your opinioÌ„ coÌ„cernynge that the fleash carnally eaten should be lyuely and confortable you are not able to iustifi by any scripturs And therfore beware how you establishe it wyth your tyranny wee haue learnyd thys gospell that Chryst was crucified to saue synners and to gyue lyfe vnto the worlde But that he must be eaten bodylye to gyue lyfe is a newe gospell For Iohn in hys syxte chapiter doeth wholly declare and set forth the spirituall eateynge of the fleash of Christe by fayth as is before declarede contrarie to your carnall writynges WheÌ„ you saye that we make the scripture like a coÌ„fuse sonne of belles I do take all meÌ„ to witnesse yea I dare appeale your owne conscience whether of vs hath the scriptures in more estimacion You and your doctours which do accostomably preach and writ that the scriptures are like a nose of wax easie to be tuurned to al purposes or we that compt no lerneing of maÌ„ nor yet ani doctrine taugh by the apearans of Angelles to be sure and stable vnlesse it be confirmed by the word of God and his infallible scriptures A gayne how lightly and vnreuerently you iudge of the authority of the scriptures of God your â—larckelye cloked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall testifye to the whole worlde wherin you are nothinge ashamed to recite how that openlye in the greate cownsaile lyke A byshope streightwayes at your beginning to be sure to folowe the foundacion of your Romeish church you compted the authoritie of scriptures vnprofitable for your purpose because the sense therof as you say maie be drawne at pleasure to both partes You cloke the matter with cleÌ„lier termes O bishop as you do al your mattiers but in effect this is al one with the nose of waxe coÌ„fused soune of belles Your words be these Prefatus sum inutiliter me verba effusurum si ad fraÌ„gendam hominum pertinaciam scripture authoritati vt nunc sunt hominum ingenia inniterer cuius seÌ„sus pro arbitrio vtrinque distahatur Iudge O you that do syte haue not your consciences all readie marked boeth of these wordes and of the brennyng of the scripturs for loe here may you se the cause why the bishope wyll neither meddle wyth them hym selfe in hys disputacions nor suffer them that woulde so much as in hym selfe lyeth but burne them and banysh the diligent interpretatours of them because he and hys felowes do thinke that they may so easilie be wrasted to the madnesse of man Oh what shall we say or thinke of suche bishopes It is no maruaile though you haue your brethern in smal reputacion and rayle vpon them at your pleasure seynge the worde of God is so smally regarded with you Yea how can you loue God whom you see not when you hate your brethern wyth whom you lyue conuersant derydeyng despiseing and brenninge al that you can haue of God in thys worlde his holie word and scriptures we take God to our Iudge that to our knowledge we do not abuse the scriptures neither write we any thinge but wyth suche mindes hertes conscience as we are redi to stand before hym and make answer at the greate day when he shall appere And because we do knowe the scriptures inspired aboue from God hym selfe to be profitable to teache to improue to amende to enstructe in ryghtuousenese that the man of God may be perfecte and prepared vnto all good workes therfore haue we it in suche estimacion that we can counte no learning good but that is hereby confirmed and establysshed But let vs â–ª returne to your fyrst expositioÌ„ of these wordes Caro non prodest quicquaÌ„ spiritus est qui vinificat and Quod natum est ex carne caro est That is The fleash profiteth nothynge it is the spirite that geueth lyfe that which is borne of the fleash is flesh Thys you say is the true rule of our whole religion The fleashe when it is carnallye eaten as you wil haue it engendreth nought els but fleash Then if it be but fleash that it engendreth then haue we no profit therbi for the fleash doeth nothynge profit Contrary wyse the spirituall eatinge geueth life and engendrethe the spirite whiche onely feadeth the soule therfore we nede nothing to regard the carnall eatinge whyche neither feadeth the soule nor bodie for no bodily thyng can enter the soule nor no spirituall thynge can feade the bodie Now where you would myxte the fleashe and the spirite to gether by this solusioÌ„ that the fleash of Christ can not be wythout the spirite marke what we do answere If we haue lyfe by the spirituall eatynge of Christ once offered for vs as thepistle to the Hebrues doeth witnes if we haue al one spiritual fode with the fathers if we haue lif so many of vs as do thus beleue in hym by the benefite of the spirite as the. vi of Iohn doeth tell at larg if the rightuous liue by the fayth and not by bodily eatynge if that whiche cometh from the herte do make the man holye or prophaâ—e and not that which goeth into the mouth if he that beleueth in Christe shall not be condemned but haue euerlasting lyfe if God haue graunted to all them that receyue Christ that they shalbe the chyldren of God that is to saye as many as beleue in hys name as Iohn doeth interprete hym selfe if he that drinketh of the fountayn of life by faieth shall neuer be thyrsty but be refresshed into euerlastynge lyfe if he that heareth the worde of God and beleueth haue euerlastinge life what auayleth the fleashly eatynge or what can you wyn therby As doctour Ciprian callynge the breade of thys sacrament Sacramentalem panem that is to say bread signifiyng by sacrameÌ„t farther thynge than breade it is a mattier so euideÌ„t that we nede not to striue for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 panis breade in all languages haue al one propre signification of the bread made of graine An other significatioÌ„ they haue by translacioÌ„ wherby they signifie al maner of fode but your doctour must haue a loÌ„g glose of your bishoplyke brayne wherby you are so wyttie you can depraue euery thing For you are not content to haue glosed your doctour but you must forbyd Paul to cal it ani lenger bread bicause that you bishopes haue espied that panis may signifie fode But I prei you good bishop leaue your daliing and tel vs what christ did take in hys haÌ„des as he sate at supper It was not a pece of the lambe to haue a similitude of fleash but it was bread the general substaunce of mans bodily lyfe euen lyke as Christ is the onely breade of lyfe and spiritual fode of the soule Bread I saye it was to declare that lyke as breade is made of many graynes whych all to gether do make but one bodie so lykewise we beynge many beleueynge in Christ are all one bodie in Christ We are one breade and one
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
owne grossenes Howe dare you for shame name this christes bodie that you do eate and saie that you eate it bodily May any thing be called a bodie but that may be perceyued bi some of our outwarde sences For by theÌ„ onely as by corporall instruments appointed of God to the same purpose maye we iudge what so euer is a bodie Seinge then our senses and bodilie instrumenâ—es perceiue no suche bodie the worcke beinge inwarde by the spirite what neade we to speake grossely and carnallie of the bodie or whaâ— profite can come by that strange doctringe Seinge then that Christe is not the meate of the soule that waye it is to muche shame thus to contrefaite a Christ in the breade good for nothinge But we beleueinge that Christe hath died for vs haue all the conforte that maye be continuallie refreshed wyth the body and bloude whyche are the onely foode of the soule For of thys spirituall eateinge the spirite encreaseth like as of the carnal eateing flesh onelie can be cherished and encreased For this worde must euer staÌ„d true That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that whiche is borne of the spirit is spirite And for this cause doeth Christe vnderstand a spiritual eateinge But howe I praye you That 〈…〉 maye be eaten carnally and bodily Then shal it be al one thinge to eate hym bodily 〈…〉 spiritually which euen by your sophistrie you must nedes iudge impossible If the eaâ—â—ng of Christ be spiritual â–ª why do you say that you eate hym bodilye If it be bodilie what other thyng can it confort butthe bodi Christ saiâ—h that except we eat his flesh that is beleue that he died and shed his bloud for vs we cannot haue lyfe in vs. Agayn if we 〈◊〉 his flesh that is beleue that it was slaine for vs and drinke his bloude that is beleue shed that his bloud is shed for vs than is Christ in vs and we in him But is Christ in any man corporally and bodilie Naye ve rily What neadeth it vs than to make any â—…o doubtes of cateinge hym bodily for thaÌ„ do we eate hys bodie when we beleue that it was slaine for vs. It is fayth therfore and â—…e other eateinge wher of Christ speaketh for man consisteth of two partes bodie and soule The bodie nether can nor dare by any meanes eate him because it is horrible and a gainste nature No thoughe it coulde and woulde eate hym it shoulde auaile hym no more then the bodilie kisse of Iudas and the handeling of the Iewes auailed them It remaineth therfore that the soule shal eate him which can be none other wayes but by liuely faieth in the bodie and bloude â–ª offerred for vs vnto hys father The soule hath no teth and therfore none other maner of eateinge Thus do we conclude that the soule beinge a spirite and the meate spirituall no maÌ„ ought to seke for to eate Christe in this sacrament bodilie really and carnally but onely spiritually as hys worde is spirite and lyfe But stil you wyl vse your eloquence and saye Thys is spoken by intollerable arroyancie deuillishe sophistrie carnall reasones deceitfull expositions croked argumentes contrefaite contradictions by the spirite of the deuell it is lies erroure and blindnesse Captiue your wittes vnto vs of the cleargie Christe speaketh still in the priest at the aultare and saieth This is my bodie And therfore it is his natural bodie Thys is it that you haue to saye Oh howe full of Christes holy worde and the conforte of the scriptures is thys blessed byshoppe These are the blesseinges that flowe from thê so sone as they wagge theire pope holye membres I wyll not raile againe to your worthynesse But as I haue begoue I wyll answere wyth scriptures The tonge is a worlde of wickednesse So is thetonge set in our membres that â–ª it defyleth the whole bodie and setteth on fire all that we haue of nature and is it selfe set onfire euen of hel Therwith do we blesse god and curse men made to hys owne Image Out of one mouth procedeth blesseinge and curseinge where it is contrarie by course of nature that one fountayne shoulde bringe fourth both swete and bitter water If any man be wyse and endued wythknowledge amonge you let him shewe hys worckes out of hys good conuersasion wyth mekenesse and wisedome But if you haue bitter enuie and striffe in y our herte reioyce not neither be ye lyars agaynst the trueth For such wise dome desceudeth not froÌ„ a boue but is erthly naturall and deuellishe For where enuie ann strife are ther is vnstablenesse and all maner of iuell workes But the wysdome that is from aboue is first pure than peaceable gentile and easye to be entreated Full of mercie and good fruites wythout iudgeing wythout simulacion Yea and the fruitte of rightuousnes is sownein peace to them that maintaine peace But to go forth with our purpose No arrogancie no deuellishe spirite or sophistrie can haue the whole course of scriptures thus to maintayne their cause To proue farther therfore that we be taught the spiritual worship onely and not the sâ—eshely and carnall that perisheth and consumeth by tyme marke the scriptures First howe Christ con maundeth to worcke the meate not that perisheth but that remaueth into lyfe euerlastinge whiche the sonne of man shal geue you Nowe Christ did geue vs none other meate wherbye we lyue for euer but thys gospell aâ—d glade tidinges that he freely hath sufferred death for vs. Againe this is the worke of God To beleue in him whom he hath sent Lo the plain wordes of christ Fayeth in him whom the father hath set worketh the meate that neuer perishe It is fayeth therfore in Christ crucified that maketh vs â–ª blessed and not to eate the bodie carnally bodilie and naturally For then should we haue two waies to lyfe The one by fayth and the other by this bodilie eateinge which no man I trowe wyll graunte Againe Christe sayeth that it is the true breade that cometh downe from heauen and geueth lyfe vnto the worlde So that Christ is the liuely fode as he is God and geueth lyfe vnto the world as he is God the sonne of God not as he is fleshe For if the bodily meate that we do eate be but a burthen vnto â—s tyll it be chaunged iâ—to spirite and altered from the grosse substaunce to nourish the liuely spirites and spirituall partes what do we so grossely thyncke that the flesh of christ swalowed into oure bealies shall do vs so muche good â–ª Thys opinion is verie grosse Therfore sayeth Christe to the Capernites in the same blindenesse What if you shal see the soÌ„ne of man go vp where he was before It is the spirite that geueth lyfe the fleshe profiteh nothing The wordes that I speake vnto you are spirite and lyfe Thus doeth he call from the earth to heauen from the fleshe to the spirite lyke
begin ninge who commynge downe from oure heauenlye father dyd declare hym selfe to be the hed corner stone of the true church thoughe the byshoppes refused hym in their buildeinge And when he ascended vp agayn leading capteyue wyth hym captiuitie hyrselfe he gaue gyftes vnto menne makynge one sorte Apostles an other sorte Prophetes some other Euangelistes some Shepeherdes and â—eachers These onely be appointed to be the ministers of his church in the new testament that they shoulde all together in spirite and trueth boeth worship him and cause other to do the same for the spirite is the worcker of al diuiding to eueri one as pleaseth him The bodye of thys churche then is not one membre as of long tyme you haue named your selues onely to be the church but it is many membres as the Apostle witnesseth amonge the whyche membres I feare me you shall not bee worthy to be numbred onles you do amende your life so contrarie to Christ the heade of this churche For thys churche hath he begotten vnto hym selfe by his worde as the parent and onely mother therof that it should be without spot or wrinkle gloriouse holy and without blame and especially saithe Paul the bisshope muste be such a one that no man sholde find any faute with him Thus writethe he to his dearely beloued Timothe and Titus makinge it moste euident and playne vnto vs that you bishopes prestes teachinge for your gaine sake or els teachinge nothinge at all are not the true byshopes and members of the true churche but the hierlinges and hypocrites that haue no parte in the Kyngdom of God and his Christe who dyd come â–ª pore not hauinge wher to laie his heade and dyd chuse pore sheperdes to be his first witnesses and after them fishers toulers and tentmakers And the words that he spake to his disciples are far ouer harde for you byshopes to bear Who so doeth not saieth he for sake father mother goodes lyfe and al together for my sake and the Gospell can not be my disciple Moreouer wher as the bishops of the Iewes and chife priestes doe crie TeÌ„plum domini Templum domini As thoughe they them selues and none other were the true church Christe answereth that the sonne of man shalbe betraied to the chief priestes and they shall condemne hym vnto the death so that they were none of the trwe churche thoughe they were of the seéde of Leui to whome the gouernance â–ª of the churche was promised and performed In like maner you so longe as you persecute Christe hys members and burne his worde crie you holie church neuer so much you shalbe no more of the true churche then â–ª they were For ther is all one worcke and purpose in you boeth that is to saye to miantayne your pompe and estimacion your powre and your holynesse before the people But now is the time come that the thing which â–ª was most holy in the sight of the world as you your iewels haue bene shalbe abominable â–ª vnto God Yet one other thing nothinge pleasaunte to your lordlike stomakes He that wilbe the cheife in this church must be the seruante of al Like as the sonne of manne did come not that he shulde haue seruice done vnto hym but that he him selfe shuld serue and giue his soule for many As many therfore as we finde agreable withe this heade Christ as were the. xij Apostles and all the true disciples who continued together in the breaking of breade and praier acceptinge none of the possessions of this worlde as their owne but makinge all that was theirs commune to the necessitie of their brothers we esteme to be the true and faiethful membres of this church Paule also geueinge him selfe for the Gospell to be imprisoned stoned and slayne was of thys churche Stephane also stoned for the defence of GOD his glorie and Antipas the true and fayethfull witnesse of Christ slaine at Pergamis Ignatius the scholar of Iohn who suffred for the Gospel Ignatius I saié Who so ernestly desired the breade of God the heaueÌ„ly bread of life whiche is the flesh of Iesu Christ the sonne of the liuing God who was borne in the last ende of the world of the seede of Dauid and Abraham and desyred to drincke the bloude of hym that is wythout corruption and the life euerlasting All these I saye we knowe to be the lyuelye membres of Christes true churche but not these onelye whiche sufferred vnder the Romishe tirantes but theim also the whiche in al countreis and at al tymes haue witnessed and suffered for the trueth â–ª of God his word for all are created for hys glorye and God hath not at any tyme or in any place ben altogether without hys witnesses if the world woulde receiue theim He sente into oure naâ—ion Iosephe of Aramathia He stirred vp Gildas he enstructed the plowemen oâ— kent and other contries of whome we haue the monumentes After warde dyd he sende Robert Grosheade who boeth by worde and by writinge dyd rebuke the worlde of blynde iudgement Then came the greate clarke that wrate so mani godli bokes Iohn Wicklife of whose workes though Subincolepus the bishop of Prage did bren to the uombre of two hundred yet are ther manie of them reserued vn to thys daye by the prouision of God to the coÌ„fusion of the kingdome of Antichrist cleare testimonie that the worlde before vs hath not ben vtterly destituted of true know ledge thoughe frome tyme â–ª to tyme whan the lyghtte hath come into the worlde the kingdome of darckenes the children of pridâ— haue loued darkenesse better then light and therfore haue laboured to extinguishe it and haue prohibited these bright sterres to geuâ— lighte saue onelye to a fewe whome he had chosen and longe a fore appoynted euen to the weake abiectes and caste awaies in the sight of the world of the whyche sorte parte were slaine and part liued vnknowne to the worlde for this litle flocke euen from the beginninge hath not bene of the wife and stout worldely men and therefore sayeth Christ I thanke the father that thou haste hid these thynges frome the wyse and prudent and haste shewed the same to littleones smallye regarded And Esaie saieth I wyll destroie the wisedome of the wise and the vnderstaÌ„ding of the prudent wyl I caste awaye And agayne Where is the wise Where is the scribe and interpreter of the law wher is the disputer of this worlde Hath not the Lorde made folyshe the wisdome of this worlde For after that the worlde by hir wysedome could not know God in his wisdom it pleased god by the folishenesse of preachinge to make salfe them that beleue This preachinge of the liuing god whiche sent his sonne an euerlasting sacrifice for the lyfe of the worlde caused the sacrifices to waxe colde and that was it that caused the priestes of the Iewes to persecute the christians so sore that
