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
hande of the father Then when you haue wroughte so wittilie and myghtely wyth Christe you take man in hande and woulde bewitche hym to beleue that that cake is no cake and that the breade is fleshe bloude and bones You tell hym his eyes be blynde His taste and senses deceyue hym His reason is nothynge worth in your mattiers For thoughe all the miracles of Christ dyd eueÌ„ apeare as he wrought them As if they were spirituall they so appeared vnto the soule of man and were felte spiritually as the forgyuenesse of synnes the healynge of soules and suche lyke so doubtles the miracles that Christe wrought bodilie dyd appeare in the bodies wherein he wroughte them But thys straunge miracle of yours muste clearely mocke and delude all oure senses and vnderstandynge and leade vs captyue to beleue that you can make God by his worde of a vyle piece of paste Yet surely in conscience I thynke it your selues do not beleue that there is so greate power in the wordes of God For if you dyd surely you coulde not be so bolde as to burne it For no fayle if it can make God it can destroye wycked men yea though they be byshoppes Moreouer you saye Two thynges are to be considered in the Sacramente of the aultare one that it is a Sacramente An other that it is the thynge it selfe of the Sacramente that is to saye Christes mooste precious bodye and bloude Vpon thys I demaunde what you do meane by thys terme Sacramente If you saye that a Sacramente is a signe or remembraunce of an holie thynge as all your owne Doctours haue defined a Sacramente then wyll we saye as the trueth is and as we haue taughte heretofore that this is the moste holie signe and blessed remeÌ„braunce of Christ our Sauiour which offered his bodie for our sinnes and coÌ„maunded vs to frequent and vse the same in the remembraunce of him who dyed once for vs and sitteth nowe at the right hande of God a perpetuall meane betwene God and man And heare is the ful profite vse and commoditie that any man can haue by thys Sacramente Yet this wyll not satisfie you vnlesse you haue vs so captiue that we wyl saye after you The Sacramente is the selfe same thinge that it signifieth Christ must be made in the remembraunce of Christ I demaunde of you in all other thynges be they holie or prophane where you caÌ„ fynde me one thinge that is both the signe and the thinge it selfe The holie Sacramente of Baptisme is not so The holy SacrameÌ„t of circumcision was not so The holy Sacrament of the Paschal lambe was neuer named so in the olde testamente Yet had they as playne wordes for them as you haue for yours For the circumcision is called the couenaunt and the lambe is called the passeoâ—er But you wil haue the Sacrament to be the thinge it selfe and the signe to be the Sauiour For this intent no fayle that you being but the signes and shadowes of true Bishoppes your two forked cappes and labelles the signes of muche holines and knowledge in both the testameÌ„tes your white raichet the signe of chastitie and purenes your precioâ—s shoes the signes of precious fnote steppes in preaching the Gospel may be accompted the verie thinges theÌ„ selues that be signified So shoulde we neither loke into heauen for our only Sauiour sitting at the righte hande of his father nor yet for true holines in you vpon earth being satisfied by your signes and shadowes your lyinge Poprie dombe and deceyueable ceremonies It foloweth in your text When we cal the Sacrament of the aultare God we vnderstande the substaunce of the Sacrament whiche is Christe God and man there present And according to that vnderstanding we attribute al goodly honour vnto it And in thys speache the worde SacrameÌ„t signifieth and giueth vnderstanding by a special significacion and by excellencie as learned men speake of it the thinge signified beinge there present that is to saye the bodie and bloude of our Sauiour Christe whiche can not be broken with hande caÌ„ not be torne wyth teeth or denoured of beastes or putrified Neither can the bodily senses herein beare any witnes to the contrarie for they can not atteyne that But when we vse the worde Sacramente or the worde hoste and applye the speach of it to suche a matter as may not be sayed of the naturall bodie of Christe then the speache is verified in those formes of breade and wyne vnder the which the most preciouse body and bloud of Christ is couered as when we saye the sacrament is broken or moulded or altered it is onely vnderstanded of the sayed forme of breade and wine being the outward accideÌ„tes as the qualities or dimeÌ„tioÌ„s which god ther preserueth not otherwise by outward miracle being theÌ„ susteined by his moste preciouse bodilie substance Then when they be naturally ioyned to the substance of bread whereof that God thus doeth not mans senses because those accidentes be sensile may Iudge for we se it so and those accidentes be perceptible by the bodelie syght and sense â–ª and withe the eie of the soule in faieth we se the presence of oure