now Christe presente but in anye case dumme and wythout speche whyles he lyued and could speake the members of the deuil hanged hym vpon the crosse Thus was the malyce of the deuyll alwayes greate agaynst oure Sauiour Before he came into the flesh he â—ave manye beleue he was come before the time appointed by the Prophetes was exspired wheÌ„ he was come in deede then wente he aboute to perswade he was nâ—t come nor was not the Sauioure of the worlde and neuer left tyl he had kylled hym because he would not denye but that the verye true sauioure of the worlde was come And nowe that in deade he is ascended and departed from vs accordynge to the scriptures he goeth about all he can to proue hym nowe to be here so that neyther before hys cummyng into the world nor at hys beynge corporally in the worlde nor yet beynge out of the world he can not be in peace sure and safe from the assaultes and temptacions of hys and oure mortall ennemye Satan But I knowe howe the aduersaryes of the truth perswade the people maliouslye to gyue no credite to such as preach and teache the truth They saye we condemne the holy sacramente and make it of no estimacion But beliue not their slaunders and lyes but heare or read our opinion knowledge and godly estimacion we haue of the sacrameÌ„t and then Iudge and gyue sentence afterwarde And here receyue myne opinion as touchynge the forme and maner to celebrate and vse the Sacramentes ¶ The fourme and maner howe to celebrate the sacramentes IT were expediente to intreate this mater at length yf tyme would serue But yet in fewe wordes I wyl say somwhat of the sacramente of the Lordes Supper and also of Baptisme Baptisme consisteth in two partes In the worde and the elemente The worde is the preaching of the good mercifull promyses of Gods goodnes acceptyng vs into his fauour and grace for the merits of Christ. The whyche promyses be brefely comprehended in these wordes Math. xxviii I baptyse the in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy gost These woordes sheweth y e forme of Baptisme and also that only men reasonable creatures shuld be baptised Mat. xvi So is condeÌ„ned the gentilitie and supersticion that hath bene vsed in the Christenyng of bels The matter and Elemente of thys sacrament is pure water what so euer is added Oyle salte Crosse lyghtes and suche other be the inuencions of men and better it were they were abolyâ—â—â—ed then kepte in the Churche For they obscure the simplicitie and perfectnes of Christ our sauioures institucion I pray the kyngs maiestie and hys most honorable counsell to prepare a shyp as sone as maye be to sende them home agayne to theyr mother church the bosome and breast of man ¶ The form how to celebrate the Lordes supper HEre must be marked two persons y e minister and he that communicateth with the minister These muste come and assemble together as saynte Paule sayth .i. Corin. xi The dutye and offyce of the minister HE doeth best hys offyce and is best instructed to minister y â— sacramente if he in the ministracion thereof go as nere as is possible to the fyrste institucion of Christe and the Apostles For Christ was and is the wysdome of the father and the Apostles had receiued the holy gost that broughte them into all truth therefore it must nedes folowe their doyngs ministracion to be moste perfit holy and religious ¶ Howe the minister shoulde prepare hym selfe INwardly outwardly The inward preparacion is if his minde and soule be instructed furnished wyth godlye doctryne and a feruent spirit and zeale to teach hys audience to stablysh them in the truth and to exhorte them to perpende and marke wel the merites and deseruynges of Christ. The outward preparacion the more simple it is the better it is and the nerer vnto the institucion of Christ and his Apostles If he haue bred wine a table and a fayre table cloth let hym not be solicitous nor careful for the rest seyng they be no thynges broughte in by Christe but by Popes vnto whom if the kynges maiestye and hys honourable Counsaile haue good coÌ„science thei muste be restored agayne and greate shame it is for a noble kynge Emperour or Magistrate contrarye