Christianly sayth Tertullian agaynst Marcion Posse deum nthil aliud est quam uelle econtrario Non posse idem esse in deo quod nolle it is thoffice of à Christiane to know what god can do by the word of god and not to be curious to sarche what his absolute pore is He could saue the damnyd soules in hell But he will not it were agaynst his word Non remittetur in hoâ— seculo neque in futuro He could haue sauyd Adame and all his posteryte other wyce then by the death of his only sonne For August sayth lib. 4. de Trinitate Mors Christi non fuitnecessitatis sed sue uoluntatis potestatis But he wold not By the cruâ—ltie of his death he would haue us to know how horrible athing sinne is before the face of god and there by teache us to be ware how we fall into his displeasure but we be trunkes and in maner insensible nothing mouith us to uertew He is more curiouse then wisse to sar che to know the thing that appertaynith not unto hym to know It is the next way not only to bring aman out of the fauoure of god but also out of his witt for he that sarchith to know aboue the reche of à mortall man shal be coÌ„fundid with immortall glorie of god Let no Christiane hart therefore troble it selfe with this question what god can do But lik à diligent scoler lern his lesson in the scripture what he is bound to do For the scripture was wroten to lede us unto god and unto repentaynceofyle It was wroten to teach us god and all godlynis and not to moue souch questions as ingendrithe nor fayth nor uerteue but contencion and discord and wordes with out end It was wroten to be iudge of all mennes doctrine and to saue those that Christ redemid with his precious bludd from all heresis and false opinions therin is conteynid all treuith and uerite And better was it with the church â—f god when it was only tawght and instructyd by it then aster that ony mannes decres were browght into the church Mannis wysdome yeuith as mouch light unto the worde of god as alitle can dell yeuith unto the bryght sonne in the mydde daye Yet condemne Inot the holy fathers that hath wroteso mouche in the defense of Christes Religion But yeue god thankes that he had souche organnes upon therth that would rather dye then to see the name of god and his holy word to be contemnid of the worold And à no table thing is it to mark the godly fathers in there workes wher as in the defense of the truth they à lege not only the scripture But also the testimony and Example of the primatiue church Not to stablyshe there fayth because it was so usid of antiquite But because they sawe there elders use the worde of god in the same senses that they dyd As Epiphanius wrytithe of one peter bishope of Alexandriae whom the Tyrannt Maximinus put to death in this peters tyme there was one Meletius that so wid à false doctrine and sayd that euery sinne committid was irremisseble As the nouacians and catharence say this doctrine so preuaylid that the greater part of the people in Aegypt and Syria belyuid it Peter resistit not only by the scripture But also that the disciples of the Aposteles condemnyd this doctrine for an heresie the lik may ye rede inthistorie of Ioan the Apostele apud Euseb li. 3. pag. 60. As Christ is trew and his word trew so hath there byn allwayes in the churche souch as hath folowyd the trewyth and in that they haue wroten trewly we ar greatly edified To se that they and we agre in one fayth and undrestond the scripture alike and use the sacramentes as they dyd according to institucion of Christ if ony error be in there wrytinges we may leaue it by thauctorite of the scripture and offend nothing at all they wrot not to be iudges if the scripture but to be iudgid by the scripture Were it not to satisfie the weake conscience of those that yet be ignorant of the truith I would not in this mater of the sacrament reherse the mynd of one doctor because we may so fully and playnely know by thonly scripture what the supper is and how it shuld be usid and think that souche as hath wroten of late dayes to be the first autors of this doctrine that the holy supper of the lord shuld be acommunion and no priuat masse or receauing of the sacrament by one man no thowgh danger of death seme to require the same If souch as be sycke will neades receaue the sacrament let them receaue it as Christ hath institutyd it with souch other as shalbe present at the declaracion of his fayth But alon noman may receaue it thowgh his fayth be nouer so good and the minister neuer so godly How be it boothe the scripture and lik wyce the law ciâ—ile dooth rather improue thact then alowe the doing of it In this supper we shuld folow Christ and the Aposteles there doingâ—s was absolute and perfeyth Noman for a good intencion befide the worde of god shuld add ony thing to the doing of this supper Or tak ony thing from it we reade not that they