glorye boeth of your subiectes of straingers for nothinge can rather win the fauoure of subiectes to their Maiestrates and rulers bringe them to obedience then the worde of God and his commaundementes frelye preachede and wythout daunger of ponishement as you may euidently perceyue by Iosue Ios i. and the people of God committed to hys gouernaunce And strayngers are moued wyth nothynge so much as wheÌ„ ther se the truth the glorie of god and an honeste order of lyuinge magnified had in reuerence for God doeth kepe the citie that seketh his glorie Fyrste of all we proteste that in our puklyke sermones and in thys writynge we not here speake nor write against the most holye ordinauÌ„ce of Christ or the Apostles in the administracioÌ„ of the Lordes supper but we both speake write against the abuses that be crept into the church are obstinatli defeÌ„ded bi coÌ„tinuauÌ„ce of time wtout the hollie scriptures to the great hinderauÌ„ce of the fruites of christes passion craftie deceiueinge of the vnlerned people coÌ„trarie to Christes ordinaÌ„ce administracioÌ„ of the apostles that coÌ„mon rumor is through the maliciouse enuie faulse forgid lies of some popish preachers of some other that are euen against vs which know the truth that we goo about to let abolishe and bringe to nought all good workes they fayne this on ther owne heade as they do al other thynges for nothynge can be more greauouse to vs then to here that men do not lyue after the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of God And we know through the grace of God What ceremonies what pert of the cerimonies is profitable mete for christen meÌ„ our purpose matained with a good conscieÌ„ce is to vse well sincerly wtout any faulsly deuised tracions so muche of this sacrament of oure Lordes super as was most perfectly begon and ordiened of Christ our master and there can no man proue that our intent was other wise at any time and thys by the assistaunce of gods grace we wil affirme by the onely scriptures of God Now we wil in godes name declar shewe furth our reasones for this question proponed Vndoubtely al such as do not regard care for the only glory of god teach nothing that is godly true or in aniwise profitable Math. ii For god saith by Malachi the prophet And now Oh ye priestes this coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t toucheth you if you wil not heare it nor regard it my name sayeth the Lorde of hostes I wyll sende accursse vppon you and wil Cursse your blessing yea cursse them wil I if ye do not take hede It is therfore manifest that God beynge griuousely displeased cursseth theÌ„ that regarde not his name and glorie for God is gellouse and a consuming fier He wil haue hys name magnified Deut. v. and prayesid the Iues and gentiles dyd fall into lewde myndes Rom i. and corrupte Iudgementes because they knewe God and dyd not glorifi him as God The lord Esa i. 42 hym selfe sayeth I wyll geue my glorye to none other Finallye Math 12. he that seketh not goddes glorye doeth nother desire to encrease it nor doeth speake lyue nor is of God but is adomination before God For whosoeuer is not wyth 1. Cor. 2. Christ as who sayth that God may be glorified he is abominacioÌ„ before God and is hys enemye when the Esai â—3 naturall man perceyueth not the thynges that pertayne to the Ro. xi spirite of God And hys thought is as fare in sunder from the wyl of God as the earth from heaueÌ„ for in dede man touchinge hys owne knowledge doeth knowe nothing lesse theÌ„ the wyl of God Who therfore Luc xvi can tell what is the wyll of God and hys true glorye Christe sayeth that whiche is highly estimede amonge men is abominacion before God for men are euer prone and readye to fall and forsake the truth to folowe cleaue to there owne profite and inuencions whereof Idolatrie othere abominacions come vp and haue Proue iii. there begynynge wherefore the wise man sayth truste in the lord Deut. xii wyth all thyne herte and not in thyne owne wisdome And Moyses sayth you shall not do after al thinges that we do here this day eueri maÌ„ what semeth hym good in his owne eies it is therefore folishely spoken to saye what thing soeuer that a man doeth for gods sake is a good worke and worthey to be rewarded for then eueri maÌ„ myght haue