moste blessed sauiour Christ who ther is the onely substance of the sacrament so longe remayninge vnder those accidentes as the forme of bread and wyne vnder whiche by the omnipoteÌ„cie of his worde it pleaseth him to exhibite him selfe vnto vs doe remayne and contynewe In your first liues wherin is taught that the sacramente is god and man and therfore muste be worshiped withe all godly honour is intollerable blasphemie For neither haue you any scripture to proue it to be God nor yet that euer Christe or his dearely beloued apostles taught that it should haue al godly honour At his holy supper he coÌ„manÌ„ded theÌ„ al to eate this breade and drinke this cup deuiding it amonge theÌ„ To sette vp any newe God therefore not taughte in the scriptures is blasphemie â–ª and the settynge vp therof deserueth stoning to death by the law of Moyses And Paule byddeth that if an Angell come downe froÌ„ heaueÌ„ to preache any other Gospel then that whiche the Apostles haue preached we shoulde take hym as accursed And is not thys a newe Gospell to teach a Sacrament to be a God to teache that the bread which is a vile creature is very God and that it ought to be worshypped wyth all diuine honour worship The sacrameÌ„t that Christ made and ordeined to be a memoriall of his death redeÌ„ption by him to be made Christ him selfe is it not blasphemie A piece of past whiche was made but yesterday can it be made a sacrifice to take awaye synne wythout blasphemie If a man shoulde call the sacrameÌ„t of baptisme god and do al godly honour thereunto woulde you not say he were mad And yet is Baptisme the chiefe sacrameÌ„t both because it is the first sacrameÌ„t 〈◊〉 signe wherein the free mercie of God
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
speake are spirit and lyfe Wher vpon Peter saied Lord why ther sâ—hal we gooâ—thou hast the words of euerlasting life And these are the waters that Christe wyll geue after the whiche no man shall euer thurste But the water whiche I shall geue hâ—m saieth Christe shalbe made in hym a fountaine of water springeinge into lyâ—â—e euerlasteing Blessed be they that heare the worde of God and kepe it whiche was sharpely answered agaynste them which dyd so highlie aduaunce to knowe God in the fleshe Against whom also Paule sayth we know none after the fleshe etc. Moreouer saieth he though we haue knowne Christ after the fleshe yet nowe do we not knowe hym so any longer But he that is in Christe muste be a newe creature in the spirite accordeinge to the saieinge of Christe to him Nâ—codemus Excepte a man be borne a newe from aboue from heauen euen of the spirite the can not enter the kingdoÌ„e of heaneÌ„ That whych is borne of the fleshe is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit Againe it is profitable that I go from you for it I go not the spirite of confort shal not come vnto you but if I go I wyl sende hym vnto you he shal leade you into al truthe Therefore should you reioyce because I saie that I go vnto my father Thys profite of the bodilie departeing to haue the confort of the spirite dyd appeare manifestelie in Petre and the other Apostles who deniynge and forsakeinge theyr maister whome they hade bodily present dyd nothing doubt to die for hym whan he was in bodie absent Besides that thys bodilie presens in euerie corner to take awaye sinne is preiudicial to the liuely fealeing of oure faith Firste for that he is verie man in al thinges haueing a naturall bodye as we haue sufficiently paiyng oure raâ—â—some to hys father vpon the crosse SecoÌ„dly it may cause vs to doubt whether we shall saye that he hath ascended into heauen and there sitteth at the right hand of the father and froÌ„ thence shal come to iudge the quicke and the deade other else saie with you that the prieste muste dayly offer hym a sacrifice here vpon earth for vs and that he muste kepe him heare styl in a boxe to ware mouldie and mustie and then chaunge hym for a newe Christe beinge infinitly created Who shall at the daye of dome starte forth of all these boxes at once into a newe shape I trowâ— to iudge all the eâ—â—h or elfe muste you â—…des confesse that they shall al be iudged and â—…ned where they lye in their boxes The scripture I saye the liuely sâ—aâ—eing of my fayeth grounded onely vpon the spirite of Christâ— and your owne madnesse that I haue reade in your owne bokes and no pride or arroganciâ— what so euer you saye I take god to recorde caâ—se me that I dare not so carnally and grossely vnderstaÌ„d the wordes of Christe as you do And I daâ—e maintaine 〈…〉 I haue many of your owne doc tours whose testimonie either in thys poynt or any other vnâ—es they bringe open scripture wâ—…h them I do not greately regarde but to your confution Yet haue I the better parte of them whiche do spiritually vnderstande and interprete thys scripture wyth me â–ª How be it I knowe we shall neuer make aâ— ende 〈◊〉 we bringe doctour vpon doctoure To answere therfore to thys text this is my bodye whyche is your onely shoâ—eaukere And to 〈…〉 aâ— your