but also by trew fayth and trew repentauÌ„ce and purpose of good lyuyng receyue hys holy 〈◊〉 ther with into theyr soules be made therby very lyuely membres of that thyng that the blssed sacrament signifyeth betokeneth y t is to wyt of the mystycall body of Cryst the chyrche and congregacyon of sayntes ¶ For as you haue herd by Theophilactê° before this blessed sacrameÌ„t is not onely the very flesh of Cryst but is also a figure And that is it in diuerse wyse as I shall ferther declare you in my boke agaynst Frithis answere to my pystle With whyche boke were hys onys come in prente whyche is allredy sent ouer to be 〈◊〉 ted I shall god wyllyng well make 〈◊〉 his englysshe bretherne se perceyue his foly y t lyst not wyllyngly to coÌ„tynue folys and wynke ¶ But as I was about to say they that receyue our lord by the sacrameÌ„t onely not by fayth purpose of amendemeÌ„t though they receyue hym yet they receyue hym not though they eate hym they eate hym not For though his blessed body be receyued in to theyr bodyes yet hys holy spirit is not receyued into theyr soules therfore he 〈◊〉 not in them nor they in hym but they eate drynke theyr iugemeÌ„t receyue hym to theyr dampnacyoÌ„ for that they receyue hym without faith dew reueuereÌ„ce therfore do not as saith sait Poule discerne y e body of our lorde ¶ And therfore sayth saint Austayn as Prosper reherseth iÌ„ lib. 〈◊〉 psperi He receyueth the meat of lyfe he drynketh y t draught of eternyte y t dwelleth iÌ„ Cryst in whoÌ„ Cryst dwel leth For he y t discordeth from Cryst neyther eateth y t fleshe of Cryst nor 〈◊〉 his bloud though he receyue euery daye indyfferentely the sacrament of that great thynge to the iudgement and dampnacyon of hys presumpcyon ¶ This text of saynt Austayne alledged Fryth for hys purpose in a cer tayne communycacyon wyllyng to proue therby that the very body of Cryste was not alwaye veryly receyued and eaten in the sacrament as y t chyrch sayth For here sayd Fryth saynt Austayne sayth playne y t euyll men though they receyue the sacrament eate not the body of Cryst ¶ But here Fryth eyther had not ler ned or ellys had forgoten that saynt Austayne ment of the effectuall receyuynge by whych a man not onely receyueth Chrystes blessed body into hys own sacramentally but also vir tually and effectually so receyueth ther wyth the spyryte of god into hys soule that he is incorporate therby with our sauyour in suche wyse that he is made a lyuely member of his mystycall body that is the 〈◊〉 of sayntes by receyuyng it wurthyly whiche euyll folke do not that receyue it to theyr dampnacyon ¶ For that saynt Austayne ment not to deny that y e blessed body of Cryst is veryly receyued and eaten in the blessed sacrameÌ„t both of euyll folke and good it appereth playne by that that in mo places thaÌ„ one he speketh of the traytour Iudas For all be it that in some places he putteth it in dowte and question whyther Iudas receyued the sacrament amonge the apostles at Chrystes maundy or els that y e morcell that he receyued were not it yet-in dyuers places he affermeth that he dyd And in those places be affermeth playnely that in the sacrameÌ„t he receyued Chrystes blessed body as euyll and as false as the traytour was as in his fyfth boke de baptismo he clerely declareth in these wordes ¶ Lyke as Iudas to whom our lord gaue the morsel not by receyuynge any euyll thynge but by euyll receyuynge of a good thyng gaue the deuyll a place to entre into hym selfe so euery man y t vnworthyly receyueth the sacrament of Cryst maketh not y e sacrament euyll bycause he is euyll nor maketh not therby that he receyueth nothyng bycause he receyueth it not to his saluacyoÌ„ For it was neuer the lesse the body of our lorde and the bloud of our lord euyn vnto them of whom the apostle sayd he that eateth it drynketh it vnworthily he eateth drynketh dampnacyoÌ„ to hym selfe ¶ Here sa it Austayn good readers expressely declareth y t not onely good folke but euil folke also receiue eat in y e sacrameÌ„t y e very body bloud of Cryst though the tone to saluacyon the tother to daÌ„pnacyoÌ„ And therfore you se y t saint Austayn here playnely reproueth Fryth ¶ And that ye may playnely se also that saint Austayn in callynge y e blessed sacrameÌ„t the body of Cryst meneth not to call it onely a fygure or a memoriall besyde his other playne wordê in many sundry places he writeth in a pistle vnto