconciled by Christ to testify our dueties vnto God and to shew ourselues thankfull vnto him And therfore they be called sacrifices of laud prayse and thanksgeuing The first kind of sacrifice Christ offered to God for vs the second kinde we our selues offer to God by Christ. And by the first kinde of sacrifice Christ offered also vs vnto hys Father and by the Second we offer ourselues and all that we haue vnto hym and hys Father And this sacrifice generally is our whole obedience vnto God in keeping his lawes and commaundementes Of which maner of sacrifice speaketh the prophet Dauid saying A sacrifice to God is a contrite hart And S. Peter sayth of all christen people that they be an holy priesthood to offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesu Christ. And S Paule sayth That alway we offer vnto God a sacrifice of laud and prayse by Iesus Christ. But now to speake somewhat more largely of the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ he was such an hie bishop that he once offering himselfe was sufficient by once effusion of his bloud to abolish sinne vnto the worldes end He was so perfect a priest that by one oblation he purged an infinite heape of sinnes leauing an easy and a ready remedy for all sinners that his one sacrifice should suffice for many yeares vnto all men that would not shewe themselues vnworthy And he tooke vnto himselfe not onely their sinnes that many yeares before were dead and put their trust in him but also the sins of those that vntill his comming agayne should truely beleue in his gospell So that now we may looke for none other priest nor sacrifice to take away our sinnes but onely him and his sacrifice And as he dying once was offered for all so as much as pertayned to him he tooke all mens sinnes vnto himself So that now there remaineth no moe sacrifices for sinne but extreme iudgement at the last day when he shall appeare to vs agayne not as a man to be punished agayne and to be made a sacrifice for our sinnes as he was before but he shal come in his glory without sinne to the great ioy and comfort of them which be purified and made cleane by his death and continue in godly and innocent liuing and to the greate terrour and dreade of them that be wicked and vngodly Thus the scripture teacheth that if Christ had made any oblation for sinne more then once he should haue dyed more then once forasmuch as there is none oblation and sacrifice for sinne but onely his death And now there is no more oblation for sinne seyng that by him our sinnes be remitted and our cōsciences quieted And although in the old Testament there were certayne sacrifices called Sacrifices for sinne yet they were no such sacrifices that could take away our sinnes in the sight of God but they were ceremonies ordayned to this intent that they should be as it were shadowes and figures to signify before hand the excellent sacrifice of Christ that was to come which should be the very true and perfect sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole world And for this signification they had the name of a sacrifice propitiatory and were called sacrifices for sinnes not because they indeed toke away our sinnes but because they were images shadowes and figures wherby godly men were admonished of the true sacrifice of Christ then to come whiche should truely abolish sinne and euerlasting death And that those sacrifices which were made by the priestes in the olde lawe could not be able to purchase our pardon and deserue the remission of our sinnes S. Paule doth clearely affirme in his sayd Epistle to the Hebrues where he sayth It is impossible that our sinnes should be taken away by the bloud of oxen and goates Wherefore all godly men although they did vse those sacrifices ordayned of God yet they did not take them as thinges of that value and estimation that thereby they should be able to obtayne remission of their sins before God But they tooke them partly for figures and tokens ordained of God by the which he declared that he would send that seed which he promised to be the very true sacrifice for sinne and that he would receiue thē that trusted in that promise and remit their sinnes for the sacrifice after to come And partly they vsed them as certayne ceremonies whereby such persons as had offended agaynst the law of Moyses and were cast out of the congregation were receiued agayne among the people and declared to be absolued As for like purposes we vse in the church of Christ sacramentes by him instituted And this outward casting out from the people of God and receiuing in agayne was according to the law and knowledge of man but the true recōciliation and forgeuenes of sin before God neither the fathers of the old law had nor we yet haue but onely by the sacrifice of Christ made in the mounte of Caluary And the sacrifices of the old law were prognosticatiōs and figures of the same then to come as our sacramentes be figures and demonstrations of the same now passed Now by these foresayd things may euery man easily perceiue that the offering of the priest in the Masse or the appoynting of his ministratiō at his pleasure to them that be quicke or dead can not merite and deserue neither to him selfe not to thē for whō he singeth or sayth the remissiō of their sinnes but that such Popish doctrine is cōtrary to the doctrine of the Gospell and iniurious to the sacrifice of Christ. For if onely the death of Christ be the oblation sacrifice and price wherfore our sinnes be pardoned thē the act or ministratiō of the priest cā not haue the same office Wherfore it is an abhominable blasphemy to geue that office or dignitie to a priest which pertaineth onely to Christ or to affirme that the Church hath neede of any such sacrifice as
who should say that Christes sacrifice were not sufficient for the remission of our sinnes or els that his sacrifice should hang vpon the sacrifice of a priest But all such priestes as pretend to be Christes successours in makyng a Sacrifice of him they be his most haynous and horrible aduersaries For neuer no person made a sacrifice of Christ but he him selfe onely And therfore Saint Paule sayth that Christes priesthoode cannot passe from him to an other For what needeth any moe Sacrifices if Christes Sacrifice be perfect and sufficient And as Saint Paule sayth that if the sacrifices and ministration of Aaron and other priestes of that tyme had lacked nothyng but had bene perfect and sufficient then should not the sacrifice of Christ haue bene required for it had bene but in vayne to adde any thyng to that which of it selfe was perfect so likewise if Christes Sacrifice which he made him selfe be sufficient what neede we euery day to haue moe and moe Sacrifices Wherfore all Popish priestes that presume to make euery day a Sacrifice of Christ either must they needes make Christes Sacrifice vayne vnperfect and vnsufficient or els is their sacrifice in vayne which is added to the Sacrifice which is already of it selfe sufficient and perfect But it is a wonderous thyng to see what shiftes and cautels the Popish Antichristes deuise to colour and cloke their wicked errours And as a chayne is so ioyned togither that one linke draweth an other after it so be vices and errours knit togither that euery one draweth his felow with him And so doth it here in this matter For the