vnto Goddes word to detayne and kepe froÌ„ the deuyl or hys minister anye of theyr goodes or treasure As the Candels Uestiments 〈…〉 for if they be kept in the church as thynges indiffereÌ„t at leÌ„gth they wyl be mayntayned as thynges necessary When the minister is 〈◊〉 wel prepared with sound 〈◊〉 Godlye doctryne let hym 〈◊〉 hym self to the distruâ—â—â—â— of the bread and wyne 〈◊〉 as he gâ—ueth the breade 〈◊〉 hym breake it after the â—â—ample of Christ the shoulde â—eue the bread and not thrust 〈◊〉 into the receauers mouthe For the breaking of the bread hath a great misterie in it of y â— passion of Christ in the whych hys bodye was broken for vs and that is sygnyfyed in the breakyng of y â— breade which in no case shuld be admitted therfore let the minister breake the round bread for broken it serueth as a sacramente and not hole Christ did breake â—â— mat xâ— vi Mar. xiiii Luc. xâ—ii And saynt Paule â—ayth the breade that we break is it not y â— communion of Christes â—odye i. Cor. x. Thus shuld the perfeccioÌ„ of Christes institucion be had in honour and the memorie of the dead left out and nothing done in this sacrameÌ„t y â— had not gods word to bear it But alas God is accompted a foole for men can vse the sacrament more religiously deuoutly godly and christianly then Christ Gods sonne as it appeareth for his fourme and maner is put oute and mans deuyse and wysdome is accepted for it The dewty and office of the people THe dewti of the receauer resteth in thre partes To saye what he shuld do before the receauyng of the Sacramente what he shuld do in y â— receauing of it what after the receauyng of it Before the receauing he shuld prepare and make ready hys mynde as the commaundemeÌ„t of S. Paul is i. Cor. xi let the man proue and searche hymselfe and so forthe And thys maye be doone twoo maner of wayes Fyrst towardes God then towardes man Towardes God he shulde from the botome of hys heart confesse his faults and sinnes and acknowledge hys iust coÌ„demnacion then shuld he perswade him selfe by true and liuely fayth that God would be mercyful vnto him for y â— death of hys dere beloued soÌ„n Iesus Christ done in his body torne and in hys blud shedde He shuld prepare hym selfe towardes his neighbour also Fyrst incase he hath hurt hys neyghbour in fame or goods he shuld reconcile hym selfe agayne wyth restitucion of theÌ„ both againe He that thus prepareth hym self doth eat worthelye the bodye of Christe and he that doth not thus prepare him selfe eateth
of hys lawe not to harken vnto his voyce nor to walke in hys wayes to go after the prauitye and euylnes of euer owne hartes The viciatynge and iuste vse of the Lordes supper i. Cor. xi Also y ◠neglecrynge of wydowes and orphalynges causes not to iudge ryghte iudgemente to the power Ierem. v. These causes muste be auoyded or else truelye thy sayinge of Ieremye wyll take place Chap. vii You trust in youre selfes and in lyes that nothynge profytteth The nexte waye to returne the hande of gods angre great displeasure against vs is to folowe Iosophat the kinge that appoynted good iudges and godlye pryestes in euerye cyty The iudges to iudge after the true lawes of the realme and the preystes to do all thynges in the churche accordynge to the worde of God which teacheth suche knowledge and feare of God and of the magystrates that all the wysedome lawes and bokes that euer were made be but counterfeete and folyshe in respecte of it Nor euer had God in heauen or kynge vpon the earthe suche a frende as is the holy Bible For it reacheth y ◠people and subiectes of the realme the feare of God obedyence to the kynges maiestye and hys Magestrates and all mutuall and fraternal loue Thys example and counsel of Iosaphat if it beneglected ther cā no godlynes be amonge the people as the texte sayeth when Prophecye wanteth the people shall be dysipated scattered abrode Prouerves xxix To the doinges of these godlye offyces shoulde all menne be exhorted specyallye suche as bare the name of Bishoppes and preistes If they will not be desyrous and glad to haue helpe the mynistery of the church to the primatyue and perfecte estate agayne the Lorde dothe