Eleusiê° Gloriê° Felix declaryng the great excellent goodnes y t Cryst shewed to the false traytour Iudas he writeth I saye y t Cryst gaue vnto Iudas at his laste souper y e pryce of our redeÌ„pcyoÌ„ And what was the pryce of our redeÌ„pcioÌ„ but his owne very blessed body ¶ How be yt Frith was on euery syde deceyued in the perceyuynge of saynt Austayns mynd which mysse happed hym as I suppose for lacke of redynge any ferther in saynt Austayns wurkes than those placys y t he founde falsely drawen out into frere Duyskyns boke ¶ For saynt Austayne in very many placê playnely declareth that euery man good and badde both receyueth and eateth in the sacrament the very body and bloude of Cryste And also those wordes in whych he sayth that euyll folke eate it not he meaneth y t they eate it not so as they receyue the effecte therof that is to wytte to be by the receyuynge and eatyng therof incorporate spyrytually with hym as a lyuely member of hys mystycall body the socyete of sayntes so that he may dwell in Chryste and Chryst in hym but lacketh y t spyrytuall effecte of hys eatynge bycause he is euyll eateth not Chrystes flesshe in suche maner as he sholde do that is to wyt worthyly in trew fayth and purpose of clene and innocent lyfe as saynte Austayne in his boke de blasphemia spiritus sancti declareth wel in these wordes ¶ Thys also that Cryst sayth he that eateth my flesshe and drynketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in hym How shall we vnderstande it Maye we vnderstande those folke therin to of whom thapostle sayth y t they eate drynke theyr iugement whan they eate the same flesshe and drynke the same bloude Dyd Iudas the traytour and wicked seller of his mayster though he fyrst wyth the other apostles as saynt Luke theuangelyste very clerely declareth dyd eate and drynke the same sacrament of hys flesshe and his bloude made with his awne handes dyd he abyde yet in Cryst Cryst in hym Finally many men whyche with a fayned harte eate that flesihe and drynke that bloud or ellys whan they haue eaten and dron ken it bycome apostataas after do they dwell in Cryst Cryst in
or meÌ„t of y e geuyng of his body to be eaten in the blessed sacrament is an imaginacioÌ„ of myn own hed 〈◊〉 mayster Masher argueth speketh 〈◊〉 way of mayster More his fayth as though it were no mannes essys but myne ¶ But to the entent good readers that ye may cleresy perceiue maystes Mashers malycyouse fafsed therin I shall in dyuers places of thys exposycyon concernyng specyally this poynt of Chrystes spekyng and menynge of the gyuynge of his owne very body in the blessed sacrament 〈◊〉 you the namye of some of those whom I folow therin some of theyr wordes to by whych ye shal le that I deceyue you not as maister Masher doth that thorow all his exposycyon flytteth all fro the poynte and dysimuleth all y e wordes of those olde holy men y e expowned it in suche wyse as he wolde we sholde wene that no good man euer dyd ¶ Vppon these wordes therfore of our sauyour And the brede that I shall gyue you is my flesshe that I shall geue for the lyfe of the worlde thus sayth Theophysactus ¶ Consyder that that brede that we eate in the sacrament is not onely a fygure of the fleshe of our forde but it is also the fleshe of our lord it self For he sayd not y e brede that I shall geue is a fygure of my flesshe but he sayd it is my flesshe For the same breade by secrete wordes thorow the mysticall benedyccpon by the cummyng also of the holy sppryte therevnto is transfourmed and chaunged into the flesshe of our lorde And lest that any man sholde be trowbeled in his mynde wenynge that it were not to be byleued y t brede sholde be flesh this is well knowen that whyle our lorde washed in his fleshe of brede receyued his noryshynge that brede whyche he than eate was than chaunged into hys body was made suche as his holy flesshe was and dyd susteyne and increace his flesshe after y e comen maner of men And therfore now also is the brede chaunged into the flesshe of our forde And how is it than wyll some man say that it appereth not to vs flesshe but brede That hath Chryste prouyded to the entent we shold not 〈◊〉 from the eatynge of it For yf it were geueÌ„ vs in lykenesse of flesshe we sholde be dysplesauntly dysposed towarde the receyuyng of our howsle But now by the goodnesse of god condescendynge to our infyrmytye this sacramentall meat appereth