wode wordes tauÌ„tes that flowe frome your eloquet mouth as smoke doeth from a lake of brimstone But firste I wyll bringe forth the whole texte of Mathewe Marke and Luke And by the open worde of God I truste I shall declare the true sence and meaneing to him that wyth a spirituall eie shall iudge therof Christ in the xxvi of Mathewe when he was together wyth hys Apostles eateinge the passouer whyche was the most liue lyke figure in the olde lawe nowe makeing an ende in Christe the lambe wythout all spoâ—e and blemishe did ordeine this godly sacrament for the remembraunce of hym selfe to the worlde folowinge and that hys death myght be shewed and published vnto the worldes and like as in the passouer was cotinually mencioned and declared to the posteritie foloweinge the benifite of God in the deliueraunce from Egipt And as that ceremonie the eateinge of the lambe was called the passouer and he hym selfe called the lambe of god so like wise calleth he thys hight misterie and sacrament hys bodie and a newe testament in hys bloude That as truely as the Israelites were deliuered forth of Egipte the angel passing by not hurting the people of that house the dore posts wherof were sprinkled wyth the bloude of that lambe so verily shoulde Christe delyuer vs out of the Egipt of sinne and perfourme the thynge before figured For thys cause saieth Iohn beholde the lambe of God whych taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde And Christe sayeth Thys is my bodye whyche is gyuen for you And thys cup is the newe testament in my bloude whiche is shede for you By the which wordes it maye appeare that Christe dyd meane no chaunge of natures or traunssubstancion but onely that where the bloude of the lambe in the olde testament was sprenkled on the postes to saue frome the aduengeinge angell so many as shoulde be saued so lykewise thys bloude of Christ in the newe testament should be shede to saue vs so mani as haue our soules sprink led wyth the bloude of thys lambe Christe Iesâ— Therfore in lyke maner as the fathers of the olde lawe dranke of the spirituall ston that folowed them â–ª whiche was Christe euen so are we all commaunded to drinke of thys bloude none other wyse then the chyldren of Israell were commaunded that the bloude of the lambe shoulde be theire token in all the houses wher they were Ther was 〈◊〉 man so mad to saye that these wordes this cup is â—he newe testameÌ„t in my bloud dyd chaunge the substaunce of the cup into the newe testament And yet are thei christes owne wordes who can not lye If you therfore be driuen to your â–ª gloses tropes and figures in the wordes spoken of thys sacrament why should we be coÌ„demned to death because we can not vnderstande youre carnal gloses â–ª You must neades haue one glose to declare what is meÌ„t by the cup. Whether the wiâ—e the bloude or the cup it selfe either else a signe and sacrament of the newe testament or a performeinge of the same in the bloude of Christe as Luke teacheth you to speake and as Mathew and Marcke boeth do wittnesse This is my bloud of the newe testament whyche is shed for many to the remission of their sinnes Thus were the Apostles nothinge curiouse in wordes as they ought to haue bene if the wordes had made the cup or the wine God chaunging the substaunce therof so sone as they hadâ—â—eâ— spoken Thus you
haueinge but one texte thorough out al the Bible that maketh for your purpose do swareue frome that and put ther vnto your gloses whyche do also driue you frome the firste texte this is my bodye when you write that it is in fourme of bread and vnder the accidentes and qualites of breade For Christe dyd not saye in thys is my bodie or vnder this is mi bodie But this is my bodie Wherfore nowe 〈◊〉 â—…e you shoulde slaunder vs no more wyth denieing of the scripture for we denie but your gloses It is scripture that we striue for It is scripture that we desier It is scripture that you denie vs vnder the degre of geÌ„tile men Wherein doublesse if we boeth had our senâ—… diligently occupied and exâ—…sed spiritually â–ª nâ— doubte not onely thys text but al the misterie of redempcion shoulde be so well knowne that we woulde no longer seke our redemer vpon eâ—…er here nor ther but onely at the right hande of hys father from whâ—â—e sendeingâ— his spirite he maxe saue vs at the fâ—ll so many as by hym wyll go to God We do beleue wyth oure herte and must playnely and simplye coÌ„fesse with oure mouth that thys is the bodie of Christ thys is the bloude of Christ thys cup is the newe testament that the fleshe of Christe is verie meaâ—e and hys bloude verie drinke That Christ is the waye the trueth and the liâ—… the doâ—e the good shepeherde Christe is the verie true vine and we the braunchese That all we are one breade and one verie bodie so mani as be partakers of one breade And al these thynges I do beleue more surely then if I dyd se them wyth mine eyes or perceiue them with any other sense â—ecause the knowledge of the spirite farre passeth all other knowledge and the heauenly