celebratyd the supper in ony priuat house for ony sick person The wordes of Iames seme to defend this religion cap. 5. infirmatur aliquis inter uos Accersat presbyteros ecclesiae orent super eum c. Vnto thâ—se syâ—ke people that he speaky the of he would like wyce haue commaundyd the bread of the holy supper to haue byn browght had it byn the maner in the Apostoles tyme Saynct paule with many wordes declarith that this supper when so euer it be celebratyd shuld be don with solemnyte in the churche Cum conuenitis in ecclesia in quit Audio dissidia esse c. Agayne Igitur cum conâ—enitis in eundem locum non licet do minicam coenam edere 3. Num sane domos habetis ad edendum biben dum 4. Itaque fratres cum conuenitis ad edendum alius aliud expectet quod si quis esurit domi edat It shall not be preiudicial nor nothing derogat thonor of the blessid sacrament thowgh it neuer be celebratyd in à priuate house nor he that absteynith from the receauing of hit out of the congregacion nothing the warse Christiane man intyme past it was sufficient for the people to celebrat openly this holy supper and was not usid to be browght unto the sicke Iustinianus imperator Conâ—stitu 57â— unto tharche bishope of CoÌ„stantinople Mâ—me hathe these wordes Etiam prisciâ—â—ancitum est legitur Nulli penitus esse licentiam domi quae sacratissima sunt agere sed publice c. and in the same place Omnibus interdicimus magnae huius ciuitatis habitatoribus magis autem totius nostre ditionis in domibus suis habere quasdam quasi orationum domus
iugmeÌ„t or to complayne that the spouse is taken away from us For as the say they haue hym suere inough in the pyx and will haue till the woroldes end If it be trew I will say nomore Inde uenturus iâ—dicare â—iuos mortuos it nedithe not to be lyue that heshall cum from heauen to iudge the quycke and deade but to belyue that he shall cum out of the pyx that hangith at euÌ„y aulter now her inuisible and then shall be sensible But how can this lerning agrey with the scripture that sayth Videte palpate quia spiritus carnem ossa non habent quae me uidetis habere Luce 24. how doâ—th this lerning that sayth Christes body to be euery where agre with the wordes of thangelles Surrexit non esthic uenite uidete locum c. Mat. 28. Pauperes habâ—bitis uobiscum me non habebitis Vnderstond the wordes hoc est corpus meâ— without à trope and there shall folow souche conttadiction in the scripture as may not be admittyd better it is to undrestond one place by many then many shuld be made false by the mystaking of one They would agree these places with inuisibiliter modo celesti To say that Christes uere naturall body is here but insensible And dooth ocopy no plaâ—e althow it be as uery naturalle and trew abody as mannes body is except sinne and immortaliteâ— Sed hoc dicere facilius est quam do cere it is not sufficient to say but to proue that they say this argument cannot be denied in Aristoteles scole Corpus est finitum crgo est in locoâ— if Christ haue atrew body it must occopy place in the sacrameÌ„t it occopyyth no place theÌ„ it folowith it is not there Other probacion haue then none But only the sounde of these wordes Hoc est corpus meum the meaning of the wordes be agaynst them Aman may not take the letter with out the sense in amater of wayght Cicero thetnick so willith Semper autem in â—ide quid senseris non quid dixeâ— ris eogitandumâ— lib. offic Because we shuld neuer be troblyd with these gloses inuisible insensible and myraclousment He causid his immortall and glorifiâ—d fleâ— he to be senseble to chid and tried by the fingers of Thomas Ioan. 20. As for the wordes of Paule ad Ephes 4. Philippen 2. that seme to shew Christes body now glorified to ocopy no place I refer it to the iudgment and faith of the Christiane reader where Paule ment ony souch doctrine or not qui descendit idem ille est qui-etiam ascendit supra omnes coelos ut impleret omnia Thauctors of this doctrine dooth alâ—ige the text in Aâ— rong sense For the scripture in many other places dooth confesse Christ to be ascendyd Into heaueus Therfore it is uerylik that Paule would not set him out of heauen But rather by these wordes he ascendid aboue all heauynes be would amplyfy the inspeakable Ioy of those glories that his most precious body possessyth The which in therth was debasyd and abiectyd unto moost uile ignominie and contemptâ— so Paule declaritâ— these too coÌ„trariesâ— moost uile in therth mortaleâ— moost glorious in heauen immortall Illud asceÌ„dit quid est nisi eâ—iam quod descendat prius in infimas partes terrae Etaddit qui descenditidemille est qui acendit supra omnes coelos Paule dooth waye these too propositas and setteth one agaynst thother In infimas partes terrae descendere supra omnes coelos ascendere And he that will gather by these wordes of Paule souch an argument Christ ostendid aboue all heauens thereforuÌ„ he is in no place for out of heuean is no place Then maye likwyce gather of thother wordes this argumeÌ„t Christus in infimas partes terrae desceÌ„dit ergo nulnullum locum habuit in terra But Paule Christiane reader ment no souche subtil tes in this place is holy intencion was to declate booth his inspeakoble contempt that he had in this worold and also his moost glorious loy and honor that now the body hath in heauen and dooth interpretat himselfe ad Philip. 