vnto vs such as we haue at other tymes bene accustomed wyth These are not my wordes so good christen reader but the word of that oldÌ„ holy cunnyng doctour Theophilactus whyche was also no satyn man but a greke bycause mayster Masher speketh so mych of papyst as though y e catholike fayth wherby the catholike chyrch byleueth y t in the blessed sacrament is the very blessed body of Crist were a thing but made imagyned by some pope of rome ¶ Now yf mayster Masker wyll say y t myne exposicion is in this poynt false here you se good readers that myne exposicyon is not myne but the exposicioÌ„ of Theophilactê° And the fore let hym leue dauÌ„cynge with me dauÌ„ce another white with hym ¶ But marke well two thinge now good reader iÌ„ these wordê one y t this good holy doctours calleth y e blessed sacrameÌ„t brede as saint Paule doth and oure sauyour hym selfe also in these wordes of his in this syxte chapyter of saynt IohnÌ„ and so doth also euery doctour of the chyrche almost Vppon whyche callynge of it brede frere Luther and Melancton theyr felowes take theyr holde to saye and affirme that it is very brede styll as vell after the consecracyon as afore And frere Duskyn with zuynglius George Joye Johan Fryth Tin dale turne forth ferther to the deuyll and not onely say that it is very bred styll but also that it is no thynge els ¶ But now consyder therfore as I say that Theophilactê° here calleth it brede as well as they sayenge the brede that we receiue in the misteries or sacrament is not onely a certayne fygure of the fleshe of our lorde but it is also the fleshe of our lord it self But than expresseth he plainely that though he calleth it brede he meneth not that it is very materyall brede styll as it was but that the brede ys transformed gone and changed into the very fleshe of Chryste And he setteth it out also with an ensample of the brede that is eaten and turned in to the flesshe of the man whom it nurysseth whyche euery man well woteth that any wytte hath that it is no lenger brede than ¶ And therfore Theophilactus cal leth it brede bycause it was brede as in the scrypture the serpeÌ„t in to which Aarons rodde was turned is called a rodde styll whyle it was no rodde but a serpent For there is it thus wri ten The rodde of Aron dyd deuour the roddes of the magycianis And as the scrypture calleth the serpent there a oodde so calleth it the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brede And as Theophilactê° calleth here the blessed sacrament by the name of brede and yet declareth that it is no brede euyn so do all holy doctours that call it by that name of brede bothe mene indide and also do clerely declare that though they call it brede they know well it is no brede but in lykenesse and forme of brede vnder the sacramentall signe y e very blessed body of Cryst flesh bloude bonys and all neyther wythout the soule nor the godhed neyther ¶ Marke also good reader y e Theo phylactus sayth The brede whyche we eate in the misteryes or sacrameÌ„t is not onely a fygure of the flesshe of our lorde but it is also the flesshe of our lorde it selfe ¶ In these wordes good readers marke wel that he sayth it is a figure and yet for all that the very fleshe of Chryste ¶ Thys thynge I specyally desyre you to note bycause that by the markynge of thys one poynt ye maye voyde almoste all the crafte wyth whiche mayster Masker Fryth and Tyndale and all these heretykes la bour to deceyue you in the wrytynge of all the olde holy doctours ¶ For where so euer any of theÌ„ call the blessed sacrament a fygure there wolde these felowes make vs wene that he ment it were nothynge ellys But here you se that Theophylactus saith it is a figure as it is in dede but he telleth vs that it is also as in dede it is the very flesshe of oure lorde ¶ And therfore marke well these ii poynts in this one place y t whaÌ„ these heretikes proue that the blessed sacra meÌ„t is called bred they proue nothing agaynst vs. For they that call it brede declare yet that in dede it is not brede but the body of Chryste And whan they proue that it is called a fygure they proue no thynge agaynste vs. For they that saye it is a fygure saye it is