Papistes to excuse them selues do say that they make no new Sacrifice nor none other Sacrifice then Christ made for they be not so blynd but they see that then they should adde an other Sacrifice to Christes Sacrifice and so make his Sacrifice vnperfect but they say that they make the selfe same Sacrifice for sinne that Christ him selfe made And here they runne headlonges into the foulest and most haynous errour that euer was imagined For if they make euery day the same oblation and Sacrifice for sinne that Christ hym selfe made and the oblation that he made was his death and the effusion of his most precious bloud vpon the Crosse for our redemption and price of our sinnes then foloweth it of necessitie that they euery day slea Christ and shed his bloud and so bee they woorse then the wicked Iewes and Phariseis which slew hym and shed hys bloud but once Almighty God the father of light and truth banish all such darknes and errour out of his Church with the authours and teachers therof or els conuert their hartes vnto him and giue this light of fayth to euery man that he may trust to haue remission of his sinnes and be deliuered from eternall death and hell by the merite onely of the death and bloud of Christ and that by his own fayth euery man may apply the same vnto him selfe and not take it at the appointment of Popish priestes by the merite of sacrifices and oblations If we be in deede as we professe Christian men we may ascribe this honor and glory to no man but to Christ alone Wherefore lette vs geue the whole laude prayse hereof vnto him let vs fly onely to him for succour let vs hold him fast and hāg vpō him and geue our selues wholy to him And for asmuch as he hath giuen him selfe to death for vs to be an oblation and sacrifice to his father for our sinnes let vs geue our selues agayne vnto him makyng vnto him an oblatiō not of goates sheepe kine and other beastes that haue no reason as was accustomed before Christes comming but of a creature that hath reason that is to say of our selues not killyng our own bodies but mortifiyng the beastly and vnreasonable affectiōs that would gladly rule and raigne in vs. So lōg as the law did raigne God suffered dūbe beastes to be offered vnto him but now that we be spirituall we must offer spirituall oblatiōs In the place of calues sheepe goates and doues we must kill deuilish pride furious anger insatiable couetousnes filthy lucre stinkyng lechery deadly hatred and malice foxy wylinesse woluish rauenyng and deuouryng and all other vnreasonable lustes and desires of the flesh And as many as belong to Christ must crucifie and kill these for Christes sake as Christ crucified him selfe for their sakes These be the sacrifices of Christian men these hostes and oblations be acceptable to Christ. And as Christ offered him selfe for vs so is it our dueties after this sorte to offer our selues to him agayne And so shall we not haue the name of Christian mē in vayne but as we pretend to belong to Christ in word and profession so shall we in deede be his in lyfe and inward affection So that within and without we shal be altogether his cleane from all hypocrisie or dissimulation And if we refuse to offer our selues after this wise vnto him by crucifying our owne willes and committyng vs wholly to the will of God we be most vnkynd people superstitious hupocrites or rather vnreasonable beastes worthy to be excluded vtterly from all the benefites of Christes oblations And if wee put the oblation of the prieste in the steede of the oblation of Christ refusing to receaue the Sacrament of his body and bloud our selues as he ordeined and trustyng to haue remission of our sinnes by the Sacrifice of the priest in the Masse and thereby also to obtaine release of the paynes in Purgatory we do not onely iniurie to Christ but also commit most detestable Idolatry For these be but false doctrines without shame deuised and fayned by wicked Popish priestes Idolaters Monkes and Friers which for lucre have altered and corrupted the most holy Supper of the Lord and turned it into manifest Idolatry Wherfore all godly men ought with all their hart to refuse and abhorre all such blasphemie agaynst the sonne of God And for asmuch as in such Masses is manifest wickednesse and Idolatry wherein the priest alone maketh oblation satisfactory and applyeth the same for the quicke and the dead at his will and pleasure all such Popish Masses are to be clearely taken away out of Christian Churches and the true vse of the Lordes Supper is to be restored agayne wherein godly people assembled together may receaue the Sacrament euery man for him selfe to declare that he remembreth what benefite he hath receiued by the death of Christ and to testifie that he is a member of Christes body fed with his flesh and drinkyng his bloud spiritually Christ did not ordeyne his Sacramentes to this vse that one should receiue them for another or the priest for all the lay people but he ordeined them for this intent that euery man should receiue them for him selfe to ratifie confirme and stablishe his owne fayth and euerlastyng saluation Therfore as one man may not
be Baptised for an other and if he be it auayleth nothyng so ought not one to receiue the holy Communion for an other For if a man be dry or hungry he is neuer a whit eased if an other man drinke or eate for him or if a man be all befiled it helpeth him nothing an other man to bewashed for him So auayleth it nothyng to a man if an other man be Baptised for him or be refreshed for him with the meate and drinke at the Lordes Table And therfore sayd S. Peter Let euery man be Baptised in the name of Iesu Christ. And our Sauiour Christ sayd to the multitude Take and care And further he sayd Drinke you all of this Whosoeuer therfore will be spiritually regenerated in Christ he must be Baptised him selfe And he that will liue him selfe by Christ must by him selfe eate Christes flesh and drinke his bloud And briefly to conclude He that thinketh to come to the kyngdome of Christ him selfe must also come to his Sacramentes him selfe and keepe his Commaundements him selfe and do all thynges that pertayne to a Christian man and to his vocation him selfe least if he referre these thynges to an other man to do them for him the other may with as good right clayme the kyngdome of heauen for him Therfore Christ made no such difference betwene the priest and the lay mā that the priest should make oblation and sacrifice of Christ for the lay man and eate the Lordes Supper from him all alone and distribute and apply it as him liketh Christ made no such difference but the difference that is betwene the priest and the lay man in this matter is onely in the ministration that the priest as a common minister of the Church doth minister and distribute the Lords Supper vnto other and other receaue it at his handes But the very Supper it selfe was by Christ instituted and geuen to the whole Church not to be offered and eaten of the priest for other men but by him to be deliuered to all that would duely aske it As in a princes house the officers and ministers prepare the Table and yet other aswel as they eate the meate and drinke the drinke so do the priests and ministers prepare the Lordes Supper read the Gospell and rehearse Christes wordes but all the people say therto Amen All remember Christes