shepehard we the shepe must we therfore ratch these places of the holy scripture so far that necessarily we must beleue a transubstantiation for as much as this terme is is there When Iesus christ admonished his disciples saiyng to them that they were the salt of the earth Math. 5. did he chaunge transubstantiate them into pillors of salt as he did the wife of Loth Genes 19. If Iesus christ hath said by his apostles that we are the teÌ„ple of god wherin the holy gost doth dwel is this to imagin that we are traÌ„substaÌ„tiat into a pece of stone 1. Cor. 3. 2. Cor. 6. If the apostle haue said that christ is the rock out of that which did com the liuing water to wash vs froÌ„ our sinnes 1. Cor. 10. is this craftily to deuise a changing of Iesus christ into a rocke or materiall stone 1. Cor. 12. If the apostles haue witnessed that we are the bodye of Christ Is this to brynge in that we are vanished awaye and are no moore men but chaunged into an accidence withoute a substaunce I foresée well o massayers moore than hardened that you will obiect that in all these places before alledged wherin this word is is founde that no mencion is made of sacrameÌ„ts which must be depely considered for asmuch as they be holy mysteries ordeyned of god which also is true And also this worde is is not only found in the holy scriptures before noted Genes 17. Exod. 12 13. but also when there was speaking of the holy sacraments ordeyned before of god vnto the people of Israel was it not written that circumcision is the band couenaunt of god Genes 17. Num 10. Psalm 68.94 Math. 21. iohn 2. In thother holy sacrameÌ„t of the coÌ„munion of the paschal lambe is it not sayd that the lambe is the passeouer or passage Is this to bring in a witchcraft of transubstantiation will ye not coÌ„fesse o massalians chaungers of substances that in these places of holy scriptures speaking of the sacraments thys word is can not otherwise be expouÌ„ded but to signifie that circumcision was the signe marke of the bande couenaunt contracted betwen god Abraham and that the paschal lambe was also the sign of tholy passage for remembraunce of their deliueraunce froÌ„ Egipt The arck of the couenaunt for another sacrament whereof it is written that it is the true power of the lord Is this to saye that it was transubstantiated into the maiesty of god It behoueth to interpret the holye scripture with discretion humilitie wtout sophistrie Witchcraft to vnderstande souÌ„dly the true meaning of words not to abide in the letter that killeth but to receyue the word of god in spirit that quickeneth If than the holy arcke be named the lord called god for that in it he exercised his might shewed his wonders and mysteries to draw the people of Israel by an outward signe to remember god to feare obey him Also if Iesus christ is called the bread that came from heauen the bread of life that the bread brokeÌ„ is his body the wine is his blood that the cup is the new testament that by these outward signes of bread wine he might cause vs to vnderstand our life and nourishment of saluation to stai only vpoÌ„ Iesus christ that by his death bloodsheding we are so assured of euerlasting life as the bread wine are nourishment for the body that it pleased him to ordein these holy signes to serue vs for sacrameÌ„ts for the trial confirmation of our faith is this an occasioÌ„ to play the Capharnaites or the NicodemiaÌ„s to dout of the power of god How is it possible to eate the body drink the blood of Iesus christ how is it possible to be regenerate borne again Then seing we haue a promise geueÌ„ vnto vs by the word of god wherfore o MassaliaÌ„s haue ye imagined a carnal traÌ„substantiatioÌ„ mistrusting the incomprehensible power of god oght it not to suffice you to beleue simple that the bodie blood of Iesus christ is offered vnto vs really sacramentally to coÌ„municate for our nourishment to geue vs euerlasting life by the bread wine consecrated with geuing of thanks the bread being truly his body the wine his blood which ought to be receiued worthely by faith in purenes of conscience as holy signes marks of the godly badge with out enquiring euer subtilly the meanes otherwise then Iesus Christ hath enterpreted saying the fleshe ê“fiteth nothing it is the spirite that quickneth that his wordes were spirite life Ought we to doute that god hathe not the power to make vs partakers of the body blood of Iesus Christ by the holy signes of bread wine consecrated the bread neuertheles remaining bread the wine wine If it were otherwyse thys shoulde not be called a sacrament but a myracle as when Iesus Christe tourned the water into wine that he vsed a miracle of transubstantiatioÌ„ changing water into wine But he did not then ordain a sacrameÌ„t Iohn 2. as he did of the coÌ„munion of his body blood by the holy figures of bread wine Was it not as easy for god to make the wine to be chaÌ„ged into blood Exod. 4.7 or the bread into flesh as for Moises Aaron to