Christ Think not straing that the thing is writteÌ„ in the persone of God for al truth is of god Gâ—ie pacient eare therfore vnto our God sayth as we haue done toyour deuill sayth al thys while The coÌ„plaint of God against Idolatours HEare the worde of the Lorde thou proud Babilon Thou people of Sodome spirituall Egipt heare the word of the Lord For asmoche as the lord Iesu Christ is daily crucified daily slayn daily set forth in mocking sacrifice the bloud of the testameÌ„t is trodeÌ„ vnder fote and the arke of the couenaÌ„t is driuen awaye He that despiseth the lawe of Moyses sayth the Lorde is vnder ij or iij. witnesses condemned and howe muche more shall he be punished that treadeth vnder foâ—e the sonne of god despiseth his word and doeth vnhalow the bloude of the testament whereby he was saÌ„ctified and worketh coÌ„tumeliously against the spirite of grace It is God O you prynces of Sodom that geueth sentence in thys matter Before the hygh Iudge shall you be condemned you seed of Babilon because it hath pleased God to admonishe you fyrst bi Moyses and then by the prophetes and last of al by his own sonne to turne into the way of trueth But you contrarie wise do wyllingly folow the waye of wickednes And wheras the Lord sendeth daiely for the fruite of his viniâ—â—rd â–ª you entreate his seruants at your pleasure Some of them you do beate some other you slea and that more is you do neither reuerence nor forbeare his onely begotten sonne but rageynge like men in a furye you haue with one whole consent taken him slain him and cast him out of the vyneyarde which was his own enheritaunce Heare therfore theÌ„ wicked nacioÌ„ and know that he whom thou hast caste awaye in the corner stone where vpon whatso euer buylding is stablisshed it groweth vp to be a holi temple vnto the Lord and who so euer doeth fall vpon this stone he shalbe shakeÌ„ in pieces which thynge the Iewes stoÌ„blyng vpon his humiliti do shew vnto the world to haue â–ª ben truly spoken euen lyke as the ruâ—nâ— of the gentyls shall shortly declare vpon whom 〈…〉 uer thys stone shall fal for he shal most spedily be broken to powder that the whole world mai at leÌ„gh lerne how horible a thing it is to fall into the handes of the lyuynge God whose vengaunce is sore and greuouse against his enemies Lyke as his mercy is redie towarde the chyldren of mercy the Niniuites for an example who at the preachinge of Ionas onely dyd penaunce in ashes and sakclothe and so escaped the aduengeynge haÌ„d of the almighti But you that liue now in the later ende of the worlde beynge admonishede by a thousande oracles and warninges of the prophetes threateninge battail famine an pestilence do not chaunge your wycked purpose but suffer all the wordes of Chryst his prophetes and Apostles concernynge the wrath of God in the later dayes to be spokeÌ„ in vayn No man renueth his herte no man chaungeth his maners Ther is not one that doeth good no not one But the more that your wyckednese is opened by the scripturs the more that Moyses chasteneth your malice the more earnestly that my true messengers sayeth the Lord would drawe you froÌ„ your errours so much the more fyersly you resiste my spirite boastyng forth your powre wysdom and counsels so filled wyth your owne â—…es and subtyl inuencions that you resist all spiritual knowledge and nourishe euen agaynste your conscience these gros er rours and carnal blindnesse not much vnlike vnto Cayn your forefather whiche not beynge coÌ„tented with the dignitie of the firste birth neither yet restrained bi the word of chastimeÌ„t killed his brother Abel deseruyng no suche thing at his hande I praye you what did Pharao and the Egiptians when they were admonished by Moyses and Aaron but in resisteing the opeÌ„ wil of God heap vp his displeasure against theÌ„ Herode also and the wicked phariseis alwaies persecuteynge the Iust and ascribing the workes of the spirite to the powre of Belzebub or the deuyll with sinneing against coÌ„science brought ven geaunce vpon theyr heades So doeth the world saith the Lorde alwaies striue against the spirite And this is the onely sinne that coÌ„demneth the world that I send forth the ligh of the spirite to driue awaie the darkenesse of vyce errour and men loue darkenesse more theÌ„ lyght It is my vse sayeth the Lorde allwayes to send forth my worde before I iudg the worlde that they whych with brasen forheades and IroÌ„ neckes do obstinatly opprese the trueth â–ª shoulde haue nothynge to excuse theyr synne Thus dyd I send Noe and Loth before I destroyed the worlde wyth water and the. v. cyties wyth fier Thus haue I seÌ„t my prophetes also to gyue warneynge vnto Israell and Iuda of my wrath toward them And this same ordre do I obserue coÌ„tinually like as Iam the same god to dai to morewo and for euermore And now shortly I must go into IudgmeÌ„t Wherfore morne houle Oh you wicked vpon the miseries whyche shal chaunce vnto you you I say whych are the inueÌ„ters of new Idols and the dispisers of me your euerlasteing God For your god in whom your hope resteth shal perish And wheÌ„ you shal strech forth your handes vnto heaueÌ„ yet wil I not here you saith the Lord because you haue made you Idols wyth the same handes that you lyft vp towarde me Your Idoles therfore shall be turned into sparkes of fyre your selues into stubble ther shalbe none to quentche it Once I wyl awake and not alwayes suffer so greate reproch as to be dispiced where a dead Idole whiche hath neither sense moueynge lyfe nor breath shall be receyued and embraced It is I I saye that doeth gyue lyfe and breath to al creatures it is I that lend streÌ„gh and all the natural powres whyche you do mispeÌ„d in making of your Idoles vtterly for gettynge that I am the same that made your parent Adam vnto myne owne likenes I adourned and decked hym wyth no smal gyfts Reason and iudgemeÌ„t I gaue him and ordeyned hym gouernour ouer al other creatures You haue forgotten also that immediatly after this my great mercie shewed vnto youre said parent He despising the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of me hys creatour chose rather to be subiect vnto the most vile creature of al foloyng the Idole of his owne herte thaÌ„ to cleaue firmely to my worde Thys newfound God therfore doeth vnto thys daye dwell vnder my cursse and shal do for euer and shall crepe on his breaste sucking therth in steade of his breade Yet haue I not vtterly for saken this your rebelliouse kinde at diuers and sundrie tymes Firste I called againe to my mercie the same your forefather who by the remorsse of his coÌ„science fled my sight Againe after that man kinde was encreased and wickednesse dyd growe more and more in so much that if I
in remembraunce in his absence That they had thys mattier in no admiration is an euidente argumente that they dyd take it for no suche straunge miracle aboue all miracles as you do make it for the circumstauÌ„ces as we haue largely spoken before and for the plainenesse of the wordes we merueyle why you wyll darcke them wyth your termes of reallie carnallie and suche other Why you â—yâ—de gloses sayinge Thys is in the fourme qualities quantities and accidentes of breade and do not saye playnely this breade is the bodie of Christ God and man This cuppe is the selfe same new testament that God dyd swere by him selfe he woulde perfourme vnto Abraham And euen lyke as the â—uppe is not the testament but the signe of the testament made before vnto the fathers and nowe perfourmed in the death of Christe the vnspotted lambe so thys breade whiche we see is not the fleshe of Christe gyuen for the lyfe of the worlde For then the worlde myghte haue bene saued and the synnes done awaye by the offeryng of the bread longe before Christ â—ad suffered For you do moste blasphemouslie teache that the offeringe of the same breade doeth take awaye synnes notwythstandynge that Christe hath by his owne onelie sufferynge fullie satisfied and taken them awaye But to your wordes agayne I thinke it much better to pretermitte further occasion of that myght be my prayse to expounde vnto you the scriptures Byshoppe Stephane You neede very litle to feare thys mattier For I neuer harde man prayse you nor but fewe of your felowes for expoundynge of the scriptures But for burnynge them I heare many men talke muche of you and saye it is no meâ—ueyle thoughe you hate them because you were broughte vp in the Popes lawe who in his moste highe holynesse treadeth the holie worde of God vnder his wicked feete In the bryngynge in of your greke authour where you taunte them that loue not your Popishe bablynge in the latine tonge that no man vnderstandeth sclaunderynge them that they loue not the latine tonge wherein no doubte they laboure more and are greater fartherers then you can or wyll be it myghte ryghte well haue bene passed ouer wyth silence if you had loued your owne honestie For you and all the Popishe Prelates in the worlde are not able to iustifie it that you shoulde thus babble before the people in a tonge they do not vnderstande if we moghte be hearde wyth indifferent iustice But you haue the worlde on your syde because you are of the worlde and the worlde loueth his owne And the lyghte is comen into the worlde but man loueth darckenesse more then the lyghte It muste needes be trewe that Christe oure maister sayeth to the Prelates before your tyme. The worlde can not hate you but me it hateth because I do wytuesse of it that the worckes of it be euyll ⧠The answeare to Doctoure Damascen whom Wynchester rehearseth in greke FOr the testimonie of Damascen whoÌ„ you brynge in as your chiefe wytnes thys I haue to saye Fyrste he is a suspected person beynge at the tyme when the Pompe of the Romayne byshoppe or Antichriste beganne to exalte hym selfe aboue euerie thynge that was god and godlie Secondly he maynteyned Idolatrie with suche contention that he deserued to haue his ryghte hande stryken of and hanged in the markette place as an open offender â—oeth in that crime and other whereof he was before the Emperoure Leo accused and condemned Thyrdelie you woulde mayuteyne his honestie by the wytnesse of an honeste man Ecolampadius But we discharge you of thys testimonie euen-by the testimonie of the same Ecolampadius in the begynnynge of his boke whiche he dyd wryte concernynge the wordes of the supper and reproued your blindenesse euen by your owne Doctours I am not mynded sayed thys greate Clerke Ecolampadius who translated your Doctoure Dasmascen to accuse and publyshe to theyr shame Thomas Aquinates neyther Alberte nor yet Dunsse nor any of the newe fellowes but Peter the patcher of the seÌ„tences whom they call theyr maister who also hath rubbed his erroure vpon other that patche vp other mennes wrytynges As Damascen and Gracian dyd Agayne a little after Peraduenture Damascen and other