death all geue thankes to God all repent and offer them selues an oblation to Christ all take him for their Lord and Sauiour and spiritually feede vpon him and in token therof they eate the bread and drinke the wine in his mysticall Supper And this nothyng diminisheth the estimation and dignitie of priesthode and other ministers of the Church but aduaunceth and highly commendeth their ministration For if they are much to be loued honored and esteemed that be the kynges Chauncelours Iudges officers and ministers in temporall matters how much than are they to be estemed that be ministers of Christes wordes and Sacramentes and haue to them committed the keyes of heauen to let in and shut out by the ministration of his word and Gospell Now for asmuch as I trust that I haue playnly inough set forth the propitiatory sacrifice of our Sauiour Iesu Christ to the capacitie and comfort of all men that haue any vnderstandyng of Christ and haue declared also the haynous abhomination and Idolatry of the Popishe Masse wherein the priestes haue taken vpon them the office of Christ to make a propitiatory sacrifice for the sinnes of the people and I haue also told what maner of sacrifice Christen people ought to make it is now necessary to make aunswere to the subtle persuasions and Sophisticall cauillations of the Papistes whereby they haue deceaued many a simple man both learned and vnlearned The place of S. Paule vnto the Hebrues which they doe cite for their purpose maketh quite and cleane agaynst them For where S. Paule sayth that euery high priest is ordayned to offer giftes and sacrifices for sinnes he spake not that of the priestes of the new Testamēt but of the old which as he sayth offered Calues and Goates And yet they were not such priestes that by their offerynges and sacrifices they could take away the peoples sinnes but they were shadowes and figures of Christ our euerlastyng priest which onely by one oblation of him selfe taketh away the sinnes of the world Wherfore the Popish priestes that apply this text vnto thēselues do directly contrary to the meanyng of S. Paule to the great iniury and preiudice of Christ by whom onely S. Paule sayth that the sacrifice and oblation for the sinne of the whole world was accomplished and fulfilled And as litle serueth for the Papistes purpose the text of the Prophet Malachie that euery where should be offered vnto God a pure sacrifice and oblation For the Prophet in that place spake no word of the Masse nor of any oblation propitiatory to be made by the priestes but he spake of the oblation of all faythfull people in what place so euer they be which offer vnto God with pure hartes and myndes sacrifices of laude and prayse prophecying of the vocation of the Gentiles that God would extende his mercy vnto them and not be the God onely of the Iewes but of all nations from East to West that with pure fayth call vpon him and glorifie his name But the aduersaries of Christ gather together a great heape of Authours whiche as they say call the Masse or holy Communion a Sacrifice But all those Authours be aunswered vnto in this one sentence that they called it not a sacrifice for sinne bycause that it taketh away our sinne which is takē away onely by the death of Christ but bicause the holy Cōmunion was ordeined of Christ to put vs in remēbraūce of the sacrifice made by him vpō the crosse for that cause it beareth the name of that sacrifice as S. Augustin declareth plainly in his Epistle ad Bonifacium before rehearsed in this booke pag. 141. And in his booke De fide ad Petrum Diaconū And in his booke De Ciuitate Dei he sayth That which men call a sacrifice is a signe or representation of the true sacrifice And the Maister of the Sentence of whom all the Schoole Authours take their occasion to write iudged truely in this poynt saying That whiche is offered and consecrated of the priest Is called a sacrifice and oblation because it is a memory and representation of the true Sacrifice and holy oblation made in the aultar of the Crosse. And S. Iohn Chrisostome after he hath sayd that Christ is our Byshop which offered that Sacrifice that made vs cleane and that we offer the same now least any man might be deceiued by his maner of speakyng he openeth his meanyng more playnly saying That which we doe is done for a remembraunce of that whiche was done by Christ For Christ sayth Doe this in remembraunce of me Also
his death indeed So in the Lords supper according to his commaundement we remember his death preaching and commending the same vntill his return agayne at the last day And although it be one Christ that died for vs and whose death we remember yet it is not one sacrifice that he made of himselfe vpon the crosse and that we make of him vpon the alter or table For his sacrifice was the redemption of the world ours is not so his was death ours is but a remēbraunce thereof Hys was the taking away the shines of the world ours is a praising and thanking for the same and therefore his was satisfactory ours is gratulatory It is but one christ that was offred thē that is offred now yet the offeringes be diuers his was the thing and ours is the figure His was the originall and ours is as it were a patterne Therefore concludeth Lombardus that Christ was otherwise offered then and otherwise now And seing then that the offeringes and sacrifices be diuers if the first was propitiatory and satisfactory ours cannot be so except we shall make many sacrifices propitiatory And then as S. Paule reasoneth either the first must be insufficient or the other in vayne And as Christ onely made thys propitiatory sacrifice so he made but one and but once For the making of any other or of the same agayne should haue beene as S. Paule reasoneth a reprouing of the first as vnperfect and insufficient And therefore at his last supper although Christ made vnto his father sacrifices of lauds and thankesgeuing as these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do declare yet he made there no sacrifice propitiatory for then either the sacrifice vpon the crosse had bene voyd or the sacrifice at the supper vnperfect and vnsufficient And although he had at his supper made sacrifices propitiatory yet the priests do not so who do not the same that Christ did at his supper For he ministred not the sacrament in remembrannce of his death which was not then brought to passe but he ordained it to be ministred of vs in remembraunce thereof And therfore our offering after Lombardus iudgement is but remembraunce of that true offering wherein Christ offered himselfe vpon the crosse And so did Christ institute it to be And Lombardus sayth not that Christ is dayly offered for proportion of our sinnes but because we dayly sinne wee dayly bee put in the remembraunce of Christes death which is the perfect proportion for sinne And the priest as Lombardus sayth maketh a memoriall of that oblation of Christ and as Hesechius sayth he doth in the name of the people so that the sacrifice is no more the priestes then the peoples For the priestes speak the wordes and the people should aunswere amen as Iustinus sayth The priest should declare the death and passion of Christ and all the people should looke vpon the crosse in the mount of Caluary see Christ there hanging and the bloud flowing out of his side into theyr wounds to