chaÌ„g the water of the riuer into blood to apê“ue the hardnes of pharoo or wheÌ„ the clouds were turned into the flesh of quals which rained vpon the people of Israell alwayes god did not ordeyne these miracles to serue for ordinary sacraments but would apply himself to our infirmitie geuing vnto vs signes holy not traÌ„substantiated which are nother vain nor fantasies but are outwarde signes which we can sée touch eate taste abiding in their substance neuertheles representing sacramentally that which is comprised signified by them wherein our triall of fayth doth stand to declare vs by a sacramental worke to be of the number of them that are regenerated nourished by the holy sacraments of baptisme of the supper A comparison of the two holy sacraments If it be lawful to vse coÌ„parisons of the .ij. holy sacraments of baptisme of the supper notwtstanding that there is difference betwene regeneration which doth not reiterate for it sufficeth once to be regenerate borne again But the nourishmeÌ„t must be often done again according to the order of nature other differences largely discribed by the holy apostles and ministers of the worde of god Yet the same end the same god the same Iesus Christ is shewed declared aswel in baptisme as in the supper By the blood of Iesus christ we be regenerat by the same blood nourished By the blood of Iesus christ we are renewed set graffed by the same blood we are kept preserued froÌ„ hunger thrust for euermore By the blood
to instruction and not superstition to vnitie and not vanitie in suche sorte that the faithfull bee not spoyled of their libertie and that by necessitie they be not compelled vnto those things from the which they be made free by the gospel of iesus Christ I will faithfull reader hold thee no longer beseching thee to geue god hearty thankes for purging the church of England frō so many blinde and dumme ceremonies earnestlye to pray that the rest which at this day do molest the godly and minister occasion to the aduersarie to sclaunder the true professors of gods holy ghospell with discord and discention may be also shortly rooted out So that god may be freely worshipped the godly comforted the enemie confounded and his people trewelye taught N. LYNGE A summe or a briefe collection of holy sygnes Sacrifices and Sacramentes instituted of god euen since the beginning of the vvorlde And of the true originall of the Sacrafice of the Masse IN THE TYME ordayned before of God by his vnsearchable and vncomprehensible wysedome after he had created man to hys owne Image and lyknes to th end that he might stirre him vp to feare and obedience and geue vnto him also some exercise of vertue to acknowledge hys God hys creator there were ordeyned many signes Sacrifices and Sacramentes First to our first father Adam and to hys successours being bodely men were ordayned corporal signes of god the better to approuē and make knowen hys obedience To wit Trees of lyfe Gene. 2.3 Euseb Theodor. Seuer the trees planted in the midst of the herber and earthly paradise These trees althoughe they were of no other qualitie than the other plantes yet they were dedicated and consecrated of God to serue for sacramentes that is to saye for holy signes their qualitie then dedicated and hallowed to serue as a seale for a witnes attestation and approbation of the godly wyll For the infinite goodnes of god willing to make knowen the fellowshippe bond and alliaunce contracted with man his creature created to hys own likenes hath from tyme to time ordayned outwarde and corporal sygnes which man might se and behold with his corporall eyes to serue for assuraunce gage and pledge of the diuyne couenaunt like as to our first common father were ordayned trees and corporal fruits left and geuen vnto him to kepe without wasting eating or consumyng in payne of euerlasting death We must then beleue by faith that the trees and fruites were not signes or sacramentes of vanitie as a symple pycture but more that vpōthem did hange both life death they contayning the signe and the thing signified Prouer. 1.2.3 Wherein did consist the knowledge and wisedome to feare god and obey him This was the cause wherefore they were called the fruites of knowledge of good and euill and the trees of lyfe For in keping these fruites hallowed in obeying god euerlasting life was promised contrariwyse in abusyng these Sacramentes in goyinge against the wyll of god declared by outwarde tokens euerlasting death and dampnation was gotten For other exercises of man toward god Sacrifices before the lawe written to the ende that he myght reuerence honour and worship him mani and diuers sacrifices were celebrated yea before the lawe written by Moyses Psalm 50. And although the almyghtye God creatour of heauen of earth hath no nede of mans workes neyther is nourished with the bloud of beasts or fruites of the earth Yet he hath alwayes desyred to drawe man vnto him in feare outward obedience by Signes