2. qua propter deus islum in summam extulit sublimitatem c. my faythis that his blessyd body is in heauen and dooth abid stille in heanen and not our of heauen Christ sayd Vbi ego sum ibl erit minister meus Erimus autem in coelis non extra coelos aut supra coelos extra omnemfci licetlocum 1. nulllbi Paule sayth Nostra connersatio in coelis est ex quo exspectamus saluatorem And doâ—he likwyce the same 2. Corint 5. this is à trâ—w fayth which I beliue And where as the call Chrystes body athyng celestial and Diuine trew it is immortall and delyueryd from all mortall qualites according to Paules wordes Ro. 6. Viuit Deo â—ultra non morietur What can be in ferryd herof the frute of the blessyd uirgine hath not lo ost his humanite but in heauen his body is as uery trew â—â—â—eshe an blud as it was hanging upon the crosse immortalle and yet uery man And so in this manhed sitty the at the right hand of god Seleuciani did deny that Christ in his fleshe dyd sit at the right hand of god but the Christianes belyue the scripture It is the nature of à coÌ„tencious arrogaunt and prode hart to take out of the scripture some souch propositioÌ„s assound for there purpose to defend a wrong opinioÌ„ thowghe the meaning make nothing at all of there partâ— And then they haue none other word in there mouth but the holy word of god the playne and manifest text the holy goost is the best oratour of all noman can speake more playne then he He hast he most apt and coÌ„uenient wordes to expresse his mind with all And when his wrong conceyuid opinion must be defendid he sâ—ttyth the wordes of the scripture in the ffore ffrount agaynst his coÌ„trary he clea uith fast unto the letter will admyt no interpretacion but as he pleasyth no collaction of places he caryth not whether it agree with other places so the worde sounde for his purpose Which hathe byn the destruction of many ffamous and excellent clerkes as Ishall repete the names of afew to scole the Christiane reader in the fere of god for it is not lerning nor wyt that preseruith the fayth of à Christiane man but godes singuler graces which must be dayly prayed for that by affection he embrasse none opinion what men so euer he is fanty sid un to But say with Dauid turris fortitudinis nomen dei Antropomorphitaeâ— Sayd that god that made man was lik unto martall man And tok occacion to Err by these wordes Genes 1. faciamus hominem in imagine nostra secundum similitudinem nostram and doules the wordes without atrope sound euen so but thexcellent diuines that knowith by the scripture what god is and what man ys will streyght way perceaue that there is â— tropoâ—e and
now with that synnes and yet lik unto men of no senses we fyle nether perceaue how nether when we ar woundyd nether care to syke a remedye of thys yle thowgh ryght well we knowe that euery syne that man committyth of iustyce deseruythe eternall damnation but these thyngz mouyth nothyng at all the man that is ignorant what the deuyll the worold and synne is he felyth nether what his dyseace is nether knowith the craufft malyce and deceyte of his Ennymy and by those meanes departithe not only from god but also from all honesty and fallith he knowith not how into souche detestable crymes and ignorancye of god that booth god the worold and there awne consciens baryth testimonye of there iniquite agaynst them these oure infyrmytes and great offensis we must lern to know and ons knowen diligently study to amend them and to remoue the causes of these yles then the effect is sone destroyde the way to remedy all thys yle and to leade an upright and honest lyffe is to know god by hys trew an holy word who ledyth a man unto uertew only and so lye as dauyd teachyth Psal 119. quo pacto adolescens uitam inculpatam aget nempe si eam custodiat ut dictat uerbum tuum qum autem te queram in toto corde meo ne sinas me errare à mandatis tuis who so euer conform his lief unto the word of god shalbe out of the danger of his ennymye the deuyll thowghe he be subiect unto thinfirmytes of the fleshe and must suffre the temptacyons ther of yet shall he not be ouer com but in chryst able to resyst yea and to be delyueryd from death synne and the deuyll as all godly men before oure tyme hathe don and lykwyce lefft behynd them in wrytyng how we may do the samÄ™ Saynct Paul that kew boothe the thowghtz of the deuyl 