heale all their sores and the priest and people altogether should laud and thanke instantly the Chyrurgion and Phiscycion of their soules And this is the priestes and peoples sacrifice not to be propitiators for sinne but as Emissene sayth to worship continually in mistery that was but once offered for the price of sinne and this shortly is the mind of Lombardus that the thing which is done at gods boord is a sacrifice so is that also which was made vpon the crosse but not after one manner of vnderstanding For this was the thing in deed and that is the anniuersary or commemoration of the thing And now haue I made it euident that Petrus Lombardus defaceth in no poynt my saying of the sacrifice but confirmeth fully my doctrine aswell of the sacrifice propitiatory made by Christ himselfe onely as of the sacrifice cōmemoratiue and gratulatory made by the preists and people So that in your issue taken vpon Lombard the verdit cannot but passe wyth me by the testimony of Lombard himselfe And yet I do not fully allow Lombardes iudgement in all matters who with Gratian his brother as it is sayd were ij chiefe champiōs of the Romish sea to spread abroad their errours and vsurped authority but I speake of Lombard onely to declare that yet in his tyme they had not cited so farre to make of theyr was a sacrifice propitiatory But in the end of this processe Lōbard speaketh with out the booke when he concludeth this matter thus that the virtue of this sacrament is the remission of veniall sin and perfection of vertue which if Lombard vnderstand of the sacrifice of Christ it is to little to make hys sacrifice the remission but of veniall sin And if he vnderstand it of the sacrifice of the priest it is to much to make the priests sacrifice either the perfection of vertue or the remission of veniall sinne which be the effects onely of the sacrifice of Christ. Now let vs consider the rest of your confutation Winchester The catholicke doctrine teacheth not the daily sacrifice of Christes most precious body and bloud to be an iteration of the once perfited sacrifice on the crosse but a sacrifice that representeth that sacrifice and sheweth it also before the faythfull eyes and refresheth the effectuall memory of it so as in the dayly sacrifice without shedding of bloud we may sée with the eye of fayth the very body and bloud of Christ by Gods mighty power without diuision distinctly exhibits the same body and bloud that suffered and was shed for vs which is a timely memoriall to stir vp our fayth and to consider therin briefly the great charity of God towardes vs declared in Christ. The catholick doctrine teacheth the dayly sacrifice to be in the same in essence that was offered on the crosse once assured therof by Christs wordes when he sayd This is my body that shal be betrayed for you The offering on the crosse was and is propitiatory and satisfactory for our redemption and remission of sin whereby to destroy the tyranny of sinne the effect whereof is geuen and dispensed in the sacrament of baptisme once likewise ministred and neuer to be iterate no more then Christ can be crucified agayne and yet by vertue of the same offering such as fall be releued in the sacrament of penaunce Caunterbury After you wilfull wrangling without any cause at the last of your own swing you come to the truth purely and sincerely professing and setting forth the same except in few wordes here and there cast in as it were cockle among cleane corne The offering on the crosse say you was and is propitiatory and satisfactory for our redemption and remission of sin the effect whereof is geuen and dispensed in the sacrament of baptisme once likewise ministred and neuer to be iterate but the catholick doctrine teacheth not that the dayly sacrifice is an
may be also here in the blessed Sacrament of the aultar I am not so ignorant but I know that Christ appeared to S. Paule and sayd to him Saule Saule why doest thou persecute me But S. Augustin sayth that Christ at his Ascention spake the last wordes that euer he speake vpon earth And yet we finde that Christ speaketh sayth he but in heauen and from heauen and not vpon earth For he spake to Paule from aboue saying Saule Saule why doest thou persecute me The head was in heauen and yet he sayd why doest thou persecute me bycause he persecuted his members vpon earth And if this please not Maister Smith let him blame S. Augustin and not me for I fayne not this my selfe but onely alledge S. Augustin And as the father spake from heauen whan he sayd This is my beloued sonne in whom I am pleased and also S. Stephen saw Christ sittyng in heauen at his fathers right hand euen so ment S. Augustin that S. Paule and all other that haue sene and heard Christ speake since his Ascention haue sene and heard him from heauen NOw when this Papist goyng forward with his woorkes seeth his building so feeble weake that it is not able to stand he returneth to his chief foūdation the Church and Councels generall willyng all men to stay thereupon to leaue disputyng reasonyng And chiefly he shoareth vp his house with the Councell Lateranence whereat sayth he were xiij hundred Fathers xv But he telleth not that viij hundred of them were Monkes Friers and Chanons the Byshop of Romes owne deare deare-lynges chief champions called together in his name not in Christes From which broode of vypers Serpentes what thyng can be thought to come but that dyd proceede frō the spirite of their most holy father that first begat them that is to say from the spirite of Antichrist And yet I know this to bee true that Christ is present with his holy Churche whiche is his holy elected people and shall be with them to the worldes end leadyng gouernyng them with his holy spirite teachyng them all truth necessary for their saluation And when so euer any such be gathered together in his name there is he among them he shall not suffer the gates of hell to preuaile agaynst them For although he may suffer them by their owne frailenes for a tyme to erre fall and to dye yet finally neither sathan hell sinne nor eternall death shall preuaile agaynst them But it is not so of the Church and sea of Rome whiche accompteth it selfe to be the holy Catholicke Churche and the Byshop therof to be most holy of all other For many yeares ago Sathan hath so preuailed agaynst that stinkyng whore of Babylon that her abhominations be knowen to the whole world the name of God is by her blasphemed and of the cup of her dronkennes and poyson haue all nations tasted AFter this cōmeth Smith to Berēgarius Almericus Carolostadius Oecolampadius Zuinglius affirmyng that the Church euer sithens Christes tymes a thousand fiue hūdreth yeares and moe hath beleued that Christ is bodily in the Sacrament and neuer taught otherwise vntill Berengarius came about a thousand yeares after Christ whom the other folowed But in my booke I haue proued by Gods word the old auncient Authors that Christ is not in the sacrament corporally but is bodily corporally ascended into heauen there shall remaine vnto the worldes end And so the true Church of Christ euer beleued from the beginnyng with out repugnaunce vntill Sathan was let louse and Antichrist came with his Papistes which fayned a new and false doctrine contrary to Gods word and the true Catholicke doctrine And this true fayth God preserueth in his