knoledge sufficientli without any teaching or doctrine of the worde of God But howe shoulde a man be then of an vndoubting coÌ„science or wyth what hope myght a man lyue to please God Wher the knoledge of the wyl of God wantethe there moste also hope and fayeth want namely in trouble and afflictioÌ„ what so euer truely is not of fayeth is sinne where Syne is there is abominaon before God Therfore god hath declared hys wyll and mynd by thapostles And Christe hym selfe that our knowledge may be sure and our oppinion vndoubtfull howe god ought to be truely worshiped Moreouer he hath gyuen vs astrayght coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t to kepe his law that we shal tourne nother to the right nor yet to the Deut. xviii laste hande that we shall nother adde nor take awaye any thynge from it he that wyll not herken to the prophet that I wil raise vp sayeth the Lorde I wyl require it of hym after the lawe was gyuen and the trueth was knowen God would be worshipped as his word teacheth and the offence was theÌ„ much more greuouse Albeit king Saull dyd kyll and offer fat Oxen i. R. xv to the true liuing God whiche was a good worke in apparauÌ„ce yet because the scripture of God dyd not teache hym so to do God therfore was griuoslye displeased wyth hym For althoughe he offered his sacrifice to God yet that accoÌ„pted he to him for Idolatrie ii Re. vi Oza died sodenly because he tuched the arke againste the Lordes commaundement yet he thought it had ben a good dede Dyd not the earth swallowe vp Corah and his adhereÌ„tes because thei would Nume xvi take vppon them the office of the priests The Israhelites did think it a godlye and goodlye thynge to Deut. xvi haue pleasant groues night vnto the aulter of God but hym dyd it not please Thei though it a goodly facte at Tophet in Ierusalem Ierome vii to kyl and offer ther owne sonnes but the more they did so the greater was ther abominacion before god For god sayth he neuer coÌ„mauÌ„ded them nether came it euer into his thought God commaunded Iosue Iose i. to be stronge and bolde that he myght obserue and do accordinge to al the lawe which Moyses commaundyd hym and that he should turne ther from nither to the ryght nor to the lefte haÌ„d that he myght do wisely in al thynges Esa xxx he toke in hande god by hys prophet Esaias saith alas for the
disobedient children that wyll take counsayle wythout me and wyll take asecerete aduise and not out of my spirite therefore adde they sinne vnto sinne and Christ saith Math. vi in vaine do they serue me teachinge the doctrines and preceptes of men the proude herted Iewes did stande so well in there owne conceite for their tradicions and inuentions that for loue thei had to them they dispised hated and at last killide oure maister Christ Iohn xxi our aduersaris dare saye that Christ and the apostles taught manye thynges whyche are not wryten in the scripture and that Christe sayed hys Disciples coulde not beare awaie al that he had taught thys cauil repungnauÌ„t to the true vnderstandinge of the scripture maye be an occasion and cause of greate errours for there wyth all lyes and herisies maye be confirmed they will saye albeit it is not written yet the appostles taught it by worde of mouth and also the scriptures of God shoulde be an vnperfecte doctrine which thyng to offâ—râ—ne is blasphemie agaynste the holy gost considering that theÌ„ all the doctrine of our fayth should be put in question Therefore surly so muche is contayned in holye scripture as is necessary vnto saluacion to eueri one that beleueth They saye coulde the churche erre so longe time as it hath If youre doctrnie be true the true churche hath not errede whiche hath the word of god only The church verely must be tried by the worde of God and not the worde of god by the churche whether the churche that beleueth be of manye or of fewe for the churche is knoweÌ„ by the frutes and not because it coÌ„sisteth of many and hath her begynynge of the worde of God and her frutes are tried by the worde whether the true christan churche brought them forth or no if it be the true christen churche Iohn â— she heareth no nother voice but Christes her shepherde and brydgrome whiche the appostles preached to the church and if an angel came out of