resuscytate hym in the last day And whan he sayed My flessh is veryly meate ¶ Thus you se good readers how ofte how playnly that he declareth that the meate whiche he speketh of here is hym selfe And now sayth mayster Masker very solemynely with authoryte byddeth euery man marke it well and consyder it that y e meate that Cryste speketh of here is nothynge ellys but 〈◊〉 ¶ And vpon what colour saith may ster Masker 〈◊〉 bycause sayth he that our lorde bode them labour and wurke for the meate that wolde not peryshe but abyde into euerlastynge lyfe and afterward tolde them that the wurk of god by which they shold wurke labour for that meate was nothynge ellys but fayth and bylyef in hym ¶ Fyrste in thys construccyon mayster Masker lyeth very large For though Cryst sayd that to byleue in hym was the wurke of god he sayde not as mayster Masker maketh it that nothynge ellys was the 〈◊〉 of god but onely bylyefe ¶ But now suppose that Cryst had sayd as mayster Masker wold make it seme that is to wyt that the wurke of god were nothynge ellys but the bylyefe yet ye se well good readers that Cryst in sayeng that the bylyefe in hym is the wurke by whyche they shall wurke to gete the meate sayth that the bylyefe is the meane to gete the meate and not that the bylyefe is the meate ¶ But mayster Masker bycause y t bylyefe is the waye to this meate therfore he calleth the bylyefe the meate as wysely as though he wold call the kynges strete Westmynster chyrche bycause it is the way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yf he come from charing crosse And bycause men must spyrytually eate thys meate with fayth therfore he calleth the fayth the meate as wy sely as yf he wold bycause he eateth his meate wyth his mowth therfore call his mowth his meate what wyt hath thys man ¶ But now wyll mayster Masker wax angry with my wordes and call me M. mokke as he dothe onys or twyse in hys boke ¶ But now good readers I wyll not adiure you by godde holy names to iudge iustely but euyn onely desyre you that in waye of good company that you wyll say but euyn indyfferently Were it not wene you great pytye that a man sholde mokke mayster Masker whan euery fole maye perceyue hym in so great a mater wryte so wysely ¶ And yet you maye se that I dele wyth hym very gentylly For in thys poynt wherin by cōtraryeng of Cristes own wordes he wryteth playne heresye I minyshe his bordē of that odiouse cryme bycause the mater in thys place so serueth me do couer the both of his 〈◊〉 heresye with this prety plaster of his pleasaūt frenesie ¶ And yet I wene the man hath so lytle honesty that he wyll neuer can me thanke for my curtesye specyally bycause that as farre as I can se the man had leuer confesse hym selfe an heretyke than be proued a fole And that appereth well in this For this lytell scabbe of hys foly he labo reth somwhat to hyde and couer so that a man muste pull of the clowte ere he can spye the boche But as for y e boch of hys cancred heresyes with out any clowt or plaster he laieth out abrode to shewe to begge withall amonge the blessed bretherne as beggers laye theyr fore legges out in fyght that lye a beggynge a frydays aboute saynt sauyour and at ye. Sauy gate ¶ But as for raylynge agaynst ima ges purgatory and 〈◊〉 to sayn tes and agaynst the holy canō of the masse all this he taketh for tryfles and wolde we sholde reken all these heresyes of his for poyntes well and suffycyently proued by that that he goth so boldely forth on biyond them denyeth the blessed body of Cryste it selfe in the blessed sacrament to And where as he not onely mokketh and iesteth agaynst the olde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sayntes of 〈◊〉 catholyke chyrche but agaynste oure sauyour hym selfe in hys holy sacrament to yet the sage sad ercnest holy mā all made of grauite sadnes and seueryte must hym selfe be reue rently reasoned with may haue no mokke of his matched wyth no mery worde of myne in no maner wyse ¶ But yet lyke as yf a ryght greate man wolde wantonly walke a mummynge and dysguyse hym selfe and with nyce appareyle dyssemble hys personage and with a fonde visour hydde and couer his visage he muste be content to be taūted of euery good felow that he meteth as merely as hym selfe lyste to ieste wyth them so tyll mayster Masker here put of his maskers visour and shewe forth his owue venerable visage that I may se hym such an honorable personage as it may become hym to saye to me what he lyste and me to requyte hys mockes with no mery worde in this world but stande styll demurely and make hym lowe curtesy agayne I wyll not let in y e meane