holy church still and will doe vnto the worldes end maugre the wicked Antichrist and all the gates of hell And almighty God from time to time hath strēgthened many holy Martirs for this fayth to suffer death by Antichrist and the great harlot Babilon who hath embrewed her handes and is made drunken with the bloud of Martyrs Whose bloud God will reuēge at length although in the meane time he suffer the patiēce and fayth of his holy Saynts to be tried ALl the rest of his Preface contayneth nothing els but the authority of the Church which Smith sayth cannot wholy erre and he so setteth forth and extolleth the same that he preferreth it aboue Gods word affirming not onely that it is the piller of truth and no lesse to bee beleued then holy scripture but also that we should not beleue holy scripture but for it So that he maketh the word of men equall or aboue the word of God And truth it is in deed that the church doth neuer wholy erre for euer in most darcknes God shineth vnto his elect and in the midst of all iniquity he gouerneth them so with his holy word and spirite that the gates of hell preuayle not agaynst them And these be knowne to him although the world many times know them not but hath them in derision and hatred as it had Christ and his Apostles Neuerthelesse at the last day they shal be knowen to all the whole world when the wicked shal wonder at their felicity and say These be they whom we sometime had in verision and mocked We fooles thought their liues very madnes and their end to be without honour But now loe how they be accounted among the children of God and theyr portion is among the sayntes Therfore we haue erred frō the way of truth the light of righteousnesse hath not shined vnto vs we haue wearyed our selues in the way of wickednes and destruction But this holy church is so vnknowne to the world that no mā can discerne it but God alone who onely searcheth the hartes of all men knoweth his true children from other that be but bastardes This church is the piller of trueth because it resteth vpon Gods word which is the true and sure foundation wil not suffer it to erre fall But as for the opē knowne church the outward face therof it is not the piller of truth otherwise thē that it is as it were a register or treasory to keepe the bookes of Gods holy will testament to rest onely thereupon as S. Augustine and Tertullian meane in the place by M. Smith alleadged And as the register keepeth all mens wils and yet hath none authority to adde change or take away any thing nor yet to expound the wils further then the very words of the will extend vnto so that he hath no power ouer the will but by the will euen so hath the church no further power ouer the holy scripture which conteyneth the will and testamēt of god but onely to keepe it and to see it obserued and kept For if the Church proceede further to make any new Articles of the fayth besides the Scripture
subiectes but they must seeke it at a straungers hands in a straunge land the like whereof I thinke was neuer seene I would haue wished to haue had some meaner aduersaryes I thinke that death shall not greeue me much more then to haue my most dread and most gratious soueraygne Lord and Lady to whom vnder God I do owe all obedience to be mine accusers in iudgement within their owne realme before any straunger and outward power But forasmuch as in the time of the Prince of most famous memory King Henry the 8. your graces father I was sworne neuer to consent that the byshop of Rome should haue or exercise any authoritie or iurisdiction in this realme of England therefore least I should allow his authority contrary to mine oth I refused to make aunswere to the Byshop of Gloucester sitting here in iudgemēt by the Popes authority least I should runne into periury An other cause why I refused the popes authority is this that his authority as he claimeth it repugneth to the crowne imperiall of this realme and to the lawes of the same which euery true subiect is bound to defend Fyrst for that the Pope sayth that all manner of power aswell temporall as spirituall is geuen first to him of God and that the temporall power he geueth vnto Emperours and Kinges to vse it vnder him but so as it be alwayes at his cōmaundement becke But contrary to this clayme the Emperial crowne and iurisdiction temporall of this Realme is taken immediately from God to be vsed vnder him onely and is subiect vnto none but to God alone Moreouer the imperiall lawes and customes of this realme the king in his Coronation and all Iustices when they receiue their offices be sworne and all the whole realme is bound to defend and maintayne But contrary hereunto the pope by his authority maketh voyd and commaundeth to blot out of our bookes all lawes and customes being repugnant to his lawes and declareth accursed all rulers and gouernours all the makers writers executors of such lawes or customes as it appeareth by many of the Popes lawes whereof one or two I shall rehearse In the decrees distin x. is written thus Constitutione contra canones decreta praesulum Romanorum vel bonos mores nullius sunt momenti That is the constitutions or statutes enacted agaynst the Canons and decrees of the Bishops of Rome or their good customes are of none effect Also Extra de sententia excommunicationis merit Excōmunicamus omnes hareticos vtriusque sexus quocumque nomine censeantur fautores receptatores defensores eorum nec non qui de catero sernari fecerint statuta edita consuetudines contra ecclesia libertatem nisiea de capitularibus suis intra duos menses post huiusmodi publicationem sentencia fecerint amoueri Item excōmunicamus statutarios scriptores statutorum ipsorum nec non potestates consules rectores consiliarios locorum vbi de catero huiusmodi statuta consuetudines edita fuerint velseruatae nec non illos qui secundum ea praesumpserint iudicarem vel in publicam formam scribere iudicata That is to say we excōmunicate all heretickes of both sexes what name so euer they be called by and their fauourers and receptours and defenders and also them that shall hereafter cause to be obserued statutes and customes made agaynst the liberty of the Church except they cause the same to be put out of their bookes or recordes within two monethes after the publication of this sentence Also we excommunicate the statute makers and writers of those statutes and also the potestates consuls gouernors and counsellors of places where such statutes and customes shall be made or kept and also those that shall presume to geue iudgement according to them or put into publike forme of writing the maners so iudged Now by these lawes if the Byshop of Romes authority which be claymeth by God bee lawfull of your graces lawes and customes of your Realme being contrary to the Popes lawes be naught and aswell your maiesty as your iudges iustices and all other executors of the same stand accursed among heretickes which God forbid And yet this curse can neuer be auoyded if the Pope haue such power as he claymeth vntil such times as the lawes and customes of this Realme beyng contrary to his lawes bee taken away and blotted out of the law bookes And although there bee many lawes of this Realme contrary to the lawes of Rome yet I named but a few as to conuict a Clarke before any temporall Iudge of this Realme for debt felony murther