that folowed hym wryte in suche sorte but the reader that is wyse can be little moued thereby For he doeth by many argumentes declare hym selfe neyther to be sounde nor substantiall Agayne Lyke as Paule sayed When I was a chylde I dyd speake lyke a chylde sayth he When I had small knowledge and had all thynges in admiration wythout iudgemente I dyd wryte some thynges whiche nowe I do not onely not defende but I wyshe them abolyshed and burned if they be vnprofitablie published in any place and if I obteine my desire therein I wyll be glad and reioyce By lyke thys boke of Damascene whiche he had translated was one of them whiche he dyd not greatly allowe for it was not publyshed whylse Ecolampadius lyued but after his death within these sixe yeres Surely Augustine in that he made a boke of retractations wyllynge vs to receyue the wrytynges of no manne farther then they are agreable to the scriptures maye teache vs ryghte well that we maye refuse Damascene I wyll therefore aske none of your fellowes whether you be an honeste man But I wyll trye boeth Damascene and all your Doctours by the infallible testimonie of the worde of God And because you do defende hym wyth a miracle we put you out of doubte suche lyinge miracles openlie maynteynynge Idolatrie ' cause vs to gyue the lesse credite vnto hym For Christe sayeth that Antichriste shall come wyth wonders and lyinge signes in suche sorte that the verie electe if it were possible shall be deceyued Wherefore sayeth Christe if they saye lo here is Christe lo there is Christe beleue them not etc. Ireneus wrytynge agaynste heresies at the begynnynge of thys iuglynge aboute thys Sacramente in his tyme wytnesseth that there was one Marcus Magnus the scholar of Valentyne the heretike whyche puttynge mixed wyne into the chalice dyd fayne hym selfe to gyue thankes therewyth and caused the wyne to chaunge coloure sometyme redde and sometyme purple by longe multipliyng of his enchaunting wordes that grace from aboue myghte seme to droppe downe bloude into his chalice by his inuocation And therfore he did couet that they which were present should tast of that cup that the grace whiche was called downe by hys enchauntment might also drope vpon them Again he gaue â—uppes of mixed wine vnto women coÌ„maundeinge them to geue thankes in hys presens And when they had so done he toke a muche greater chalise than the other which he had geuen to the woman and poured out of the cupe wherin the Eucharistia and thaÌ„kes geueing of the womaÌ„ was made into the other greater cup and reherseing his charmes he caused the grater cup to be filled wyth the wine that was in the cup that was
the vndefiled in the waye which walke in the lawe of the Lorde Blessed are they which serch his testimonies and ther shall you perceiue that the worde of God shoulde be the delyte of the life the fode of the soule the lyght â—o the foâ—e stepes the rode of the yonge man to breake his lustes the exercise of his lyfe the coÌ„forte in aduersite the bridle in prosperitie the medicine in sickenesse the onely fode in health the relefe in werinesse the banisment of vilanie sufferinge no shame to assalt the cause of reioyseinge in banisment and imprisoneinge in extreme age the releyfeinge of werinesse causeynge all quietnesse Yea in death the geuer of lyfe and in lyfe ioye euerlasteinge Is not this thinge worthie to be preached in the tyme of mattens and masse to be preached red and hearde inmattens masse and euensonge tyme to be learned of men women children plowemen yemen gentillmen fre men bound men and generally of al christen men Oh bishope recant for shame Now to discuse what place the doctrine of meÌ„ should haue in the worship of God marck that God sayeth That which I coÌ„maund the that onely do thou neither adde thou any thynge nor diminishe therfrom Marcke agayne howe Madaâ— and Abihu the chyldreÌ„ of Aaron dyd offre vnto the Lorde straunge fyre that was not commaunded them fyre came furth froÌ„ the Lorde deuoured them So straunge a thing it is to set vp a strauÌ„ge thinge of our owne braine Oze for touching the Arke of God was stryken to death notwythstandynge he dyd it of a good entent Howe thynke you then wyll God receyue your fonde doctrines and ceremonies Saule the firste kynge of the Israelites was thorowe a folishe intent of his owne put from his kyngdome Beinge commanÌ„dded to destroye the Amalechites wyth all theirs he saued the best and fayrest inteÌ„ding to do sacrifice therwyth vnto the Lorde But God asked hym by the prophet in this wise Wyl the Lorde haue holocastes offeringes and not rather obedience vnto the voice of the Lorde But thys place do you falsâ—y alledge for the obedience vnto men euen in like maner as you do wraste thys texte also In â—ayne do they worshyp me teachyng the doctrines and preceptes of men But we dare examine the maâ—tier by your owne gloses You are content to graunte that suche doctrines and preceptes of men as be taught of their owne braines wheÌ„ they were but in the state of men onely were but vayne worship And then talke you of Lycurgus and of Numa Pompilius but in the popes kyngdome al doctrine was good for he was aboue this state of a man as it should seme because you can fynde no faute wyth his doinges yea all you bishops and your priestes are more then meÌ„ also as may appeare by your boke for what so euer you saye we muste beleue you or els we dispise God Thus caÌ„ you alledge scriptures and can proue thys by a text of Paule Non spernit hominem sed Deâ—m He doeth not dispise man but God Whiche text is spoken of the precept of God wrytten in Leuiticus whiche forbyddeth the to defraude thy brother whiche Paule alledgeth a litle before and therfore warneth the Thessalonians not to set lyghte of that lawe the authour wherof was not any maÌ„ but God But you write of authoritie You may writh scriptures as ye luste As for your place to the Hebrues maketh for theÌ„ that preach the worde of God whose fayth we shoulde folowe and consider the ende of their conuersation If you wyl be tryed to be such ministers you must proue vnto vs your ministration in muche sufferaunce in afliction in necessitie in carefulnesse in strokes in imprisonment in seditioÌ„s in labours watchyng fastynges in purenesse in knowledge in gentlenesse of minde and liberalitie in the holy gost in loue not fayned and in the worde of trueth c. Dare you styll cal your selues ministers Then must you be the disposers of these misteries of God And so longe as you syt in the seate of Moyses preachyng the worde of God so far wyl we beleue you And so far as you are the folowers of Christe we wyll folowe you But if you bringe not his word we dare not saye Aâ—e vnto you nor receyue you into our â–ª houses No we do take you for the vncleane beastes that do not diuide the houffe Suche are the shepeheardes as Iheremie sayeth that are fed wyth the wynde whiche scatter the shepe caste them furth and do not visit the flocke The priest and the prophete are boeth defiled wherfore they do doeth folowe a slipperie waye in the darcke wherein they shalbe dryuen furth and fal in the same for I shall brynge the daye of their visitation vpon them sayeth the Lorde They are al like Sodomites in my sight the people lyke Gomorrha With wormewod and gaâ—â—e therfore wyll I feede theÌ„ For al pollution is coÌ„men vpon the earth sayeth the Lorde by the prophetes of Iherusalem men moste highly estemed in outwarde holinesse But thus sayth the Lorde of hostes Gyue none eare to the wordes of these prophetes that deceyue you For they speake the visioÌ„ of thir owne hertes not of the mouth of the Lorde Thus are we playnely taughte howe perilouse a thinge it is to folowe the doctrines of men be they neuer so highly aduaunced wyth titles of holynesse Yea we are by the mouth of God admonished aboue all thynges to beware of them that promise peace quietnesse folowinge but the shreudnesse of their owne hertes and folishe inuentions for it is a kynde of Idolatrie not to sticke vnto his worde as vnto the thynge onely sufficient Of suche prophetes therefore as brynge their owne inuentions doeth he saye I dyd not sende them they ranne I did not speake vnto them and they dyd prophecie If they had stande in my counsayle and published my wordes to my people they shoulde haue turned them from their wycked wayes and from their wycked inuentions I dyd heare howe they tolde lyes dreames in my name by the disceites of their herte causynge the people to forget my name for their dreames as is it come to passe thys daye Therefore sayeth the Lorde of hostes agaynst such prophetes He that hath a dreame let him tel his dreame and he that hath my worde let hym speake my worde truly What minglest thou chaffe wyth the â—heate Are not my wordes lyke fyre sayeth the Lorde and lyke the mall that breaketh the stone Therfore to you prophetes that steale my wordes euerie one froÌ„ his brother dreamynge furth your lyes deceyuyng my people wyth your lyes your miracles where as I dyd neuer sende you nor yet commaunde any suche thynge to my people as dyd not profite them You are the heauy burden that I can no loÌ„ger beare and therfore I wyl caste you awaye Agayne Ezechiell in the spirite of God doeth thus