crye vengeaunce towardes them and wyl not onlye requyre the lose of them selfes but also of all the people at theire handes Ezech. iii. xxxiii Let them remember the complaynte of God hym selfe Ierem. i. My people hath haue a loste flocke my shepperdes haue deceiued them and haue made them go astraye vpon the hylles If these threatnynges wyll not amend theym Gracyous Kynge and you my honourable Lordes of his highe counsel muste do wyth them as the mariners did with Ionas What y ◠is seing it pleased the kinges maiestie and you my Lordes of his moste honourable councell in the lente to heare by me I haue nowe at the request of manye godlye persons caused it to come abrode and dedicated the same to youre Pryncelye maiestye and mooste prudente Counsell that youre hyghenes maye be bothe iudge and recorde of my doctrine vnto youre Maiestyes true and louing subiectes The whyche doctryne is Catholyke and godly in al thynges nothynge dyssentinge but agreable wyth the Prophetes and the Aposteles as I am accordynge to my bonnden dutye redye at all tymes to make answere if anye thyng shal be attempted to the contrarye Incase ther be now thē added a word more or lesse or peraduenture some sentence yet I know well y e matter is not chaunged nor aultered other wyse then I spake it before youre maiestye for I haue memoryaies wherin I wrot before y ◠inuenciō order disposition of al the matters I wolde entreate vpon As I vse euer wyl doo of all thinges I speake in goddes behalfe to the people wryt my selfe or cause an other to wryte the pethe and disposycion of al thinges I speake vpon that I maye as well learne a farther knoweledge my selfe thereby as make answere to myne enemyes if any shuld accuse me of false doctryne The God of all strengthe and consolation gouerne poure maiestye an youre mooste honourable counsell wyth hys holye spyryte and gyue you the vyctorye of all your ennemies Ami. Anno. M. D. L. Septembris .vi. Sence y ◠angel of god slew in the armye of Senacherive gods ennemie a hundreth thousand and syue thousande menne Anno. M.M.C.C. lxxx viii ¶ The fyrste Sermon made the .xix. day of March in the yere of our lord a. M. CCCCC.L before the kinges maiestie his most honourable Counsel by Ihon Hoper Preacher vpon the holy Prophet Ionas ¶ Preface vnto the Prophet IT is the offyce and dewty of euerye good chyld that studiousli laboreth to obey and folow hys fathers commaundemente before all thynges to know perfectly the nature and condiciō of hys fathers wyl Wherof if he be ignoraunte manye tymes in the same thynges he iudgeth best of he moste offendeth and the thynges moste pleasaunte and acceptable as thynges moste dyspleasaūt and vnacceptable vnto hys father he flyeth and refuseth Euen so wee that be subiectes and the chyldren of God the father almyghty can do nothyng gratefully and acceptable vnto his Maiesty excepte we first knowe hys good wyl and pleasure towards vs or else we shal ther most offēde hym wher as we mynde moste to please him And agayn happyly to improue as pernicious and heretycal that his wisdom approueth to be most Godlye and profytable Wherefore as the fyrste poynte of a louynge Childe is to know what pleasyth and what dyspleasyth what contentyth and what discontentyth hys father least he should by ignoraūce displease where as hys sonnelyke affeccion by naturall zeale woulde please so is it the second poynt of a good Chylde hys fathers wyll once trulye knowen dyligently to obserue and kepe the same least he should by neglygence or contempt be seene wilfullye to contemne the thynge he hathe wyth dylygence and studye obedyentlye submyttyd hym selfe vnto And incase as suche cases be moste common and daylye that infyrmities or other occasyon ledde the sonne from the obedyence of hys father The thyrde poynte of hys dewtie is speedely to acknowledge his offēce and desyre pardon merci for his trāsgressiō As the prodigal and disobedient sonne dyd Luke xv And Dauid ii Samuel and so after the remyssyon and pardon obtayned to be more circumspect and wyse how he fall and transgresse agayne Psal. li. These proposicions and sentences be so true that no resonable man doubteth of