2. Corint 2. and also his apert and open malyceagaynst those churches that he had prechid the gospel of Chryst unto among other he teachyth the Church of the galathyans that the principall remedy agaynst synne is to belyue stedfastly the gospell of Chryst that he preachyd unto them and not to admyt ony false doctryne or other learnyng thowgh an angell from heauen shuld preache the contrarye Gal. 1. not to admyt ony false addycyon or dreame of man but be coÌ„tentyd to use the same as he lefft it Rebukyd wonderfully souche audacious persones as toke upon them to set oni glose or interpretacion other then he had preachyd unto them Thus tawght Moses the Chyldren of Israel and bid them obserue the law as it was yeuyn from god and threatenyd the transtrangressours and those that addyd unto the law the dyspleasure of godes yre whyche shuld cause all men to tremble and quak for fere as many tymes as the thynkyth readyth or hearyth readen ony part of the holy strypture because the reseaue it nat with more reuerence and honor with harty prayer that god wyll preserue them from all false sinister and preuerse interpretations therof and with all study and dylygens to folow and practyse waht so euer be commandyd them to do by godes word in godly and uerteues lyuyng for the law was not yeuen to be wroten in perschement or paper but in the hart of man not to bable and prate of it but to lyue as it byddyth not to bare it in the bosom but to shew it unto the worold in godly conuersacyon and uertues lief To mark al thyngz therin conteynid and to thinke uerely that all togather is spoken to the and that god requyryth that honesty and godlynys of lief in the that there is expressyd and would the to be ware how thow transgres hys law and to auoyd hys importable dyspleasure by texample of other for as god lettyd not to puuyshe the transgression of oure fore fathers he is the same god stylle and wyll do the lyke unto the if thow commit like offense Remembre that thorygynall of mannes mysery condemnacyon and death was fyrst wrowght by the false interpretacion of the scripture as thow mayst se by te horible and moost feare full example of adames wyckyd and detestable transgression whych made all hys posterite and succession prisoners eternally unto death hell and synne and compellyd by the same meanes the sonne of the ethernall god to sustayne thyncarnacyon of mortall fleshe to apeace thyre of god for mannes transgressyon that by the meanes and death of his moost innocent body he myght dâ—ryue in to himselfe thole dyspleasure and ucngence of mannes transgression were there no more strypture but that that descrybyth the falle of man and the meanes how he was loost it were sufficient to teach all the worold to be warâ— how to tak the word of god in awrong sense yâ— adame had byn contentyd to haue usyd the word of god as it was yeuen unto hym those myse rys had neuer be knowen neâ—her by hym nether by his postâ—ryte buâ— he wreacchyd man forgote god and god lynis yea and yke his awne wealthe lefte the text and belyuid the glose as the deuyll had tawght eue whych wrowghâ— his woo and payne and where as he would not for the loue of god belyue the text of godes mouth the paynes that â—olowid his transgression tawght hym to know that the glose was diabolycall â—hus being instructyd let us beware of gloses and false interpretations and in all maters of contrauersie and causes of religyon belyue noman except he speak the word of god trewly and in the same sence that god ment it for as paule saith wear ffoundyd upon the fundacion of the prophetes and the Apostoles the cheiffe corner stone being Christ Eph. 2. and let us not dout but only the scrypture is sufficienâ— to theache us all uerite and treuth consernyng rellygyon and to gouern our lief in all godly and honest conuersacion and by the scripture we may cum alone unto all perfection Confute all herâ—sis and false doctrine thowgh there had neuer doctor wroten ne neuer decre made by ony generall councell as paule teachyth 2. Timo. 3. 2. Pet. 1. therefore Christiane reader as thow hopist tobe sauid harken diligently unto the wor des of oure heneuly father and here them not only but undrestond them belyue them and do them his wordes be these Matt. 17. Hiâ— est filius meus dilectus in quo mâ—hi complacitum est ipsum auditâ—â— a few wordes but a great mater conteynid in them thonly saluacion of all oure healthe sufficient autoryte to ouer strow all false doctrine and all Idololatrye of the worold He that teachyth ony thing that Christ tawght not is not tobe harde souche as only hath there redempcion in thonly death of Christâ— wilbe lyue nothing but that Christ commaundith nor do ony work that cannot be aprouyd by the scripture He holdyth alwayes thys texct before his yâ—ys That the father shewyd unto the worold sayng this is my sonne in