Christe Iesu our sauiour who onelye is the ende of all prophecies in whome they al are made perfecte with whome we shall enioye this perfecte peace so many as defire to knowe the liuinge God and whome he sent downe to saue the worlde Iesu Christ nowe sitting at his right hande to whome be glorie For euer and euer So be it Iohn iiii Episto i. Who so knoweth God heareth vs. Anâ— he that is not of God heareth not vs. And herby do we know the spirite of truthe and the spirite of errowre The Prologue GRace and peace from the Lorde the liueinge God who hath all our hertes in hys hande to moue and stere to what shall lyke hym beste who onely knoweth the hertes of men and therefore oneli is the iudge of the thoughtes and intentes of vs all what or whan so euer we speake or thinke whose daye and iudgment is without regarde what man which is but flesh and bloud and therefore ful of erroure and blindnesse shall dispute and determine and iudge I paciently loke for and a bide whan as all darnell drake and weede shall be caste into the hell fire and all the good graine shal be gathered into God his owne garner vnto whome we lyue all the tyme that we walke vpon the earth And wheÌ„ we die yet are we sure that we are his owne by the raunsome that his dearely beloued sone Christ our Lord and heade hath paied geueinge the holy gost into our hertes as a most suer wittnesse of the same teacheinge vs to crie Aba father whereby we knowe that though we die yet we die vnto hym to lyue euer after cowpled and ioyned in one kinde and nature vnto our heade Christe who as he is fully God and of equale powre wyth his father so shal he make vs like vnto hym when he shal appeare after our porcion and measure partakers of his godly nature like as he hath in hys world though but in a shadowe and cloude in regarde of the fulnesse that shalbe declared be gonne al redy to regenerate and begete vs a newe â–ª creature by the holy gost workinge by the worde of hys trueth that we nowe resembling the image of God whereunto we were made maye be continually occupyed in the workes of hys kingdome as be these Iustice peace â–ª and ioy in the same holy gost geuear of al goodnes For he that by these workes serueth Christe is acceptable to God and conmended of men Thys sâ—me â—â—e euer lasteinge God without begininge and without endinge he geue me grace to the fortheraunce of his glorie to make answere to that deuellishe detection the sophistrie of Sathan published by Stephane Gardiner bishope of Winchester for the maintenaunce of the popishe Idole the dombe God and poetical chaungling wher by not onely the true liuinge God is neglected his true honoure obscured and defaced the preachinge of hys worde almoste set at nought but also all kindes of poperie as images blessing kissinge shaueinge of crownes supersticioÌ„ of garmenets and such like are craftily by subtile pointes of the popes sophistri and wordes filthy framed for such merchaundise confirmed and established as thought al the whole heape of these triffes heaped vp together were the religion of a Christian man wher as to knowe God for our true God and whom hehath sent Iesu Christ and by this knowledge to be borne a new and to kepe our selfe immaculate and vnde filed from the worlde is the true and perfecte religioÌ„ demauÌ„ded of vs true christians The other is but countrefaite what so euer â—his sophistrie doeth name it because our maister christ who can not lie doeth saie ful plaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They worshipe me in vaine teacheinge the doctrine and preceptes of men c. And where he bringeth in this texte in the ende of his boke nothing so ful as our sauior Christ did speake it as he knoweth well inowgh if he haue so muche Greke as he braggeth abrode he addeth therunto his owne glose as though he coulde vtter the wordes of christ the sone of God much more wiselie by hys babling Yet am I coÌ„tent to let his own glose be his owne iudge in these matters His wordes bee these They worshippe me in vaine with the teachinge of such as remaine in the estate of men onely theÌ„ teach their owne for theÌ„ selues for al such teachinge is like the teachar that is to saye carnal Let eueri man that hath not his conscience al redie brenned wyth the hote proâ—e marke whether hys owne glose make against him and all the ceremonies that hys father the pope beinge I trowe but in the estate of a man and that a carnal maÌ„ hath made though Winchester go aboute craftily accordinge to the cannon lawe whereof he is sworne by solemne othe doctoure and teacher to make him more theÌ„ a man And marke againe good christen hertes what they win by theyr gloses and multiplied wordes wherby in fayth it were verie easy to confute them all euen by the testimonies of their owne doctours as Bucere Ecolampadius and Frith haue done perfectlie well if these men woulde suffer there bokes to come to lyght For these papistes do so mixte the trueth and salsehed together for without some ground of trueth noman woulde beleue them that the one piece of the tale standeth commonly with the trueth and the other vttereth their salshed And therfore speake they longe matter and are not content to saye plainely a spade but they muste necker it as they do in theyr mattens and saye spaâ—a aâ—ade As for me I haue learned to cal breade bread to speake althinges plainelie Therfore by the open scriptures wyll I make them answere to their questions For al the scripture inspired from God is profitable boeth to teache and to reproue to correcte and to instructe in rightuousnesse that the man of God maye be perfecte and fite for euerie good worcke So that if ther be any â–ª good worke â–ª to be taught or yll worck â—o be rebuked we must go to the scripture onely as to the toutchstone and onelye triall of al trueth For wyth scriptures did Christe driue awaie the deuil and not wyth holy water as you are reported to saie that the deuil greatly dreadeth it and so do ye still commaunde that it shalbe made a coniured water euerie sonnedayes in â–ª euery churche to driue furth deuilles But he thoughe he were boeth god and man alledgeth scriptures alwayes to confirme his saienges and commandeth his hearers to sherch the scriptures So doe Peter Paule Iames and Iohn Wheras Paul beinge brought vp at the fete of Gamaliell the greate lawier was redie inoughe to haue disputed out of the Thalmud of the tradicions of their fathers whiche he saieth he hath ernestely studied beinge ouâ— of the phariseies and interpretour of that law and such one as by the outward wordes of the lawe could not be found fantie Yet dyd he accoÌ„pte all thys
maiestie of God in compareinge hym to suche vile creatures As for that he did become verie man it was for this purpose to aduaunce thys his noble creature the whole kynde of man accordeinge to his promise euen a bone the angelles whome we shall iudge for they are all spirites and are sent forth to do seruice vnto them which are the heyres of saluacion Agayne he dyd not take the angelles but the seade of Abraham Therefore ought he in all pointes to be like hys bretherne If ther were any such worthynesse to be loked for vnto the creature of breade by the worde of God after thys life then lo we woulde graunte that he had assumpted thys fourme of breade wyth hym â–ª But oh thou man thou vile wretch and caytife to thy maker Was it not ynoughe was it not ynoughe I saye that Christ dyd come downe frome the bosome of the godheade the glorie of hys father to take the fourme af asernaunte refuseinge the fourme of angelles and dyd be come for a space inferiour vnto them verie man of the sede of Eua subiecte vnto al humane miserie sinne onely excepted humbled vnto the deathe euen the spitful death of the crosse That he nowe in his manhode exalted aboue all thynges heauenly erthelye and infernall shoulde sitte at the ryght hande of hys father aperpetuall mediatour and peace maker betwene vs an his father were not thys inoughe man for hys humblinge hym selfe vnto the vnlesse thou call hym downe into other vyle creatures bread and wyne make him assuÌ„pt a newe fourme of breade with a mernaylouse Metamorphosis a sodayne and insensible chaung to make ii sponeful of wine a God for to be worshiped wyth all godly honoure as your statut of the. vi articles of the faith of your Englishe churche doeth blaspheme to make a littell breade the whole naturall and real bodie fleshe bloude and bones and all as he hanged on the crosse or as he was borne of the vergine marie Truly truly I saye vnto the because he 〈…〉 omnipotent he wyll not be chaunged into any newe formes by the muÌ„bling and breathing of an whormoÌ„ger or sodomitical priest that you maye se your owne reasone of the omâ—ipoteÌ„cie to be cleare agaynst you whose omnipotente power yf you did once dred or feare his maiesty you durst neuer vtâ—er this blasphemie Nowe our whole coÌ„tention and strife is aboute the fayth gâ—…d vpon the worde of god All the world may iudge that we seke and requier none other thinge You haue but one scripture which is this Hoc est corpus meum The Arrieus whome you meÌ„cion very often had as much as that for their purpose that is to say this texte Pater maior me est They had as plain wordes in that text as you haue in yours They haue the Verbe est or is that you make of so greate strengthe But yet you are in your proceading vpon your text somwhat worse theÌ„ they For wher you say that this faith is groundid vpoÌ„ the worde of god whereby we beleue euerie worde that procedeth from the mouth of God as be these This is my bodie whiche is geuen for you And this cup is the newe testament in thy bloude whiche shalbe shed for many to the forgiuenes of their sinnes â–ª you say but right and we beleue no les But wheÌ„ you procede withe your sophistrie and philosophie of the bodie really and carnally substancially and naturally coÌ„secrated altered and changed iâ— to the forme of accidentes qualities and quâ—tities Then go you farder then did the Arians For herein you bring with you a rabble of termes fetchide forthe of the bottome of sophistry and philosuphy and this deuilishe gronde must we either beleue or els be brent It is for these termes for these your gloses that you do stryue mak your cruell lawes For you neuer despred nor procured Acte of parliameÌ„t that he whiche had not or vnderstode not the worde of god shuld be brent nor yet lose one farthynge But many times haue you bisshopes burned and do dayly bothe the newe testament the olde al that we haue lefte of the worde of lyfe together wyth the maynteners and professers of the same and all them that will not maintain your gloses That you bisshopes the bloude sheders of the newe testameÌ„t may follow the trade of your holy â—athers of the old law who did slea Christ hym felfe as you do his beloued membres But our liuinge god is the reuenger This Arius did drawe vnto his wycked opinion the emperoure â–ª Constantius the excelleÌ„t learned bisshope Eusebius and many other excellent bisshopes and learned men Then god stired vp Athanasius who coÌ„futed his errour with the hole course of scripture as many godly men haue done yours if you had grace to se it But lo then did Arius seke for false accusers to haue caused the Emperoure to haue put this good man to deathe but god did preserue hym in his innocentie and shewed his vengeaunce vpon Arius so that he died most shamfully his intralles and guttes fallinge from hym in to a preuie in the Sinode of Nece as Athanasius doth writ vpon the psalme QuicuÌ„que vult Beware you are admonisshed Where as you reasoÌ„ that your god must mould putrifie must be deuoured and corrupt to the open coÌ„fusion of your senses because your faith caÌ„ not other wise merite verily it is done to the confusioÌ„ of your fonde braines and madnes that will make so vile a creature as can not help it selfe your god honouringe wythe all godly honours the thing that is weaker and worse theÌ„ a worme or mouse that wasteth it Not onlie leauing the euerlasting and almyghti god your selfe who hath your breath in his hande to take it from you or lende it you so long as it lykethe hym but also teachinge other alwais that this cuÌ„iured â—ake is god And yet so sone as you put him to your mouth your breathe onely whiche can hurte no other creature chaungethe him into clammy past that cleaueth by the roâ—fe of your mouthes Haue you not learned that the thinge whiche goeth into the mouth doth neather make the man holie nor vnholie But god lokethe vpon the hertes the grounde of all holines For the beautie of this Kinges daughter is inwarde Can you not perceyue how shamful a chaunge you make frome the almightie to him that can do nothinge FroÌ„ him that sauethe al to hym that can not saue hym selfe Frome the strongest creator and maker of al to the weakest of al creatures From the hest to the worst Surely your senses be confounded and you may worthely be ashamed yea you your selues and your god shal be confounded and ashamed when the wrathe and vengeance of god shal come downe vpoÌ„ al Idols and Idolatours whiche is at hande be ye sure But you say that this must moulde and putrifie that your faithe may merite What shall it merite for this lewdly estemynge