them But as the deuyll hath lefte in the world no truth nor veritie whych by argument and question he hathe not called into dout so trobleth he in this case the myndes of men wyth twoo questiōs The first is how and from whence the wyll of God maye be knowen The seconde what y e wil of god is So hath he preuayled amonge men for synne that the truthe of these questions is vnknowen to the greatest part of the world as it was in Moses tyme Christes tyme now in oure tyme more ignoraunte and far from God thē thei He perswaded in those daies that the wil of God was knowen not from heauen nor out of the scripture Canonical as the Patriarches Prophets and the Apostles tawghte but that it was knowē by the writings decrees and statutes of mē that were in the earth and that the wyl of God was to do that man commaunded and not that God commaunded But as almighty God left
This scuit of Iosias holp his godly coūcellers vertuous priestes Euē so Ioas beynge but a child was holp by his coūcellers in the lyke procedinges reformaciō of religion In case y t princes Bishops priests had not knowen it to be the cōmaundemēt of God to haue obeyed these .ii. yonge godlye kynges they wold not haue consented vnto his procedinges But we see howe gladde they were to do it The Princes and councellours moued no sedicion the Bishop and the priestes soughte not for the defence of their proper doctrine eyther to myngle theirs with goddes but were content wyth the sole and onely lawe of God Ye noble Princes and councellours praise be vnto the liuinge God for your great wisdome and godlye assistaunce in this behalfe And the Lorde be magnifyed in all the godlye and learned Bishoppes and others of this Realme that haue and do put to their helpes and studies to brynge the churche of Chryste to her olde and reuerende perfeccion agayn And al other that hynder your maiesties godlye purpose openly or secretelye God wyll douteles reuenge at length The godly and vertuouse begynnynges moste noble Prince of your father the kynges maiestie Henry the eyght of a blessed memorie shall by your hyghnes godlye be ended in hym that can and wyl do al thinges for Christ his deare sōnes sake And a thousande tymes the rather shal your maiestie restore agayn the true ministerie of y e church incase ye remoue take away all y ◠monumētes tokens leauinges of papistry For as longe as anye of them remayne there remayneth also occasion of relapse vnto the abolyshed supersticion of Antichriste Seynge I see in the writynges of the Prophets God to require the obseruacion of his lawe onely concerninge religion and threatneth all Prynces priestes and prophets w t his displeasure that neglecte or contaminate it with their own cogitacions I can do no lesse howe soeuer the worlde shall take my doynges but exhorte and pray the magistrates to brynge the churche to her fyrst perfeccion For if I shulde studye to please man herein I were not the seruaunt of God And I am afrayd leste the dissease that infected the Pharises infecteth also many now a dayes that minister in the church vnto whom Chryst spake Ihon .v. Howe can ye beleue that seeke glorye one of other and the glory of God ye contemne God geue grace I maye not saye Hinc ille lacrime Helpe ye therefore O ye Byshoppes and pryestes the kynges maiestyes and hys noble couurelles procedinges that all thynges maye be broughte to a perfecte and Apostolicall reformacion it is not inoughe to laye the foundacion of the temple but there muste bee buylded vpon it golde syluer and precyous stone But in anye case wee muste take heede we laye no strawe nor stubble upon the foundacion if we do it wyll be burned i. Corrinth iii. If wee do not buylde vp vpon the foundacion then shal we be shente as the Israelites were Agge .i. Lette no manue excuse hym selfe vpon the kynges maiesties age for the age canne not excuse the kynges maiestie it selfe If hys relygyon in hys youthe be accordynge to goddes woorde he hathe the fauoure and promyses of God to blesse preserue and keepe hys maiestye and hys Realme thoughe the Deuyll and hys members wolde saye nay If in youthe hys maiestye take a wronge relygyon he shall bee assisted