whom I delyt and dooth also with reuerence and honor inbrace and receaue hys commanudement whych is ipsum audite hyre hym Now let us with the healpe of his holy spryt se whether Christ euer tawght thys doctrine that in the sacrament of his holy supper he ment ony alteracyon or transubstanciacion of the bread into hys uery naturall body and the wynne into his ueâ—y naturall blud as my lord of wynchester teachyth in hâ—s booke or not Or whether â—ith his gloriouse body was ascendyd into heauens heuen herth man and Angell baryng recod therof without cryes and admiracion Viri Galilâ—â—i quid admiramini aspicientes in coelum hic â—e sus qui assumptus est à uobis in coeluÌ„ c. Act. 1. Mark the maner of his uisible and corporall ascencyon and belyue the scripture thangellis an holy Apostoles yâ—ys that sawe hym body ly ascend and these wordes Sic ue niet c. better then this new massers whether it be possible that the seade of Abraam the â—rute an yssew of the bely of that gâ—oâ—yous uirgyne mary being in all thynges except synne as consubstancyall equall and like unto the nature of hismother and nothyng dysferyng from the sonne of Adame consernyng hys humanyte Ebre 2. as in hys godhed ys aegall and lyke in all thynges unto the father eternall that hath nether begynnyngner endyng Can be or may be agaynst the nature of atrew body Present bodely at the commanudement of euery pryst when he speakyth these wordes Hoc est corpus meum whych thyng is as possible tobe donne by aword as to make an end of the worold when he would for when so euer hys gloryons body shall descend from aboue thend is come act 1. Matth. 24. untill that day Christiane reder loke not for hyme but belyue thy crede and what so euer thow heryst spoken by those yle persones of the newe lernyng that it schuld be present corporallie in â—he masse whych is but à yesterdayes byrd trust thow to the hold lernyng of godes word Sedet ad dextram dei patris inde uenturus est iudicare uiuos mortuos Act. 1. 7. 1. Ioan. 2. belyue Chrystes body to be really and corporally in the sacrament when tho seist him there with thy corporall yeies and not before for Christ hath no body inuisible nor insensible as men dreame but auery trew and naturall mannys body like unto mortall man exceptsynne and now likewyce à glorifyed body immortall as oure shalbe in tyme tocum and as many places of the new tâ— stament prouyth Chrystes humanyte as prouyth hys deyte and more and as the word attributyth unto the one nature dyuine all qualites condicyons and propertyes appertayning unto the godhed so of thoâ—her part it more manisestith openyth and declaryth his humany â—e to be anature of other contrarye qualites and condycyons For a smouch as god dyffyrith from man so far dooth thone nature in Christ differ from thother and as I must belyue that these wordes betrewe in all thynges coÌ„sernyng the godhed of Christ deus erat uâ—rbum Lik unto god and uery god So must Ibelyue this uerbum caro factum est Ioan. 1. Christ to be in all thyngzlike unto man and uery trew man in all thynges except synne And as the scripture prouyth these too natures to be unit and knyt in one person and that god and man ne is but one Christ So prouyth it like wyce the qualytes of thone nature to be contrarie unto the qualites of the other nature thone mortall thother immortall thone tobe buryd in the sepulchre the other to resustytat the insensible and ded body 27. 29. Mar. 15. Lu 23. Ioan. 19. thone nature uisible to be taken aster xl dayes of his resurrexcyon from thearth into heauens Mark 16. Act. thother nature inuisible to contynew with his electis in â—e churche untill the woroldis end Matt. 28. he that kno with thus by the scripture that thone nature of Christ uery man is taken out of the worold And shall not be in the worold till the great day of iudgment Act. 3. Can not be persuadyd Contrary unto the word of god That the same body maybe naturrally and corporally under the forme of bread But will diligently incase the scripture seme by wordes to proue the same sarch how that place may be agreyd wy â—hother that manysestly repugnith the presens of Christes body And so agre them that no coÌ„traryete may be admittyd in the scripture for if one place be false there is none trew which were ablasphemy to say The prophete Dauid thus commendyth the scripture Psalm 19. Lex domini perfecta conuertens animas testimonium domini uerum imperitis sapiâ—ntiam suppeditaÌ„s Decreta domini recta sunt cor exhilarancia praeceptum domini repurgatum illuminans oculos Therefore there must be as good hede yâ—uento the meanyng of the wordes As unto the wordes or else they illuminat not the consciens but rather darken the coÌ„sciens and led it into all false doctrine and detestable heresis As we may se hyre in those wordes of the lordes supper Hoc est cotpus meum Matt. 26 leauyng Christes