tyme whyle I wote nere what he is and whyle his wytteles wrytynge maketh men wene he were a wylde gose to be so bolde and homely wyth his maystershyp as sory as I am for hym whā he playeth the blasphemouse beste to laugh yet make mery wyth hym where I se hym playe the fole ¶ Yet wyll I now lette passe his re pugnaunce another foly of hys For yf euer he defende his foly y t I haue shewed you than shall he be fayne to declare his repugnaunce hym selfe And therfore I leue that poynte for hym selfe that in defendyng his foly he maye shew his repugnaunce and so for defence of a syngle foly proue hym selfe thryes a fole fyrst in wrytynge foly secundly in wrytynge repugnaunce thyrdly to be so folysshe 〈◊〉 in defēce of that one foly to bryng in the totherto ¶ Makynge therfore for thys tyme no senger tale of his folyes whiche wold make myne answere ouer long to brynge them in all let vs se some pyece of his fruytefull exposycyon The. iii. chapyter IN the seconde lefe these are his wordes I am the brede of lyfe and who so come to me that is to saye who so is gryffed and ioyned to me by fayth shall neuer honger that is who so byleue in me is satissyed It is fayth therfore that stanncheth this honger and thyrste of the soule Fayth it is therfore in Cryst that fylleth our hungry hartes so that we can desyre no nother yf we ones thus eate and drynk hym by fayth that is to say yf we byleue his fleshe and body to haue ben broken and hys bloude shedde for out synnes for thā are our sowles satysfyed and we be iustyfyed ¶ The worde of Chryst good reader with which he begynneth is well and fully fulfylled yf it be vnderstā den as I haue before declared that is to wytte that who so come onys by well workynge fayth and perseueraunce therin vnto the meate that is Chryste and attayne the possessy ō and fruicion of hym in blysse he shall neuer hunger nor
thyrste after And bysydes this dyuers good holy doctours expoune these wordes of y t eatynge of our sauyour in the blessed sacrament also ¶ But surely I byleue that it wyll be very harde for mayster Masker to veryfye the wordes of his holy ex posycyon ye scant of some such piece therof as semeth at the fyrste syghte well layed as where he sayth y t fayth so fylleth our hungry hartes and so stauncheth the hunger and thurst of our soule that we be satysfyed ¶ For I suppose that men are not sa tisfied here neyther with faith alone nor with fayth and hope and cheryte to but yet they hunger and thurste styll For as oure sauyour sayth He that drynketh me shall yet thyrst styll lōge sore as he drynketh hym in grace so to drynke hym in glory ¶ But than tēpereth mayster Mas ker hys wordes of neuer thurstyng with that that he sayth that yf we eat and drynke god by fayth we shall ne uer hunger nor thyrste but we be satisfyed for the fayth so fylleth oure hungry hartys that we can desyre none other thynge yf we ones thus eate him drynke hym by fayth And than what it is to eate hym drynke hym by fayth he forthwith declareth as for the whole somme and ex posycyon of fayth and sayth That is to say yf we byleue his fleshe and hys body to haue ben broken and hys bloude shedde for our synnes for than are our sowles satysfyed and we be iustyfyed ¶ Lo here youse good readers that he sayth that who so byleueth thys here is all that nedeth For he that thus byleueth is iustyfied and eateth and drynketh Cryst and so his soule satysfyed bycause he that so eateth hym ones can neuer after hūger nor thyrst And why For he can desyre none other thynge ¶ Fyrste I wene that all menne are not agreed that he y t longeth for none other thing is not a thurst if he long styll for more of the same For if a man drynke apynt of ale though he foūde hym selfe so well contēt therwith that he do not desyre neyther bere wyne nor water yet if his appe tyte be not so fully satisfied but that he wold fayne of the same ale drynk a quarte more some man wolde saye he were a drye soule were a thyrste agayne ¶ But now yf this man ment any good in this mater and wolde saye y t who so so eateth god as he hath hym well incorporated in hym shall so haue his hunger and his thurste slaked that he shall not hunger and thurste after the pleasure of hys body nor after the goodes ryches nor after the pompe and pryde of this wreched worlde I wolde haue suffred hym go forth with his exposicyō and not haue interrupted it And yet it coulde not ye