thynges are sure when the other are but decâ—euable shadowes It is neither Manna that fed the fathers neither any other thinge or name vnder heauen but onely the breade comminge downe from heauen that is the verie true meaâ—e geueinge lyfe to the worlde Thus are we fully taught in the text of Iohn where we maye most playnely se this spâ—…ual eatinge whereof onely all confort lyfe and fode of the soule do arise and stowe forth In that Chap we learne that the people folowinge Christ for the hope of meate because he had fed them a little before were by him called according to the whole course of the scriptures as maye appeare specially to hym that hath bene diligently exercised in the misteries of the prophetes from the sensible and outwarde bodily thynges to thynges inwarde and spirituall For the beautie of thys kinges daughter as Dauid saieth is inwarde And therefore doeth our sauiour admonishe them that sought hym for meate that before all thynges they shoulde worcke the meate that neuer perisheth Thus goeth he frome the meate that nourisheth the bodie vnto the meate of hys heauenly worde that nourisheth the soule This meate he calleth the heauenly meate that geueth lyfe vnto the worlde and that so abundantly that who so eateth it shall neuer be hungri agayne Thys meate as the maner of the Hebrues is to call all kinde of meate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so doothe he same tyme call it breade 〈◊〉 meate When they hearinge thys dyd imagine bodily meate as Manna that Moses gaue he openeth thys meate sayinge I am the breade of lyfe He that cometh to â—â—e shall not be hungrie and he that beleueth in me shall neuer be thirstie By the whyche wordes he meaueth none other thynge but that those that come vnto hym that is to saye beleue in hym for so are the wordes folowinge they can none other wayes be wrasted Qui veuit ad me non esuriet et qui credit in me non sitiet vnquam They shall seke none other foode but onely thys verie breade that cometh downe from heauen The Iewes astonied that he called hym selfe the breade comming downe from heauen and the liuely meate sayed Is not thys the sonne of Ioseph But Christe admonished them againe byddinge them not grudge at thys for it standeth not in the capacite of man but by the inspiracion of the spirite as the prophet saied They shalbe al taught of God Wherfore it is not possible for any maÌ„ to beleue that Christe was borne from heauen the meate of the soule excepte the father drawe hym Then goeth he farther to shewe howe he is the meate of the soule and howe he shoulde be eaten For the firste he saieth thus Verilie I saie vnto you He that beleueth in me hath euerlasting life I am the breade of life whiche came downe from heauen that men might eate of thys breade and not dye But to tell the wattier plaine Thys breade that I wyll geue you is my fleshe which I wyll geue for the lyfe of the worlde Thys offeringe of my selfe for you shall reconcile the worlde vnto my father and therby geue it life This therfore is it that I haue spoken so longe vnto you whan I shal be offerred vp for the worlde and dye for the sinnes therof than shall I be the meate of soules wherby they liue ascerteined of the mercie of God who nowe can denie nothinge vnto man seinge he hath geuen his owne sonne for him Thus therfore is my fleshe the meate of the soule beinge flaine for the deade that thei might liue Not as you thinke geueing it vnto you as I am counersant amonge you for that whyche is engendred of the fleshe is fleshe and therfore my fleshe carnally eaten can bring furth nothing but fleshe but contrariewise the fleshe of Christe â—…ge for vs maketh vs spirituaâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therfore the childreÌ„â—… of God On thys sorte it is verie meaâ—e and verie drinke But the Iewes coulde not perceiue thys but sayed againe Howe can he geue vs his flesh to eateâ— vnto 〈◊〉 Christ sayeth againe excepte 〈◊〉 the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke his bloude you shal noâ— haue lyfe in you What Lorde hath no man lyfe but that denoureth the wyâ—h hys teâ—h and swaloweth the downe hys throte Or hath euerie suche euerlastynge lyfe as doeth eate the carnally and bodâ—â—e euen the same bodie wherein thou liuedest wheÌ„ thou saidest He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude hath euerlastinge lyfe and I wil raise him at the laste daye Naye surely For than euerie Idolatour and whorâ—â—onger who can haue no parte in thy kingdome myght make them selfe sure of life by their owne worcke For they saye they eate the carnally and bodily fleshe bloude and bones But o men ouer muche carnall and fleshlye and yet not once vnderstaÌ„dinge what should folowe of the coÌ„mone iudgment of the senses Bâ—t as Iudas propâ—ecied vpon you euê in suche thinges as you haue the knowledge of by the course of nature commune wyth brute beastes in the same you are corrupted Ipraie you therfore suffer me to reasoÌ„e with you accordeinge to your
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