interpretations and similitudes shal sone perceine your gloses to be of smale knoledge For Paule knowyng that suche shoulde come after hym as woulde not suffer holesome doctryne expouneth his owne wordes strayght wayes declaryng them to be of the outward remembraunce of Christes death which is doone in this Sacramente as in all other bothe of the olde Testamente and of the newe and not of the inwarde memorie must be continual at al tymes and not in the eating of this bread only So oft as you eate thâ—s bread and drinke this cup sayth Paule you shewe forth the death of the Lorde to the tyme that he come as Erasmus doeth translate it and after the olde translation you shal shewe furth the death The greke worde â–ª 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 causeth thys ambiguitie For it may be either the present tyme of the indicatyue or the present of the imparatiue commaundyng the memorie to be done And so agreeth it wyth Luke Do thys in the remeÌ„braunce of me So agreeth it with the passeouer in whose steede we haue it for they had speciall commaundemente of lyke remembraunce of the worke of God Thus agreeth it wyth diuers other commaundementes for the merueylous worke of God to be had in memorie as appeareth by Iosue the. iiij and Erod xiiii And vpon these are the verses of Dauid knowen to be true Great are the workes of the Lorde and worthy to be searched furth that all delite and pleasure maye be in them Glorie and maiestie are his workes and his ryghtuousnes remayneth for euer He made a memoriall of his workes etc. The Hebrues do vse the imparatyue for the future tens of whose phraces the newe testament is full Thys memorie of the workes of God and highe estimation of his loueinge mercies ought to be had in perpetual remembraunce therfore doth Dauid brast furth into suche wordes by the vehemeÌ„cie of the spirite saying Oh al you seruauÌ„tes of the Lorde praise you the Lorde Optabilis laus eius Psalme Cxlvii His praise is to be wished and desired and therfore we desire praye that his name may be sanctified hallowed renowmed and praysed Sanctificetur nomen tuum Ex ore infantium et lactantium perfecisti laudem The prophete truly instructed by the spirite of God knoweth that he hath made perfecte his prayse by the mouth of infautes suckelynges and babes and therefore byddeth he that yonge men and maydens olde men and childreÌ„ should prayse the name of the Lorde sayinge that this prayse becometh all his holions It was the course of the olde testameÌ„t and the Iewes vse the same at thys daye that the whole congregation shoulde after the lawe and prophetes reade vnto them acknowledge theyr synnes and gyue thankes for theyr beuefiâ—es or elles promise to do the thynges commaunded and wyth one herte and mouth thus glorifie God And the same ordre continued amongest vs tyl suche tyme as you byshoppes by your arrogant ignoraunce dyd shutte vp the kyngdome of heauen whiche standeth chiefely in the renowmynge praysynge and glorifiynge of God and neither woulde entre in your selues no suffre them that woulde entre Paule alloweth thys generall praysynge and preachyng of Christes benifites and woÌ„ derous workes saying So oft as you come together euery one of you hath a songe hath a doctrine hath a tonge hath a reuelation hath an interpretation Agayne you maye all prophecie one by one that al may learne and al maye haue conforte But bishoppes wyll none of thys It is ynough say you to haue it done once for all it needeth not to be done againe Yea you wyll not haue it done at all You wyl haue vs muÌ„ble al our life longe in a blinde and vnknowne laÌ„guage But the sermon and preaching and shewing furth of the lordes death muste be in our liuing after the exeÌ„ple of the bishoppes and prelates in loue charitie and the contempt of the worlde Not in makynge a sermon wyth the tonge declaring howe Christe died for vs. Oh blynde guides you oughte to wishe that the name of God and the special worke of his mercies in the death of his sonne Christe mighte be moste largely renowmed praised and sanctified in the coÌ„gregation not only by the mouth of sucklinges and babes by the lowest by the highest by the smallest by the greateste but if it were possible that the very stones should brast furth his praise And wheras we are all to slacke and negligeÌ„t in reÌ„dering thankes for this great benifit that we haue thorow the death of Christ good bishoppes woulde encourage vs and steare vp this heauy slackenes in vs callyng vpoÌ„ vs to be thankeful But coÌ„trariwise you discourage vs so muche as you can possibly commaundinge that we shall not euery man preache furth the Lordes death in this moste worthy sacrameÌ„t but in steede therof you do by your coÌ„maâ—â—demeÌ„t establishe your Idolatrous sacrifice wherwith we must be fully contented and satisfied and not so hardy as once to demaunde in it any one worde to be spokeÌ„ to the edification of the vnlearned So that your bishoppe Deuyll lurketh in thys worde not more wickedly working his purpose to put to silence the death of Christe theÌ„ in the greatest but that euer was made Howe be it if we myghte opteyne of our noble Prince as no doubte we shall if your Deuyll do not ouer renne all together if we myghte opteyne I saye the thynge that Paule commaundeth that nothynge shoulde be spoken in straunge language in the congregation wythout an enterpretoure that we myghte all wyth knowledge and not wyth blynde mumblynge matteâ—s worship god gyue glorie to his name your Idol woulde wax so sicke Idoubte not that you should staÌ„de nede of some expert maister of phisicke to see his water Doctour Buttes if he were on lyue coulde do it ryght well Where as you deride thys thynge that euerie man shoulde make a sermon I wyshe that euery man coulde do it and wyll exhort them that can do it eneÌ„ for the loue of God that they do it more diligently For I do nothynge feare that they wyll be ouer ready to the thinge that is good No I haue dwelled fully seuen yeres in a place where I neuer hearde sermon But for the declaration of the text vnderstande that we do not thynke euery maÌ„ bounden and coÌ„maunded to make a sermoÌ„ but to reioyce blesse God Which is all one borowed of the Hebrue language to acknowledge in our herte and if occasion to profite the coÌ„gregation or the ordre of the churche and assemble do permitte it to confesse wyth the mouth the death and benifite of Christe and generally to gyuâ— thankeâ— together in comlinesse and ordre that by the multitude thus praysyng and gyuing thankes the honoure of God maye be amplified and we the better reseÌ„ble that heauenly HierusaleÌ„ where they do incessantly syng praise criynge wyth one voice Sanctus sanctus that is holye holy holy And
that all such be put out from amonge my people And who so euer wilnot repēt this grosse errour beinge admonished be it knowen vnto them that they are not of my shepe For my shepe do heare my voice And being once raysed wyth my voice they wyll folowe no straunger but wil with open voice crie vnto the straunger and say Oh Idole shepeherde Al this haue I spokē because I your god am so opēly cōtemned and a weaks Idol embraced Gyue eare nowe and herken what I shal saye for my sonne whō I sent to be your sauiour and the onely sacrifice that can take awaye synne in my sight You make hym of none effect that so you maye establishe your owne glorious workes and sacrifices I was and am fully cōtented and satisfied wyth the offering of his body once done What neede is there then of your lyeinge sacrifice If his onely sacrifice be ynough as it is ynough more then ynough to satisfie for al what nedeth you to sacrifice and offer him vp again Wyl you or cā you kyl him againe For that which is sacrificed must needs be slayne and wythout bloude can there be no remission of sinnes I know your hertes bloudy bishops by the betrayinge of him whē he was in the earth amonge you nowe by the brennyng of his worde by the tirānous destroyinge of his flocke which wolde cal againe the memorie of his passiō which you haue extinguished wyth your sacrifice for the quycke the dead making it a cloke for your couetousnes and a buckler for the pompe and rigorous authoritie you chalendge ouer my litle flocke I appointed him priest according to the ordre of Melchisedech without successoure or felow I anointed him with the spiritual oile of my spirite that I mighte haue a bishop to offre vnto me sacrifice which should be pure and without spot whiche shoulde not neede many times to offer or to be offered but makinge al thynges perfecte by one onely offeringe of him selfe vnto me his father and by his bloude which all other sacrifices so oft iterated and repeted as thinges vnperfect dyd onelie signifie In this my dearly beloued sonne is my delyte He is the greate bishop whiche once for all hath entered into the place most holie And beinge founde lyke one of you in althings sinne only excepted he hath now penetrated and passed throughe into the heauens there to be your bishop for euer to offer hym selfe alwayes for you in my syghte by whom you maye come to the throne of my grace to haue healpe by tyme. If you wyl seeke any other bishoppe to offre for yo◠I tell you he is poluted and muste firste offre for hym selfe And because of the imperfection that is in hym he can not please me nor pacifie forhim selfe Yea you may also perceiue that his offeryng is vnperfecte or els should he not neede to reiterate it so oftē If you wil not be deceiued therfore sticke fast vnto the offering ofmy sōne once for all made for you And as I haue giuē him to the deth for your sakes so wyll I deny you nothinge that you aske in his name be you sure Hōse comethit that you be called christiās that Christ my sonne was for your sakes manifestly made man in the flesh was iustly declarede God by the spirite and shewed vnto the Angels and after receyued into glorie This must you beleue if you wyl be partakers of the same glorie That he was verie man as one of you are synne onely excepted conuersant vpon the earth in all humilitie care and miserie at my cōmaundemēt wherby for his obedience toward me he deserued to be ▪ crowned wyth a crown of glorie wherfore I sendynge the holye gost vnto you at his desyre whyche may teach you how you are become my chyldren by hym dyd take him vnto my selfe and raised him aboue al the heauēs euen to sitte at my ryght hand for euer Wher you shal seke him if you intende to find hime But neither here nor ther in ani corner of the earth He tolde you that he must departe from you And if you loke for my fauoure you muste not compt him a liar But wylt thou seke my sonne Lo he hath offered one offerynge for sinne and sytteth for euer at the ryght hande of me hys father lokynge for that whiche remayneth That is that hys enemies be made his fote stole And thus doeth my spirite witnes vnto you that in this my newe testamēt established in hys death your sinnes shoulde be done awaye so that I woulde no more remembre them Then if you beleue them to be forgyuen how can you offer for them any more It is a manifest token therfore that all you which wilbe styll sacrificeynge for your synnes do not beleue that they beforgeuē by the death of my sonne Christe You also whych wyll carnally and grosely eate hym and feade vpon hym as chaungeynge breade into hys fleshe can not worthly beleue vpon hym For he departeyngefrō the earth dyd cōmaund you to eate the bread of this supper which he louyngly called hys bodye for your weake remēbraunce and for the declaracion of the benefite which he then shewed vnto all the faythful beleuers in hys death and bloud shedeynge For the declaracion and remēbraunce I saye of this benefite he cōmaunded all his faythful folowers brotherly to deuide amonge them the bread and wyne so ofte as they woulde eate or drynke in the remembraunce of hym whom they shoulde not haue any longer presently conuersant amonge them For he was then commynge vnto me his father for your profyte And therfore byddeth he you do this thynge in the remēbraunce of hym wyll you then know what it is to do the worke that he commaundeth you or to worke the meate that ne neuer perisheth whiche meate he promised to geue vnto you and I haue sēt him downe and appointed hym for the same purpose If you wil knowe this worcke reade in the. vi of Iohn wher you shal learne that the worke of God is to belieue in hym whome he hath sent This is al that you can geue me This is all that I require at your handes I geue you therfore the breade of life if you can receiue it by faieth vnfainedlie That is to say trusteinge to my promise onely in the death of my sonne and to none other creature Yea my sonne is this breade of lyfe and he that cometh vnto hym shall not be hongry he that beleueth in hym shal not be thirsty And thys he tolde you was my wyll and pleasure that who so euer doeth see him and beliue in hym hath euerlasteynge lyfe For thys is the lyfe euerlasteynge to knowe me and to knowe my sonne whome I haue sent Iesu Christe By thys knoweledg do the Angelles and blessed spirites lyue reioyce and take their comfort Thys is the heauenlye fode Thys is the Manna that comethe frome heauen Therfore so muche haste