wote well haue well fully serued for the texte syth the texte is he shall neuer hunger nor thurste which signyfyeth a takynge awaye of desyre and longynge And by this exposicyon though there be taken a waye the desyre longyng for other thinges yet remaineth there a desyre and longynge for more and more of the same ¶ But yet I wolde as I say haue lette it passe by and wynke therat yf he ment none harme therin But now comech he after and declareth by ensample what he meneth by this his sayenge that he that eateth and drynketh god by byleuynge that he dyed for our synnes shall thurst and hunger for none other For he sayth He shall desyre none other he shal not seke by nyght to lone another byfore whome he wolde laye hys gryefe he shall not runne wanderyng here and there to seke dede stockes and stones ¶ 〈◊〉 good readers here is th ende of all thys holy mannys purpose for which he draweth y e worde of Cryst from the very thyng that Cryst prin cypally spake of vnto another spyry tuall vnderstandynge in turnyng the meate that Cryst spake of that is to wytte the meate of his owne blessed person his godhed and his manhed bothe in to the meate of fayth to the entēt that vnder the pretexte of praysyng y e trew fayth he myght bryng in slily his very false wreched heresies by whiche he wolde haue no prayour made vnto sayntes nor theyr pilgry mages sought nor honour done them at theyr images ¶ It is euident and playne that our sauyour ment in this place to speke vnto the Jewes neyther agaynste images nor sayntes but rather agaynste the sensuall appetyte y t they had to the fillynge of theyr belyes with bodily meate the inordinate desyre wherof made them the lesse apte and mete for spiritual fode And ther 〈◊〉 he bode them that they sholde lesse care for that peryshable meate and labour and wurk to wynne faith by prayour and by faith to come to hym And bycause they so myche hated and fered hunger and thurste he wolde geue them hym selfe for theyr meate his very fleshe and bloude ve cily here to eate not deade but quicke with soule and godhed therwith in this worlde whiche yf they wolde well eate here with a well wurkyng faith he wolde geue them the same so in another worlde that than shold they neuer haue thurste nor hunger after ¶ And he ment not that they sholde neuer whan they had ones receyued hym thurste nor hunger after in this present worlde in whiche byside that they must bothe hunger and thurste or elles be euer eatyng and drynking to preuent theyr hunger and thurste bysyde this I saye they shall hunger and thurste styll after god yf they be good ¶ Now yf men wyll saye that the payne of that hunger and thurste is takē away with hope which greatly gladeth the harte surely they that neyther hunger nor thurst for heuyn nor care how longe they be thense so that they maye make mery here the whyle and yet haue an hope that they shal haue heuē to whā they go hens they fele in theyr faynt hope neyther great pleasure nor payn But he that hopeth well of heuen and not onely hopeth after it but also 〈◊〉 thyrsteth for it as dyd saynt Poule whan he sayd I longe to be dyssolued that is to haue my soule losed and departed fro my body and to be wyth Cryste such a man so as he findeth pleasure in his hope so fyndeth he payne in the delaye of his hope For as Salamon sayth The hope that is dyffered and delayed payneth and afflycteth the soule But whan men shall with 〈◊〉 eatynge of thys meate of Chrystes blessed person make thē mete to eate it and shall eate it by very fruicyon in heuyn than all though they shall neuer be fastidyouse or wery therof but as they shall euer haue it so shall euer desyre it so that of y t state maye be sayd also he that drynketh me shal yet thyrste yet bycause they shall not onely alwaye desyre it but also alwaye haue it and so by the contynuall