heauen teaching any other doctrine then thys let hym Gala. i. be accurssed if we loue and folow the doctrine that Christe taught and beinge hys disciples we shal not be excluded frome the true churche so longe as we kepe wyth vs the worde of God But he is puffed vp wyth pryde and doeth i. Timo. vi knowe nothinge at al that wil not obey the word of God he therfore which doth knowe nothinge can not teache vs religion and the true worshippinge of god if the Masse be vsede as it hath ben hitherto it can in no wyse agree wyth the worde of God but is so muche repugnaunt as what thing is most The Masse therfore is a diuilishe Idolatrie and detestable abominacion against God and the maynteners therof shal incurre his displeasure for euer thys thyng we wil proue two waies first because the popishe Masse is vsed in nothinge lyke the supper that Christ ordeined and differeth nolesse froÌ„ it then blacke to white they synne therefore so griuouslye as dyd Achas the made an aultar at Ierusalem iii. ReguÌ„ xvi lyke that which was at DamascoÌ„ and caste the aultare of god out of the temple so they haue lest the true vse of oure Lordes supper And in stede of it haue instituted and ordeinede the Masse of theyr owne folishe deuise and oppinion which is a great and blasphemouse abominacioÌ„ before god Moreouer we wyll proue by ther erroures and abusinge of the masse whyche they call an offeringe for the quicke and deade that it is an horible abominacion for if the Masse were ordeined of Christe which is faulse yet by there abusinge of it they woulde make it a blasphemouse heinous abominacion before god vndoubtedly we ought to folowe truely and sencelye that thynge whiche is absolutly Deut. vi sufficient of it selfe alredie Firste let vs consyder and expende the maner and order that Christe vsed at the institucion of thys holly and sacrete supper and then we wyll confer the abuse with the truth But we ought to learne all these thynges of the Euangelistes and of Saynte Paule and of none other Verely the true Masse which is worthy al kindes of praieses is the Masse which Christe ordeyned at hys laste supper before he shoulde suffere Luk xxii for when the houre was come he sate downe and the twelue appostles wyth hym and he sayed vnto theÌ„ I haue inwardly desired to eate thys passeouer wyth you before that I suffer for I say vnto you hence furth I wil not eate of it any more vntyll it be fulfilled in the kingdome of God and he toke the cup and gaue thaÌ„kes and saied take this and deuid it amonge you for I saye vnto you â— will not drinke of the frut of the vine vntyll the kingdom of god come and he toke breade and when he hadde giuen thankes he brake it and gaue it vnto theÌ„ saying this is my bodye whiche is giuen for you thys do in remembrauÌ„ce of me Like wyse also wheÌ„ he had supped he toke the cup sayinge thys cupe is the newe testament in my bloude whiche is shed for you These wordes Sainte Luke Luk. xxii Math. xxvi writeth the other euangelestes wrytte the same but they differ in some wordes as Math sayed Drinke all of thys for thys is my bloude whiche is the newe testamente that is shed for manie for Mat. xiiii the remission of synnes and saint Marke sayth they al dranke of it meaninge the cup. Saint Paule doth expounde Christes wordes sayinge thys doo as ofte as you drinke it in remembraunce of me for as often tymes as you shall eate thys breade and drinke thys cup ye shall shewe furth the Lordes death tell he come but let a man examyne him selfe and so let hym eate of the breade and drinke of the cup Saint Iohn doeth not declare the ordinaunce of thys sacrament But he teacheth from the .xiii. Iohn .xiii. xiiâ—â— xv xvii xviii Cap. to the .xviii. how Christ did vse his supper and what he did at it he washed hys disciples fete he preached to theÌ„ and commaunded them to be in charitie he exhorted them to pacience he strengthend confirmed and establyshed their fayth towarde god and praied for them to hys father but especially he rebuked Iudas the traitor S. Paule sayth we beinge many are one breade and one bodye in Cor. â— so muche we all are partetakers of one breade and the Euangelistes reporte that Christe dyd finishe hys holy supper wyth thankes geueyng The some and grounde of the hole matter proponed coÌ„sisteth in the sentences of scripture nowe rehersed but because Christ sayth serch the scripture we therfore Iohn v. wil are counsaile of the word of God in other plases and debate howe the Lordes supper ought to be vsede let vs first deuide thes questions into foure partes firste some thinges are common both to the ministre and receiuour of the Sacrament moreouer some thinges