or for any other crime which Clarkes by the Popes lawes be so exempt from the Kynges lawes that they can be no where sued but before their Ordinary Also the pope by his lawes may geue all byshoprickes and benefices sprituall which by the lawes of this Realme can be geuen but onely by the Kinges and other patrones of the same except they fall into the lapse By the Popes lawes ius patronatus shal be sued onely before the ecclesiasticall iudge but by the lawes of this realme it shall be sued before the temporall iudge and to be short the lawes of this realme do agree with the Popes lawes like fire and water And yet the Kinges of this Realme haue prouided for their lawes by the premunire so that if any man haue let the excution of the lawes of this Realme by any authority from the sea of Rome he falleth into the premunire But to meete with this the popes haue prouided for their lawes by cursing For whosoeuer letteth the Popes lawes to haue full course within this realme by the Popes power standeth accursed So that the popes power treadeth all the lawes and customes of this Realme vnder his feete cursing all that execute them vntill such time as they geue place vnto his lawes But it may be said that notwithstanding all the popes decrees yet we do execute still the lawes and customes of this Realme Nay not all quietly without interruption of the Pope And where we do execute them yet we do it vniustly if the popes power be of force and for the same we stand excommunicate and shall doe vntill we leaue the execution of our owne lawes and customes Thus we be wel recōciled to Rome allowing such authority wherby the Realme standeth accursed before God if the Pope haue any such authority These thinges as I suppose were not fully opened in the parliament house when the popes authority was receiued agayne within this Realme for if they had I do not beleue that either the King or Queenes maiesty or the nobles of this Realme or the commons of the same would euer haue consented to receiue agayne such a forrayne authority so iniurious hurtfull and preiudiciall aswel to the crowne as to the lawes and customes and state of this realme as whereby they must needes acknowledge themselues to
tooke his leaue of the kynges highnesse for that night On the morow about ix of the clocke before noone the Counsaile sent a Gentleman busher for the Archbishop who when he came to the Counsaile chamber doore could not be let in but of purpose as it séemed was compelled there to waite among the pages lackeys and seruyngmen all alone Doct. Buttes the kynges Phisition resortyng that way and espying how my Lord of Canterbury was handled went to the kynges highnes and sayd My Lord of Canterbury if it please your Grace is well promoted for now he is become a lackey or a seruyngman for yonder he standeth this halfe houre without the Counsaile chamber doore amongest them It is not so quoth the kyng I trow nor the Counsaile hath not so litle discretion as to vse the Metropolitane of the Realme in that sorte specially beyng one of their owne number but let them alone sayd the kyng and we shall here more soone Anone the Archbishop was called into the Counsaile Chamber to whom was alledged as before is rehearsed The Archbyshop aunswered in like sort as the kyng had aduised him and in the ende when he perceiued that no maner of perswasion or intreatie could serue he deliuered to them the kyngs ryng reuokyng his cause into the kynges handes The whole Counsaile beyng thereat somewhat amased the Earle of Bedford with a loude voyce confirmyng his wordes with a solemne oth sayd When you first began this matter my Lordes I told you what would come of it Do you thinke that the kyng will suffer this mans finger to ake much more I warrant you will he defend his life agaynst brablyng varlets You do but comber your selues to heare tales and fables agaynst him And so incontinently vpon the recept of the kynges token they all rose and caryed to the kyng his ryng surrenderyng that matter as the order and vse was into his owne handes When they were all come to the kynges presence his highnesse with a seuere countenaunce sayd vnto theÌ„ Ah my Lordes I thought I had had wiser men of my Counsaile then now I finde you What discretion was this in you thus to make the Primate of the Realme one of you in office to waite at the Counsaile Chamber doore amongest seruyngmen You might haue considered that he was a Counseller as well as you and you had no such CoÌ„mission of me so to handle him I was coÌ„tent that you should try him as a Counseller not as a meane subiect But now I well perceiue that things be done agaynst him malitiously if some of you might haue had your myndes you would haue tried him to the vttermost But I doe you all to witte protest that if a Prince may be beholdyng vnto his subiect and so solemly laying his haÌ„d vpon his brest sayd by the fayth I owe to God I take this man here my Lord of Caunterbury to bee of all other a most faythfull subiect vnto vs and one to whom we are much beholdyng giuyng him great commendations otherwise And with that one or two of the chiefest of the Counsaile makyng their excuse declared that in requestyng his induraunce it was rather ment for his triall and his purgation agaynst the common fame and sclaunder of the world then for any malice conceiued agaynst him Well well my Lordes quoth the king take him and well vse him as he is worthy to be and make no more ado And with that euery man caught him by the hand and made fayre wether of altogethers whiche might easely be done with that man And it was much to bee marueiled that they would goe so farre with him thus to séeke his vndoyng this well vnderstandyng before that the kyng most entirely loued him and alwayes would stand in his defence who soeuer spake agaynst him as many other tymes the kynges patience was by sinister informations agaynst him tryed In so much that the Lord Cromwell was euermore wont to say vnto him My Lord of Canterbury you are most happy of all men for you may do and speake what you lifte and say what all men can agaynst you the kyng will neuer beleue one word to your detriment or hinderaunce After the death of kyng Henry immediatly succéeded his sonne kyng Edward vnder whose gouernement and protection the state of this Archbyshop beyng his Godfather was nothyng appaired but rather more aduaunced Duryng all this meane tyme of kyng Henry aforesayd vntill the entryng of kyng Edward it séemeth that Cranmer was scarsely yet throughly perswaded in the right knowledge of the Sacrament or at least was not yet fully rypened in the same wherein shortly after he beyng more groundly confirmed by conference with Byshop Ridley in processe of tyme did so profite in more ryper knowledge that at last he tooke vpon him the defence of that whole doctrine that is to refute and throw downe first the corporall presence secondly the phantasticall transubstantiation thirdly the Idolatrous adoration fourthly the false errour of the Papistes that wicked men do eate the naturall body of Christ and lastly the blasphemous sacrifice of the Masse Whereupon in conclusion he wrote fiue bookes for the publicke instructioÌ„ of the Church of England which instruction yet to this day standeth and is receaued in this Church of England Agaynst these fiue bookes of the Archbyshop Stephen Gardiner