meanyng playne and constrayng the letter forsyng it to serue awyckyd purpose men would make the people belyue that these wordes consecratyd the bread into the naturalle body of Christ and tellyth the people that thowghe it repung neuer so mouch unto reson yet it repugnyth not unto fayth which belyuyth euery thyng agaynst reson Christ sayth they spak these wordes and made hys body of the breade and byd us do the same â—o these bethey wherwith all this alteracyon of bread is made the substannce therof turnyd into the substaynce of Christis body Hoc est corpus meum dispute not how belyue the words and leaue reson sai with the blessid uirgine Ecceancilla domini Luce 1. she held here selfe contentyd when she knew by the word of god that by diuine operacion of the holye goost she shuld be the moder of godes only sone she stayed hereselfe by fayth in the promese and committyd the meanes and doyng therof unto god so say they ye must hold captyue all your reson and thynk that god is able to do it belyue and it sufficyth Godis able to do all thynges as in dead he can and all these wordes be trew that they persuade the people withall if they were placyd aryght And applyed to proue à trew conclusion as they be alegyd to stablyshe afalse and detestable heresy god could haue yeuen manne wynges to flye as he gaue unto the byrdes of thayre if he would But he would not therefore he could not Quia omnia quecunque uoluit fâ—cit in coelo in terra And as for the literall senses of these wordes Hoc est corpus meum which they say must be undrestond with out ony trope or figure prouy the nothing Christ callid hymselfe adore Ioan. 10. auyne Ioan. 15. and yet was nether dore nor uyne except ye
stablyshe his opinion with all He saith that it is the Fyrst and Cheiffe poynt of sophistry to make euery man thynk of hymselfe farther then is in deade in hym These wordes may haue diuerse undrestonding and be referryd unto diuerse endes If ony man unlernyd or meanely lernid would say hewere as Able to interpretat the scripture to shew the art therof open the frase the rof declare the wryters intent and purpose And refer all the sentences ad Argumentes to the same purpose that thauctor meÌ„t them And say he can defend and â—en â—e the proposityon that the Prophet and EuaÌ„gelist with souch other places of the scripture as may serue to the purpose to coÌ„fute all thargumentes ofhis contrarie and say he is able by disputacion to warraunt boothe hym selfe and the mater he takythe in hand what so euer his contrary may obiect as well as à lernyd man exercise of â—oÌ„g tyme in the scripture it were not only the fyrstpoynâ— of Sophistrye But the â—yrst and Cheyffe poynt of folie I haue hard but of ffew men that laboryth with that uice But the unlernid glad to lern of hym that is lernyd if my lordmeÌ„t à redresse of souch an ille and tell the unler nyd that it is not possible to be as à good adyuine as Augustine as good An oratour as Demostenâ—s or as well know how to gouâ—rn the commune welt as Cicero my lordes wordes were trew How be it they meane an other thing to say he that is unlernid cannot know nor comprehend the trew use of the sacramentâ—s in Christes church and what they be as well as the lernid man and say it shalbe suffâ—cient for them to trust untoother mennes iudgmentes This opinion of my lordes is not trew As the commune lawes of eueuery Cytie must be knowen of euery man that wilbe à good Citicyne so must the commune lawes of Christes church be knowyn of euery one that wilbe à good Christiane It is not sufficient for à commune wealth thowghe he that pleadythe at the barr in westemynster haule know there is nor aught to be in ony Monarchy more then on kyng and all other to be subiectes But that the moost unlernid of the Realme must know the same or else he shuld be iud gid for à treatour to gyue souche honor as is dew only to the kyng unto an other person that is not king and is not god in the church as well to be knowen ffrom à saynct or sacrament of euery Christiane man as à kyng in his Realmeâ—yes doutles and as he that would make à subiect the kyng and so with toouth and nayle procleame hym to be kyng agaynst the hynges honor and agaynst all the lawes of his Realme ignorancie could not excuse this transgressour from Treason doutles Nome re shall these that procleame and fyght so sore for the God of Breade whych is à creature and no God be excusyd from â—dolatry the kyng of equite is bound to kyll the body of thes treatur and god can do nolesse of his iu stice then kyll booth body and soulle of this ydolater if he repent not And as noman is permittid to by or sell or to mak ony other coÌ„tractes in ony Realme for his commodite except in the doyng therof he obserue the law of the land nomore can noman use to bargayne or contract with god for his commoditâ— in te churche of Chrâ—stes