of goddes displeasure as it is to be seene .iiii. Regum xxi Manasses beynge of twelue yeres olde was crouned kynge and in his youth reuoked the Idololatry that his father Ezechias had abolished and in hys so doing displeased haynously y ◠maiestie of God at lēgth was sore afflicted and punyshed for his so doyng Behold y ◠displeasure of God in a yonge kynge for a false religion Ieoachim crouned the eyght yere of hys age for the euyll he dyd in the syghte of the Lorde he was taken prisoner by the kynge of Babilon .ii. Paral. xxxvi wyth all the goodly vessels of the Lorde Thys kinge raygned but thre monethes ten dayes before the Lorde reuenged the false doctrine he mainteined These examples I dout not moste godlye kynge and vertuouse councellers moneth you to be carefull of the true religion The Lorde hathe strengthe and power inough seeke ye hym and geue no place to the infirme perswasions of the flesh for the Lorde shall be wyth you Souche as thynke peace and quyetnes shal come to the realme a better waye then to haue the true relygyon of God restored they shal knowe the contrarye in the Prophete Ie. Chapter .vi. the whyche Chapter if the kynges maiestye bare in mynde and folowe it is wourthe a kynges reuenue If a Lord the value of hys lande if the Byshoppe the estimacion of hys Byshopprycke if the marchaunte the gaynes of hys laboure if the husbande hys Oxen plough And the same commaunded God Leuit .xxv. Obserue my statutes and my iudgementes then shal ye dwell safelye in the earth and the earthe shal brynge forthe her frute ye shall eate and be satyfied and dwel in the earthe wyth out feare It is a fonde opynyon most gracyous kynge and vnmete for a chrystyan man to bare the Magystrates of God in hande that incase the doctryne of Chryste and hys holy sacramentes shuld not be decked and set forthe wyth these plausible and well lykynge ceremonyes that is to speake playnelye w t papysticall superstisticion it were to be feared of sediciō and tumults Doutelesse if the Popes members woulde not deceyue the people but teach thē gods word y ◠people wold sone see the truthe and willingelye leaue asmuch as God and their king shulde commaunde them as y ◠gests and factes of Iosyas and Ioas declareth Moste gracyous kynge and noble councellers as ye haue taken away the Masse from the people so take from them her fethers also the aulter vestmentes and suche like as apparelled her And lette the holye communion be decked wyth the holye ceremonyes that the hyghe and wyse preyste Chryste deckyed and apparelled her fyrste of all And frō whence myghtye Prynce and soueraygne Lord spryngeth warre and sedicion Come they not frome the onlye God beynge angrye for the neclectynge of hys lawe so we be taughte by Esa. l. And Ieremye .ix. sayeth who is wise vnderstandeth thys and he vnto whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken declareth wherefore the earth perisheth and is like vnto the burned wildernes y t no man maye passe by it And the Lord sayed because they haue forsakē my lawe whyche I put vnto them and hearde not my wayes and walketh not therein but folowed the desyre of theyr owne hertes and after Baalimas they were taughte by there fathers And because wee myngle mennes inuencyons wyth his lawe For he sayeth menne worshyp hym in vayne wyth the preceptes of men Math. xv And in the .ix. of Ieremy the Lord declareth other manner of causes of warre and sedicion The forsakynge
not hys Church thē wythout some that shoulde kepe the truthe of bothe these questions amonge the people to preserue thē from the daunger that muste needes folowe where as truthe is not knowē So hath he done now at thys presente tyme. And by the same authoritie as the deuyll authore and father of all questions and lyes was confounded thē so is he now Moses instructynge the people in the truith of the fyrst questyon whence the wyl of God should be knowē commaundeth them neither to loke it in Aegipt nor else where but in the worde of God Deut. xxx and Sayncte Paule doth the same Roma x. and S. Ihon .i. sayth Noman hath sene the father but y e sōne and he vnto whome the sonne hathe openyd the father vnto God therefore