of moste weight importaunce Wherby is wrought the marueilous wisedome of God who onely wyl be accompted alwaies true vprighte and iuste in all his wordes and that all men should appeare as they are lyars If in any one man shoulde rest the fulnes of al trueth we woulde by our weakenesse verie proudely swere into his wordes thereupoÌ„ establish oure beliefe and make hym as it were an earthly God Paule therefore led by the spirite of God taketh his maister Gamaliell and the greate Rabines to no counsell in the settynge furth of the high misteries which God had reueiled vnto him No he woulde not confer with fleshe and bloude that is with any man notwithstanding he him selfe was wonderfully enstructed in the lawe and became irreprehensible therin beinge a pharisei that is to saye an interpreter and as your men are a doctoure hym selfe Notwythstandynge he bryngeth nothynge of Thalmud he teacheth not hynge by the traditious of their fathers but by Moyses by the prophetes and the open worde of God whereupon onely fayth can haue his foundation Fayth is of hearing sayth Paule and this is by the hearing of the worde of God and not of mans doctrine Though you therfore do cal this your doctrine of the real and carnal preseÌ„ce of Christ vnder the fourme of bread and wine the fouÌ„dation of our faith yet were they neuer set in our olde Crede beliefe nor nuÌ„bred among the. xii articles of our faith And Paule wheÌ„ he said I do only know Iesu Christ and him crucified which is the very fouÌ„dation of our faith wherby we might be saued though we lyued in wyldernesse or dyed vpon the seas without thys sacrament Yea though we be murdered in your presence and by your formentes put to death wythout the receyueinge of this Sacrament For our â—ayth standeth fully grounded vpon this worde Whâ— so euer confesseth Christe to be come in the fleshe he is borne of God and who so euer beleueth and is baptised the same is saued Adde you hereunto what newe foundations you please We feele in oure hertes beinge taughte by the open worde that no man can laye any other foundation but Iesu Christe By whose death we dye from confidence in all creatures and by whose rysynge from death we do ryse agayne and do seeke thinges that are aboue where Christe sitteth at the right hande of God ⧠Of contrarietie and coÌ„tradiction THe Deuyll hath an other piece of Sophistrie which is in conterfaite contradictions wherein he vseth for a preface and introduction a moste certeyne trueth whiche is that trueth agreeth wyth it selfe and hath no parte contrarie to an other Wherefore seinge the worde of God is an infallible trueth it hath no contrarieties in it selfe All the worlde muste assent hereunto But thus the Deuyll procedeth to his cauillations from thynges euidently true by little chaunge to thinges euideÌ„tly false HeaueÌ„ and earth haue a kinde of contradiction Christe is in heauen where saynt Stephane dyd se him Ergo he is not in the earth in the sacrament of the aultare Christe ascended into heauen Ergo he taryeth not here He sitteth at the righte hande of God Ergo he is not in the sacrament of the aultare He is the creatoure Omnia per ipsum sacta sunt All thinges be made by him Ergo he is not a creature made of breade He dwelleth not in the teÌ„ples made with mannes handes Ergo he is not in the box vpon the high aultare Your solution to these opeÌ„ scriptures and moste euident argumentes is at one worde and that is this They be taken for notable coÌ„tradictions and insoluble sophisines and in effecte in all these argumentes there is no contrarietie or contradiction in the thinges but onely a repugnaunce and impossibilitie to mans carnal capacitie But I beseche you good bishop is there no contrarietie in the thinges Is not heauen and earth cleane contrarie Haue you so captiuated your wittes and dulled your vnderstandinge that you caÌ„ not perceiue those two thinges to the coÌ„trarie God is the creatoure and maker of all therefore can he not be a creature made of breade He dwelleth not in the temples made with mannes handes for the heaueÌ„ of heauens can not contayne him therfore is he not enclosed in a litle box and hanged vp by a bande It is to muche shame for any priest bishoppe or christian man to thinke so vnreuerently of the secrete maiestie of God as that he mighte be bounde vnto a place enclosed in a cake or a litle boxe seinge boeth heauen and earth be full of his dreadfull maiestie and we what so euer we be do lyue be moued and haue our beinge of him He is infinite incomprehensible vnmeasurable higher then the high heauens lower then the deape botomles waters he measureth the wyde worlde wyth his spanne and coÌ„teyneth all enclosed in his fiste Wyth him the light dwelleth and the sunne beames are at his orderynge By hym is ruled lyghte and darkedesse lyfe and death and altogether Wherefore when thou canâ—t inclose in the box the rageyng seas when thou canst catche the moue in a corner aâ—d sparre her vp in a case when thou canst penne vp the sunne beinge but a creature in thy pix then wyl I graunte the to haue power ouer thinges infinite and incomprehensible In the meane tyme I muste take it impossible not onely by carnall capacitie but also by spiritual iudgement grounded vpon the worde of God by the gifte of reason wherby al men coÌ„sidering the worke of God in the cretion maye knowe their creatoure to exeell all creatures farre and that he can therefore be made by no creature neither of any creature muche lesse can he be enclosed in a box of an yâ—che and an halfe deape when the priest wyll â—…mble foure wordes in a corner and there lye tyed tyll he wax foystie vnlesse the prieste lose hym Oh abominable Idolatours howe muche doeth thys derogate to the maiestie of God And howe farre contrarie is thys to his godlie nature Nowe that it is contrarie to the humaine nature of Christe to be enclosed in bread and sparred in a litle box thus mape we more largely proue vnto you Christe in his humaine bodie forsaketh the worlde he goeth vnto the father He dyd keepe those that were his so longe as he was in the worlde And when he departed out of the worlde he desired his father to keepe them He coÌ„forted them when he went awaye sayinge that it was profitable for theÌ„ that he departed that the spirite of coÌ„fort might come He promised to come againe visibly and with glorie as he went and in the scriptures there is none other comynge of Christ taught vs but the coming first in humilite to take our flesh vpoÌ„ him afterward in glorie to iudge all fleshe whiche thynges are declared Math. xxvi Marke xvi Luke xxiiii Iohn xiii xvi xxii Actuum i. vii Rom. viii Ephe. i. ii Corhi
bodie sayeth Paul so many as be partakers of one breade Why then shoulde we call it fode Yea marie saye you For there is a greate errour spred a brode about the sacramentes that ther remayneth breade after the consecracioÌ„ And the heretykes saye that they wyll speake playne as Paul doeth â–ª But can you teach these heretikes to speake better speake they not well when they speake as paul the apostle dyd Yea Paul is hard and can not be vnderstande Oh it is a woÌ„derful harde thynge for a plowe man to vnderstaÌ„de what bread is Thus would you capâ—tue our wyttes to take Christe and hys Apostles as blinde guides leadynge vs wronge by theyr darke termes but your doctours and you bishopes do teache all so playnly that vnto you onely we must herken and leâ—e the other goe with al theyr bokes and wrytinges paynes and burnynge But I praye you haue these heretykes no more to allege for theyr purpose but Paule Yes truly they haue the playne wordes of Christ for them also or els we woulde condemne them to gether with theyr man Paule and driue them out of all credite by the autorite of our doctours But Christ after he had consecrated and blessed thys breade and thys wine as you say he calleth it styl bread and the frutes of the vine But truly Christ and Paul speake darkely and woulde not haue vs vnderstand them Harken therfore to our doctours and you shal learne the mattier substauncially Thus ren you about the bush to kepe vs in captiuitie Thys is babiloâ—â—â—al bondage and captiuite of conscience Frome the whyche we beseche the allmyghtye and euerlyuyng God to delyuer his lyttle floâ—… But what shal we now doe you cal them heritikes which bring your doctours for theÌ„ as playnly as you haue theÌ„ for your purpose as appeareth by Fryth whom you haue not yet confuted but with your lawes and authoritie put him to silence and than with one worde you call him an herityke and saye he defameth the doctours This is an eaâ—y way to answer And thus might a man make answer to your boke spedilie saying at one worde that it is crafty sophistre As for EcolaÌ„padiâ—s a man of singular learning vertu sobrenesse whom you â—o ligtly regarde and despise You bishope Stephane and al your felowes coÌ„terfayte bishopes compared to such a notable clerke are but shadowes and your learnyng and eloquence but coÌ„terfaits to hys How excellent was he in the Hebrue Greke and laten tonge how wel learned in all scienses How deape a serchear of the misteries of the prophetes and other scriptures How learned faithfull traÌ„slatour of your owne doctors This shal his workes declare and witnes with me vnto the worldes ende do what you caÌ„ to destroy theÌ„ that you may triumph alone like a cradeÌ„ cocke on his owne â—…ghil Thinke you that if Ecolampadius were a liue heard such a foleishe seÌ„tence of â—our writing as here foloweth that he had not rather be dispraysed theÌ„ praysed of suche a foÌ„de braine your words be these wythout any addicion This is in dede coÌ„uenieÌ„t that Christ in his bodi liuing shuld be a figure signe memori of his bodie dead vpoÌ„ y e crose for vs christ in the sacrament of the aulter to be a fygure ofhys misticall bodye the churche Who techeth you to speke thus foÌ„dely but your dotyug doctours Is christ in his bodie liuing a figure signe memorie of his bodie dead on the crosse wher lerne you this thing in the scriptures No forsoeth TheÌ„ nede we not to beleue your lies Had this be a likely tale