except he obsâ—rue the lawes prescribid by god As in à commune wealth all men cannot be princes and go uerners nor all men lernid Yet for asmouche as the commune wealth is the societe an coniunction of the prince with all his subiectes be they of noble parentayge or of basse lynayge Lernid or unlernid it is nâ—cessary that as well the lowyst as the highest the unlernid as the lernid know how to lyue lyke à trew subiect and not to runne allwayes unto à man of lawe to aske whether it be lawfull to yeue the same honor unto the kynges subiect that is dewe only unto the kyng So the church of Christe ia not the assemblance of princes byshopes and lernid men only but of all kind and degrees of people in the worold and the moost inferiour person of te church he that lackyth his senses is bound to know what god and his sacrameÌ„tes be and the differeÌ„ce betwene the one and the other as well as the best byshope of the church for as the commune proclamacions of princes Conseruing ffaythe subiect on and obedience is not yeuing to one sort of his subiectes but unto all and singuler persones of his Realme so is the gospell of Chtist conserning the articles of oure ffayth and the use of sacramentes proclemid unto all the membres of Christ as well as unto one god sayd not unto Moses and Aron alone Ego dominus deus qui eduxi te de terra Egypti Et noÌ„ erâ—nt tibi dij alieni coraÌ„ facie mea Exo. 20. he would not Moses and Aron alon tobe ware of Idolatrie But all the church Not that they alone shuld know the word of god but to make all the church to know the word Conserning the sacrameÌ„tes euery man wos bound to know the use of them as well as Moses and to teache there chyldre to know what à sacrament was and how to use it Exod. 12. Gen. 17. What was the commaundement of Christ unto his Aposteles to teache the lernid to cum to heauen onâ—y No he sayd Facite mihi discipulos omnes gentes Mar. ult he that belyuithe and is baptiâ—id shalbe â—auid he that belyuith not shalbe damnyd How can he belyue well that knowith not god ffrom à sacrament à trew body of Christ ffrom the sacramente of his body Mark all the sermones of the prophetes and the Apostelles and they appertaynid unto all the churche and not unto one lernid man of the churche What lerning is this to say it is the deuilles sophistrie that à simple and unlernid man shuld not and is not bound to be ascertay ne and sure to know god ffrom an Idoll and Christes body ffrom à sacrament of his body as the best byshope of the worold Was not â—oseph and the blessid uirgine as well lernid troo ye in tharticles of therfaythe as Anna and Cayphas they had bynne well assurid incase they had led ther fayth after the iudgment of the holy churche of the Pharises and not knowen god and his sacramentes themselfes by the scripture But I will put the Christiane in mind of the ffyrst word of his crede Whiche is credo Isay I beliue in god whiche is asmouche to say as it profetith nothing me that Abraham Isaac and Iacob or that the Aposteles with other holy and lernid men belyue But I must be lyue the promeses of god and Imust lyue godly therafter Now poore wrecchyd man and coÌ„fortles person how canst thow belyue the thing thow knowist not thy conscience is à Iaques for euery deuillyshe byshopes decrees and as
persuacionem as Quintiliane dooth Now if we be persuadyd that the scripture is trew and that ffayth must be groundyd there upon we must belyue no alteracion of the bread but belyue that the bred remaynithe aâ—ter the wordes of confecracion as Paule â—aith 1. Cor. 11. the scripture saythe it is à memory of Christes bodye and not the body The scriptnre saythe of Christes body ascendit ad coelos sedet ad dexteram dei patris omnipoteÌ„tis inde uenturus iudicare uiuos mortuos Expedit ut ego uadaÌ„ pauperes semp habebitis uobiscum menoÌ„ semper habebitis Christes body is aboue and nowhere else this saythe faythe groundid upon the scripture And asfor that my lord comparyth souche as trustithe unto there senses and say there styll remanythe bread unto the ffoly of the Epicures that would beliue the sonne to be but too fote brode because it semyd no greater unto the Iye Verely if my lord would haue studid à hole iere he could not haue fouÌ„d amore apt and propre simâ—litude to condemne the wrong opinyon that he defendithe nether better haue accusyd his awne igno rancye The Epicures by reasone of the great distayunce betwen the zodiack and the erth could not iudge the sonne as bygg as it is in dede but folowyd there senses and sayd it was abyg as the knew These men that belyue alteracion of bread be not so far of the aulter but they may iudg what it is and how bygg it is the may tak the bread in there hand and wey it if the lyst take and proue all experience and warrant booth reason and sensesthat it is alitle peace of bread and noman Had