erthly God that coulde not erre â—…deceiued yea offerring his shoes to be kiâ—… kinges and Emperours Thus I saye thys Romeish church changed frome pouertie to pride creepeinge vp like the Iuie by the rootes of the great trees be gan to ouer renne and subdue kingedoÌ„es and empieres yea to put downe kinges and Emperours For the mainteners of this diuellishe life and doctrine they had taÌ„ken such awaie and order that if we take theym and their adherentes that is to saye all theyr sworne doctours anointed byshoppes and shauen priestes for the true church we muste neades by theyr learning lyuinge and all their workes coÌ„demne Christ and his membres The true churche remayneth still pore persecuted and sore oppressed all the time of their tyrannie whiche coulde neuer beriefe Christe of hys witnesses for in al times and ages ther haue ben faitheful witnesses of the truthe though their names and doctrine haue alwaies bene obscured and sclaundered by these papistes who were allwaies bothe the Iudges and accusers the scribes and reporters of their doeynges This churche as it was alwaie ruled by the spirite of Christe so did it vnderstande the scripture spiritually by the spirite of god and worship him in spirite and truthe Like as amonge the fathers of the old testameÌ„t the ambitiouse scribes and phariseis and the fleashly minded bothe priestes and people did knowe non other holmesse by the circumcision of the fleshe and the bodily sacrifices where contrary wife Moyses and Dauid and the little chosen flocke led bi thâ— spirite of god did knowe circumcision of the fleashe to be nothingâ— wythout the circumcision of the hert and the sacrifices to be but shadowes of our Christe vpon whom all waies they did feade and sâ—tt their delyght knowyng him to be the vnspoted lambe and red heyfer offred for the finnes of the people euen so the hole popeyshe churche cleane coÌ„trarie to the doctrine of the spirite hathe fol lowed fleashely Imaginations of their own brayne in all their doctrine and sete up their own workes and sacrisices to take awai sinnes as did the old phariseis wherby it commethe to passe that al Idolatrie iâ—… stablished their own doctours and decres stroÌ„gly mainteined and the word of god â—…alli regarded The pore shepe of Christe fisshers and shepherdes plowemen and all vnder the degre of gentilmen are by your decrees banished froÌ„ the swete pastours and fode of theyâ— soules And yf it chaunce any of theÌ„ to break in to the pleasaunt bankes of Christe his doe trin and fead on the hilles of saluatioÌ„ the popysh bishops can smel hym xl myles froÌ„ theÌ„ and then shall the innocent lambe be burned and suffer death for the reding of this word for the whiche Christe his shepeherde and heade died for the establisheynge therof by the shâ—adynge of hys herte bloude Iudge nowe who is the true churche for Christe did not cheuse the wise nor the men of powre nor many menne of noble birth But the eternall wisdome of god chose that whiche was foleishe before the worlde that he might shame the wise And those that are weake in the worlde did he cheuse to shame the mighty and stroÌ„g powrs And those that are vile and dispised and of no reputacion ⧠The vtteringe of the popeyshe Sophismes BVt to returne to your wordes and to coÌ„sider how you of this popeish churche wolde captiue our wittes aboute this sacrameÌ„t thus you say and writ Ther is in the sacrament of the aulter non other substaunce but the substaunce of the bodie and bloude of our sauiour Christ and yet remaynethe the forme and accidentes of breade and wyne not altered by this miracle from knowelege of the senses wherewithe they were before knowne and also by god his sufferaunce subiectes to the passibilitie that they were in before Oh when will you waxâ— ashamed The mouse may eate yt as you say your selfe 〈◊〉 yet it must be the self same substaâ—nce of the body of Christ wer it not for shame to bable longe in this matter I wolde bringe in the scriptures that proue all them to haue euerlastinge lyfe that eate his fleshe and drincke his bloud But go to I wil stope your monthe withe your owne madnes Pope Victor the thyrd was poysoned in this sacrament and yet must it be the bodie of Christ which can bringe nothinge but helthe and life The Emperour HeÌ„ry the seuenth was poysoned by a Dominik frier named Barnardinus de monte policiano in receyuinge the sacrameÌ„t and yet may it be non other substaunce but the bodie and bloâ—de of our sauiour Christe God and man wher yf he had ben man they had poysoned hym firste but yf he had bene God he woulde first haue espied theyr poyson by cause he can not be deceyued and bycause he can not deceyue he would not haue poisoned the Emperour who mistrustid no thinge But let them passe they be the learnynge and practises of your churche You goo on still with the same Sophistrie of the forme and accidentes of bread and wyne Alwaye synginge one songe that with often rehersall you maye bringe it into credence If you preache this forme these accidentes 