the Archenemy to Christ and his Gospell beyng then in the Tower slubbereth vp a certaine aunswere such as it was which he in open Court exhibited vp at Lambeth beyng there examined by the Archbyshop aforesayd and other the kynges Commissioners in kyng Edwardes dayes whiche booke was intitled An Explication and assertion of the true Catholicke fayth touchyng the blessed Sacrament of the aultar with a confutation of a booke written agaynst the same Agaynst this Explication or rather a caâ—illyng Sophistication of Stephens Gardiner Doctour of Law the sayd Archbyshop of Canterbury learnedly and copiously replying agayne maketh aunswere as by the discourse therof renewed in Print is euident to be sene to all such as with indifferent eye will Read and peruse the same Besides these bookes aboue recited of this Archbishop diuers other things there were also of his doing as the booke of Reformation with the booke of Homelies whereof part was by him contriued part by his procurement approued and published Wherunto also may be adioyned an other writing or confutation of his agaynst 88. Articles by the CoÌ„uocation deuised and propounded but yet not ratified nor receaued in the reigne and time of king Henry And thus much hetherto concernyng the deynges and trauailes of this Archbyshop of Caunterbury duryng the lines both of kyng Henry and of kyng Edward his sonne Which two kynges so long as they continued this Archbyshop lacked no stay of maintenaunce agaynst all his maligners After the death of king Edward Quéene Mary comming now to the Crowne and being established in
the possession of the Realme not long after came to London and after she had caused first the two Dukes of Northumberland and Suffolke and their two children the Lady Iane and the Lord Guilford both in age tender and innocent of that crime to be executed She put the rest of the Nobilitie to their lines and forgaue them the Archbishop of Canterbury onely except Who though he desired pardon by meane of frendes could obtaine none in so much that the Quéene would not once â—ouchsafe to sée hym For as yet the old grudges agaynst the Archbyshop for the diuorcement of her mother remained hid in the bottome of her hart Besides this diuorce she remembred the state of Religion chaunged all which was reputed to the Archbishop as the chief cause therof While these thinges were in doing a rumor was in all mens mouthes that the Archbishop to curry fauour with the Quéene had promised to say a Dirige Masse after the old custome for the funerall of king Edward her brother Neither wanted there some which reported that he had already said Masse at Caunterbury whiche Masse in déede was sayd by Doct. Thornton This rumor Cranmer thinkyng spéedely to stay gaue forth a writing in his purgation the tenour whereof being set out at large in the booke of Actes and Monumentes I néede not here againe to recite This Bill being thus written and lying openly a window in his chamber coÌ„meth in by chaunce Maister Scory Bishop then of Rochester who after he had read and perused the same required of the Archbishop to haue a Copie of the Bill The Archbishop when he had graunted and permitted the same to Maister Scory by the occasion therof M. Scory lending it to some frend of his there were diuers Copies takeÌ„ out therof the thing published abroad among the common people in so much that euery Scriueners shop almost was occupied in writing and copying out the same and so at length some of those Copies comming to the Bishops handes so brought to the Counsell they sending it to the Commissioners the matter was knowen so he commauÌ„ded to appeare Whereupon Doct. Cranmer at his day prefixed appeared before the sayd Commissioners bringing a true Inuentorie as he was commauÌ„ded of all his goodes That done a Bishop of the Quéenes priuie Counsell being one of the sayd Commissioners after the Inuentorie was receaued bringing in mention of the Bill My Lord said he there is a Bill put forth in your name wherein you séeme to be agréeued with setting vp the Masse againe we doubt not but you are sorie that it is gone abroad To whom the Archbishop aunswering againe saying as I doe not deny my selfe to be the very Authour of that Bill or Letter so must I confesse here vnto you concerning the same Bill that I am sorie that the sayd Bill went from me in such sort as it did For when I had written it M. Scory got the Copie of me and is now come abroad and as I vnderstand the Citie is full of it For whiche I am sorie that it so passed my handes for I had intended otherwise to haue made it in a more large and ample maner mynded to haue set it on Paules Church doore and on the doores of all the Churches in London with mine owne feele ioyned thereto At whiche wordes when they saw the constantnesse of the man they dismissed him affirming they had no more at that present to say vnto him but that shortly hee should heare further The said Bishop declared afterward to one of Doct. Cranmers frendes that notwithstaÌ„ding his attainder of treason the Quéenes determination at that time was that Cranmer should onely haue bene depriued of his Archbishopricke and haue had a sufficient liuing assigned him vpon his exhibiting of a true Inuentorie with commaundement to kéepe his house without medlyng in matters of Religion But how that was true I haue not to say This is certaine that not long after this he was sent vnto the Tower and soone after condemned of treason Notwithstanding the Quéene wheÌ„ she could not honestly denie him his pardon seing all the rest were discharged and specially seing he last of all other subscribed to king Edwardes request that against his owne will released to him his action of treason and accused him onely of heresie which liked the Archbishop right well and came to passe as he wished because the cause was not now his owne but Christes not the Quéenes but the Churches Thus stoode the cause of Cranmer till at length it was determined by the Quéene and the Counsel that he should be remoned from the Tower where he was prisoner to Oxford there to dispute with the Doctours and Diuines And priuely word was sent before to them of Oxford to prepare them selues and make them ready to dispute And although the Quéene and the Bishops had coÌ„cluded before what should become of him yet it pleased them that the matter should be debated with Argumentes that vnder some honest shew of disputation the murther of the man might be couered Neither could their hastie spéede of reuengement abide any long delay and therfore in all hast he was caried to Oxford What this disputation was and how it was handled what were the questions and reasons on both sides and also touching his condemnation by the Uniuersitie the Prolocutor because sufficiently it hath bene declared in the storie at large we mynde now therefore to procéede to his finall iudgement and order of condemnation whiche was the xii day of September an 1556. and seuen dayes before the condemnation of Bishop Ridley and Maister Latimer After the disputations done and finished in Oxford betwene the Doctours of both Uniuersities and the thrée worthy Bishops Doct. Cranmer Ridley and Larymer senteÌ„ce condemnatory immediatly vpoÌ„ the same was ministred against them by Doct. Weston and other of the Uniuersitie whereby they were iudged to be heretickes and so committed to the Maior and Sheriffes of Oxford by whom hee was caried to Bocardo their coÌ„mon Gaile in Oxford In this meane tyme while the Archbishop was thus remainyng in duraunce whoÌ„ they had kept now in prisoÌ„ almost the space of thrée yeares the Doctours and Diuines of Oxford busied them selues all that euer they could about Maister Cranmer to haue him recant assaying by all craftie practises and allurementes they might deuise how to bring their purpose to passe And to the intent they might winne him easely they had him to the Deanes house of Christes Church in the sayd Uniuersitie where he lacked no delicate fare played at the bowles had his pleasure for walking and all other thinges that might bring him from Christ. Ouer and besides all this secretly and sleightly they suborned certaine men whiche when they could not expugne him by argumentes and disputation should by entreatie and fayre promises or any other meanes allure him to recantation perceiuyng otherwise what a great