and hys blessed wyll is knowen vnto vs because he hathe spoken vnto vs by hys deare beloued sonne Heb. i. As he spake before time vnto y e world by his prophets From Christ therfore and hys worde commeth the knowlege of Gods wil for the father bid vs hire him Mat iii.vii Io. x. Nowe what hys wil is y e truth also appereth out of the booke of God and oute of none other mans writinges Mark i. hys wyll to the worlde is thys Do penaunce and beleue the Gospel That is to saye let euerye man bewayle and repēt him of hys synnes and desyre the remyssyon and pardon thereof for Christes sake For whom the Gospel sheweth our sinnes shalbe forgeuē Ihon. i. iii.iiii v. vi Math. xi Rom. v. Eph. i. Thys doctrine from the fal of mā hath bene alwayes taught in the Catholicke Churche of Christ vnto al nacions as the wrytynges of the Prophetes and Apostles dothe testifye in whom is fully and aboūdaūtly conteined al truth and veritie and lefte here for oure doctrine and consolaciō Rom. xv Among the whych is also conteyned as a most faythful wytnesse of all truthe and verytie thys holye Prophet Ionas who was sende by God to the Citie of Niniue to preach vnto them Gods pleasure and amendemēt of lyfe or else wythin fourtye daies both they and the Citie shoulde be destroied Thys Prophet haue I takē to interpretate for two causes The one to declare vnto y e kynges maiestye and his most honorable coūsel that the doctryne we preach vnto hys maiesties subiectes is one and the same with the Prophetes and Apostles And as olde as the doctrine of them both and not as new as these Papystes and new learned men of Papystry wold beare the people in hand The secōde cause is to declare whych way the synfull worlde may be reconcyled vnto God And for the better vnderstandynge of the Prophet I wyll deuide him into fowre partes The fyrst cōteineth into what daunger Ionas fel by dysobeing of Gods commaundemēt The seconde parte conteyneth howe Ionas vsed hym selfe in the fyshes bellye The thyrde part conteineth the amēdemēt and cōuersyon of the Niniuites at y e preachyng of Ionas The fourth part cōteyneth an obiurgacion rebuke of god because Ionas lamented the saluacion of y e people and citie The fyrst Parte The first part is deuided in to thre members The one conteineth the Embassage and legacye of Ionas vnto Niniue The other conteyneth Ionas dysobedience The thyrde conteyneth the payne and punishment of Ionas disobedience ¶ The Embassage is described wyth these wordes THe worde of the Lorde came vnto Ionas y e sōne of Amithai saying Arise and get the to Niniue that great Citie crye out againste it for theyr wyckednesse is come vp before me It is not y e lest help that the reder or teacher of ani prophet or other part of y e scriptur shal haue to knowe of what place vnder what king in what state of cōmon wealth y e prophet liued y t he purposith to interpretate al these things as touchīg our Ionas is declared in the iiii booke of y e kings the. xiiii cap. He liued in Samaria vnder an Idololatrical king Ieroboam y e sonne of Ioas a detestable Idololater in Iuda at y t time reigned kīg Amasias And thys Ionas labored in the ministery of Gods word at one tyme wyth Amos Oseas and Ioell the true Prophetes of God The state and condicion of the commone wealthe was troublous and verye vnquiet forbecause y e Israelits bi their Idololatri in folowing y t learning inuented by man and leuing y e word of god God punyshed them w t many greate cruel warres Yet after hys accustomed pytye and compassiō vpon those that he punysheth to remoue y e occasion that worketh gods yre and displeasure he sent them dyuers tymes his holy Prophetes that shoulde cal thē from theyr Idololatry and corrupt lyuyng as Elias Elizeus and this our Prophet Ionas but all in vayne they wold be noughty Idololatres and vicious lyuers continually mawgree gods heade and would as we now adayes for the most parte do rather geue faythe vnto the Prophetes of men and lyars then vnto the Prophetes of god that be true men But ther reward was as ours shalbe except we amende vtter destrucciō and losse both of them selues and theyr commune wealthe The commone wealth and state