thou of euerlasteinge lyfe as thou haste of the knoweledge and fealeinge of my grace and goodnesse why che chiefely and principally was openned vnto the worlde in the sendeinge of my sonne into the worlde to be made fleshe leste al flesh should haue perished for wickednesse Thys is the breade then that comethe from heauen wherof who so eateth shal not perishe but lyue for euer And thys breade is the flesh of my sonne as it was geuen for the lyfe of the worlde for so was it a verye heauenly gifte and heauely breade comeinge frome heauen Other wayes was it but an erthly thynge and nothinge profitable For the phariseis and all the wicked that do not compt thys onely thynge to knowe me the father and my onely sonne Christe geuen for the lyfe of the worlde to be the onely saluacion therof but secke more helpe of saluacion at any creature in heauen or earth be it man saincte or Angell be it workes sacramētes or any other thynge that man can imagyne as they can not vnlesse they compt some insufficiencie and lacke in me shall not haue any parte in my sonne Christe whome they haue in so small estimacion howe grossely so euer they imagine to eate hym No to them that this slenderly and vilely esteme the hilpeinge and saueing that I haue geuen him he is the sauour of death vnto death and the stumblynge stone But vnto them that wholely and onely do cleaue vnto him feadeinge on hys bodye thus offered for the life of the worlde and drinckeinge of his bloude geuen for the remission of synnes he is the breade of lyfe hys fleshe is verie meate and hys bloude verie drinke so that you haue alwayes in mynde that it is the spirite that geueth lyfe and that the fleshe profiteth nothynge And take it for a generall lesson to vnder stande the worde of godly doctrine that the wordes which I and my sonne do teache you are spirite and lyfe And to beleue them is to eate the meate of the soule to worcke the worcke of God and therfore to haue lyfe For the ryghtuouse lyueth by hys belyefe ▪ And Abraham dyd beliue wherfore it was compted vnto hym as ryghtuousenesse before circumsicion or any other out warde sacrament was geuen hym Yea thys Abrahame maye teache you that without the regarde of any creature yea contrarye to the workeinge of all creatures thou muste belieue and be made sure of my goodnesse that thou mayeste wyth ▪ an vpryght face vp towordes the heauens saie O Lorde I haue belieued in the I shall neuer be ashamed For thys is the nature of fayth to loke strayght vp vnto me your heauenly father and to receyue at my hande by the merite of my sonne all grace fauour and goodnes Wher if you declyne asyd and appoynt your selfe meanes aydes and helpes of any creature otherwise thē I haue cōmaunded you must be compted miscreāts mistrustinge my goodnes Here falleth the Iustice that you seke for by your workes and sacramentes and here ariseth the Iustice of fayeth which is onely acceptable in my sight For Israell in the olde tyme folow ynge theyr lawes of righteousnes by their workes sacramentes and ceremoneis coulde not come to ryghteousnesse And wherfore I praye you Because they did not followe ther vpon by faieth but onelie by workes of the lawe They stombled at the stomblinge stone as it is written Lo I will put in Sion a stombling stone and a stone to fall vpō who so beleueth in him shal not be ashamed Because they haue beleued they haue attained this righteousnes which is of faieth of whiche if they will follow and not forsake they shall neuer suffer shame This faith one lie in the seede promised and no signe or sacrament was it that refreshed your first father Adain Neither was ther any other signe geuen vnto Achas but that a virgine shoulde cōceiue a child whiche by an holy and pure byrth of the holy gofle myght take awaye and purifie the corrupt byrth of the olde Adaine and deliuer the house of Iuda from the bloudie Sennacherib Vnto the whyche signe you must alwayes loke for you shall haue none other signe of saluacion but the signe of Ionas the prophete All the Israelites drinckeinge of the same spirituall drincke and eateinge of the same spirituall meate that you do for it is all one fayeth that saueth you boeth euen as I am all one God and no chauncelinge dyd in their lambe vnspotted feade and take comfort of no signe or sacramēt but onely of the bloude of our vnspotted lambe whyche I had promised to sende into the worlde For by the strayght commaundementes and son drye charges whyche my seruant Moyses dyd geue them for the choseynge and eateynge of thys lambe they dyd perceiue a thynge far more spirituall then coulde be finished in so grosse a banket Much more thē the Apostles of my sonne beynge vsed to suche spirituall feadeinges myght perceiue what my sonne ment in abolisheinge of the olde ceremonies of the lambe and cōmaundynge a newe memorie to be made of hys bodie geuen for them and hys bloude shed for the remission of synnes and for to delyuer vs frome the helly Pharao They dyd knowe that thys worde of the promise whiche is geuen for you shoulde be fulfylled vpon the crosse and therfore ought not to be applyed vnto any sacramēt It is not the offering of ani signe or sacramēt that I regarde but the osferinge of my sonne vpon the crosse whiche you muste by your sacramentes shewe your selues to haue in perpetuall memorie as the onely lyfe whereby your soules can liue Lyke as they also had learned before of the Prophetes that the Messias whome I shoulde sende shoulde be striken for the synnes of the people and then shoulde be exalted and sende hys gyftes plentuouslye from aboue spoyleinge all hys enimies wyth triumphe Thys dyd my sonne beate in theyr eares But he neuer tolde them of any such chaunges of bread into his flesh such carnall consecracions as you do teach wherin you wyll haue that without any profite my son christ shold come downe frō my bosome into your breade and Chalice blowen and blessed by your inuencion and worke so great a miracle without eyther necessitie or profite Haue you not inough that you haue euerlastinge life by hym ▪ hathe not he humbled him selfe lowe inough that he hath become manne for your sakes and died for your sinnes What woulde you haue more of him would you that he shoulde take the forme of breade for your sakes what are you the better if he so did Yea how much the worse should you be This is one thinge you shoulde brynge the veritie of his bodie into suspicion for that it should go and come so like a spirite which is no small hinderaunce to the perfection of your kinde For mine intēt was whē I made my sonne man to haue iust occasiō therby to
aduaunce your kind aboue the Angels And now you wyl haue hym cowpled with your wrechede creatures worse then your selues But he hath taken the forme of the children of Abraham And for his elect seed was he coÌ„tent to be come man disdayneing all other formes Loke no more therfore for my son Christe vpoÌ„ the earth in the bread the box or the chalice But heare in heauen shal you seke hym wher he reigneth at libertie with me his father from whom he sendeth down the holie gost the spirite of comforte into the hertes of mine elect to strengthen them against all the assaultes of the serpent I feade inwardly my shepe driueÌ„ from the pasture of my word Yea I geue life euerlasting to so many as by him onely wyll come to me his father Thus doeth he sitte at my ryght hande and fulfilleth al in al things spiritually Not beinge bodylie present in euery place where you wyll like charmers muÌ„ble foure words vpon dombe creatures Here in heauen you are sure to haue him your aduocate In the bread you haue no such promise With what fayeth then can you seke him ther. He promised you that he woulde sende the holie gost after his going froÌ„ you but he neuer taught that he was profitable to be chaunged into breade When he returned vnto me froÌ„ the earth then did he send in fyrie tonges visibly the spirite of our powre wisdom which taught the cleare vnderstandynge of the misterie that he had wrought before in the earth This spirite taught the hope of your callinge and that our wonderful worke in you that beleue how that I raysed my son Christ from death and set him at my right hande in heauenly thinges Whense you would most vilaniousely pluck him down turne him into bread and swalowe him like flesh into your bealies which grosse blindnesse and SythiaÌ„ crueltie my flolâ—…l abhor My flocke shal learne nowe other â—…inge of the flesh of my sonne Christ â–ª â—ut that onely which is by the knoweledgâ—… and beleueing of my mercies in my sonne â—…nd therfore shall they follow no tradicions of the world nor sticke to any creatures but say with mine olde seruaÌ„t Dauid I wl loue the O lord my strenth the lord of my succour my refuge my sauiour my buâ— lar the horne of my salucioÌ„ Yea the more boldely because of my newe testameÌ„t Saiâ— thus O heaueÌ„ly father thoughe heaueÌ„ and earth do perish and all creatures tourne to naught yet liuest thou O lordof heaueÌ„ and earth in me thou liuest whose son I am bi adoption thi spirite geueing witnesse of this thing Yea Christe the strength might and powre of thi right haÌ„d liueth no maÌ„ is able to driue him froÌ„ the place whether thou hast exalted him Of this am I sure and so loÌ„g as he is saulfe I am sure to be saulfe for I am partaker of his nature substaÌ„ce powre according to the gifte of Iesu my sauiour that dwelleth in me Not carnally eateÌ„ but spirituallye receiued by fayeth wherby I knowe that he is my heade and I one of hys members Thus may you learne O my little flocke whan you haue for sakeÌ„ al creatures to be assured of fauour and optaine the sownde and sure taste of yâ—… saluacion and euerlasteynge lyfe and 〈…〉 and fele the hope of your calleinge â—…hall neuer suffer you to come to confuâ—… and so reioyce as my son wilded you of no powre earthlye neither of carnall eatinge of Christ nor 〈◊〉 dynge vpon serpentes but that your names are written in the boke of lyfe in the heauenes Vnto the other sorte which may worthely boaste of their powre if it be true that they saie because they caÌ„ make God or cal down God into the chalice for all is one matter in effecte I will an swer as I did of olde by my prophet Esaye I abhor your Sabothes your sacrificies and all your ceremonies Yea what do I care for your masse muÌ„bling whiche banisheth the memorie of my sonne and setteth a newe Idole to prouoke my zelouse indignacion against you What care I for your gletteringe miters seynge you banishe my word What care I for your fasteyuge and prayeinge seinge your handes are of full of bloude your fingers full of â–ª wickidnes What care I for the swarme of your ceremonies y e whole heap of your farthings where vpoÌ„ your religion staÌ„deth seiâ—g your lippes tell lies Geue â—are and tremble for the wickednesse of your handes for the Lorde hath spoken it ⧠An answere to the principal pointes that follow after the doctours in the bishop of winchesters boke NOw go to you papistes who had rather er with your father the pope with his doctours his furred hods and forcked caps then to saie trueth with Christes despised membres wyll you follow the broud way that leadeth to perdicioÌ„ because the multitude doeth enter into it Nay rather coÌ„tend and labour to enter the narrow and straight waye whiche leadeth vnto lyfe which is the waye of knowledge and truth wherein fewe do walke I knowe your doctours are gloriouse You call them sainctes and I truste they be so accepted of God But Christ and his Apostles though they were not so glorious and well taken in the worlde yet was ther more truth in their wordes and writings Yea sure it is to be fea red â–ª ther is some priuie flatterie and vntrueth closely â–ª cloked in the darke sentence of their longe bokes where the wrytinges are so coÌ„mendable in the worlde and so phausible in generally to all the heape of the papistes the vpholders of Antechrist For after olde custom and auncient ordre the scriptures of God maie not be reade in the scholes til such tyme as the maister of the sentences and the heape of your other doctoures haue stopped Iacobs welles the louelye fountaynes of the heauenly water with the fillthy mud of their gloses â–ª Yea the filthieste of that floâ—… let hym lye let him dote let him bable whaâ— helusteth yet shall he be alowed boeth in lâ—… ten and in englishe when the worde of God wheÌ„ the new and olde testament shalbe breÌ„â—… with fire Yea the maynteners therof whâ—… are the onely holions of God because they maynetayne the holie worde of God shalbâ—… destroyed and brent together with the bokeâ— of the Gospell that they mayntayne Surely your perswasion maye do muche to the worldely mynded when you compaâ—… these ii contraries togither The gloriouse doctours the sayntes by the pope canonised and by al worldely powers maynetayned renowmed and worshiped vnto the out castes of the world stil barkynge at the vices which are abominable scrapeing the eares of men wyth the sharp reaseinge trueth and therby deserueinge as the worldelye suppose worthely to be expelled banished or burned But vnto the godlye whose desyre is to be lyke their master Christ in sufferinge with him in this worlde that they may after rayne wyth him in the
againe Haueinge no nede as other byshopes haue to offer for hys owne sinnes and then for the synnes of the people for he hath done that once whan he offerred him selfe Againe in the. ix Chap By hys owne bloude wente he in once into â—he holie place euerlasteinge redemption opâ—ained The whiche euerlasteinge redemption if we haue optained al redie in that he offerred hym selfe by spirite euerlasteinge as Paule sayeth without spot vnto God and so hath purified oure conscience from deade workes what neade we an other pope Byshope or prieste to offer hym agayne Hath he not sufficiently and aboundantly offered hym selfe for the sinnes of the whole world Howe can the priest then offer hym to take a waâ—e sinnes or profite quicke and deade For those selfe same sinnes wer taken away before by Christ or else shal they neuer be taken waie by the pâ—istes Therfore is this but vaine iug linge for money and for the maintenaunce of your dignities Againe Christe is gone into heauen that he maye appeare nowe in the sight of God for vs not that he may oft offer hym self what authorite than I pray you hath the priest oft to offer hym for than muste he oft haue suffered sith the world was made But now once at the later ende of the worlde for to driue awaye sinne dyd he appeare by the offeringe of hym self And where as all men once must die and after receyue iudgment so also Christe is once offerred vp that he maye take awaye the sinnes of manye Agayne in the. x. wee are made holie by the offeringe of the bodâ— of Christe once done What it is that yoâ— priestes do offer so ofte I shal tel you anoâ—… Euerie priest sayeth Paule standeth daie â–ª ly doinge sacrifice and offerringe the saâ—… oblacions often tymes which neuer can take awaye sinne Which wordes â—houghe thei 〈◊〉 spoken onely of the priestes of the olde lawe yet coÌ„parynge that which foloweth it shalbe proued true in you of the newe lawe For Christe after one offeringe offerred for sinnes â—â—tteth for euer at the right hande of god A gaine By one onely offerringe hath he made peâ—fecte for euer so many as are made holie Iâ— he haue made vs perfect by one only offeringe wherto serue the priestes â–ª that we maye conclude as Paulle doeth Where ther is remission of and forgeuenesse of sinnes be 〈◊〉 in the olde testament or the newe â—hâ—re remaineth no farther oblacion or offerringe for them Contrariwise as Paulle reasone the with them so maie we reasone with you if thys offeringe myght take a waye sinne or make theÌ„ perfecte that vse it woulde they not haue leste of the offerringe of it for them selfe their foundars and all suche as they vsed it for Because nowe they shoulde haue had no conscience of their sinnes which hade thus sacrified and bene once purged Therfore sayeth Paule in the sacrifices of the olde lawe whyche were not done wyth out bloude was onely the commemoracion and remembraunce yerely of sinnes And Christe hym selfe sayeth of thys oure sacrament Do thys in the remembraunce of me Lyke as in the passouer whyche was the figure of oure deliueraunce by Christe the vn spotted lambe yerely remembraunce was commaunded to be done Though by the open word of god who is able to chaunge what lyketh hym whose powre no man euer doubted of that had but the gifte of reasone the ceremonie of oure redemption which they had but in shadowe and we haue in trueth and therfore it ceased whan the bodye that is Christe did come and offer the true passeouer lambe thoughe I saye thys ceremonie of the Iewes be by these open wordes of God thus named Thys is the passouer of the Lorde yet was ther neuer any of the Iewes priestes so mad to saye that God chaunged any substaunce by thys worde is yet were they all baptised by Moyses as Paule witnesseth in the cloude â–ª and in the sea And they all did eate the same spiritual meate and drinke the same spirituall drinck for they dyd drinke of the spirituall drinke whiche folowed them The stone was Christe But we more grosse and carnall by much in all oure doeinges blowe inges and blâ—ssâ—iâ—ges then were â—he pharisies though Christe sâ—ke such worshipers as shall worshâ—e hym in spirite not contented wyâ—h the spirituall fode of the soule wherwiâ—â— onely he feadeth the soule because it is also a spirit and therfore taketh no fode but onely Christe and hys worde spiritually ministred whyche are spirite and life where as â—he fleshe profiteth nothinge â—oeth as we reade in the sixt of Iâ—hâ— and the manifeste example of the olde byshopes haueinge hym carnally present amonge them â–ª and as you will haue it Iudas and all the wicked do carnally and fleshely eate hym and yet do not abyde in hym but haue damnacioâ— contrarie to the sainge of Christ He that eateth my fleshe and dâ—…h my bloude hath euerlastinge life and I shall raise hym vp at the laâ—â—e daye And againe He that eateth mi fleshe and drincketh my â–ª bloude abydeth in me and I in hym And as Iohn sayth in hys firste Epistle God hath geuen vs euerlastinge lyfe and thys lyfe is in hys sonne He that hath the sonne hath life and he that hath not the soÌ„ne of God hath not lyfe All whiche scriptures â—oeth they that teach vs that Christe can no more nether neadeth againe in bodye to be offerred and sacrificed and therfore compell vs to graunt that these wordes thys is bodie which shalbe geuen for you were neuer ment so carnally that euerie prieste â—…blinge these wordes in a strange language with breathing and bloweing shoulde cause Christe to come downe from the right hand of the father to be chaunged into bread that he myght sacrifice hym newe againe to take awaye sinnes In lyke maner do those scriptures that teach all sacrifices to be perpetuall commemoracions and remembraunces of the spirituall eateinge of Christe amonge the fathers of the olde testameÌ„t and that Christ likwise wyll haue thys sacrament ministred in the remembraunce of hym in the newe testameÌ„t wher as the speache maye feme verie idle to saye make me in the remembrauÌ„ce of me althought it so were that it myght be so sayed without intolerable arrogancie as it can not in any wise whether you saie you make him by hys worde or no as shall appeare afterwarde Those scriptures also whyche teach that we haue life euerlasteinge so â—â—â—y of vs as eate hâ—s fleshe and drinke hys bloude yea that we shall neuer be hongrie or â—hirstie agayne so many of vs â–ª as once do taâ—e of thys bread comming from heauen Finally alscriotures that teach how and after what sort Christ is profitable vnto vs for they are the chiefe establyshementes of oure fayeth that were not present with him at suche time as he was budilie vpon the earth That is to saye that the flesh profiteth no thinge The wordes that I