sacrificium oblationem quia memoria est representatio veri sacrificy sanctae immolationis factae in ara crucis semel Christus mortuus in cruce est ibique immolatus est in semetipso quotidie auteÌ„ immolatur in sacrameÌ„to quia in sacramento recordatio fit illius quod factum est semel vnde Augustin Certum habemus quia Christus resurgens ex mortus iam non moritur c. tamen ne obliniscamur quod semel factum est in memoria nostra omn 〈◊〉 fit sclicet quaÌ„do pascha celebratur Nunquid totiens Christus occiditur sed tantuÌ„ aniu◠〈◊〉 â—ecordatio representat quod olim factuÌ„ est sic nos facit moueri taÌ„quaÌ„ videamus Domin◠〈◊〉 â—uce IteÌ„ semel immolatus est Christus in semetipso tameÌ„ quotidie immolatur in sacramâ—â—â—â— Quod sic intilligenduÌ„ est quia in manifestatione corporis distinctione membroruÌ„ semel tanti in cruce pependit offereÌ„s se Deo patri hostiaÌ„ redeÌ„ptionis efficacem eoruÌ„ scilicet quos praedestinauit Item Ambrosius In Christo semel oblata est hostia ad saluteÌ„ potes quid ergo nos Nonne per singulos dies offerimus Fae si quotidie offeramus ad recordationem eius mortis fit vna est hostia non multae quomodo vna noÌ„ multae quia semel immolatus est Christus Hoc auteÌ„ sacrificium exemplum est illius idipsum semper idipsum offertur proinde hoc idem est sacrificium alioquin dicetur quoniam in multis locis offertur multi sunt Christi non sed vnus vbique est Christus hic plenus existens illic plenus sicut quod vbique offertur vnum est corpus ita vnum sacrificium Christus hostiam obtulit ipsam offerimus nuÌ„c sed quod nos agimus recordatio est sacrificij Nec causa suae infirmitatis reperitur quia per ficit hominem sed nostrae quia quotidie peccamus Ex his colligitur esse sacrificium dici quod agitur in altari Christum semel oblatuÌ„ quotidie offerri sed aliter tunc aliter muncâ—et etiam quae sit virtus huius sacramenti ostenditur remissio scilicet peccatorum venalium perfectio virtutis The English hereof is this After this it is asked whether that the Priest doth may be sayd properly a sacrifice or immolation and whether Christ be dayly immolate or onely once Whereunto it may be shortlye aunswered that which is offered and consecrate of the priest is called a sacrifice and oblation because it is a memory and representation of the true sacrifice and holye immolation done in the aultar of the crosse And Christ was once dead on the crosse and there was offered in himselfe but he is dayly immolate in the sacrament because in the sacrament there is made a memory of that is once done Whereupon S. Augustine We are assured that christ rising from death dieth not now c. Yet least we should forget that is once done in our memory euery yere is done videl as often as the pascha is celebrate is Christ as often killed onely a yerely remembraunce representeth that was once done and so causeth vs to be moued as though we saw our Lord on the crosse Also Christ was once offered in himselfe and is offered dayly in the sacrament which is thus to be vnderstaÌ„ded that in open shewyng of his body and distinction of his meÌ„bers he did hang onely once vpon the crosse offering himselfe to God the father an host of redemption effectuall for them whome he hath predestinate Also S. Ambrose In Christ the host was once offred being of power to helth what do we then doe we not offer euery day and if we offer euery day it is done to the remembraunce of the death of him and the host is one not many How one and not many because Christ is once offered this sacrifice is the example of that the same and alwayes the same is offered therfore this is the same sacrifice Or els it may be sayd because offering is in many places there be many Christes which is not so but one Christ is ech where and here ful and there full so as that which is offered euery where is one body and so also one sacrifice Christ hath offered the host we do offer the same also now But what we do is a remembraunce of the sacrifice Nor there is no cause found of the owne inualidity because it perfiteth the man but of vs because we dayly sinne Hereof it is gathered that to be a sacrifice and to be so called that is done in the alter and Christ to be once offered and dayly offered but otherwise then and otherwise now and also it is shewed what is the vertue of this Sacrament that is to say remission of veniall sinne and perfection of vertue Thus writeth Petrus Lombardus whose iudgement because this author alloweth he must graunt that the visible church hath Priestes in ministery that offer dayly Christes most precious body and bloud in mistery and then must it be graunted that Christ so offered himselfe in his supper For otherwise then he did cannot now be done And by the iudgement of Petrus Lombardus the same most precious body and bloud is offered dayly that once suffered and was once shed And also by the same Petrus iudgement which he confirmeth with the saying of other this dayly offering by the priest is daylye offered for sin not for any imperfection in the first offering but because wee daylye fall And by Petrus iudgement appeareth also how the priest hath a speciall functioÌ„ to make this offering by whose mouth god is prayed vnto as Hesychius sayth to make this sacrifice which Emissene noteth to be wrought by the great power of the inuisible priest By Petrus Lombardus also if his iudgement be true as it is in deed and the author coÌ„fesseth it so to be that is done in the aultar is not onely called a sacrifice but also is so the same that is offered once and dayly to be the same but otherwise then and otherwise now But to the purpose if the author will stand to the iudgement of Petrus Lombardus all his fift booke of this treaty is clerely defaced And if he will now call backe that agayne he might more compendeously do the same in the whole treatise being so far ouerseene as he is therein Caunterbury HOw is it possible to set out more playnely the diuersity of the true sacrifice of Christ made vpon the aulter of the crosse which was the propitiation of sinne from the sacrifice made in the sacrament then Lombardus hath done in this place For the one he calleth the true sacrifice the other he calleth but a memoriall or representation thereof likening the sacrifice made in the lordes supper to a yeares mind or anniuersary wherat is made a memoriall of the death of a person and yet it is not