of Israel and Iuda thus troublouslye being afflicted the commaundement of god came vnto thys oure Ionas that he sholde go to the great Citie of Niniue as the text saith In the which words note fyrste that no man can or may teach truly y e word of god but he be called ordynarylye or extraordinarily Ordinarily wher as is no corruptiō of the ministery in the church neither in doctrine neither in the right ministracion of the sacramēts whyche be as seales and conclusions of Gods holy worde Wher as this integritie I say remayneth in the Churche noman ought w tout the appointment of the hygher powers to intrude or appoynt hym self to preache or minister as it was in Moses tyme and the Apostelles Extraordinaryly is when immediatelye any mā is called by God wher as the ministery of the church is corrupted as it was in the tyme of y t prophets and of Christ that called to minister such as the common face and greatest multitude of the worlde woulde not admitte no not the hygh byshop and those that then were called the holye churche as is to be seene by Amos Ionas Hieremie Moses and Paule wyth other They are to be rebuked therfore that intrudeth and put them selues wythout lawful callynge into y e ministerye of y e Church other wyth money or praier and bye them selues into the Churche which thing through al papistry is acōmon practyse dayly vsed thinge For in case they sought not of their bishopprik more ryches and honoure then the necessari trauels labours that be annexed vnto the vocacacion they woulde not stryue so sore who might lepe vp first to the bishoppes and persones vocacion Ther woulde not so many princes contend and labour for the seate of Rome the nest of
for it lacketh the worde of God that is to saye the shewyng of Christs death Farther the Masse destroieth and dyshonoreth y e institucion of Christe ¶ Solucions of their argumentes THese I wyll comprehend all in thre poyntes First thei contend by the authoriti of the fathers The seconde by these woordes of Christe thys is my bodye The thyrde by the omnipotencye of God Of the fathers authoritie When they be beten by the autoritie of Gods worde they â—â—e for helpe at the fathers authoritie Let them make answer Is thys theyr opinion when the prieste hath spoken these wordes Thys is my bodye by and by the substaunce of the bread to be chauÌ„ged or the substauÌ„ce therof to vanish away I aske the question because yet thei be not fully agreed ther vpon for it commeth the corporal bodye of Christe wyth the same qualitie and quantitie he was borne lyued and died in so that ther hangs in the ayre in the priestes handes y â— accideÌ„tes and qualities of bread wythoute anye substaunce and so thus to be honored there of the people In what apostles writinges fynd they this doctrine Or in what mans writinges that folowed the Apostles wythin c.cc.ccc cccc ccccc.cccccc yea ccccccc yeares If they can shew thys in anye autenticall wryter in any worke that hath not bene doubted of I wyll beleue as they doo But that it maye be knowen vnto you that the fathers wer not of theyr opinioÌ„ I wyll propounde vnto you certayne coniectures Fyrst we read not wher ther was euer any contencioÌ„ about the words of consecracioÌ„ wher they began and wher they ended neyther any thynge of the ministers intencion to be of suche vertue they speake of The second the Elders neueâ— answered the Arrian that denyed the equalitie betwen goâ— the father and God the sonne wyth thys Christ is God and equall wyth the father for we so honor hym in the sacrameÌ„t If the Catholicke church had so iudged of Christes bodelye presence in the sacramente as the newe vpstart church doth and hath done of late yeares there coulde not haue bene a stronger argumente agaynst Arrius and hys heresye The thyrd Niether dyd the Marcionistes euer make such a reason though Christ semed to haue the qualities and condicions of a naturall man yet he had not them in deede For in the Sacrament of hys boâ—â—e there semeth to be the very â—ualities and condicions of â—eade and wyne yet is there â—eyther breade nor wyne in â—eede If thys opinion of the acâ—idents qualities and sensual iudgement of the