fleshe profiteth nothinge thought it were eaten euerie meÌ„bre after other But the spirite giueth life Who leadeth vs to the fode that bringeth lyfe euerlasteinge And thus by the spirite whiche onely isprofitable we vnder stande these wordes Take and eate thys is my bodie which is giuen for you That like as I geue the bread to be eaten wyth the bodilie tethe so do I geue mi bodie to be eaten bi faith and that of the spirite For nowe shal it be geuen vnto the death that you maye haue lyfe And thus is my fleshe verie meate and my bodie breade and fode whiche maye be taken and receiued onely spiritually and not carnally bodilie or really In lyke maner therfore as you do bodilie take this brad at my hande eate it wyth your mouth and so receiue it into your stomake and bodie for the fode and sustentacion of your naturall lyfe so muste â–ª you by fayth the onely meane wherby ye maye eate or haue me present vpon erth receiue my body beleueing that my bodie is geuen for you that where you were deade frome God by your synnes I haue brought youfurth to leue in good workes vnto my father who compteth you nowe aâ—… children an heâ—ers prepared to euerlasteingâ—… lyfe so many as belieue truste in my deathâ—… Thus doeth Christe geue the breade to bâ—… eaten bodily with the mouth but hys bodiâ—… to be eaten spiritually in the spirite by faith And thys is it that good byshop Augustine sayeth What doest thou prepare thy teeth and thy bealiâ—… Beleue and thou haste eaten It is fleshe as I haue saied before what so euer bringeh not lyfe and therfore it profiteth nothing so ar al things that ar don without faith wherfore if christ might be eaten with the mouth as he might be in dede if he were bodilie in the breade which boeth fayethfull and vnfaythful do eate then myght Christe be eaten wythout fruite whiche is contrarie to the manifeste worde of God which affirmeth that who so euer eateth him hath euerlasteinge lyfe We do conclude therefore that there is but one onely eateinge of the bodie of Christ whyche is perceiued of the faythfull onely none otherwyse then these wordes whyche is geuen for you and whyche is shed for the remission of sinnes are proper and peculiar vnto them onely And to tell you somewhat of your sophistrie WhaÌ„ you reasone in this wyse Thys is the bodie of Christe therfore 〈◊〉 is naturally really and bodily hys bodie It is a fallax or deceiueable argument of sophistrie affirminge that simpliciter quod est modo aliquâ— Thys câ—n euerie sophiste of Cambridge tell you And we knowe that it is small reasone to conclude that Iohn baptist was thâ— same Elias that was dead many hundred yeres before hys tyme because Christe saâ—ed that he was Elias except we shoulde be of the opinion of the fonde Phylosophers who helde that the soules of men departed went into other newe bodies and so coÌ„tinued stil immortal In like maner whaÌ„ Iosephe saieth that the. vii fatte oxen are vii good yeres and the. vii leane one 〈◊〉 vii yuell yeres â–ª we maye not coÌ„clude that oxâ— or â—ieÌ„ aâ— natural yeres More ouer wheÌ„ Christ saieth that the worde of God is a sede it is but a slender argument to saye therfore it is a bodylye sede An hundred suche places maye be brought And yet if thei can bring but one place where God hath sayed This is such a thynge and woulde haue at corporally so to be I wyll gladly geue place vnto them thoughe it be so that the thynge do not appeare to be as God hath sayed it is But I do know â—…m certaine in my beliefe that al the workes of the Lorde be trueth And as he hath sayed that they be so shall they be and are in dede either in spirite or else in the sight of all men bodilie ¶ An answere coÌ„cerneing the knowledge of The seÌ„ses and a declaracion of al the. xii Articles of the fayth whyche euerie true Christian man muste beleue in herte and Confesse wyth moUth THus far haue I brought in mi faith plainely contrarie to no place of scripture except you call Your gloses scripture And where I myght haue your owne doctours to confirme the same yet wyll I not stir contencion so farre Knoweinge that no thynge hath bene so popeishlie thaught neither worshiping of Images and Idoles praieing to saintes and fond pilgrimages nor yet monasteries monkes purgatorie and the poppe hym selfe but it hath bene by theÌ„ and their subtile argumeÌ„tes diuised and by their writeinges set forth and maintained Wyth dainger therfore haue we folowed them ouer long But nowe you maye not thyncke styll to leade vs captiues from Christe whome we loke for spedilye to come into iudgement wyth vs when we shalbe iudged by his word and not by their writeinges We haue folowed you to longe beinge but blynde guides gropeinge after your blynde wayes in the darcke wythout wit reasone or faith but onely because your holie father of Rome and that holie mother churche dyd so belieue and teach and nowe at lengh as our holy mother church of Englande doeth leade and therfore maye you worthyly cal vs as you do beastely blinde and therfore far from the knowledge of our religion But nowe that your father is fallen and weseke for our father in heauen desireinge hys kingedom to come vpon the erthe and praieing for the foode of our soules his heauenly breade whiche you haue so longe banished and neither woulde your selfe enter into his kingedome nor suffer them that woulde to enter accordeinge to the sayeinge of Christe our sauioure we knoweynge that what so euer is not of fayth is sinne and that fayth is of heareynge not of you Byshoppes and your doctours but of the worde of God whyche can deceiue no man nor yet be deceiued desire and require you to beate into oure heades no longer as articles of oure faith your chaunge of suâ—… staâ—… your accidentes qualities and quaÌ„tities in fourme and vnder the fourme of dreade to go awaye from it when the bread musteth and brenneth you knowe not how For thys your answere is an euident argument that you knowe as little howe it came ther. And thinke not much I praie you that we do in thys mattier â—…ye your crafte â—…d falsehode not onely wyth scriptures but also wyth oure reasones and outwarâ—e senses The whyche three that is to saye Fayeth grownded vpon the worde of God reasone that caâ—â—e not be resisted and the senses as sight tasteinge smellinge and felinge which can by no learneinge but by your schole be deceiued Yet you woulde haue vs wholely captiuated vnto you in all these thinges that you might leade vs wher you lyste to make vnseÌ„sible chauÌ„g where you blowe and blesse crosse and kisse No faile in thynges far distant as is the â–ª sinne moue and sterres and diuers other thynges he senses maye
To be shorte let any indifferent persone take in hande to iudge the life trade and learneinge of you byshopes and compare it wyth the doeinge of Christe and he shall fynde so muche diuersitie as betwen Christe and Antichrist To compare them also to Peter an Paule and other of the Apostles woulde sâ—ne declare the one parte to be naught they are so coÌ„trarie but they shalbe founde the folowers of Christe and therfore of the trwe churche and you the â–ª contrefaites yea the verie folowers of the Romeish Antichrist and therfore the sinnagoge of SathaÌ„ As for vs we wyll heare the voice of oure shepeherd onelie We will heare â–ª no straunger and therfore we haue no nede of any testimonie of man For the verie anointe inge teacheth vs to call Father father And the same spirite witnesseth vnto our spirit that wee are the chyldren of God For he that confirmeth vs to gether in Christe is God who hath also sealed vs and geueÌ„ the erneste of hys spirite in oure hertes And as Paule sayeth in the fyrste to the Ephesians to so manie as do beleue in the worde of truethe and the gospell of health you are sealed vp by the holy spirite a fore promised whyche is the ernest of oure heritage Therfore sayeth he agaâ—ne drawe no pâ—cke wyth the vnfayethful For what companye can ther be betwene the ryghteouse and the vnrighâ—â—ouse or whaâ— parâ—etakeing of the lyghte wyth darckenesse What concorde wyth Christe and Belial Or what parte can the fayethfull haue wyth the vnfathfull or howe can â—he churche of God agree wyth Idoles For you are the â—emple of the liueynge God as God sayede I wyll dwel in theÌ„ and walke in them and I wil be their God and they shall be my people c. And thys is the vniuersall churche scatered thorough out the worlde whiche we beleue not the churche of Rome Fraunce and Englande as Peter confessethe sayeinge I perseiâ—e in deed that wyth God there is no regarde of persones but in euerie nacion he thâ—t feareth hym and worketh ryghtuousenesse he is acceptableâ— vnto him This church sufferreth alwaye wyth hir heade Christe wherefore she shall also reigne wyth hym alwayes and be glorified This is eueÌ„ the felowship of sainctes that we do suffer together wyth oure heade and make perfite the afflictions whyche lacked vnto his bodye which is the church haueing one onli father in heauen one onely sauiour on erth one fayeth grounded on hys onely worde one baptisme of the spirite one hope of our calleing one heritage commune from Christe to all the whole feloshipe of sayntes and memberâ— of hys bodie Haueinge the remission and forgeuenesse of oure sinnes as the whole scripture witnesseth be leueinge stydfastely the riseinge agayne of the fleshe as is moste playnely taught and euerlasteâ—nge lyfe as Iohn witnesseth that God hath geuen euerlasteinge lyfe And thys lyfe is in his sonne He that hath the sonne hath lyfe The spirit is it that witnesseth these thinges for the spirite is trueth and he that beleueth in the sonne of God hath this testimonie wit in hym selfe and he that doeth not beleue maketh God a liar These thinges haue I written that al men myght knowe our fayth not to be grounded on man but on goddes holy worde and that we doubt in noparte of the olde fayeth but onely vpon your newe articles and gloses ⧠The resolusion of certen doubtes contained in Winchesters booke THus haue I put you out of doubt â–ª that we doubte in no article of the christiaÌ„ faith But I doubt that you bâ—e not yet out of doubte in those thinges that you doubt of in your detection amongest whych this is the greatest doubt You doubt you saye how the sonne of god whome you cal Iâ—…sus shoulde be contained in the woÌ„be of the virgine Vnto this your boubt I answere that as he was and is God so was â–ª he and is wythout begining and ende And the heauen yea the heauen of al heauens can not containe hym much lesse a littlle boxe to be shut therin but as he was verie man so was it true that the prophete dyd speake That a woman shoulde coÌ„passe a man And thys body that was borne of of the woman can you not proue to be scatterred throught out all corners of the erthe and to be in heauen also For so shoulde you make hym a spirite and no bodye yea all together God no crature for no creature can be in â—…o places theÌ„ one at one coÌ„trari to the chieffest article of our faith which is that he was incarnat became maÌ„ like vnto vs in al thynges synne onelye excepted and that in the same fleshe he dyed once rose againe and ascended into heauen and there sitteth at the right hande of God the father from when 〈◊〉 he shall come euen verie man as he asended hauinge all the propreties of an incorruptible bodye that is to saye beinge visible and local haueing quantitie and qualities as his fayethfull disciples and Apostles sawe and perceined hym to haue after his resurrection whyche proprites declared hym to diâ—â—er froÌ„ a spirite muche more from God as concerneinge the bodye wherin these qualitites be The godheade differeth and is knowne froÌ„ the bodye by that it is immense and can be coÌ„tayned in no place neither is it sensible nor can be perceiued by any of the senses Wher as contrariwyse the bodye is sensible and maye be boeth felt and sene and must nedes be alwayes contained in some one place other else is it no bodie And thought by miracle God haue caried any corporall bodie froÌ„ place to place coÌ„trarie to the cours of nature as he dyd Elias in the firely chariot Or as he caried Abacuke for the confort of daniell and as the spirite of God toke awaye Philip when he had christened the Ennuche of quene Candaces and set him at AzotuÌ„ And as by the spirite Peter was brought out of prisone taken from the foure quaternians of souldiours hys bodye lowsed forth of all the chaines and prisons sodaynelye yea the â—ate of Irone openeinge agaynste hym contrarie to the naturall order yet can no man proue by these or any lyke miracle that one bodye hath ben in ii places at once much les that any of these bodies maie be eueri where as you do maynetayne by miracle of Christ comeinge into the house when the Apostles had shette the dores and wyndowes for the feare of the Iewes that the natural bodye of Christe maye be in ten thousande boxes and aultres when you do not knowe whether the dores dyd open agaynst Christe as the Iron gate dyd agaynst Peter But you bringe in your sophistrie agaynste al reasone wyth out any scripture and therfore wythout any fayeth affirmeinge that ii bodies are in one place together occupi the same place at one time which neither faieth reasone nor any of the seÌ„ses that
god and his sonne Christ but euerlasting damnation For this is lyfe Euerlastinge to knowe the true God and whoÌ„ he hath sent Ihesu Christ TheÌ„ must it nedes be euerlasting death thus blasphemously to Iudge of them bothe He that beleuethe in me hathe Euerlastinge lyfe saithe Christ we do thus beleue on the sone of god therfore haue we this witnesse within our selues And seing we haue life euerlastynge and are made the chyldren of God by the testimony of the spirite we do seke no farther merite But this worde merite is one of our iugling termes wherewyth you blynde the people You promise merite for your matteÌ„s merite for your masse merite for your eatynge of fishe merite for al maner holines that you haunte Worshippinge of Images Creping to the crosse Setting vp of Candles and all our workes must be done for our merites so that the merites of Christe who onely hath deserued euerlasting life for vs is cleane for gotten and fordone Agayne you saye A good true christian beleuinge man knoweth this by faithe that god is inuiolable impassible incorruptible immortall and that our sauiour the seconde persone in trinitie verie god haueing the humayne nature now vnite to the godhed whiche beinge glorified can not any more suffer violence or corruptioÌ„ nor be violated or brought to mortalitie All thys is playne agaynst your owne doctrine for seinge that the bodie of bread is cleane gone and yet there remaineth a body that the mouse or ape catcheth in his mouthe or eâ—s they coulde not carie it awey What shal we conclude by your doctrine but that the mouse or ape runneth awaye wyth that bodie whiche by your enchauntment is conceiued into the place of the bread which blasphemously do name the body of Christ coÌ„secrated into the fourme of breade But you do answere that lyke as Christ wheÌ„ he was here in the fleshe dyd fyrst escape the handes of Herode when he slewe the chyldren and afterwarde the furious Iewes when they woulde haue precipitate hym transiens per medium illorum ibat Christe escapped thorowe the middest of them So doth he nowe saye you Your similitude is euyll applied For besydes that there is no comparison of Christe comynge in the fleshe for the wealth of the world vnto the bread thus altered for your pompe and pryde we knowe and Ioseph and Mary do wytnesse vnto vs that they knewe and perceyued by the benifite of theyr senses that thys same oure Sauioure Christe was in shape a very man And we knowe also by the testimonies of the scriptures that he continued here very man in fourme and shape beinge subiected vnto all our infirmities synne alwaye excepted for the space of xxx yeres and more and that then he suffered death and rose agayne his fleshe neyther being consumed nor putrified but styll remayneth fleshe incorruptible and immortal Where as in the fourme of bread wherein you say we see hym and eate him we perceyue neither incorruption nor immortalitie For it neuer continueth paste the date of one moneth if you incurre not the daunger of your fathers decrees and commonly not one quarter of an houre muche after the rate of the dayly newe created monstros of whoÌ„ Aristotle maketh meÌ„tion Who doubtles if he had harde of these monstrous gods made and marred all in an houre woulde haue wrytten wonders vnto his posteritie If the cakes were preserued from