the Epicures byn as Nere the sonne as the Aposteles were unto the hody of Christ at his departure out of this worold they would haue iudgid of the sonne other wyce but for asmouche as they iudgyd affter there senses they be more to be commendyd then those men that nether belyuythe the word of god nether reason nor there senses but plainly deny the thing theysee and say à peace of bread is god and man wher as is not at all one ynche of a man nor of mannys proporcion These men ar worthy to be persuadyd as he that seyth the snow whyt and yet wil not belyue it uerberibus as the scoles theachithe non ratione then hathe my lord an other mocpareson and would make godd the thyng that he purposith And saythe why be men more offendyd to belyue the body of Christ to be in the sacrameÌ„t more then wheÌ„ that god beyng immensus could be holy includyd in the uirginnesbely the wherfore is that the scripture coÌ„maundiâ—â— us to belyue the on and not the other Conceptus est de spiritu sancto natus ex Maria uirgine Matt. 12. Luc. 12. Men saw him in the worold and when he departid out of the worold Now my lord knowith right well that in Christ be too natures one diuine and the other humane And eche of them hathe his proper qualites God was holye in the bely and holye out of the bely man was holy in the bely and not out of the bely till the time of his byrthe then holy out of the bely and not within the bely So sayth Augustine fuit totus in uentre totus in cruce totus in inferno totus in sepulchro But this is the property of his godhed and not of his manhed that is in one place and neuer with out place the other in all places andyet in no place Dâ—us est totus in toto totus in qnalibet eius parte as the soule of man is And asfor the auctorite of loan Chrysost he prouith not my lordes purpose but disprouith for he saythe oculis intellectus perspiciamus there is noman but saith the body of Christe is present to the faythe of man how be it not carnally nather bodely receauid of him that receauithe the sacrament De modo presentiae est totum dissidium Chrysost declarith how he is present in sprit unto fayth and not in the body unto the Mouthe And godly spokeÌ„ of this doctor so sayd Ireneus before him that there is too thin ges in the sacrament one to the senses and the other to the sprit for if there were nothing representid unto the faythe by the sacramentes then were they no sacramentes but bare signes which noman saythe then accusi the my lord those that say it is the btead that muldy the and saythe the deuill hathe tawght men to say somwhat if it be not bread let some man tell us what it is that muldith it cannot be nothing he would make men helyue that nothing corruptithe by miracle this is à wounderfull miracle that is wrowght in nothing Here is thre thinges putrefactioÌ„ nothing And à miracle by the poure of god and yet all thre nothing after my lordes mind I deny ony miracle at all to be in the sacrament But euery thing wrowghthe by god accustomydly by â—ayth remission of sinne and augmeÌ„tacion of godes yefftes and the signes to remayne in there propere nature so dooth Augnstine deny ony miracle to be in the sacrament lib. de Trinit 3. cap. 10. It is innocentius 3. that would proue this wrong opinion of transubstanciacion by miracle in his booke de officio missae Then doothe my lord name 1500. Yers that the churche hath belyuid it If it be trew why dooth not he name thauctors that makyth godd his sayng all the scripture and old doctors be agaynst him The breaking of the bread hath byn usid in the churche this 1500. yeres and od but not in à priuate masse as it is at this day but unto all the churche Gregories time was ouer chargid with supersticion yet was the communion of booth kyndes usid then among the people And this manne died not for 1500. hundrithe yers sithe He was creatyd byshope of Rome 157. yers aster the dethe of August And died Anno 604. in the reigne of phocas themperour That first deâ—rede te church of Rome to be the hed of Grekys and Latinnes thowghe the churche of Constantinople neuer consentid there unto The name of the masse beganne then ffyrst tobe knowen among the people how be itâ— it was à communion and no priuate masse Souch as make Iames the Apoâ—â—elâ— and Basilius thauctors of this wyckid and deuillyshe priuat Masse Moost proue that they say by good auctorite Except the meane by the name of the masse the communion of the lordes supper It shuld seme by the canon of the masse That is at this day redyn which was wroten iâ— Gregories time that the masse was à communion for the pryst offryd the yeâ—â—tes of the people the bread ad wâ—nne unto god with thankes by these wordes Per Christum dominum nostrum per quem haec omnia domine semper bona creasâ— sanctificas uiuificas benedicis c. so callith Ireneus and Tertullian the bread of thankes yeuing the