for Christ to haue told his disciples wheÌ„ he did site at the table in his liuing bodie and did gyue theÌ„ in the figure of his liuing bodi which was theÌ„ redie to depart froÌ„ them this creature bread which could not moue because it had no life At that time his bodie was not glorified nor changed froÌ„ the coÌ„dicion of our natural bodie to be infinite without chaung of time or place how so euer you haue chaunged it seÌ„ce that time It was theÌ„ a liuing bodi no figure or signe of a bodie Neither hade it be possible to haue perswaded the Apostels thys preposition of yours to be true â–ª If you had sayed the coÌ„trarie that the deade bodie had ben the figure signe or memorye of the lyuing bodye some symple soule that knoweth not what a figure signe or memori meaneth myght haue bene deceyued bi your subtiltie â–ª But to go nere you You know that these wordes figure sygne memorie must be referred and applied vnto other thynges theÌ„ theyr owne selues and are therfore in learnynge called relatyues bicause they can not be fully knowne but onely by such thynges as are by theÌ„ figured signified and brouggt into memori And can you shewe me any thinge in the worlde either spirituall or worldly that is boeth the figur and the thing figured the signe and the thinge signified the memorie of a thinge done and the selfe same thing by the memorie repeated Yea it is a strong argument by all the learnynge that euer I heard to reasone a relatiue oppositis So that one and the selfe same thyngecan by no meanes in regarde and respect of it selfe in the same effectes as you speake afterwarde be boeth the relatiue and correlatyue the figure and the thynge figured the signe and the thynge signified more then the ale pâ—le or yuie bushe can be the ale or wyne therby represented or circumcision the couenaunt and the brasen serpent Christ Nowe in the seconde sentence where you saye that Christ is the figure of his misticall bodie what reasone is in it For scripture haue yee none Whoe euer harde before that the heade polyticke spyrituall or bodyly shoulde be named the figure of the bodie wherof it is the head Is the Kinges maiestie figure of Englande Is or can the husbaÌ„d be the figure of his wyfe Oh fond and deceiuable sophistrie confoundeyng all thynges together But marke the spirituall doctryne christen reader thou shalt be taught that it is the bread that is both Christis bodi and ours in figure and that for ij purposes wythout chaunge of either of our substaÌ„ces First for that in Christ it representeth hym to be the general fode of al soules and right so in vs the manifolde meÌ„bres vnited and knyte vnto the same our heade Thus is it truly sayed of Christ This is my bodie and of vs we are one breade and one bodie so many as are partakers of one bread Thys same verbe substaÌ„tiue Sumus we are maketh no chaung in our selues Wherfore then shal we imagyne it to haue such an enchaunteynge power ouer Christe God and man In the opinion of the Arrians maie be perceiued somewhat if yours for that you are so busie with the prouerbe Malum bene coÌ„dituÌ„ ne moueas an olde errour As for luther though he were the little Dauid that
and truth wil I be worshiped And suche worshipers do I seke as with pure mindes flye vp aboue the heauens and wishe that myne impere and kingdome maye be delated and my name helowed and renowâ—â—ed celebrated and prased in al though al creatures Such worshipers I saie do I seke as can coÌ„prehend and perceiue Christ sitting â–ª at my right hand and wyll seke hym without the helpe of any creature These worshipar wyll I regarde and to their sacrifices wil I haue respect For their high bishop hath an euerlasting priesthod wherbi he may fully saue al theÌ„ that wil com vnto me by him whom I haue made the gouernour of holy thynges and of the true ta bernacle which I my selfe and not man haue made which must therfore be coÌ„prehended receiued without the help of any creature vpon earth neither must these worshipers seke Christe here nor ther nor renne after him in anie places vpon earth where any man shall name him to be Muche lesse shall these true worshipers seke me the incomprehensible God tyed to any one place or creature for heauen is mi seate and thearth my fotestole euen as my prophete Esaie dyd witnesse vnto you when he demaunded what house you wold build vnto me or what place I woulde reste in seinge that my hande hath made all My seruaunt Paule also hath sayed vnto you that I the Lorde God haue made the worlde and al that is therin yea the heauens also haue I made howe shoulde it be theÌ„ that I might dwell in temples made with mans hande who is one of the creatures that I my selfe haue made And eueÌ„ as I dwell not in the temples made with mans hand so am I not worshiped wyth the workes of mans haÌ„d as once standing nede of any thinge For I the Lord geue breath to al liuing thynges and haue of one bloude made al the kinde of man and haue caused hym to spread ouer the whole face of earth appointinge prescript tymes and limeting the borders of their dwellynges that they maye seeke me theyr God and trye whether they can by gropeing find me Yet not withstandeinge I am not far froÌ„ euerye one of you For through me you are do lyue and are moued So that ther is no ignoraunce canne excuse you because you nede not â—o secke my kyngedome farther then in your selues And to ressemble my Godly powre and worshippe wyth golde siluer stone or ani other creatture named and coÌ„uerted into the stead of me the onelie and almightie your god you shall not be excused â—i any ignoraunce for by my workes you maie knowe me from my worckes and much more from your owne worckes If you therfore can not be able resemble my godlie powre by any of your Imaginacions howe muche lesse able shal you be to shet vp me the immortal immensurable and incomprehensible God whom the heauen of heauens is not able to conteine in a little box of golde siluer or any other meatall in breade wine or any other creature setteinge vp a newe and strainge I dole of the whiche neyther you nor your fathers haue hearde one worde of my mouth imagineinge a strange worship of your own Idle braines not withstandeinge that my sonne Christe doeth crie agaynst you sayeinge In vaine do you worshipe me teacheinge the doctrines and preceptes of men His most fayethful seruauntes also ceased not to threaten sharpe plages vnto all them that shoulde adde to or take fro chaunge or alter any one worde of all that theye had receiued of their Lorde the father of spirites Wherfore because your fathers haue for saken me and folowed strange gods serued them and worshiped them they haue forsaken me â–ª and my lawe haue they not kept And you haue done worsse theÌ„ your fathers For euery one of you walketh after the wickednes of his owne herte striuinge alwaies howe you maye stop your eares agaynste my wordes and admonicions Loo therfore I wyl fyll all the inhabitauntes of the earth and the kynges which sit in their hygh thrones the preistes and the Prophetes together with drunkennes And I wyl scatter theym one brother from another and the father froÌ„ the chylde I wil not spare them nor haue pitie on them but wil vtterly destroy them Harken and geue eare and beware you do not rage for the Lord hath spokeÌ„ it Geue glory vnto the Lord your God before it wax darke and before your fete do stumble in the darke hilles when you shal loke for lyghte and lo ther is nothynge but the shadowe of death and deepe darkenesse Oh Popes and Princes and glorious Prelates high couÌ„terfait names called byshops to you al I saye whych holde the worlde in darkenes If the Morian can chaunge his skinne or the Leoparde her spottes then can you also do well suckyng wickednes with the mylke of your mothers This shalbe your charge therfore and the portion prepared for you Because you forget me and trust vnto lyes I wil disclose your thoughtes and your shame shall appeare Your lustes your lechery your wiked fornication shall I disolose Let no man praye for thys sorte of people They synne vnto death and their plages are vncurable If you faste I wyll not heare your prayers If you offre offerynges I wyll not receyue them For when you were corrected with famine you dyd not regarde it WheÌ„ you were chastened whyth the pestilence and diseases you refused al discipline Stormes teÌ„pestes and earthquakes floâ—des and breaches of the sea you count not to be sent by my haÌ„de One of you therefore shal dygge in the bealy of an other and you shall be consumed with the sworde of my furie Lo I wyll sende fishers whiche shall fâ—she after you by the sea and hunters whiche shall hunte you in euery hyll mountayne and cragy rocke For myne eyes are vpon your wayes and shortly I wyll sende my spirites whiche I haue created for a vengeaunce the fyre the stormy hayle famyne death the teeth of beastes serpentes and the sworde whiche beinge readie in my wrathfull displeasure do torment all thynges at my commaundemente and especially death bloude debate oppression tiranny and the sworde are create for the wicked and therwyth I beate downe myne enemies be they neuer so proude I the Lorde do create all these thynges that my name maye be terrible vnto the heathen and my power knowne thorowout the earth I demaunde of you O Byshoppes of my flocke I wyll aske you stande vp and gyue me answere of your wayes Is there any of your newe founde Goddes that can gyue you rayne or that can saue them selues from the tiranny if neede require Is there any of these Goddes that can saue hym selfe and his worshyppers furth of my hande when I sende fyre and the sworde vpon them Yea tell me thys rather Hath either you or your parentes founde any wyckednesse in me that you are departed from me and folowe vanities