corruption and dyd continewe styl immortal as Christ his fleshe did then woulde your similitude in these two miracles serue you somewhat better But seing that your cakes do mould and corrupte and his fleshe escaped Herode and the handes of his enemies and coulde neuer see any corruption thys your similitude proueth that those cakes of yours can by no meanes be his naturall body These two miracles therfore as all his other were done to declare hym to be subiecte to no power of man but to worke all his workes so that no man can lette and hyndre ought that he hath determined to be done but you must wrest all that you can to cloke your Sophistrie wythall Nowe your affirmation of xv hundred yeres wythout any proufe but only because you say so hath ben answered by many learned men As â—adinius EcolaÌ„padius Zwin glius and other prouing by your doctours that the true fayth and spirituall vnderstandyng of thys mattier continued longe in the best sorte of them Howe be it surely I wyll graunt this much vnto you that this blinde grosse and carnall opinion of the carnall eatyng of Christe hath ben crept vp euer sence the deuyl was lowsed This thousaÌ„de yeres that thys enemy hath troubled the worlde wyth popishe pompe and pryde keepynge and lockyng vp the worde of God from vs God hath not destituted and forsaken but hath alwayes from tyme to time steared vp witnesses of his truth whom partly the popishe haue slayne but some God hath reserued and alwayes the good simple people haue had theyr eyes vnto the lyuynge God in heauen what so euer the priest dyd babble of thys his owne haÌ„dy worke Neither could those termes of your straite lawes really substaÌ„tially the chaunge of the bread so that â—here remayne onely accidentes wythout subiecte and consecration into the quantitie and qualitie of breade euer be vnderstande of the pore simple people For those termes do sprynge and haue their beginnyng of the schole learnyng and Sophistrie as all men of knowledge can testify with me and were neuer gyuen in coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to thys bloudy generation to be deliuered vnder payne of death It were but foly to striue with you concerning your doctours Howe they haue in ordre and course by litle and litle fallen from the trueth in thys and other thynges For it is no merueile though you caÌ„ expound your doctours to maynteyne your opinion seinge you dare be so bolde to cause Christes wordes to serue for your carnall purpose I entende not therfore to brynge in any proufe of doctours but only of the worde of God leauyng you to your doctours to trye them at leasure But thys one thynge I shal desire you To bringe some apparant proufe of your termes and I promise you it shall be answered Good men be neuer offended wyth the breakynge of the hoste beinge persuaded Christes body to be present in the sacrament really and materially whereunto wyth worshippinge they dyd lift vp their handes and nothinge doubted but God was impassible â—e vsed not to mistâ—uste God his immortalitie when they haue sene a sicke man receyue the sacrament a quarter of an houre before his naturall death as though in that maÌ„ the hoste consecrated wherin the body of Christ is preseÌ„t should wyth Gods iniury moulde or corrupte wast or consume Here is muche mattier offered but that I perceyue my selfe to tary somwhat to longe vpon your occasions Who shall trye theâ—e good men therfore but eueÌ„ the boke of wisedome where it is sayed Blessed be
is declared and opened vnto vs and that in it no les theÌ„ in the other we do receiue the promises of God and his holie spirite to the confirmation of our faith and sure trust in him Moreouer oure Sauiour Christe sayeth thus of Baptisme Iohn baptised you in water but I wyl baptise you in the name of the holie goste And for a playne euidence and tokeÌ„ of the same he sent downe the holie gost in a visible fourme both vpon the Apostles and them that they baptised in his name If you had so muche in the scripture for the diuinitie of the other Sacramente I woulde not so greatly wonder if your fleshly iudgement did take it for a verie God But seinge that wyth these scriptures you esteme the one litle or nothinge at al and yet wythout these or any other lyke scriptures you maynteyne and defende yea and that with sworde fyre and faggot that the other is God and worthy of all godly honoure I can not but merueile and that greatly Yea and muche the more for that you hauynge the experience of the feyned miracles that haue bene wroughte for the establishynge of the fleshly presence of Christe in this Sacrament as I am sure you had by one Nicholas Geruis priest who pricked his fingar in the tyme of his masse that the bloude might seme to fall from the breade vpon the corpresse and aultare cloth as appeared at Paules crosse wythin the. v. yeres laste paste shoulde yet so blindly and tiraÌ„nously maynteine this deuelishe and most wicked errour I meane the deitie and godly honoure that you attribute to this signe or Sacrament If the whole course of your tale whiche I haue rehearsed be not altogether Sophistrie surely I neuer learned Sophistrie For when you come to tell vs what is broken what is moulded and what the mise do eate then say you that the Sacrament is the host the fourme of breade and wyne and the vtwarde accidentes as the qualities and dimeÌ„sions And this fourme these outwarde accidentes these qualities these dimensions are broken are moulded are altered and muste no more be God Thus you woulde blynde vs wyth your Sophistrie and make vs to beleue that it is God when you call it so and no God but accidentes qualities and dementions when you wyll haue it so Agayne notwythstandyng you do eate the same thynge that you do breake and breake the same thynge that you do eate yet when you eate it it muste be God and when you breake it it must be but accideÌ„tes no God Moreouer if it chaunce you to touche it wyth your teeth and swalowe it downe your throte make it suffre heate in your stomake and become passible otherwayes then is it onely the fourme the outwarde accidentes the qualities and dimeÌ„sioÌ„s and no God But you deceyue your selues with vayne wordes and therfore like as you do breake the outwarde thynges so do you eate and are fed with the same sophistical ware where of ye dreame Thys is muche like a man that dreameth aâ— the night longe that he hath eateÌ„ quaile raile and cur lewe and that he hath drokeÌ„ pleasaÌ„t wine his fyll and yet in the mornynge he is neuer the lesse huÌ„gery and thurstie because he had nothing but the fourmes shadowes outwarde accidences and qualities But the litle mouse is muche wyser then you make your selues For she can knowe the fourme of your cake from the cake it selfe Paynt it in fourme and qualities as craftelie as you can she neither wyl nor caÌ„ feede vpon any suche qualities or fourmes Neither is she so folishe to be mocked with any suche dreames I speake playne englishe nowe yea I can not nor wyl not vse any sophistrie And we al that be englishe men do earnestly desire you to tell vs in englishe what you do meane by those termes accidentes qualities and demensions which I do know you caÌ„ neuer do onles you do reigne in the bowelles of sophistrie For thei are the peculiar termes of that deuelishe arte Yet amongest so many your subtlie termes you haue one good sentence howe it escaped you I can not tell Wyth the eye of the soule you say in faith we see the presence of the moste precious bodie of our Sauiour Christ These your wordes are eueÌ„ the very words of our beliefe This is the thing only wholy that caÌ„ worke in this sacrameÌ„t For if it be the fode of the soule only as doubtles if is theÌ„ caÌ„ not the bodilie instrumeÌ„t meddle therwith It must be receiued by the powers of the soule only which are spiritual But no bodilie carnal thing caÌ„ be eateÌ„ of the spirite for the spirite must be borne nourrished of the spirite likeas the flesh is borne norished of bodilie thinges I coÌ„clude therfore that in the sacrameÌ„t we do not eate bodilie carnally really the bodi of christ but onli spiritually as you haue in this place said ful wel wyth the eies of our soul in faith for the soule hath none other instrument wherby it maye take fode of life but fayth the knoledge of god whiche fedeth euerlastingly as Christ saith This is the wil of him that sent me that euery one that seeth the son beleueth in hym shal haue euerlasting lyfe And I shall repsâ— hym at the laste daye God sende vs soule priestes that wyll teache vs this fode of the soule more diligeÌ„tly theÌ„ you bishoppes haue done For you haue alwaies tolde vs a craftie tale sayinge that Christe remayneth so longe vnder the accidentes as the fourme of breade and wyne doth remayne Lo this is it that you doubt vpon fearing to make such playâ—e answer wheÌ„ you bringe in these doubtes in the sixtene leafe of your boke If there remayne no substaunce but the substaunce of the body and bloud of Christ it muste needes be then that the same corrupteth or elles when goeth it awaye or where haue you scripture to declare the goinge awaye of Christ from the hoste Before you answere subtilly like a Sophister sayinge What if I and suche other prelates can not tell deludynge one question wyth an other as the maister of Sopistrie Iohannes de lapide teacheth to delude argumentes but nowe boldly like a bishop with out'any scripture onely because your father and mother churche of Rome doeth saye the same you affirme that Christe remayneth so longe as the fourme of the bread remaineth that is from the tyme it is made to the tyme it is deuoured ether by man or mouse or els â—oth by other misse fortuue or by mouleyng miscarie Oh foleishe blind guides To what filthy absurdities must ye of necessitie be driueÌ„ by this fond opinion that here is no substaÌ„ce but the substance of Christ and that this substance remayneth so longe onely as the forme of breade remayneth For this forme remaynethe euen when the mouse rennethe awaye withe it The forme of breade remayneth when it
I come to the O father Saue them eueÌ„ for thy names sake whom thou haste gyuen vnto me that lyke as we are one so they may be one also WheÌ„ I was in the worlde I dyd kepe them in thy name So often it is sayed that Christe is gone furth of the worlde that he is not in the worlde If he were here God and man what needeth these thynges to be so ofâ—… rehearsed What needeth the coÌ„fort of the spirite to be alwayes appointed set furth and neuer once named for theyr coÌ„forte that they should haue Christe preseÌ„t with them so ofte as they luste to whisper a fewe wordes ouer a piece of breade These thinges haue you occasioned me to speake by the naming of the circuÌ„staÌ„ces For thei are spokeÌ„ in coÌ„tinual course after the supper was done vnto the tyme that Iudas came to betraye hym And I suppose you haue no one place of scripture that hath so many circumstances to declare it not to be spoken as the wordes seme as thys hath As 〈◊〉 Theophilactus maketh rather with vs theÌ„ against vs for he seeketh the meanynge by circumstances and stycketh to the wordes in theyr commune senses but we wyll not contende aboute trifles SoÌ„time they preach and soÌ„time they write to the vnlearned on this wise Christes wordes be true when he sayed this is my body But as he ment theÌ„ For so he saied he was awai he was a vine he was a dore but he was not a natural vine he was no suche way as meÌ„ walke in no such dore as meÌ„ do coÌ„monly enter into but only a seÌ„blanÌ„ce of al these because he is our way to heaueÌ„ our dore to enter into lyfe oure vinestocke in whom we as braunches be nourished kept in life And so likewise wheÌ„ Christ sayeth this is my body he meaneth only that it is a reseÌ„blaunce a figure a tokeÌ„ a signe of his body etc. These wordes caÌ„ you reproue none other wise but the Deuil saith so might a yonge sophister confute all your boke at one worde truly say that the Deuil sayth it But it is mere sophistry you say for in those other places the mattier sheweth that they be spokeÌ„ in parable And why doth not the mattier shew the same here I pray you because you do say so or because your father of Rome and his doctours dyd teache so euer sence he gaâ—e the primamacie and vpper haÌ„de of kinges emperours these viii C. yeres as you name it If the presumption of longe tyme be a sufficieÌ„t argumeÌ„t against the truth theÌ„ cal againe the Pope the worshipping of images begon in Babilon settinge vp the Image of Belus and continued alwayes in some corner of the worlde vnto this day But nowe you thinke you haue hit the nayle on the heade and you wery your selfe longe about thys mattier Christ spake soÌ„time in parables but therfore we maye not say that he spake alwayes in parables You neuer harde vs thus reason froÌ„ the particuler to the vniuersall proposition But we being taught by the circumstances of the place and by the whole course of scripture of the bodily departing of Christ and of the spiritual eatyng of his body do lykewyse open this text this is my bodie by playne textes both of the old and new testameÌ„t where one thing is named to be the thing which it only representeth in figure shadowe as are these in the olde testameÌ„t The. vii fat oxeÌ„ are vii yeres of pleÌ„tie and the. vii leaneones are vii yeres of scarsitie Also the sacrifices are called the sinnes of the people The red heyfer is the synne The priest eateth the synne of the people It is the passeouer of the Lorde The circumsition is called the couenaunte And such lyke In the newe testamente The stone was Christe Thys is Helias And by wordes spoken of the same sacrament at thâ— same time This cup is the newe testament which you must needes graunt to be spoken in parable and figure But marke the mattier wythout malice We maye not nor wyll not saye that Christ dyd speake alwayes in parables No more maye you saye that Christe doth not speake here in a parable onlesse you can proue it to be trewe by some other meanes then your owne wordes wrytinges which are these Est signifieth beinge and the learned can not be deceiued good men can not be moued Thus bringe you in false interpretations of your owne faynynge to make the mattier odious As thoughe any of vs at any tyme out of place did deny the name of Christ to haue his owne euident signification of Christes owne person But your malice and the Deuyl whom you name so often blyndeth you and couetise leadeth you captiue I coulde answere Ciprian with an other of your doctours but as I tolde you in the begynnynge and as Paule affirmeth oure fayth may haue his foundation onely on the hearynge of the worde of God without the which worde what so euer any doctour bringeth we may not fay aue vnto it nor receiue it for feare leste we be part takers of their yuel workes and writinges Let theÌ„ beware therefore that affirme without the worde of God that the breade is chaunged in nature and that it is made fleshe coÌ„trarie to the scriptures whiche teache that Christe is gone in the fleshe and shal come agayne visible as he went coÌ„trary to fayth whiche can seeke hym in no place but where he hym selfe assigneth that is to say sittinge at the righte hande of his father tyll he haue made his enemie his fote stole yea coÌ„trary to reason and the commune iudgemente of the senses and therefore agaynste all the knowledge that man can haue in thys worlde folowyng so much their superstition and outwarde shewe of wysedome that they are deceyued in thinges open by nature vnto their senses Nowe whether of vs are more lyke the Caparnites we that professe wyth the Apostles that Christe hath the wordes of lyfe and do beleue and teache that his doctrine is not carnall but spirituall and his wordes spirite and lyfe or you that carnallie and grosselie do beleue that he muste be eaten as he wente vpon the earthe fleshe bloude and bones whyche the Caparnites dyd seeke for and the carnall disciples dyd flee from hym for the same All christian hertes and spirituall eyes maye easilie iudge The Apostles sittynge at the table dyd not fall downe and worshyppe thys breade newlie made God as you call it whyche is an euident argumente that they had it in no suche estimation as you haue it And that they made no demaunde or questian as they dyd at other tymes of doubtes in Christes speakynge maye be a token that they were vsed and exercised wyth the familiar phrase of eaâ—ynge Christe by fayth and therefore was it comfortable to them to be taughte presently in open signes howe they shoulde euer after haue hym