〈◊〉 this passibilitie to the pore people they may wel wonder at your high learnyng but thei can knowe litle what you meane These thinges I haue somwhat touchide and shall dâ— more here after You say that these accideÌ„tes are not altered vnto the senses but are subiect to the same passibilitie I pray you what sophistrie hath taught you that accidentes are become subiectes of passibilitie If euer you learned Logike or philosophi you know that the subiect to passibilitie must neades bee a substauÌ„ce Wherfor seyng you wil haue such passibilitie suche chaunges both corruptioÌ„ of the cake and generation oâ— anewe bodie you must coÌ„fesse some other substaÌ„ce in thes chauÌ„ges that sustaynethe the accidentes after the chaÌ„ge for the infallible rule of Logike is this Ther is no accident without his subiect periculiar substance And coÌ„sequeÌ„tly if you wil wade in these dark termes of sophistrie â–ª you shalbe coÌ„pelled to graunt an other substance which sustayneth the accideÌ„tes bysides the bodie and bloude of Christ And seyng that Godhath created none other substaÌ„ce which hath these peculiar qualities that we feele smel se and tast stil to remain but onli bread and wyne we must nedes by the properties bi god onli attributed to these creatures conclud against you that here be the two substaÌ„tes and creatures of breade and wyne vnto whome God did in theyr creation attribute and gyue these qualities these accidentes these selfe same properties the selfe same forme and shape that we se doth stil remayne vuchainged vnder your fingers and in your mouthes As for your holi entralies I know not what passibilitie thei suffer there In this place of your booke I muste pas ouer with scilence certayne of your wordes as are these The creatour of al
is broken eaten and mouldeth And what so euer goeth into the mouth sayeth Christe the same goeth into the bealie and so is conueighed farder So that this whiche you teach of the reall carnall and bodilie presence of Christe may well be called deuellish sophistrie For seyng that al lies are of the deuell as the father and authoure of them these lienge blasphemies must neades be of him and verie dyuellesh sophismes to set forth his kyngdome of darkenesse The spirite of God and the spiritual doctrine of the holie goste can not dwell yn you bycause you be fleashe The spiritual eating of the bodie of Christ by fayeth How Christ who sitteth nowe at the ryght hand of his father and hath by his death and passion payed sufficient raunsome for all our sinnes hath pacified the wrath of his â—ather by the takynge our synnes on his backe hathe gotten vs life by hys death and whâ—â— so euer benefit we haue receyued by the deth of our sauioure Christe thys wyl you neuer teache and preache vnto vs in the ministring of the Sacramente and in your Pope holie Masse but you teache vs to gase and galpe at a thinge we knowe not whiche you saye is in your chalice and is holden vp betwexte your fingersto be worshiped with all godly honour vnder the forme of bread vnder outwarde accidentes qualities and dimensions And thus doe you bliude vs with your sophistrie termes that we can not perceyue what you meane But yf you woulde answere simpliciter as you are wonte to laye to our charge either that this sacrament is Christ God and man or that it is not Christ him selfe really carnally and naturalli then shuld this strife be sonâ—at an end But seyng that it shalbe Christe God and man bodilie present whan you will name it so and qualities accidentes and dimensions when you wil haue it so surely we can not but of force call you sophisters Agayne when Christe must be in the forme of bread and vnder the forme of breade I can not tell what scripture you haue for you you go frome your shâ—… â—nchor this is my bodie and other handfast I can se you take noâ—e Then procede you wyth your sophistrie and therby charge vs wyth the thinges in thys wyse i. First you saye that we woulde haue all in out warde miracle ii TheÌ„ that if accideÌ„tes were made impâ—ssible the deuell woulde require that mans bodie shoulde be impâ—ssible iii. Thirdly that the senses maye not empayre oure fayeth For the fyrste we answere that we do reâ—…ier no miracle other wise theÌ„ whaÌ„ we saâ—… that Christe is the lambe of God But you would haue suche a miracle dayely wrought is Christ neuer did vpon the erth euen such â—ne as 〈◊〉 her scripture testifieth nor any coÌ„mon sense wit nor reason should perceiue A miracle good for nothinge but to maintaine your powre A miracle that no maÌ„ caÌ„ espie but priestes and such as geue eares to pophish liâ—… A miracle muche more blinde then Magipharaonis for theirs dyd at the lestway sâ— appeare as they enchaunted it to be Secondly that mans bodie shoulde be impassible â–ª you ar the first that named it Wherfore if it be of the deuel as I thinke no lesse take it to your selfe for it is your own terme 〈…〉 â—â—l the seÌ„sâ—â— and reasoÌ„â— to do seruice and beare witnesse vnto our faieth iâ— like maner as the Apostles do witnesse the thinges