prophecie agaynst you that haue the names of shepeherdes and wyll not feede his flocke with his worde but feede your selues by your craftie inuentions and cause the shepe to go astraye in the wylde mountaines of your errours Wo vnto the shepeherdes of Israell sayeth the Lorde whiche do feede them selues oughte not the flocke to be fed of the shepeherdes But you haue eaten the mylke you are clothed wyth their woll you sley that whiche is fat and feede your selues and wyl not feede my flocke You conforte not the weake you heale not the sicke you bynde not vp the broken you seeke not that whiche perisheth but wyth power and rigour do you rule ouer them Thus are my shepe scattered because they haue no shepeherde and deuoured wyth wylde beastes They go wanderynge in the mountaynes and are scattered thorowe the earth and no man doeth seeke them No man doeth seeke them I saye As truly as I do lyue sayth the Lorde God because my flocke is thus spoyled my shepe denoured whylse the shepeherdes do feede them selues and dispise my flocke Lo I my selfe wyll require my flocke at the handes of these shepeherdes and they shal neither feede my flocke nor yet them selues any loÌ„ger For I wil deliuer my flocke out of their mouthes sayeth the Lorde Thys is the talke that God the father hath thorowout the olde testament agaynste you that wyl not be coÌ„tent to feede his flocke wyth his worde onely without the sowre leuen of mannes doctrine He calleth you men fed and led with the winde of errours Idole shepeherdes yea deuouring wolfes that wyl neuer be saciate Seinge then that boeth the scriptures and your owne lyues do testifie of you that you are such rotten trees or rather poysoned stockes what fruites of heauenly doctrine shall we loke to springe from you Do men gather grapes of thornes or figges of thystles The yuyl tree caÌ„bring no good fruite Christe therefore in the newe testament and in his firste sermon gyueth vs warnyng of suche Idole shepeherdes sayinge Beware of these false prophetes whiche come to you in shepes clothynge for inwardly they are rauenyng wolfes And after that he had rebuked them that would seme to know al thynges yet could not see the tyme of their visitation callynge them Hypocrites wicked nation aduoulterouse generation that coulde not marcke or ponder the signe of Ionas the Prophete streightwaye he admonished his to take hede not of the leuen of breade but of the seuen of the doctrine of the scribes and phariseis Neither dyd he at any time rebuke so sharply as when he dyd speake of these blynde shepeherdes their doctours shewing how theido teach the traditous of meÌ„ to put the preceptes of God out of place that all their doctrine maketh for their corban and lucre that thei do all thynges to be sene of men Thus do you also folowynge the trade of your fathers For couetise worldly pompe and hypocrisie do establishe all the workes and doctrines of men that you do cal so necessarie Reade the damnation that Christ him selfe pronounceth agaynst you in the. xxiii of Mathewe Where he gyueth vs oure lesson also that we shall keepe obserue your doctrines so longe as they come furth of the seate and doctrine of Moyses But in no wyse to folowe your workes He teacheth in the beginnyng of his preachyng that oâ—les our ryghtuousnes do farre passe the ryghtuousnes of the scribes phariseis who onely were accompted the church in those dayes as you woulde be nowe we can not entre the kyngdome of God The state of the phariseis and you O bishops lest you should murmour and grudge at my playne wrytynges is in thys case of your doctrines for the feedynge of Christes â—locke all one Neither hath any of you authoritie either to make lawes or interprete the scriptures for boeth haue one strength muste be done by the same spirite you haue none authoritie I saye oâ—er the flocke further then you haue the worde of God for you And bryngynge that worde you maye saye he that despiseth you despiseth God As for thynges indifferent you muste say as Paul sayed vpon this your owne exeÌ„ple If any maÌ„ be coÌ„tentiouse the church of God knoweth no suche custome So that rather then any suche bitter contention as is nowe adayes shoulde continue it were better that all your in uentions were refused For seinge that your authoritie is gyueÌ„ to edifie by loue and charitie you maye not abuse it and destrye by bitter braulynge and cruell contention for suche thynges as were not good before you named them so nor yuyl before you did forbid them Thus do I take many of your doctrines of men to be indifferent As to stande vp at the Gospell to praye or preach bare headed to eate fishe this daye or that daye All these thynges being indifferent in their kinde that is to saye nothinge yuyll being voyed of superstition are by superstition made yuyll For that chaungeth good into yuyll Yet are the beste of these doctrines but vayne worshippe of God euen in their best vse For his worship standeth in spirite and trueth But you haue other doctrines and that verie manie that are manifestly yuyll because you do therein adulterate the worde of God as dyd the phariseis when they added their gloses to the coÌ„maundementes of God As when God sayed Thou shalte loue thy neighboure they added hate thyne enemie God sayed Thou shalte not swere but they added vnto the precepte Paye vnto the Lorde the thynge that thou swearest Agayne dyd not the olde pharisies wyth their sowre leueÌ„ whiche is Hypocrisie make vnpleasante and vnsauerie the two speciall workes of the newe man Fastynge and prayer Dyd not Christe hym selfe continually rebuke them because thei brake the commaundementes of God for their owne traditions doctrines where God the father had giuen commaunmente to honoure father and mother they cryed for their gayne their corban and offerynges Where God asketh the whole herte and thereof onely measureth all oure doinges their teachynge is to worshippe wyth the lippes though the herte be farre from me sayeth the Lorde by his Prophete In vayne therefore do they worshippe teachynge the doctrines as preceptes of men The whiche doctrines syth their firste bebyâ—â—ynge the true Prophetes of Christe seekynge the onely honour of God haue froÌ„ time to time laboured to coÌ„fute to restore to their worthiâ—es the preceptes of God his holie coÌ„mauÌ„dementes which euer more amongest hypocrites haue ben in small reputation in comparison of their owne inuentions In somuch that all these Prophetes whom God sent to beate downe the blynde errours of mennes dreames were hated persecuted from Citie to Citie scourged slayne and crucifyed So that all the bloude of the iuste whiche was and shall be shed vpon the earth from Abell to the worldes ende maye be heaped vpon the Hypocrites in the
daye of aduengeaunce when they shall be adiudged to the fyre and tormentes prepared for the Deuyll and his Angelles If any man do not fully perceiue by this we haue spoken that the olde Phariseis and ours be not all one in their doctrines their Hypocrisie and cruell tiraunie I desire him to considre the mattier depely and to coÌ„pare substantially the olde and newe thinges togither Concerning the holie wordes of our maister Christ and most depe opening of the lawe of God his father corrupted by the gloses of the olde Phariseis our newe Phariseis haue founde out a newe doctrine They saye that Christes wordes are counsayles and no preceptes And therof haue they fouÌ„ded and grounded opera supererogationis Workes that they maye distribute for money For fasting praying whiche are the newe wynes that wyl breake the olde vessels he that hath eyes may see that the olde phariseis were not so yuyll as are the newe who haue added more to the wickednes of their predicessours For where Christe dyd rebuke the other buâ—… of hypocrisie vaine glorie Ours haue added herunto superstition of daies times meates drynkes haue made their prayers vtterly nothing but a lippe labour because it is done in appointed wordes and prescript numbre in a tonge that the man whiche prayeth doeth not vnderstande And therfore his lippes labour but his herte is voyed of knowledge what he sayeth wherefore it can haue no profite The honouring of the father and mother they compt chiefâ—y to be done in their corban offering masse pence and trentalles for them when they be deade Muche worsse is thys pointe then that of the olde Phariseis To turne awaye the herte froÌ„ the lyuing God that deliuered out of Egypt They haue sought vp and mainteined ten thousand Idoles They binde heauy burdens of lawe doctrines and traditions to oppresse the pore people Yet do they al thinges vnder the pretence of holines euen when they deuour wydowes houses They loue the firste seates in feastes and counsayles to be saluted â–ª lordes maisters they shit the kingdome of heaueÌ„ they make proselites they teache blinde doctrine they are blynde guydes they are but painted sepulchres full of deadly poyson of the olde serpentes seede Wherefore they dâ— styl slea the true preachers that do admonish them of their wicked life false doctrines and vaine worshippe that they being both in the miserable malicious blindnes of the Phariseis and lyke crueltie of Cain their father may be iudged giltie of all the bloud of their bretherne Beware of such false prophetes sayth our maister Christ thei come vnto you in shepes clothinge but inwardly they are raueninge woulfes By their fruites shall you knowe them Do men gather grapes of thornes and figges of thistles Can such wicked woulfes bringe furth doctrines and lessons good and profitable for Christes poore flocke Naye suche as the tree is suche muste the fruite needes be If the blacke Morian maye chaunge his skynne or the Leoparde hir spottes then maye you teache good doctrine O Popishe doctours you proud prelates brought vp in Sophisticall sciences and Ceremonies and sworne proctours of all popishe maonesse Your doctrine staÌ„deth onely in meate and drinke which is nothinge of the kingdome of God In distributions of holy dayes and saâ—…thes whiche are but shadowes You haue a conterfaite humilitie and superstition as it were of Angels but you go furth proudely in thinges you knowe not puffed vp in vaine by your carnall myndes c. To be shorte what are all your doctrines Are they not of thys sorte Toutche not the chalice for it is holy Toutch not the bread for it is God Toutch not the wyne for then thou wylte iudge it to tary styl vnchaunged in his kinde HaÌ„dle not the corporace nor the karchiefe therâ—… vnlesse thou haue gloâ—es Taste not steshe on the friday nor in the vigils of deade sainctes Taste no butter nor cheese nor in aâ—… wise no egges in lent Whiche lent would be handled if we had leasure but God wyll graunte vs some other time more meete for this mattier Fishe you saye is an holy meate in this your superstition Thus hurt you the body by your bodily doing do nothinge further true holines For God him selfe is a spirite is worshipped in spirit not in carnal doctrine preceptes of toutching tasting handlyng Therfore saith Paule if you be dead with Christ froÌ„ traditions of the worlde why are ye as yet liuing in the worlde led with their doctrines that say toutch not taste not handle not Which all do perishe in the vsinge of them and are after the commaundemeÌ„tes of men whiche thinges haue the similitude of wysedome in chosen holinesse and humblenesse and in that they spare not the body and do the fleshe no worship vnto his neede Marke howe Paule calleth all your doctrines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wil holines Because they come of your fonde willes of no precept or coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of God Such is your doctrine forbidding men to receiue the sacrament in boeth the kindes make the best you can of it grounded 〈◊〉 wyl holinesse For you say that the sacrameÌ„t is not ministred in both the kindes as Christ did distribute it because we laye men wyl not haue it If we laye men haue any suche wyll contcarie to the wyll of Christe who sayed Bibite ex hoc omnes drinke of this you all Diuidite inter vos diuide this amoÌ„ge you it is a fonde wyll holinesse and chosen holinesse But you saye we do forbeare it of a reuerence If it be good to folowe our wyll holinesse and phantastical reuerence in this kinde why do we not of like reuereÌ„ce forbeare the bread also leste it wax clammy and cleaue to the roufe of oure mouthes for in the wyne we feele â—one so vnreuerent a thynge But for spillynge the wyne your doctrine is that we maye not meddle there wyth But we thynke there is far more daunger in your great sleaues and Faunelles wheÌ„ you turne tosse and toye ouer and aboute the cuppe then in vs that haue the cuppe holden to oure heades like babes So that if it be well done vpon suche reuerence to forbeare the wyne you vpon whom muche greater daunger hangeth oughte to haue the greater reuerence Therfore are either you vnreuereÌ„t or els are we not reuerent but folishe in oure wyll holines so many of vs as wil not drinke of this cuppe as oure maister Christe hath coÌ„maunded vs. This is lyke the reuerence that the kentishmen had to the kynges horsse when the kinge coÌ„maunded him to open the gate Iche am not worthy quod he to open the gate to my maister your horsse but hereby dwelleth maister Pecham a man worthy to do it In lyke maner do they that wyll not come to drynke of the cup of the newe testament wheÌ„ Christ commaundeth them saying wyth the kentishe man Iche am not worthy to toutch