in whiche three lyeth all the knowledge that man can haue of thynges naturall or aboue nature as is afore proued can perceyue no maner of miracle seinge the breade and wine remayne in their kinde vnchaunged as Luke and Paule do wytnesse So that by your owne wordes you seme worthy to be one of those that affirme you knowe not what beinge puffed vp wyth the fleshly Imaginations of your owne myndes Seinge all the other workes of God do appeare as God made them if they were spirituall they dyd appeare spiritually if they were bodily they dyd so appeare you mighte haue added with like shamelesse forhead This thinge that we bishoppes do say must needes be true though it agree neither with his workes nor his worde For all men maye see that you maynteyne boeth this and all your other doinges But in this sophistry the deuyl maketh maÌ„ to forget gods omnipoteÌ„cie exceding our capacite causeth vs to measure gods doinges by our natural imbecillitie because we caÌ„ not be in two places at once distant one from an other we iudge the same repugnant in God For soeth here you speake vntruly of vs. For we al do beleue in hert and coÌ„fesse wyth mouth that God onely is almightie and filleth al the heauen and the earth with his presence euen as sure as he made al thynges in the heauen the earth and the seas This high estimation that we haue coÌ„ceiued of god by liuely faith causeth vs to take it as a thynge cleane coÌ„trary to the power of the almightie to be enclosed in a box turned or coÌ„secrated as you cal it into alitle cake But the manhode of Christe whiche was very man as we are synne onely excepted haue we already proued to be in heaueÌ„ at the right hande of his father and therfore not in earth in the box hanged ouer the aultare But Christes being in heaueÌ„ which s Stephane truly coÌ„fesseth was nothyng coÌ„trary to saint Paules true affirmation that Christ was sene to him in earth after his ascencion Nowe surely both their visions of the glory of Christ our sauiour the testimonies of the woÌ„derful sight that they did se doth both stablish our purpose and coÌ„fute your errour but that you deale like a sophister with thys word erth speaking it after such sort that the simple reader should refer it vnto Christ being vpoÌ„ the erth after the asceÌ„tioÌ„ which Paul neuer taught nor any of the apostles These are the playne wordes of the scripture touching this mattier After that he had taught that the highest dwelleth not in teÌ„ples made with maÌ„s haÌ„de againste the opinioÌ„ of the hie priestes Stephan replenished with the holy spirite loking vp into heaueÌ„ did see the glory of god and Iesu staÌ„ding at the right haÌ„de of god And he cried with a loude voice Lo I se the heaueÌ„s opeÌ„ and the sonne of maÌ„ staÌ„dyng at the right hande of God Here it is described woÌ„derful plainely that Stephane being vpon earth dyd see Christe in heauen by the wonderful worke of God thus confortynge his first martyr and witnesse of the glorie of his sonne Christe Paule lykewyse prepared from his mothers woÌ„be to beare the testimonie of Christ amonge the heathen as he went to Damascus was so daynely beset wyth a wonderful greate lyghte from heauen And then fallyng to the ground he hearde a voice whiche sayed vnto hym Saule Saule why doest thou persecute me Then answered he Who arte thou Lorde And the Lorde sayed I am the same Iesus of Nazareth whom thou doest persecute Of thys vision and suche lyke doeth Paule saye Dyd not I see Iesu Christe He sayeth also Laste of all as vnto one borne out of course dyd Christe appeare vnto me Whyche be the wordes whiche you do alledge as makynge muche for your purpose And you dyd brynge in thys texte out of course if you be well aduised â–ª agaynste Lamberte as thoughe it shoulde haue gotten the victorie and stopped the mouthes of all men At what tyme I promise you me thoughte your Argumentes were not so stronge as your shamelesse audacitie was out of measure whyche wythout any cause or commaundement dyd in the presence of so noble a prince take the tale out of the mouth of your Archbishoppe to whom in that Audience it mighte ryghte well haue becomed your sclender diuinitie to haue shewed some reuerence But if the mind of Paule maie serue you for this declaracioÌ„ he sayth in an other place that whether he were in the bodie or out of the bodie he coulde not tell but rapt he was into the thred heaueÌ„ and into Paradise wher he sawe suche thinges as is not lawefull for man to speake Whiche wonderfull visions were shewed by God to strengthen his chosen vessell like as the other were vnto Stephane and are written to encrease our faieth and hope which do beleue in Christ bi them I maruaile much what fantasie was in your heade at that time and how it remaineth stil in you causeinge you to bringe this vision of Paule for the confirmacion of Christes naturall bodie to be present in the sacrament But you are of such powre that for to stricâ— your pore brethren whom you compt worsse then doges callinge them diuelles at euerie word euerie thing is weapon good inough God is the aduenger of hys people and wil callenge vnto him selfe his owne glorie It repugneth not to Christes powre to sit at the right hand of the father in heaueÌ„ and yet to fede the infinitie nuÌ„bre of his people wyth the saine his precious bodie in earth It is not repugnauÌ„te to gods goodnesse being creatoure of all ther wyth in the fourme of breaâ—e to feade vs hys creatures Surely it is no repugnaunce vnto hys powre thus to fead al that shal beleue in him takeing the wordes spiritually as thei are in dede spirite and life and admiâ— no grosse nor carnal vnderstandeing But carnally as you do vnderstande theÌ„ with the fleshely minded Caparnites that the natural bodie shoude be eaten fleshe bloude and bones a fewe men shoulde deuoure it But I am in doubt whether they be men that haue so cruel hertes to eate mans flesh Nam canis â—aninam non tangit that is to you that vnderstande not the latine I speake it A dogge wil not eate dogges flesh Telâ—… theÌ„ whether it do not abhor nature that man should eate mans flesh Yet seâ—…e you to haue a cloke for thys Scithian crueltie in that you chaunge hym into the fourme of bread In the which wordes if you shewe the spiritual vnderstanding that is to saie That like as the body is fed with bread so liueth the soule by this fode of life the offering vp I saye of the bodie of our sauiour Christe vpon the crosse to saue vs froÌ„ death Or lyke as we eate the breade wyth oure mouth bodily so do we receiue Christe into your soules by fayth These sences and â—uch like beinge
spirituall do we knowledge and confesse But to eate Christe any other waie in the fourme of bread we iudge impossible And to eate him bodili carnallie reallie and substancially as a liueing man it is cruel vnnaturall vnprofitable yea vnpossible In the which we saye not that God is become the creature of breade as the deuil inspireth his meÌ„bres to reporte blasphemouselie but that Christe familiarly and of a maruailouse intier loue towardes vs coÌ„secrateth him selfe in those fourmes of bread and wine to be so eaten and druncken of vs. This Iudggeling haue we touched before We can not vnderstand you bishopes when you speake of your transubstanciacion consecracion and your chaunginge onlesse you do saye this cake this bread this creature is become the bodie of Christe God and man and this thinge is chaÌ„ged into that For your demonstratiue Hoc this muste demonstrate or shewe somethinge vnto vs. But you clock it lyke a spirituall father and poynte vs the fourme of breade with your demonstratiue as it is the chiefe pointe of your professioÌ„ to adulterate the word of God which teacheth that Christ did take breade in his hand blessed and sayed thys is my bodye A wonderful mattier that it should nowe be deuelles doctrine to speake thus not groslye but spiritualli This is my bodie which wordes we would faine haue rydde of your blind gloses and do wishe that al the world should haue them taught and beleue them in spirite to be true as they were spoken and written So that herby myght be preached and â—…h the inestimable loue that God bare to the worlde when he gaue hys owne and onely begotten sonne that who so beleue iâ— hym shoulde not perishe but haue euerlasteinge life and not this strange doctryne neuer â—…d before neither in the olde nor in the newe testament that Christ familiarly of â—…tier loue towardes vs consecrateth him selfe in those fourmes of bread and wyne wherby you do not onely adulterate the wordes of Christ with your straung termes and doctrine of Christ coÌ„secrateing him selfe into fourmes â–ª but you would bring on flepe the faith and hope that we haue of our aduocate sittinge at the right hande of God a continuall mediatour for vs and burie that greate benifite and singular loâ—e of Christe oure sauioure offeringe hym selfe once for all vpon the crosse settinge vp a newe Idole that the olde fathers Hahraham Isaac and Iacob neuer harde once named Bring einge in a newe gospell and glade tidinges that Paule the Apostles neuer preached Wherfore by the mouth of Paule we maye pronouce you accursed and by Moyses worthy to be stoned to deathe blasphemers As for the familiaritie that you calenge in coniureinge hym into a cake I feare me it wyll haue thys Answere â—ade post me Satana Nowe to declare howe vniustlye you do chaunge the blesseing of the bread into these founde wordes Christ coÌ„secrateth him selfe because I haue shewed it before I wyll onelye note that that Christ alwayes whan he dyd vse the creatures of God did blesse and geue thankes vnto hys father But you do vse thys darcke terme to deceine the people and woulde haue vs beleue that strayght after your consecracion as you cal it yea after your bloweinge as we do se it ther shoulde be suche a sodaine chaunge and insensible as can no where else be shewed but after your moste holy finger And in your other blesseinges whan ye do wagge your pope holy fingers they haue you saye lyke powre of holynesse in heauen earth and the thirde place I wot not where It were greate pitie that these holie blesseinges and consecracions the chife establishementes of your popeishe empier shoulde be vttered to their worthynesse For then your triple crownes proude miters and bloudy hattes woulde fall your croyser staâ—es glittereing gloues woulde be despised For wheÌ„ in your pontificalibus you do geue your orders of Antichriste you câ—n not be content to tel your prosilites that christ coÌ„secrateth him self but â–ª you saye thus We geue the powre to consecrate and offer to God sacrifice to pacifie hys wrath Thus do you make the doeing and offering of Christ on the crosse of none effecte and set vp your owne consecracion And For this is al your contencion God filleth hauen and earth and is not coÌ„prehensible to be conteined in temples made wyth mans handes no man can limit gods dwellinge place God hath powre ouer man but man hath not powre ouer God and therfore Solomons temple was no habytacion to restrayne gods presence frome other places If thys be tâ—we as you dare not denye it for shame why did the olde byshoppes your prodecessours stone Stephane to death for so sayeinge And howe dare you Byshopes brenne vs for sayeinge that God dwelleth not vpon your Alutares in your temples neither that you can limyt hym hys place of dwellinge in your little boxes tyll he wax mould theÌ„ bren him at your Altaries end If thys be not to lymyt hym a place to chalenge powr ouer that you cal god what shal we cal powr Fyrst you haue powr you say to cal by your inchauntyng wordes Christ God and man into your bread and chalice TheÌ„ to create him as your owne bokes shal bear â–ª witnes againste you After this to coÌ„secrate sacrifice him for the quike the deade For thys powr is gyueÌ„ to euery one of your marke be he neuer so moche an horemonger drunkard or Sodomite Accipe potestarem sacrificandi pro viuis et mortuis Damus ti bi potestatem consecrandi et offerendi placabiles hostias That is to say Take powr to make sacrifice for the quyke and the deade we gyue the powr to consecrate offer pleasaunt sacrifices vnto God All thys is sayed to euery one of your shauelyngs TheÌ„ haue you powr to breake hym to eate hym or kepe hym in the corporasse as you cal it or in your pyx or where you luste whiche are manifest blasphemies and grosse blyndnes of the fleshe wyteout the manifest worde of God to inuent such fond toyes of your own brayne as be manyfest dexogation to the sacrate majesty of the euerlyueyng God And yet scripture telleth vs how our sauiour christ god man hath taught in teÌ„ples taried in teÌ„ples made with manes hand and that he dwelleth with good men and also in teÌ„ples made with maÌ„s haÌ„de for the asseÌ„ble of good men wher good men truste to be releiued wyth coÌ„mun prayer and refreshed with the most preciouse fode of hys bodie bloud and he is preseÌ„t and â—arieth in the sacrate host Thys do we coÌ„fesse more playnlye that Christ the soÌ„ne of God dyd becom man dyd suffer huÌ„gre and cold was conuersaunt amoÌ„g men walkeynge and teachynge vpon the ear the dyd all thynges that man doeth onelye sinne excepted But thys doth not proue therfore that you may spar Christe either as he was God or as he was man in a boxe
of the bodie doeth declare the same thynge This thynge maye be made euident also to hym that with a cleare conscience marketh the same considerynge that thereof chiefely and onely we haue cause to reioyce that Christe beinge verie man vpon earth hath for our sakes ouercomâ—n all helly and earthly powers and nowe sitteth at the righte hande of God our perpetuall aduocate Thys is the spirituall feedynge and not the fleshly whiche who so feeleth he wyll neuer route vpon the earth for fleshe any more Of the profite of the spirite and the departyng of the fleshe reade Iohn the. xiiij Thou mayst also marke in all the scripture howe the fleshe is smally regarded As to be mother and brother after the flesh Mathew xij Marke iii. and Luke viii Agayne Christe hymselfe doth attribute the true blisse and in fallible felicitie nether carnally to beare hym 〈◊〉 the wombe nor yet to gyue him sucke of â—…e brestes whiche are the greatest thynges â—…at can be touchynge the fleshe but to heare the worde of God and to do the same Thys thynge because it is of the spirite onely profiteth and maketh a man blessed You do well that you couple these two textes Caro non prodest quicquam et quod natum est ex carne caro est spoken to Nicodemus For in verie deede they teache boeth one thynge and are a generall rule of the true vnderstandynge of oure whole religion as you do saye Whiche is that all godly lyfe and holynesse is borne in vs not of the fleshe neither visibly nor inuisibly but of the inuisible power of the spirite whereof we muste be borne a newe if euer we entre into the kyngdome of God as oure sauioure Christ taught Nicodemus The which wordes if any man should so grossely interprete as to expounde it thus sayinge that by the power of God inuisible a man myght enter his mothers wombe and so this fleshe borne inuisibly shoulde be profitable euery man woulde laugh at his foliyshnesse And thys is eueÌ„ muche lyke your gloses coÌ„trary to the which we haue proued by the scriptures that it is profitable that the fleshe do depart that the spirite may come vnto vs that the flesh which in this humilitie hath once suffered 〈…〉 the crosse and done the wyll of the father is no longer profitable vnto vs vpon the earth â–ª but nowe we muste be borne of the spirite â–ª al our conforte al our hope muste be of the spirite For what so euer is borne of the fleshe is fleshe and therefore carnall and no parte of our spiritual religion and spiritual byrth You adde these gloses that inuisibly we muste haue this fleshe present in the fourmes of breade and wine and so muste we eate the fleshe of Christe really but yet inuisibly you saye And shall we by inuisible fleshe but yet very fleshe brynge lyfe vnto oureselues and be borne a newe agaynste the lessons of the spirite If the presence of the fleshe in the bread be so profitable whiche you can proue by no worde of scripture and therefore we neede not beleue you excepte we lust wherfore thynke you woulde Christe rather hide him selfe in bread then shewe hym selfe opeÌ„ly seinge boeth are lyke possible vnto hym He sayeth that thys is the wyll of the father that sent hym that whosoeuer seeth the sonne and beleueth in hym hath euerlastyng lyfe Now for this doubt that you do moue whether his fleshe be caro viuifica that is fleshe giuing life that it is so is the very fouÌ„dacion of our faith and we both agree in this point â–ª But here ariseth the doubte howe this fleshe geueth lyfe You saye by eateinge the same reallye and naturally in the breade wythout any scripture But we taught by the whole course of the scriptures that the spirite onely is profiteable do vnderstand a spiritual eateinge of thys flesh whiche is taught in the. vi â–ª of Iohn to be by the beliefein this flesh offered for the lyfe of the worlde as it is taught at length before And where as you saye that Christe dyd by these words rebuke the grosse and earnal Caparnaites it is verye true an serueth styl agaynste all them that saye Christe must be carnallie eaten be it in loÌ„pes as you speake or the whole bodie swalowed downe al togither as you defende your selfe If you saye as you do againe in thys place that Caro fleshe is taken for the carnall parte of man then do you nothinge coÌ„sider the circumstaÌ„ce howe Christe laboreth in this place to teach the people howe his owne fleshe is profitable vnto them Thys doctrine of yours therfore is confused to gether makeinge the spirituall eateing carnal and the verie fesh and bodie to be the spirite For in your chaunge howe can this be his verie bodie which you cause to go and come no man knoweth howâ—â—einge he hym selfe saieth vnto Didimus his bodie hath verie fleshe and verie bones and is not lyke the spirite You make him lyke a spirite to come and go into thousand milioÌ„s of cakes and aultares insensibly You make him geue life also which is the chiefe and only propertie of the spirite And wher you woulde cloke the firste mattier sayeinge that his bodie maye be in so many places and be insensible because it is adioyned to the God heade you must learne to be ware that in no wise you confounde the natures as I haue spoken before And likewise whan you saye that this fleshe geueth life alwaies because it is inseparably adioyned to the spirite you must acknowledge the proprieties of these ii in sunder grauntinge it to be the properietie of the spirite onely to geue life according to thys text spiritus est qui viuificat though it do by the flesh and dodie of Christe as the onely instrumeÌ„t and peculiar sacrifice wherwith the wrath of God myght be pacified worke in vs that be faythfull the same lyfe And this same fleshe of Christe is a stumbling stone in Zyon to the wicked as the prophet wittnesseth and is set vp to the rniue and resurrection of many It was vnto the Phariseis a blindyng and liuely to them onlie that were ordeined to life Vnto the Iewes whiche handled it and to Iudas which kyssed it and as you would haue it did eate it it was death beynge of it selfe the sauiour frome deathe So that we maye verie well conclude that the spirite onely geueth lyffe and to them onely that haue thys spirite in their hertes to theÌ„ I say the fleshe of Christ is profitable and to them hys fleash is verie meate and hys bloude verie drynke for they onely can feade spiritually of Christe God and man For it is the breade that commeth froÌ„ heaueÌ„ saieth Iohn that geueth lyfe vnto the worlde And thys heauenly breade of the spirite doeth fede vnto lyfe euerlastynge so that who so euer doth once taste therof shall no more be hongrye nor thyrstie after the carnall fode And as for