that they sawe with their eies harde with their eares and haÌ„dled with their haÌ„dâ— We aske no forder signe nor miracle but those that Christ hath wrought alredie But you must haue â—…ie new miracles to streÌ„gtheÌ„ your faieth coÌ„tinualli â–ª makeing this cake of yours Christe boeth God and man And besides this which is more like madnesse theÌ„ miracle eueâ—… whoremoungar drâ—…ckarde and Idiâ—… shal haue a God of his owne making so sone as he hath â—…nbled â–ª vp iiii latine wordes And that the diuell maie playe his pagiaâ—t among the childreÌ„ of darcknesse he helpeth you forth with manie pretie miracles both by the appearauÌ„ce of the dede and other waies as your lieing bokes do testifie Thus maie you worthily be called Gens incredula que signum querit et signum non dabitur ei nisi signum Ione prophete You haue the sygne of Ionas the prophet that is to saye of Christe lieinge in the erth and riseing again Yet this wil not serue you onlesse you haue him impanate and bodilie carnallye reallie by a wonderful miracle in an hundred thousaÌ„d places at once Whether of vs twaine is nowe more like the capparnites You that wil eate christ flesh bloud and bones as they required and maye not abyd that we should â—eke in this supper onely the breade that did come downe from heauen as Christe taught or we that haue abundantly found this bread into life euerlasting and do coÌ„â—…esse with Peter that the wordes of Christ are lâ—fe euerlastinge and not the â—…heli eate inge of his bodie â–ª We belieue Mosses and the prophetes for they haue geuen clare testimonies of thys that I do writte in that thei teach one Messias and sauiour of the world â–ª We belieue also that which Paule doth saie of theym all that all the fathers were vnder the cloude Thei were'al Baptised in the sea they dyd all eate of one spirituall meate and drinke one spiritual drinke for thei dranke of the spirttual stone whiche folowed them the stone was Christe We do beleue al thinges that are written tuen froÌ„ the fyrst begining of Genesis to the last word of the reuelasions But as you say we can not beliue your newe miracles nor the appeareing of the dead No nor yet you bishopes pristes nor any of your doctoures forther then you bringe the word of God in your inouthes So long wil we saie Ane vnto you and receiue you most willing lie For our faieth hath hir onely ground vpon heare inge not of euerie fable but onelie the worde of God Nowe bishopes coÌ„sider that if you wil haue vs hear ani doctrin that is not grouÌ„ded on the scripture as your doctours youâ— dreames and visions you cause vs to sinne For that which is not of faith is sin Againe without fayeth it is impossible to please god and as faâ—e impossible is it to haue faith and to beleue the doctours For they are one coÌ„trari to an other so that no fayth can be grounded vpon theÌ„ Yea they theÌ„ selues woulde not be belieued father theÌ„ they bring the scripture for them Their owne coÌ„fession therfore and the coÌ„trarietie that is in them declareth them to be fleshe and we were accursed if we should make fleshe oure arme and settle our faith vpoÌ„ maÌ„s wordes for euery maÌ„ is a lia◠¶ Of the wordes and the meaneinge wherin the meaneinge of Christe is declared at large by the manifolde circumstances and certaine other thinges towcheing the occasion offered AN other point of the diuelles
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
bodie sayeth Paul so many as be partakers of one breade Why then shoulde we call it fode Yea marie saye you For there is a greate errour spred a brode about the sacramentes that ther remayneth breade after the consecracioÌ„ And the heretykes saye that they wyll speake playne as Paul doeth â–ª But can you teach these heretikes to speake better speake they not well when they speake as paul the apostle dyd Yea Paul is hard and can not be vnderstande Oh it is a woÌ„derful harde thynge for a plowe man to vnderstaÌ„de what bread is Thus would you capâ—tue our wyttes to take Christe and hys Apostles as blinde guides leadynge vs wronge by theyr darke termes but your doctours and you bishopes do teache all so playnly that vnto you onely we must herken and leâ—e the other goe with al theyr bokes and wrytinges paynes and burnynge But I praye you haue these heretykes no more to allege for theyr purpose but Paule Yes truly they haue the playne wordes of Christ for them also or els we woulde condemne them to gether with theyr man Paule and driue them out of all credite by the autorite of our doctours But Christ after he had consecrated and blessed thys breade and thys wine as you say he calleth it styl bread and the frutes of the vine But truly Christ and Paul speake darkely and woulde not haue vs vnderstand them Harken therfore to our doctours and you shal learne the mattier substauncially Thus ren you about the bush to kepe vs in captiuitie Thys is babiloâ—â—â—al bondage and captiuite of conscience Frome the whyche we beseche the allmyghtye and euerlyuyng God to delyuer his lyttle floâ—… But what shal