it nor to drynke there of but oure maister person or oure sir Iohn are worthy men for the purpose But oh blynde bishoppes we are not all so fonde to be illuded styll For many haue reade your bokes wrytten for thys purpose to maynteyne your pompe and to keepe vs as your vnderlynges and therfore wyll we no loÌ„ger suffer you to say that we lewde men will not haue it But we desyre and require you for the loue of God in his sonne Christ by whom we are made al one perfect and knigeli priesthod to offer vp our selues a lyueing sacrifice purified by the bloud of his vnspotted lambe whiche maketh perfecte all thinges in thys uewe testament which he coÌ„mauÌ„deth vs to deuide generalli willeth vs all to be partakers therof that you do set vp no doctrine of wyll holynesse agaynste the manifest worde of Christ the sonne of God who sayed Drinke of this you all For if you do it must neades be styl spoken of you that is sayed by the prophet Esaie They worship me in vayne teachinge the doctrynes preceptes of men Now leste any simple man shoulde be deceyued wyth your iuglinge wordes when you saye that good men might by the ordre of the churche coÌ„municate vndre boeth the kindes though they haue conteÌ„ted theÌ„ selues with the communion of one kinde and that it was neuer denied but that all states of meÌ„ might coÌ„municate in boeth the kyndes and that ther was â—euer lawe made to the contrarie neither any estate of men repelled aâ— vnworthye to receyue the one kynde as well as the other but that they haue of theyr selues forborne reerently I haue agaynst you not onely your canon lawe and popeishe decrees whych you haue so perfectly learned but your cruell statute of the syxt articles also wherein you made it death to defeÌ„de these open wordes of our Master Christ Drinke of this you all This is inough to cast you in this mattier For if it were lawfull for all christeÌ„ men to communicate in boeth kindes what crueltie cal you this to make it to be proclamed fourth tymes in the yere in euerye church and euery moneth in all sessions assises courtes lawe daies that who so mayntayneth it to be lawful shalbe iudged an herityke and as an heryteke suffer death by burnynge Is there any such charitie in you as Paule had in the settynge forth of his doctrin concernynge that a woman ought to be couered in the congregacion Or is the drinkinge of this cup a more wayghtie matter or more hurtfull to them that do it Christ commaundeth vs to do this and Paule doeth but reasone in the other accordeynge to the lawe of nature Why are you so shamelesse then Oh byshopes to kyll Christes shepe for doeinge theyr masters coÌ„maundement and mayntaynynge his wyll declared in his scriptures seynge that Paul is readie rather then there shoulde be any coutencion about it to call his doctryne backe agayne teachinge most plainely that the church of god ought not to mayntayne any suche doctryne of any man as may styre any contencion debate or stryfe ⧠The determinacioÌ„ of the doctoures of the greate vniuersitie of Paris against the ministracion of the sacrament in boeth the kyndes FVrther more to open vnto the simple as I haue promised what your popeishe diuinitie doeth determine in this cause in the yere of our Lord God a thousande v. hundreth fortie and. ij the. x. daye of march all the doctoures and bachilers of diuinitye of the vniuersitye of Paris gathered to gether into theyr schole called Sorbona haue by solemne oth professed this article of communion in one kynde to be truely and worthyly mayntayned and many suche lyke nolesse shamefull then wycked whyche are published in the newe statueâ— of that facultie with shame inough Theyr fonde foleish and wycked wordes be these in the. vij article The coÌ„munion vnder boeth kindes is not 〈…〉 vnto laye men vnto saluacion And it is rightly and iustly in olde tyme decreed by the church that they should communicate vndre one kynde onely the kynd of breade Whych they proue by these worthye reasones For theÌ„ were it dainger leste the bloud shoulde be spilt But wher the lutherians do demaunde whether the church be wyser theÌ„ Christ because it prouideth for this inconuenience wherof Christ was not ware in commaundeynge the wyne to be taken I do answere that Christ dyd forse the thinge but he kept it secrete to proue the wisdome of his churche Ther is also an other inconuenience For the bodie of the Lorde must be kept in Cibario to be gyuen to the sycke But if the wine shoulde be reserued also it woulde be made vinacre and so for the corruption it shoulde be no loÌ„ger bloud Yeâ— the lutherians would deride vs sayeinge doeth it not wel appeare that there is wyne styll And so this shoulde make agaynste the opinion of traunsubstantion and chaunge of substaunce Thyrdely this is also reasonable that the priestes should haue some priueledge to suppresse and holde downe the pride of the people Fourthly this doeth auayll to proue the opinion De concomitantia of what so euer the Lutherians do clatter that we shoulde folow obserue kepe the ordinauÌ„ces of Christ which he hath appoynted for our infirmitie Also ther shoulde be an other daynger if the bloude should be geuen to drinke for theÌ„ the taste therof myght engender a suspicion to the laye men ther remayned wyne styll wherof woulde arise many slaunders But if they do reason that the church hath no powre to dispense with the coÌ„maundementes of God I do answer that the worde Bi bite Drinke you must be takeÌ„ as a counsayle and no precepte Ther is yet one thinge that I dare scarsely alledge which is wel worthy to be deeply pondered For ther be some that drinke no wyne which maye not be depriued of those kyndes But I dyd defer to bringe this same because the Lutherians will deride vs and saye that ther is no wyne nowe but bloude This is the verie doctrine that your popish doctours were wont to teach preach in all plares But nowe that it hath pleased the Lorde to open the eyes of his people to eâ—pie the leude reasones of you so blynde guides so that you can no loÌ„ger hope to worke your wickednesse so openly the Deuyll steareth vp Stephane Subtile his felowes by deceyuable wordes to maintaine the same matters Fyrste you laye all the faulte in the laye men as surely we are much to blame doeth in thys and other thynges because we haue suffered you so longe sayeinge that the laye meÌ„ compelled by no lawe haue of their owne foleishenesse holinesse you saye â–ª for borne the one kynd Secondlie you establishe your purpose ful craftely with the ministeryng of one kinde to the disciples in Emaus And the breakynge of breade mencioned in the Actes Where vnto you adde this exclusiue Alone And yet when Ioye sayeth that fayth alone
the popeish religion standeth the byshop calleth nothynge and yet lyke Farthynge they all ioyned togither make vp the heape THerfore maye we speake generally of your tradicious and ceremoneis whiche you cal farthynges that fyl vp the heape of your fonde religiou if euerye one of theÌ„â—eperate alone be nothynge as you do playnely graunt surelye it is a goodly masse and heape that ariseth of so manye nothinges Consider your owne exemple doeth a shauen crowne make a priest you answere naye it is nothynge And you saye the dwell calâ—eth it a fleshe marke But I cal it the marcke of the beaste because the popeâ— no doubte is that cruell beaste and Antichriste paynted in the prophetes and Apocalipses whose marck you muste nedes graunte it to be that you maye vse hys marchaundise For God the father commaunded hys priestes that in no case they shoulde be shauen rounde on their heades neither by shaueinge deforme theyr bearders And Christ hys sonne which came to appoynte a more spirituall priestehode woulde not commaunde any suche grosse carnal and fleshelye ceremonie but left suche thynges to oure libertie Nowe be cause you would declare your selues whoÌ„ you woulde folowe you wylbe shauen rounde in your heades and for to kisse women more swetelie your beardes shall no soner waxe sharp but you wyl shaue theÌ„ smothe agayne You wilbe like the Idolatrouse priestes of Isis boeth in your shauinge and your womanlyke wearinge of lyuen and syde garmentes that lyke maye fauour like But to procede wyth your popeishâ— priesthod Doeth a longe gowne make aprieste Naye it is nothynge For thaÌ„ the phariseies who loued to walke in longe robes and made wyde the skyrtes of theyr gownes as ours doe had bene priestes good â—…outh Doeth the name make a priest As maister persone sir Iohn or my Lorde byshope Naye sayeth our maister Christe wo vnto you phariseis that wilbe called maisters and haue the vayne title of Rabby he that exalteth hym selfe shalbe brought lowe Doeth the anoynteinge make a prieste Naye Christe the chiefe priest yea the firste and onely prieste of the newe testament because he onely coulde offer vnto hys father a sacrifice pleasant and acceptable in whome all the ceremoniall priestehode ceased being nowe a ppoynted to an euerlasteinge priesthode not standeinge in Ceremonies as dyd the Leuites but after the order of Melchisedech was not anointed wyth bodilye oyle in to hys pristehode Peter Paule Iames Iohn and all the other Apostles and disciples the ministers and disposers of the treasurs of God and his misteries were not anointed wyth outwarde oile but wyth the in