breade had bene aproued and takeÌ„ in those hates for Christianitie Christiane religyon howe woulde thys illusion and wytchcrafte haue defended I pray you the Marcionist opynion doutles nothynge more But Tertullian agaynste the Marcionistes doth reason another wise and saith Christ of y â— bread that he toke made hys body sayinge thys is my body that is to say a fygure of my bodye They fourth They vsed chalices of wood and glasse De coÌ„secrat dist i. vasa in quibus the wooden chalices could soke in the wine consecrated the glassen chalices might sone haue bene broken if anye of them both had conteyned the precious bloude of Christ they wold not so temerously haue vsed it The fyfte The sacrament was geuen to the chyldren in theyr hands to beare it home wyth them Eccle. hist. Lib. vii cap. xxxiiii The syxte No scripture of god neither doctour of y â— Catholicke faith taught euer Christ to be honored here in earth wyth candels and bowynges of knees The seuenth In celebratynge the supper they sayd lyft vp your hartes meanyng not to haue y e minde affyxed in the sygnes and elementes of the sacraments but in heauen Wherof it maye be easly gathered that they neuer thought of a corporal presence here in the earth The eyght Origene vpon the booke of Leuit. declateth that y â— remanentes and reliques of the sacramentes were not kepte to be honored but they were burned who wold handle his god so cruellye I praye you as to burne hym lyke an heretycke Also ther is a decre in y â— Canone lawe Tribus gradibus the whyche commaundeth the ministers tâ— receaue al the reliques of the sacrament and it is the rule of Clement .iii. that lyued Anno. M. C.lxxxx In y e meane tyme I speake no worde of that foloweth I should saye wicked question mete for Iuggelours inchauÌ„tours and wytches and not for Christiane men much lesse for Deuines and teachers of gods people in what moment of time the bread is turned in to the body and the wyne into the blud when the priest speaketh these words Thys is my body if they grauÌ„t at lest these to be the woordes of consecracion Gabriel Biel. lect xlviii â–ª sayth that the body is not presente whyles thys oracion is a speakynge Thys is my body Sed tota oracio est referenda ad vltimum iustaÌ„s ipsius orationis that is to say the hole oracion must be referred vnto y e last instaÌ„ce of it And w t this opinioÌ„ agreeth y e glose vpoÌ„ y e canone law De consecracione distinct .ii. Sum omne sayth that the consecracion is made onelye in the laste letter And in an other Canone Ante benedictioneÌ„ thus he sayth licet verba successiue proferantur noâ—â— tamen successiue consecratio fit sed in vno instaÌ„ti corruÌ„pitur panis scilicet in vltimo fustanti prelationis verborum That is to saye althoughe the woordes be spoken one after an other yet is not the consecracion made by a lytle lytle but in one instante or punet of tyme the bread is altered to sai in the last moment of the woordes spoken After thys their wicked and Idololatrical doctryne thys lillable â—m in thys oracion Hoc est corpus meum â–ª to say thys is my body hath al the strengthe vertue to chaunge and deifye the bread But I praye you what syllable is it that chaungeth and deifieth the wine for euen wyth them these woordes seme to haue more dyffycultie then the other But let these illustons and eraftes go and let vs cleaue to the truthe of Gods woorde and we shalbe oute of al daunger A Question THus they saye now yf this opinioÌ„ be neither of the Apostles neyther froÌ„ the auncieÌ„t doctours how chaunceth it to be so vniuersally takeÌ„ and for so infallyble and indoubted truth yea such a truth as incase men forsake al truth and yet not contrary thys truth is accompted a man moste christiane true Answer NOthing is more expedient to answer directlye vnto the question then to coÌ„syder the time of our fathers They thought it best to name the sacramentes by y â— name of the thyng was represented by the sacramentes Yet in manye places of theyr wryryngs they so interpretate theÌ„ selues that no man excepte he wyl be wylfully blynd can say but they vnderstode the sacrament to sygnifie and not to be the thing signified to