we now doe you cal them heritikes which bring your doctours for theÌ„ as playnly as you haue theÌ„ for your purpose as appeareth by Fryth whom you haue not yet confuted but with your lawes and authoritie put him to silence and than with one worde you call him an herityke and saye he defameth the doctours This is an eaâ—y way to answer And thus might a man make answer to your boke spedilie saying at one worde that it is crafty sophistre As for EcolaÌ„padiâ—s a man of singular learning vertu sobrenesse whom you â—o ligtly regarde and despise You bishope Stephane and al your felowes coÌ„terfayte bishopes compared to such a notable clerke are but shadowes and your learnyng and eloquence but coÌ„terfaits to hys How excellent was he in the Hebrue Greke and laten tonge how wel learned in all scienses How deape a serchear of the misteries of the prophetes and other scriptures How learned faithfull traÌ„slatour of your owne doctors This shal his workes declare and witnes with me vnto the worldes ende do what you caÌ„ to destroy theÌ„ that you may triumph alone like a cradeÌ„ cocke on his owne â—…ghil Thinke you that if Ecolampadius were a liue heard such a foleishe seÌ„tence of â—our writing as here foloweth that he had not rather be dispraysed theÌ„ praysed of suche a foÌ„de braine your words be these wythout any addicion This is in dede coÌ„uenieÌ„t that Christ in his bodi liuing shuld be a figure signe memori of his bodie dead vpoÌ„ y e crose for vs christ in the sacrament of the aulter to be a fygure ofhys misticall bodye the churche Who techeth you to speke thus foÌ„dely but your dotyug doctours Is christ in his bodie liuing a figure signe memorie of his bodie dead on the crosse wher lerne you this thing in the scriptures No forsoeth TheÌ„ nede we not to beleue your lies Had this be a likely tale for Christ to haue told his disciples wheÌ„ he did site at the table in his liuing bodie and did gyue theÌ„ in the figure of his liuing bodi which was theÌ„ redie to depart froÌ„ them this creature bread which could not moue because it had no life At that time his bodie was not glorified nor changed froÌ„ the coÌ„dicion of our natural bodie to be infinite without chaung of time or place how so euer you haue chaunged it seÌ„ce that time It was theÌ„ a liuing bodi no figure or signe of a bodie Neither hade it be possible to haue perswaded the Apostels thys preposition of yours to be true â–ª If you had sayed the coÌ„trarie that the deade bodie had ben the figure signe or memorye of the lyuing bodye some symple soule that knoweth not what a figure signe or memori meaneth myght haue bene deceyued bi your subtiltie â–ª But to go nere you You know that these wordes figure sygne memorie must be referred and applied vnto other thynges theÌ„ theyr owne selues and are therfore in learnynge called relatyues bicause they can not be fully knowne but onely by such thynges as are by theÌ„ figured signified and brouggt into memori And can you shewe me any thinge in the worlde either spirituall or worldly that is boeth the figur and the thing figured the signe and the thinge signified the memorie of a thinge done and the selfe same thing by the memorie repeated Yea it is a strong argument by all the learnynge that euer I heard to reasone a relatiue oppositis So that one and the selfe same thyngecan by no meanes in regarde and respect of it selfe in the same effectes as you speake afterwarde be boeth the relatiue and correlatyue the figure and the thynge figured the signe and the thynge signified more then the ale pâ—le or yuie bushe can be the ale or wyne therby represented or circumcision the couenaunt and the brasen serpent Christ Nowe in the seconde sentence where you saye that Christ is the figure of his misticall bodie what reasone is in it For scripture haue yee none Whoe euer harde before that the heade polyticke spyrituall or bodyly shoulde be named the figure of the bodie wherof it is the head Is the Kinges maiestie figure of Englande Is or can the husbaÌ„d be the figure of his wyfe Oh fond and deceiuable sophistrie confoundeyng all thynges together But marke the spirituall doctryne christen reader thou shalt be taught that it is the bread that is both Christis bodi and ours in figure and that for ij purposes wythout chaunge of either of our substaÌ„ces First for that in Christ it representeth hym to be the general fode of al soules and right so in vs the manifolde meÌ„bres vnited and knyte vnto the same our heade Thus is it truly sayed of Christ This is my bodie and of vs we are one breade and one bodie so many as are partakers of one bread Thys same verbe substaÌ„tiue Sumus we are maketh no chaung in our selues Wherfore then shal we imagyne it to haue such an enchaunteynge power ouer Christe God and man In the opinion of the Arrians maie be perceiued somewhat if yours for that you are so busie with the prouerbe Malum bene coÌ„dituÌ„ ne moueas an olde errour As for luther though he were the little Dauid that
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