only true sacrifice offered himselfe on the aulter of the crosse You may therfore easly perceiue the that was not the sacrifice of the mas for it is not done both in the morning theuening as the other was and Eusebius saith our lords supper vnder some byshopes was ministred but once or twyse in the yere the history of the dayelie sacrifice that Daniel speaketh of was fulfilled vnder Antiochus the tiran for in hys tyme there was no sacrifice offered in the temple of god for the space of thre or foure yeres In dede this is true Antiochus was the figure of Antichriste for he toke a waye the true worshiping and honour of god And truste in god faith is extinguished when 5 men truste more in theyr owne power workes thē in gods grace they haue certayne other dreames and assertions but of no vertue or strēgth One is thei say the easter lambe was offered euerie yere so Christe the true Easter Lambe ought to be offered oftē tymes nothinge cā be more folishe then this Argumēt For the easter lābe was not offred for sinnes but only was slayne and eaten in remenbraunce of the deliueraūce of the Israelits out of Egipte But nowe the papistes offer for sinnes the sacrifice of the masse For they are not contented with thonly remēbraūce of Christes death ▪ Other sacrifices wer offered agayne for they were vnperfecte but Christ being a perfecte sufficient sacrifice ought to be offered once for euer Thei obiect that whā the preachers doctours did sacrifice at the election of Paul fasted the holly gost fayed c. the greke word that they trāslate to signifie to do sacrifice hath in this place the significatiō that it hath in ye. xiii Cha. to the Romaines the is to minister as a Ro. xiii magistrate in the comō wealth And therfore after the translacion of the papistes euerie maiestrate is apreist But thei that wil be estemed to be wittie and learned amongeste thē reason after this maner when Christ offered himselfe the church also which is his spowse may offer hym for synnes in the Masse For Christ hys church so agree and so consente together That what so euer the one doth the other agreeth to the same But thys is a lye For if Christe died for vs then the church must do the same Christ is the bread highe prieste Ergo we are the bread and highe priest also Christe was offered say they wyth payne and sufferinge of the bodie Ergo he cā be offered suffer not He was once a sacrifice ergo he cā be a sacrifice againe But this ther talke is vayne and foleshe For we seke not what Christ might do but what he dyd And what the scripture teacheth Also they obiecte that it is better to gyue then to take In sacrifice we giue in our Lordes supper we take it is therefore better to offer But let them first proue who gaue thē authoritie to do sacrifice after thys man It is better to be a sauioure thē a creature and seruante Therfore as it is a greate blasphemie a man to saye he is a god and sauiour so it is great blasphemy that sinners shall go about to offer Christ for remission of sinnes So thus it cōeth to passe the the more thei defēd their errourres the more vngodli thei shew thē selues againste Gods maiestie Some of the papistes doubt not to say that we sin dayly therfore dayely sacrifice is necessary And they say Christ toke away the sin past only which is called original sin 〈…〉 satisfacion for other sinnes muste be made other wise that is by workes and sacrifices And thei put to many other thinges that differ so much from the doctrine of fayth as any christen mā hearing thē may easly perceiue For thē it were cōsequēt that Christe is neither God nor a true sauiour Now we haue declared what the Masse is Not a sacrifice for sinnes but an horible abominaciō before God Al Christē mē ought therfore to shone and fle frome it and tourn to the true vse of oure Lordes Supper accordynge to hys moste holy ordinaunce To whome be honoure and glorie for euer AMEN Fines