warde oyle of the spirite They hadde the thynge it selfe and we haue the shadowes onely and the outwarde ceremoneis whyche are nothynge in verie dede seyng that they be voide of the bodye and thynges that they signifie and are become lyeynge signes Thus is your anoynteinge in verie dede nothynge Or else to speake in playne Englyshe it is a lyeynge signe and deceyuable shadowe Doeth the powre that you byshopes geue to sacrifice Christe agayne for the quike and the deade make a priest Naye surelye For you haue no powre tobe come newe priestes and so to sacrifice Christe agayne as the Epistle to the Hebrues doeth teache you we haue spokeÌ„ herof at the beginning Wherfor thys is a lye intollerable and lesse theÌ„ nothynge to grounde the true priesthode vpon If you blowe vpon your consecrate creature that you call prieste and saye Accipe spiritum sanctum Doeth that make hym a prieste You dare not saye thys were nothing for then were it some what that you vse in Christenynge of children wherin you make miracles euen after the same sorte It muste â—eades be some what therfore and surelye it is somewhat Yea it is agreate deale to muche that you shoulde take vpon you to geue that you neuer hadde and mocke the geuer therof wyth your massinge gestures and mumblinges euen as you do in your masse when you breath out the wordes of Christe ouer the breade and wyne to the intent to worcke the straungeste miracle by them that euer was wrought But as all your whole heape is but a multitude of nothinges so are you your selfe nothynge yea and that lesse is the shodowe of no thynge And all your creatures that you haue coniured vp of nothyng shal shortly be dissolued againe into nothinge When Christ onelye and his priesthode shalbe some thing as he him selfe is al in al thinges coÌ„tinueth our one oneli Bishop hight priest for euer who hath satisfied for the sinnes of al by ffering him selfe once for al a liuely sacrifice vnto god his father at whose right haÌ„d be sitteth as it is writteÌ„ Hebrues the tenth Thys high priest or bishop offering one oblacioÌ„ for siâ—e sitieth at the right hande of god for euer Truely the priestes of the olde lawe were manye because death dyd take them awaye But Christ because he remayneth for euer hath an euerlastinge priesthode And because theyr priesthode was vnperfect therfore was Christ appoynted to be a priest after the order of Melchisedech without any suche successioÌ„ of other priestes to folow in his steade and therfore sayed the prophete Thou art a prieste for euermore after the order of Melchisedeche The lawe of Moyses made men priestes but the worde of the oth whiche was aboue the lawe did ordein the sonne a prieste made perfect for euermore He made this presthode perfect and fulfilled all his sacrifices at once when he offered him selfe Thus do we perceiue it to be a lyeynge powre that bishopes do chalenge in makyng theyr priestes To take a priest therfore as you do for a sacrifier for synne is iniuriouse vnto Christ and we knowe none such in the newe testament for that presthode must neades ende with the lawe of sacrifice But to take a priest as Malachie doeth the lyppes of the prieste shall kepe knoweledge and they require the lawe at his mouthe for he is the angell and minister of the Lorde of hostes Here fynde we a better marke then the beastes marke or the fleshe marke that is to saye knowledge whereby onely he doeth the message of his Lorde and maister and instructeth his shepe in the lawe of God By this marke are true priestes tried and knowne Wherefore sayeth God by his prophete Osee Because thou hast refused knowledge I wyll put the backe that thou shalte be no priest before me This knowledge is the anointing of the spirite without the whiche the bodily anoyntinge is playne derision of the spirite and hypocrisie and without this the syde gowne and wyde skyrtes serue to nothinge but to make them to be magnified before men Suche therefore as haue the anointinge of the spirite maye you bishoppes anoynt if you please and appoint to be ministers of Christes flocke to distribute his worde and sacramentes Nowe maye we marke by thys we haue heard whether we may styâ— cal your disguised priesthode wâ—â—che
of the fleshe nor by the wyll of man but are borne of God as Peter sayeth Borne againe not of mortall seede but by the worde of the lyuinge God This is the milke not of the bodie saieth Peter but it is the meate and milke of the soule that knoweth no gile Thus renneth all the scripture by metaphors and borowed speache from bodilie meate to spirituall meate from the bodilie teeth and eatinge to the spirituall eatinge by the soule whiche can be done by faith onely So that he whiche is not borne from aboue of the spirite can neither see the kingdome of God nor come vnto Christe let him eate the breade wherein you saye is really the fleshe so longe as you luste For this muste needes be true That whiche is borne of the fleshe is fleshe and that whiche is borne of the spirite is spirite Euen like as Moyses set vp the serpent in the wildernesse that so many as woulde come vnto it mighte be saued from the firie serpentes so likewise was the sonne of man exalted that al that do beleue in him shoulde not perishe but haue euerlasting life Againe So hath God loued the worlde that he hath giuen his onely sonne that who so beleueth in him shall not perishe but haue life euerlastinge Againe He that beleueth in him shall not be condemned And he that beleueth not in him is condemned all readie because he beleued not in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God Thus may we see that fayth and not eaâ—…inge of Christ really in the sacrament doeth â—…aue and bringe life euerlasting And not to â—…eleue in the onely begotteÌ„ sonne of God is â—…amnation of bodie and soule So is it not to â—…enie your gloses really present and bodilie â—…aten Yea mainteininge this grosse opinion â—…ou can not esteme him to be the sonne of the â—…uinge God nor beleue the worke that his â—…ather hath wronght in his death For God the father dyd not sende hys â—…ne in the fourme of breade or any other creature but onely in the fourme of man to the entent to exalt man therby to make man of his householde to giue life vnto man by his sonne Christe to raise him againe wyth Christe and cause him to sit together wyth Christ amonge the heauenly spirites And to shewe furth in the worlde to come the passing richesse of his grace in his godnesse towardes vs by Christe Iesu We beleue in the onely begotten sonne whiche was made man to saue the worlde â–ª wherefore we can not be condemned though we do seeke none other straunge beliefe of really present and bodisie eaten to feede the bodies whiche thinges are not taught in the scriptures You do not beleue in the onely begotten sonne made man but made breade to take awaye sinnes wherfore vnlesse you do repent your daÌ„natioÌ„ is at hande because you beleue not in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God whiche is the onely begotten sonne as he is man coÌ„ceiued by the holie goste and borne of the virgin Mary not as he is bread blowen with your stinkinge breathes Neither is he the onely begotteÌ„ sonne of God as he is wine whispered into your chalice Howe do you beleue in this name the only begotten sonne of God wheÌ„ the scripturâ—… teacheth you that there is none other name vnder heauen wherby men should be saued and yon do saye that there is an other thinge whiche some name the Masse and some the sacrament of the aultare that saueth from sinnes and is a sacrifice boeth for the quicke and the deade and as your man Damascen wryteth it purgeth all diseases and incommodities Furthermore We do beleue that Iesu Christe is the Christ that is the anoynted of God to offre the sacrifice wherewyth onely the father coulde be pleased and therefore are we borne of God You do say that you are the Christes and anointed priestes to offer styll for the sinnes of the people Who is your father but he that woulde darken the sacrifice of the onely begotten sonne of God and sit in the temple of God boasting him selfe for God being in deede the aduersarie and is lifted vp agaynst euerie thinge that is God or godly the wycked man the cursed childe Againe God the father sayed this is my dearly besoued sonne in whoÌ„ I am pleased and pacified heare you him We beleue this worde and wyll seeke no further but to thys onely begotten dearly beloued sonne of God Neither to pacifie the wrath of God for oure trespasses nor yet to seeke any other teacher of his wyll then the sonne of God whom we are commaunded to heare You wyll sette vp the Masse your owne worke to pacifie the father for the sinnes of the quicke the deade You wyll haue your owne doctours to descant newe gloses and these must the pore flocke of Christ heare beleue and confesse or els they shall be brent But to heare Christe the onely begotten sonne of god speake in the scriptures is poyson to al men vnder the degree of gentlemen and punishable by your lawes as in the cases of heresie What call you this but to make the onely begotten sonne of God an hereticke Call you thys the beleuynge in his name Thus maye we proue that you beleue in the Popes name whose lawes and wrytynges are reserued of certeyue men for certeyue purposes and are as muche practised and more stoutely defended then any thynge that Christ coÌ„maundeth Yea howe can we thinke but that you beleue more in the Pope when you defende his Actes more styfly then the lawes of the lyuynge God What if it shoulde be proclamed that no maner boke concernynge any parte of the Popes reâ—igion shoulde be broughte into the Realme and that al those which are brought in alreadie shoulde be brent coulde you byshopnes beare this thynge so guietly as you dyd diligently laboure to haue all sâ—che bokes of christen religion brent and banished But to make an ende where we beganne Iohn sayeth that euerie spirite that contelleth Christe to be comen in the fleshe is borne of God Thys do we conâ—esse that denie him to be come in breade wherefore we be borne of God And thus beleâ—ing in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oâ—ten sonne of God we can not be condemned But that spirite whiche doeth not confesse Christe to be comen in the fleshe is not of God And thys is the spirite of Antichriste of whom you haue hearde that he shal come and he is in the worlde alreadie Nowe seinge that we so many of vs as confesse Christe to be come in the fleshe be borne of God why shoulde nor we for the glorie of oure heauenly father aâ—d for oure saluation be so readie to laye downe oure soules in the faythfull handes of his câ—…todie as the spirite of Antichriste and the chyldren of this worlde are to speake 〈◊〉 â—or the mainteinaunce of Ido atric â—he kingdom of Antichrist to their owne 〈◊〉 â—amnation Worldly Pompe and