as his auncient But let vs discusse no lenger how longe your poperie hath ben vsed but let vs trie by the touchston of God his holye word how trulye you popish prelates haue delâ— with Christes floke these thousande yeares that Sathan hath ben louse among you and how diligently you haue handeled led and fed them For no lenght of time may make wickednes good No no the abhominacion of thinges that be wicked doeth dayly encrease For the second day addeth â–ª some thing to the wickednesse of the first And so doeth errour beyng wicked dayly growe and encrease til it come to the highest abomination so that in coÌ„tinuaunce it vttereth it selfe most clearly For as tyme by the prouidence of God doeth first cloke couer and hyde all thinges good and bad so doeth the same opeÌ„ and disclose all thinges euen by the same prouidence and wisdome And for this cause hath God apointed the darke nyght and coÌ„fusion of thynges to go before boeth in the creacioÌ„ and ordre of his creatures that after â—at the tyme appoynted whan the bryght light measure and ordre of al thinges should appeare that his glorie might the more worthelye be extolled magnified and renowmed by the comparison of these thinges so farre contrarie This is it that SolomoÌ„ sayeth He hath alwayes made ij against ij and euerie thing is well done in his due tyme. First darkenes then light First night then daye First sinne theÌ„ grace First wrath theÌ„ mercie First blindnesse then knowledge Firste erreoure then trueth For what worthye cause coulde we haue had to renowne and prayse the grace and mercie of God if ther had ben no sinne felte or wrath deserued or feared And now contrarie wise what an inestimable richese of Godes goodnesse may we accompt wher we are deliuered from sinne shame wrath death and restored vnto grace fauour ioye confort lyfe We are brought from darkenesse vnto this marueilouse light frome blyndnesse vnto the cleare sight of the treasures of God laied vp in his son Christ ⧠Of the worde sacrament ABout the word sacrameÌ„t I inteÌ„de not long to trifle But to take your owne wordes and somthinge to examine them You do bring in an argument of your aduersaries made by the stronge places of reasoning called Definitiorei in english the definition of the thing that is to them that vnderstand not these termes grounded vpon the oracion or sentence that declareth what the thinge is A sacrament therfore is as well by the definition that your doctours haue made as that you your selfe do make a visible signe of an inuisible grace Vpon this definition foloweth a double argument First because it is a signe it is not the thinge signed or tokened And this reasone is proued true a relatiue oppositis if you haue learned so muche logike and by many fold examples As the ale pole the yuie bush beinge the signes of wyne ale within the tauerne house can not be the thing signed and tokened your 〈◊〉 foâ— ked myter signifiynge the. ij lawes can not be ij lawes Your white rachet signifiynge chastitie can not be chastitie it selfe Your glitteringe shoese signifiynge the preciouse fete of the preachers of the gospel are not the fete signed and tokened Your brode shauen crown signifiyng folishnesse is not the thing it selfe I trow onlesse you haue chaunged all the thinges into theyr signes shadowes You haue caused vs longe and woulde haue vs still to gape after signes and shadowes as the dogge doeth in Isopes fables and so lose the thinge it selfe which shoulde be oure fode and confort You tell vs that the signe token or shadowe is the thinge it selfe Shal we beleue you still Naye your definition telleth vs of two things to be in this sacrameÌ„t That is to say A visible signe and an inuisible grace What other thinge I praye you without contencion can thys visible sygne be but the breade whyche Christ taketh in hand and breaketh For other visible thynge ther is â–ª none That is to saye in playne englyshe that all men maye knowe what we speake and wryte ther is none other thingâ— open to the eies of man to be sene Thys breade thus broken therfore is the sygne or token that maye be sene of a grace that can not be sene That is to say of the forgeuenesse of synnes in thys bloude of the newe testament of Christe oure sauiour Thus frame I therfore the secounde reasone A thynge visible and inuisible can not be boeth one to be senne and not sene But this sacrament as you haue coÌ„fessed in your definicion is a thynge visible and maye be sene therfore can it not be the thynge inuisible therby represented Al that you haue spoken in thys cause byshoup Stephane is of your owne heade wythout either scripture or reasone ⧠Of the name breade VVHer you saie that we dallie with this worde breade and would in the meane tyme your selfe proue that it is no bread we dare because Paule calleth it bread take any christiaÌ„ herte to iudge who doeth more dallie and trifell Wil you reason in like maner of the cup and saie that because in the same place he calleth it this cup it is not the cup And a little after he calleth it that cuppe and that breade shall they nowe continue in theyr owne kynde styll What if he calle it breade wythout any addicion as he doeth in the same Chapiter Iesus the same nyght he was betrayed toke the breade And the Euangelistes do name it breade wythout any addicion shall it yet be breade You haue your â–ª excuse in redinesse It is not consecrated for so the. Well goe to foxes seeke your holes What is it in the breakeinge is it not then â–ª consecrated You can not for verie shame denie that Heare what Paule sayeth without addicion of this or that Panis queÌ„ frangimus nonne coÌ„municatio corporis Christi est The bread that we breake is it not the partakeinge of the bodye of Christe Wyll you nowe striue for the breade as you dyd for the Lorde scrape it out theÌ„ if you lust You are to much a wraÌ„ng lynge sophiste Wyl you heare no scriptures that you maye seke some starteynge holes we are one bread and one bodie saith Paule so many as are partakers of one breade Againe he was knowne vnto them in the breakeinge of breade They did continue in the doctrine of the Apostles in feloweshipe and breakeing of breade Dailie continuing with one accorde in the temple and brake breade frome house to house But lo nowe the wylie foxe stealeeth into agreate borough where he waloweth at wyll sayeynge that it beareth the name of breade because it was so before the chaung But if a man kepe hym frome takeynge ayre at thys chaunge he wylbe smothered and kylled in hys hole For thys chaunge is it that succoureth the foxes They are so wylye subtyle and chaungeable that they
a daungerous thynge to knowe the scriptures and especially for pore men and to talke of oure fayeth Thys doctrine of yours spoyleth vs of fayeth and bringeth vs into the Idlenes of workes Oh diuelishe sophistrie and the spirituall subtiltie stryuing agaynst all godlines Sathan him selfe coulde not diuise suche a reason to hinder our fayth and stop knowledge The Popes bishops only could do it But marke howe this sophistrie is coÌ„firmed and proued The Bishoppe for lacke of scriptures bringeth furth Cato an heatheÌ„ maÌ„ who dispised the greeke poetes because the youth of Rome waxed effeminate whiâ—se they set their delite in them thei rather reioyced in readinge of battayles then fightinge them selues But what is this to vs christen men whiche oughte to be readie to gyue answere of oure fayth to eâ—eâ—ie one that asketh vs which shoulde talke of the wyll of God towardes vs and his holy coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes when we lye downe and when we rise when we go by the waye and when we sit at the table compting our selues then to be most happie when we were moste delited therin daye and night as Dauid sayeth But this is straunge doctrine vnto you because you are none of Paules bishops For he gaue his bishops in commaundement to be iustant in the worde in tyme and out of tyme. No you are an englishe bishop thynkinge the worde of God to be good but at those times that you wyll appoynt and that to a fewe gentlemen to whom you durst not denie it And to busilie occupied marchauntes whom you do espie not so muche to regarde it as they haue done giuinge them this knot in the ende of your boke that 〈◊〉 they wax waÌ„ ton they shalbe put to silence as well as women and yomen are all readie Oh Stephane this is thy worke as the chiefest englishe captitaine that euer Antichrist had For thou workest thy workes as his enemie but thou arte his friende Thou wouldeste seeme an Angell but thou arte a fiende I beseche all good men therefore that as they tendre their soules health they wyl take heede to your swete poyson and flatterynge wordes also to your darke termes whiche you do bringe furth of other languages For by them chiefly haue we ben deceiued euer syth we haue mistrusted your fayre wordes and marked the mattier in our owne mother tonge and naturall language We haue by litle and litle euer more more espied your subtilties Before we had the Creede in Englishe we â—…lde not know that this presence of the bodie naturally and really that is to say in his verie nature as he was man and a sensible thing and substaunce was contrarie to three of the moste manifest article of our fayth Moreouer where you adde as a couclusion fully proued and persuaded vnto al good men that Christe is really present in the Sacrament 〈◊〉 the aultare to feede oure weake bodies soules wherby to make vs stronge to come to him and lyâ—e wythout ende surely I can not perceiue howe you can persuade this thynge to any good man that marketh the Articles of his fayeth concernyng the ascendyng of Christe and his sittynge at the ryghte hande of his father and his comynge thence to iudge the quicke the dead though you haue wyth your darke termes deluded and blynded many good simple soules whoÌ„ you woulde not suffre to haue and knowe their beliefe otherwise then in the latiâ—e toÌ„ge and so taken at your handes that you might mixt therwith your gloses so craftely handled and blynded with your sophistrie termes as really to be in the sacrament whiche you saye before is accidentes that the thynge it selfe and substaunce maye be really in accidentes And then shall it not onely be a spirituall meate to feede the soule but also a bodily fode to feede your bodies like fleshly Ca parnaites that wyll eate Christe as he was man walkyng vpoÌ„ earth to the fode of your bodies To make you stronge you saye to come vnto hym What strength is it wherby you come to him Bodily or spirituall Oh men voyed of the spirite You wyl feede the body to haue the strength of the spirite to come vn to Christ Where learned you any like lesson in the scriptures This is your well doinge and well speaking without knowledge Firste laboure for knowledge of the worde of God and leaue the subtiltie of your owne brayne and you shal boeth speake more wisely worke more godlie I warrant you Christ teacheth in the. vi of Iohn that to come vnto him is to beleue in him sayinge He that cometh vnto me shal not be hungrie and he that beleueth in me shal neuer be thirstie And a litle after he calleth this the eatinge of the breade of life the eatinge of hym selfe and his fleshe saynge I am the liuinge breade that came downe from heauen if any man eate of this breade he shal loue for euer And the breade whiche I shall gyue is my fleshe whiche I shall giue for the life of the world He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude hath euerlasting life And he that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude abideth in me and I in him Then answereth he to the blynde Caparnaites that woulde eate him really and bodilie as the meate of their bodies My wordes are spirite life the fleshe profiteth nothinge Wherefore I saied vnto you that no man can come vnto me except it be giuen him of my father And this power giuen of the father to receiue Christe is taughte in the firste of Iohn He came into his owne sayeth Iohn and his owne did not receiue him But so many as did receiue him he graunted them to be made the children of God They thinke you that did receiue him bodilie eate him really to vse your termes to feede their bodyes and soules to make them strong to come to him What neede such meÌ„ to make theÌ„ stronge to come to him when they haue him in their bealies and haue eaten him alreadie Leaue of all grosse imaginations of the fleshe that profiteth not and folowe the doctrine of the spirite and Iohn wyll teach you and declare playnelie who receiueth Christe and cometh vnto him For all muste needes be one thing to come to Christ and to receiue Christe Reade this that â—oloweth therefore whiche you mumble vp at euerie Masse in euerie corner and yet wyll you not suffre the people to vnderstande it Quotquot autem receperunt eum dedit eis vt liceret filios dei fieri videlicet hijs qui credidissent in nomen ipâ—ius Quinoâ— exsanguinibus neque ex voluntate carnis neque ex voluntate viri sed ex deo nati sunt So manie as receiue him he graunted theÌ„ to be made the children of God that is to saye so manie as beleue in his name Marke home diligentlie Iohn declareth him selfe of the receiuinge of Christe by fayth And further Which are not borne of bloude neither by the wil