Sacrifices and Sacramentes In such sort that the sacrifice of the lambes offered by Abell was pleasyng vnto god Gene. 4. Hebreo 11. Gene. 6.7.9 Noe likewyse after the great flouds passed in signe of knowledge and obedience towarde God did erect an aulter offered and lifted vp sacrifice of shepe without spotte and of byrdes wherewith he did make sacrifices sounde and pleasing vnto god By these examples it is easie to knowe that sacrifices did not beginne in the tyme of Moyses But the innocent and iust lambe represented by the sacrifice of Abell the figure of Iesus Christ was slayne and offered vp from the beginning of the world Apoco 13. After the rigor of the floud comen for the punishement of the offences of the tyrants of the earth in signe of reconciliation and couenaunt renued Raynbowe Gene. 9. our good god did ordeyne the signe of the Bow in heauen for a gage and assuraunce of the diuine mercifulnes This signe and heauenly Bowe although before it did apeare in the thick clouds a token of rain to come Yet before it had neuer bene a marke dedicated to serue man for a sacrament or holy signe vntill it was ordeyned of God a signe of the couenaunt contracted with good father Noe and his ofspring Vnto the faithfull Patriarch Abraham another couenaunt and alliaunce was contracted by the wysedome of God Circumcision in the yere of the world 2048. which he gaue vnto him for a gage and assuraunce of him and of his posteritie the outwarde signe of circumcision to serue for a sacrament and perpetuall marke of the diuine wyll It was ordeyned vnto him to circumcise his children males within eyght dayes after theyr byrthe Gene. 17. in paine of being reiected from the number of those people which God had adopted or chosen To the same people of Israel was ordeyned the sacrifice of the vnspotted Lambe the bloude whereof spilt Pascal lambe should preserue the people from the appoynted death in Egipt Exodo 12. the flesh also was ordeyned to be eaten in celebrating the feast euery yere in the day called Pasque in signe commemoration of their deliuerance from Pharaos bondage Exodo 12. with the signe of the communion of the fleshe of the pascall Lambe it was ordeyned to eate vnleuened bread seuen dayes in payne of death Other holy signes were sent of god to his elect people alwayes to draw them to his feare obedience As the signe of the cloud a token of the way to guide the people by day Cloude Pillor of fyer Exodo 13. the flaming firie piller to conduct them by night out of the hands of Pharao the tyrant Moreouer the signe of the diuision of the red sea of Arabie thorow the middest whereof the elect people of god did passe The diuision of the red sea in the yere 2453. 1. Corin. 10. Tite 3. By the which wonderfull signes god would signifie tholy sacrament of baptisme afterward ordeyned by the signe of water which is the lauer of regeneratiō renuing of the holy gost During the time that the elect people of god were holden in the wildernes of Arabia Manna to them was ministered foode of heauenly bread Exodo 16. wherew t they were nourished .xl. yeres This holy sacramēt instituted by the power of god was in such great admiration that euery of the people sayd Manhu
represented in spirit He that desireth to know more particulerly the abuses corruptiōs inuented at diuers tymes by diuers humurrs of men let him read our ecclesiasticall cōmentaries It remaineth presently to come to the corruptions of the other holy sacramēt of the supper cōmunion of the body blood of Iesus Christ By this short discourse a man may clerely know how variable fraile man is alwais hauing abused the grace of god For like as frō the beginning of the law instruction geuen vnto thē the people of Israel did euer corrupt the true vse of sacrifices holy signes sacramēts ordeined of god euen so is it come to passe of of the law of god by Iesus christ hauing instituted the maner to cōmunicat his body blood vnder the figures holy signes of bread wine The which holy sacrament was abused in the time of the apostles by the corinthiās Against whom the holy apostle did writ epistilles Sacrament of the supper corrupted 1. Cor. 11. to the end to bringe them to the true and sincere obseruacion of thys holy Sacrament Let no man therefore hereafter thinke it straunge yf the successours of the Apostles from tyme to tyme haue corrupted the true vse of this holy Sacrament And the more they were distaunt from the time of the Apostles of Iesus Christe the more they fell into corruption Yea abhominable turnyng the vse of the Sacrament into a depth of Idolatry First into what contention fell the church that was next vnto the apostles Ecclesiasticall historie about the determining of the dayes wherin the holy sacrament shuld be celebrated Sabatius the heretik did institute the celebration of Easter with vnleauened breade after the maner of the Iewes Histo tripart lib. 9 ca. 37. lib. 11. cap. 5 Certaine of hys secte dyd ordayne the vse of the holy Sacrament