dignitie the maintenaunce of Idolatrie Popetrie hath caused the bishop to wryte his boke and to rayle agaynste the trueth And shall not the crowne of glorie whiche can neuer decaye the glory of the only euerlasting God steare faythful men to make answere for the trueth agaynst falsehode specially seinge that we haue thys playne testimonie spoken by the mouth of our sauiour He that confesseth me before men him wyl I confesse before my father that is in heauen and hym that denieth me before men shall I denie also before my father and his holy angels If I be blamed if I be imprisoned yea if I be burned for Christes cause the trueth yet am I happie by the opeÌ„ testimonie of Christ in Math. My name shall be restored in the heauens in the boke of lyfe to be a fayethfull witnesse I shalbe set at libertie for euer with Christ the sonne of God my bodie brent into ashes where it hath put of mortalitie shal be restored vnto me muche better immortall and incorruptible If I lose wyfe and childe father and mother I shal receiue for them an hundreth folde And for aduauntage aboue all for fâ—ll recoÌ„pence lyfe euerlasting Who wyl not be ammate and encouraged by such large promises ⧠God saue Kynge Edward from all errours God defende his tender age from all â—he subtile malice of al Hypocrites and trayâ—…urs The lyuyng God establishe his herte in the waye of the trueth for euer and euer So be it ⧠FINIS ⧠The Table A A Rehersall of the benefactours and founders of the Masse Fol. liij An Image can not be a womans husbande Fol. cxlij A declaration of the true churche Fol. lxv Augustine to Dardanius Fol. cxv A double errour Fol. cxxi At his departynge Christe commaunded his remembraunce to be celebrated Fol. cxlix A vaine muÌ„bling called the masse Fol. cxlix A double causion Fol. cl AbrahaÌ„ was iust before circumcisioÌ„ Fol. clxii An answere to the principal pointes after the Doctours Fol. clxvi A broade shauen crowne Fol. clxxi All men muste knowe etc. Fol. lxxviii Accidentes muste haue c Fol. lxxiiii A right bishop c. Fol. lxxv Al the workes of God c Fol. lxxix An apt similitude Fol. clxxxxvii Lit. Dd A shauen crowne c. Fol. clxxxxvii Dd A longe gowne Fol. clxxxxviii Dd An Englishe bishop Fol. ccvi Anne Askue Fol. cciiii B Beleue not euerie spirite Fol. xii Be no more Caparnaites Fol. xxxiiii By what fruite you may know theÌ„ Fol. xli Bonifacius putteth Christ out etc. fol. lxxii Bishops defende wyckednesse fol. cxxxix Baptisme is not estemed as it c fol. lxxxv Because all thinges are possible c. fol. clviii By the workes you shall etc. fol. lxxvii Beware of my Lordes lyes fol. clxxxxii Barnes fol. cciiii Bylnaye fol. cciii C Christ dyd not coÌ„secrate the bread fol. xxxvii Christ can not be eaten without fruite fol. xl Christes comyng is at hande fol. cxxxviii Christes fleshe gyueth lyfe fol. cxiv Christ is the verie vine fol. lxxxxvi Christ shal coâ—… againe visible fol. lxxxxvii Christ onely must be our bishop fol. clix Christ neuer preached traÌ„substaÌ„ c fol. clxiii Cato fol. ccvi D Doctour Buttes fol. cxli Damascen putteth water into c fol. cv DamasceÌ„ wil haue water made bloud fol. cv Damascen fol. cxi Dogges wyl not eate dogs fleshe fol. cxx Doctrine preached at Pauls crosse fo clxxxxi E Ecolampadius repented fol. ciii Exemples of mennes c fol. clxxxxii Cc. F Fewe are founde faythfull fol. lxvi Fyre can not preuayle fol. lxix Fayth receyueth Christes body fol. cxliii Feare not the breade God fol. clvii Fryth is not confuted fol. clxvii From the Elders c fol. clxxiiii Fishe prouoketh lust fol. clxxxx Fyl the bealy fol. ccvii G Go no farther theÌ„ your coÌ„mission fol. xxxvi God hath neuer forsakeÌ„ his churche fol. lxv God flryketh and healeth agayne fol. lxvii Gyue eare for God sayeth it fol. cxlv God regardeth them that worshippe hym in spirite fol. cl God is nere to euerie one of vs. fol. cli God is the father of spirites fol. cli God hath his ministers of venge c. fol. clii God giueth warning before ven c. fol. cliiij God is far in dette to his makers sol clvi God is not chaungable fol. clvi God accepteth iustice by fayth fol. clxiâ— God regardeth not the osferyng of signes or sacramentes fol. clxiii God ment vs good fol. clxiiii God regardeth none of our inueÌ„ c. fol. clxv God is pacient Fol. clxvii Gregorie Nazienzene Fol. clxxxvi Gods word must giue place c. Fol. clxxxix Gyue no eare c Fol. clxxxxiii Lit. Cc. H Howe full of iniquitie this time is Fol. xi Howe God giueth wisedome to al that aske it in fayth fol. xviii Howe the Papistes reason a posse c fol. xx He that hath eyes to see let him see fol. xxxv He that wyl fynde Christ fol. clx Hidra the monster fol. clxxxviii Howe fasting dryueth out c fol. clxxxx He that knoweth not God fol. lxxvii He that is once c fol. lxxix Holy water fol. cci Hunne fol. cciiii Husse fol. cciii I I woulde wishe my Lorde this c fol. xxxiii In two wordes lieth the whole etc. fol. xxxix If we wyl entre into Christes etc. fol. cxlv Iudas dyd not eate the body etc. fol. lxxxxiiii It is possible for God to chaunge etc. fol. cv Idols shal be brent fol. cxlvii Idols be thanked for Gods giftes fol. cliiii In what respect the fleshe of Christ was heauenly breade fol. clxi Iohn Lasselles fol. cciiii It is more easie to liue wel then Ill fol. clxix If thynges be auncient etc. fol. clxix If the prelates had had â–ª etc. fol. clxxiiii It is for the papistes profite fol. clxxvi K Knowledge of the senses fol. xli L Learne to eate the fleshe bloud c. fol. xxxiâ—i Learne to resist sophistrie fol xxxviii Learne to knowe the membres of Christes churche fol. lxviii Learne witte at the mouse fol. lxxxvi Let them that doubt etc. fol. clxvii Learne to auoyed offence etc. fol. clxxxiii Learne at the bishops to fast fol. clxxxiii Learne wherin to folowe Christ fol. clxxxvii Learne to knowe etc. fol. clxxxxix Dd M Marke what meate Christ c fol. xxxiii Marke howe God prouided etc. fol. lxvi Marke who hath ben the. c fol. lxx Maxentius the tirant fol. lxxi My Lorde woulde haue no traÌ„ c. fol. cxliii Marke the fruites of my lordes c. fol. lxxxii Marke my Lordes intent fol. lxxxâ—i Marke my Lordes sophistrie fol. lxxxvi My Lordes owne swerde stryketh of his heade fol. lxxxviii My Lordes wordes ende in ly fol. lxxxxv My Lorde hath loste his witnesse fol. câ—i My lordes similitudes serue not for his purpose fol. cvi Marke the constancie of the Doct. fol. cvii Marke thexaâ—…ation of these c. fol. cxxvi My lorde might haue ben asha c. fo cxxxvii Man hath made hâ—m Goddes fol. cxlviii More
weake Christes coÌ„myng is at hande i. Corh xi Byshoppes haue ben and be the defenders of all wyckednes i. Chrin xi Exod. xii Pas Cxrxiiii and. Cxlv. Psa Cxlviii Math. xxiii 〈◊〉 Corint xiiii We must coÌ„firme our lyues to the bishoppes lyfe The prelates discourage vs froÌ„ preaching the Lordes death Doctoure Buttes Deut. xxvi Iud. ix An Image caÌ„ not be a womannes husbande My lorde woulde haue no translatioÌ„ by his wyll Fayth is the mouth that receyueth Christes bodie Iohn vi The Apostles were stroÌ„ger in Christes absence theÌ„ in his preâ—ence The true blisse is to hear theword of God and folowe it If we wilenter into Christes kyngdoÌ„e we muste bec borne a newe Christes fleshe giueth lyfe Iohn vi My Lorde myght haue ben ashamed to make thys boaste Iohn vi Hebr. x. i. Corhi x. Note the cause why this sacrameÌ„t was instituted in breade Wiuchesters wordes The answer So much differeÌ„ce is betwene the signe and the thing sngnified as is betwen the maister and seruant vii viii ix x. My â—ord sinneth iâ— wylful blindnes Ro. x. Onely God is true and al men are lyars Gene eare for God sayth it The ruine of the gentiles is at hande Noman ameÌ„deth his maners The worlde doeth alwaies striue against the spirite your Idoles shalbe brâ—…t The newe found god is â—ccursed of God The whole worlde foloweth Idoleâ— Man hath made him gods of the â—â—est creatures At his departing Christe commaunded his remembraÌ„ce to be celebrated A vaine â—â—uÌ„lâ—uge called the masse A double câ—…sion God recordeth theÌ„ that worship him in spirite Esai lxvi Act. xvii God is meri to euerie one of vs God is the father of spirites The Lorde speaketh to the prelates The obstinate muste not be prayed for God hath his ministers of vengeaunce The bishoppes are commaunded to stande vp and answere The Lorde plageth the tyrannouse rulers Idols be thaÌ„ked for the benifites that God gyueth God giueth â—…eth â—…geâ—… God is far in dept to his makers This almoÌ„de is wel blanched God is not chaungeable The feare of a mouse causeth al this defence Ferae not the bread God The suppression of Abbayes was for Idolatrie The breade God is thrise miserable Because all thinges are possible to God he can escape the prieâ—â—es iuglyng That whiche is sacrificed must nedes be slaine Christ onely must be oure bishoppe He that wyll finde Christe muste seke hym at the right hande of the father They that will sede carnally vpon Christ can not beleue in hym The cause why Christ caâ—…ed the bread hys bodye The lyfe that is in all blessed spirits is the knoweledge of christ In that the flesh of Christ was giueÌ„ for the life of the world it was heueÌ„ly bread other wyse not AbrahaÌ„ waâ—… accompted iust before 〈…〉 was certuâ—… sised God accepâ—eth none oâ—her iustice out onelye that whyche â—s by fayeth The Israelites fed not on a signe or sacrament God regardeth not the offring of signes or sacramentes Christ neuer preached traÌ„s substaÌ„ciacioÌ„ God intended to haue iust occasion â–ª to exaltvs wheÌ„ he made his son man Ephe. i. These flesly sacramentaries are eaters mans fleshe as the Sithians are Psa xvii The spirite beareth witnesse that we are sonnes by adoption God regardeth none of oure inuencions The doctours are to be suspected because they please the papestes so wel These doctoure that be called S. sit highly in tht consciences of men Fryth is nat yet confuted Wicklifes wicket openeth the waie God is pacient and of loÌ„g suffering More maye be an exemple to mockars Rom. iii. To the god all thinges are good and to the wicked contrarie It is more easie to lyue well then yll If thyâ—ges of auncient tyme be to be receiued theÌ„ is ther no vice to be refused Tyme vtterreth al thynges Two against â—wâ— The definicion of a sacrament A broade shaueÌ„ crowne is the signe of folishuesse Two things are to be considered in asacrament One thynge can not be boeth visible and inuisible 〈◊〉 Corh xxi Math. xvii Marke xiiii Luc. xxii i. Corh x. Wynchester would haue vs saye our lorde and not the Lorde Luc. xxiiii Act. ii Nothing like Exod. iiii Gens xxxii The etimologie of this worde Israel Theyr owne testimonie is inought to declare them to be woulfes If the prelates had had the true vnderstandinge of scriptures they woulde not haue maintained errours From the elders haue we receiued al wickednesse Ther is no faute in the Romeish church Wynchester preached opeÌ„ly agaynst gods worde Luk. x. Math. x. It is for the papistes profite to keepe the worlde in blyndnesse Mich. iii. Zach. i. Iherem xxiii Let them that doubt aske of God The knowledge of the â—onges is profitable to the studie of scripture Sathan beginneth to roare The bishops open the waie for the turkes to enter Winchesters wordes The answere The papistes busy mennes myndes wyth straunge names i. Corh xi Polidore de inuentoribus â—erum Winchesters wordes The answer Who be the theues that steale awaye the fode of the soule Winchesters wordes The answere Learne to auoied offence in eatinge of meates i. Cor. x. Galath ii Learne at the byshoppes to faste The father geuethe the true breade from heauen The masse is not the memorie of Christe That which the prieste eateth doeth vs no good The vertue of the masse of the fiue woundes Malach. i. Act. x. â—… â–ª vii Gregorie Nazianzene for fasteynge The cause whie Christe fasted Lerne where in to folow Christe Hidra the monster the hercules slewe My Lordes answere in priuate communicacion Stephane Gardinar Gods wrod must gene place to mattens â–ª i Corch xiiii Mat. xv Rom. xiiii 〈◊〉 Timoth. iii. Coloss ii How fasteynge driueth forth diuilles Fishe prouoâ— Doctrine preached at Poules crosse Psalm cxviii My lorde recant for shame Exemples of mens inuentions i. Reg. xv i. Thess iiii Leuite xix xxv Hebr. xiii ii Corh iiii i. Corh xi Iherou xxii xxiii Geue no eare to the prophetes that deceyue you Ezechi xxxiii Ezech xxxiiij The true de scription of our prelates Math. vii Math. xvi Marke vii Math. vi Math. xxiii Mat. v. The phariseis and byshops al one Superstition maketh all thinges euyll Iohn iiii Math. vi Math. xv Esai xxix Math. v. Math. vi Math. xv Math. xxiii Math. vi The morian and leopardâ—… Toutch not Coloâ—â— ii Wyl holines The kentishe man Beware of my Lordes lyes Some drinke no wyne Luke xxiiil Aâ—tâ— ii The prelateâ— consideracion i. Corh x. The cup of brotherli loue Winchesters wordes The answer Tradicions and churche An apt similitude In the. cxxvi â—eafe of my lordes boke the. xvii liue A shauen crowne is no thynge Leuit. xix A loÌ„g gowne is nothynge The Apostles werenot aâ—ointed withoutward oyles Learne to knowe a true prieste Osee iiii The anoynting of the spirite Holy water The perfecâ— on of the bishops faste Husse Bylnay Hunne Barnes Norfolke Anne Askue Iohn Lassels The bishops darlinges The salt is â—â—sauourie Cato An Englishe bishoppe Fyll the bealie to come to Christe 1. Pet. i. i. Pet. ii Ephe. ii Math. v.
of hys benifites That this blesseinge is nothynge but a thankes geueinge to God the father and no suche coÌ„secracion as you do mataine Mathewe and Luke maye satisfie you Whoe haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is geueinge thankes Wheras Mark hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And agayne when he spake of the cuâ— he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to blesse and to geue thankes are all one Wherfore suche cousecracion as you make when you saye God consecrateth hym selfe can not be grounded here But you blinde the people wyth your darcke termes to blinde vs styl captiues vn der your tirannie The worde of thys heauenly supper maye clearely driue awaie al dreames if they were deapely considered wythout your gloses Wherfore I wyll reherse them out of the euangelistes and the Apostle Paule the wonderfull opener of goddes secretes Firste Christe when the Apostles were eateinge dyd take the breade and when he had geuen thaÌ„kes he dyd breake it and gaue it to hys disciples and sayed Take eate this is my bodie And when he toke the cup also he did geue thankes and gaue it vnto them saieing drinke al of this This is my bloude whyche is of the newe testament whyche is shed for many in the remission of synnes I saye vnto yon I wyll not after thys tyme drinke of the fruite of the vyne vnto that daye that I shall drinke it newe wyth youâ—… the kyngedome of my father Agayne As they dyd eate sayeth Marke Iesus toke the breade gaue thankes brake it and sayed Take eate thos is my bodie And he toke the cup thanked and gaue it them and they dyd all drinke therof And he sayed vnto them thys is my bloude of the newe testament whyche shalbe shed for many Verely I saye vnto you that from heuse fourth I wyll not drinke of the fruite of the vine vnto the daye that I drinke it newe in the kingedome of God In Luke thus we reade I haue with great desier desired to eate this passouer with you be fore I suffer For I saye vnto you that heuse forth I wyll no more eate therof tyll it be fulfilled in the kingdome of God And he toke the cup gaue thaÌ„ges and saied Take thys and deuide it amonges you For I saye vnto you I wyll not drinke of the fruite of the vyne vnto the kingedome of God do come And he toke the breade and gaue thankes and brake it and gaue it vnto them and saiede This is my bodie whiche shalbe geueÌ„ for you This do ye in the remembraunce of me Lykewise the cup after they had supped and sayed Thys cup is the newe testament in my bloude whyche shalbe shed for you Here be al the wordes of the Euangelistes concerning the last supper of the Lord wherin you do not heare one word that the priest by reherseinge of these wordes shall make God either that Christe is materially and bodily tourned into a fourme of breade or that God doeth tourne hym selfe and consecrate hym as you cal it into the quantities of breade neither any other of those blaphemies that you defende so with tirany That the lewde man shoulde receiue it but in one kind vpon paine of death though you haue pertily excused the matier saieâ—…ge that wee â—ewde soles wyll not haue it Ah shall we suffer you thus to captiue vs still We are captiues in deede For we must ransome ful largely if we either speake writte or kept a-any boke of christian religion contrarie to your popeishe doctrine But as you tender the helth of your soules deare brethern who so euer shall reade thys speede you to the scriptures of God and make them iudges boeth of those mens gloses my writtinges Whan they woulde iuggle with this worde consecrate remeÌ„bre â–ª the wordes of the Euan gelist that he blessed or gaue thankes for all is one thinge as it is proued WhaÌ„ they wil saye no more but thys is my bodie and leue out the chiefe purpose and conforte set furth in thys supper that is whyche is geuen for you then saye We wyll eate heare the bodie that was geuen for vs vnto death which Mari Magdalen might not touche whiche is gone into heauen and as you saye your selfe is not come downe agayne But ther sitteth at the right hande of the father as the scripture recordeth and fayth beleueth from whence he shal come to iudge the quicke and the deade â–ª In whose remembraunce we must do thys sheweinge forth his death as Paule saieth tyll he come The whiche wordes vntyll he come and doeâ—…ge it in the remembraunce of Christe maye plainely declare what is ment by all to gether Besides this wheÌ„ it is named bread wine and the fruite of the grape after that Christ had blessed why shall one set Christe to the schole and tell hym he lieth But if he come into Englande a monge the popeishe prelates they wyll teache him to lerne it other wyse Heare is no sophistrie but eternal tiranie Marke therefore the ende intent purpose of these Christes wordes and doeinges and theÌ„ shal eueri thing be easie and plain vn to vs. Thys maye be shewed by these wordes in boeh the parâ—es of the misteries plainly added which was geuen for you Which shalbe shed for the remission of sinnes Bi the whyche wordes we can not denie but that Christe taught that he woulde die for vs. And where he addeth as the ende of altogether doe thys in the remeÌ„braunce of me this is the cup of the newe testameÌ„t in my bloud what other thing can we lerne but that this is the newe testameÌ„t and couenaunt of grace bitwen God and vs that he wil haue mercie vpon his for the bloud of his soÌ„ne â–ª And that we ought to kepe thys in perpetual remembraunce Nowe seâ—ge that these wordes do leade vs vnto these thinges hys deads must of good congruence worke thesame And therfore doeth the breake breade and geue it to be eaten commaundeinge the cuppe to be drunken Whyche deades dyd in maner represent before the eyes of the disciples the thynges that he had spoken euen in lyke maner as we se it generally vsed in all contractes and couenauntes of greate wayght and valewe which are made without warde signes as represeÌ„tations of the same to the eyes of all men and cleare testimonies for remembraunce of couenauntes to be performed Nowe where as they wyll not speke al the text but sticke in these iiii wordes oneli this is my bodie answere thou againe that thou beleuest it to be the verie bodie euen as thou beleuest the cuppe to be the newe testament But for as muche as the chaunge of any of these creaturs can not be taught â—i any scriptures thou canst in no case beleue it For thy faith asketh the word of god Wherfore saye thou I wyl stick to the worde of Christ that the