to be celebrated the .xiiij. Euseb lib. 5. cap. 24. Histo tripart lib. 9. cap. 38 39 Moone as the Iewes did It is sayd there were of this sect Policrates bishop of the Ephesians philip Hieropolitain Policarp Truseas Melite and Narcissus bishop of Ierusalem Of the contrary opinion were Victor bishop of Rome Eluther his predicessor with Theophile bishop of Palestine This contention continued more than three hundred yeres after the Apostles Some celebrated the feast of Easter after the Equinoxall when the Sunne did enter into the signe of Aries Other obserued the moneth Xanthisoe called by the Romains Aprill Some sayed to witte the Quartodecimans that it was instituted by Sainct Iohn to celebrate in the xiiij Moone Others aduaunced them selues to be taught by Sainct Peter whereas yet there was no euident appearaunce of any thing The Montanists Phrygians condempned the Quartodecimans obseruers of the course of the Moone and that they ought to order them selues by the course of the Sunne beginning at the Equinoxall in Primtyde And by this meanes they celebrated the eyght Ides of Aprill which is the .xiiij. day of the sayde moneth Prouided that it fell vppon Sondaye There was not onely contention for the vse of the sacraments in what dayes it shoulde be celebrated Eues lib. 5. cap. 4. but also there was great diuision among the Christians for ceremonies inuented to prepare them selues to receyue the same worthely For some as the Romains dyd keepe the fast three weekes before Easter The Illyriens and all Grece with the Alexandrians did ordeyne a Lent to faste sixe weekes Others ordeyned vij weekes of fasting leauing of from fyue dayes to fyue dayes More and more to corrupt the holy sacrament of the supper there was restored another Iudaicall ceremony Histo tripart cap. 8. by the differencie of meates For some duryng the tyme of fast forbad eatynge of fleshe and fishe Other forbad eating of fleshe onely permitting to eate fishe and foules whyche they sayde accordynge to Moyses dyd take parte of the substaunce of the water Some also dyd ordeyne to eate drye bread and water only Others fasted till noone wtout distinction of meates And to be shorte there was in the beginning an infinite nūber of customes corruptions in the vse of the holy sacrament of the supper by ceremonies brought in by the difference of dayes and meates abrogated put away by the grace and lawe of Iesus Christ But was there euer any holy Apostle of god Colos 2. Galath 4. Heb. 7. which euer left in writing any lawe or cōmaudement for the distinction of dayes or meates to celebrate the holy supper of Iesus Christ Their intention was not to institute a religion of feasts a distinction of daies and meates but their doctrine did tend onely to teach good life the true worship of one god onely Wherefore we must néeds cōclude that the ceremonie feast of Easter to celebrate the supper of our Lorde God Histo tripart lib. 9. cap. 38 is proceded of mere custome For none of the Apostles hathe lefte anye thynge in wrytynge touchyng the same To moderate such dissentions corruptions many counsells were assembled one at Sangaria in Bytine by the which to auoyde al contentions it was permitted to euery one to celebrate Easter when he would Euseb lib. 5. chap. 23. Another counsell was holden at Cesaria by Theophile bishop of that place and by Narcissus bishop of Ierusalem Another counsell in Achaye And another counsell was holden at Rome by Victor bishoppe of that place In the yere of Christ 114. After these litle corruptions there succeded greater from tyme to tyme according vnto the humours affections of the bishoppes of Rome Platine Sabellie Alexander the first of that name being come to be superintendant of the Romaine churche the first of the successors of the Apostles of Iesus Christ and also the first of the corrupters of the holy sacrament of the supper ordeyned to mixe water with the wyne before the communion wherin he ment to reforme the ghospel of Iesus Christ which had instituted the communion of his body bloode to be vnder two kyndes bread and wyne but Alexander added a thirde kynde to say water Euseb lib. 3. cap. 27. lib. 6. cap. 14. He restored also the Iudaicall ceremonie of vnleauened bread called swete bread to celebrate the Easter as the Iewes did Followyng therein the Ebionites which taught that the ceremoniall law of Moyses was necessarye for saluation as also Symmachus an heretike in Palestine had taught If Iesus Christ was circumcised to accomplish the ceremoniall law is it therefore needfull for vs to be circumcised Moreouer if it pleased him to accomplish the ceremoniall law to vse in the dayes of swete bread vnleauened bread Is it therefore necessary to tourne agayn vnto the rigour of this ceremonie abrogated by the sacrifice perfectly ended by Iesus Christ Cel. lib. 39. cap. 21. In what place of the holy gospel cold Alexāder euer finde to mixe water with the wyne And for to bynde Christians to vnleauened