maner fayth taughte euer the comen catholyke chyrch 〈◊〉 che they reproued And also y t glose marred theyr texte and was clene coÌ„ trary to all theyr tale For all the text of theyr prechynge had ben of fayth alone and theyr glose was of fayth not alone but encompanied with two good felowes perdye y e tone called hope and the tother cheryte ¶ Now therfore eyther vppon this fere of his owne mynde or vpon this aduertysement of some other man mayster Masker to mende his exposycyon with and to make all the mater saufe hath at the laste in the ende of the. xi lefe plastered his marmoll of his onely fayth on thys fasshyon By loue we abyde in god he in vs. Loue foloweth fayth in the order of our vnderstandynge and not in order of successyon of tyme yf thow lokest vpon the selfe gyftes and not of theyr frutes So that 〈◊〉 pally by fayth wherby we clene to goddes goodnes and mercy we abyde in god and god in vs as declare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 folowynge sayenge 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 father sent me so lyue I by my father And euen so he that 〈◊〉 me shal lyue bycause of me or for my 〈◊〉 My father sent me whose wyl in all thynges I obey for I am hys sone And euen so veryly must they that eate me that is byleue in me forme and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after my ensample mortefyeng theyr 〈◊〉 and chaungynge theyr lyuynge or 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 me in vayne and dyssemble theyr bylyefe For I am not comen to redeme the worlde onely but also to chaunge theyr lyfe They therfore that byleue in me shall transforme theyr lyfe after myne 〈◊〉 and doctryne and not after any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ¶ Thys plaster good readers hath some good 〈◊〉 But it is bothe to narow by a great dele to couer his scalde shyn hath also some 〈◊〉 poticary druggys put in hit that can do no good and some thynge also 〈◊〉 to his remedy ¶ But 〈◊〉 vs now consyder hys wordes Fyrst where he sayth that by 〈◊〉 we 〈◊〉 in god and god in 〈◊〉 he sayeth trouth for so sayth the scrypture but that is to be vnderstande as longe as we loue hym and not dwell so styll in hym But whan we breke hys 〈◊〉 and therby declare that we loue hym not as y e scrypture also sayth agaynst whiche scrypture mayster Tyndase sayth that he that hath onys a felyng fayth can neuer fall therfrom and agaynste the same scrypture mayster Masker saith that fayth onys had suffiseth for saluacioÌ„ ¶ And mayster Masker maketh yet his mater mych wurse than 〈◊〉 Tyndase For Tyndase dyd yet at the leste wyse make some bumblyng about a colour for the mater with a longe processe of hystorycall fayth felyng fayth whose false wyly 〈◊〉 therin I haue so confuted in my 〈◊〉 futacyon y t though he wryte agayne therin as longe as euer he lyueth he shall neuer shake of the shame ¶ But mayster Masker handeleth the mater bothe more wylyly than Tyndale doth yet mych more folysshely to For seyng that his sayeng can not be defended he ruffleth vp all the mater shortely in a few wordes bothe for sparynge of labour 〈◊〉 also bycause he wolde not haue hys wordes well vnderstanden but that his wordes myght stande for a short texte which he wold leue for euery other good brother to make some good glose therto to maynteyne it wyth ¶ For in his nexte worde folowyng where he sayth Loue foloweth fayth in the order of our vnderstandyng not in the order of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 yf thow lokest vpon the selfe gyftes 〈◊〉 not vpoÌ„ theyr frutes in these few darke wordes he wolde bothe shewe hys 〈◊〉 before vnlerned men and leue them also vndeclared bycause he wolde haue them wene y t his hygh 〈◊〉 passeth theyr low capacitees ¶ But yet in these wordê he iugleth with vs and may with his wylynes begile them that wyl take none hede But who so loke well to his handes shall perceyue where his galles goo well inough ¶ For trewe it is that whan so 〈◊〉 god infouÌ„deth eyther thabyt of 〈◊〉 or y e full perfite quycke lyuely 〈◊〉 that is called fides formata infoundeth in lyke wyse hope and cheryte bothe But this is not the fayth alone For fayth is neuer such fayth but whyle he hath his two felowes with hym But fayth maye be 〈◊〉 tary to before his two felowes come to hym As a man maye byleue well longe ere he wull do well And 〈◊〉 may tary also whaÌ„ both his felowes be gone from hym as he that hath had all thre may by dedely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 fayth alone remayne And faith may come and continue styll and neyther of bothe his felowes neuer come at hym at al. As where a man byleueth truely euery article of the fayth and yet hath neuer y e wyll to wurke well nor neuer wylbe baptysed but after dyeth in dyspayre And in all these casys is it fayth alone And bycause it neither wurketh well nor hath will to wurke well neyther in acte nor in habyt therfore is it called fides informis and a dede fayth Not dede in the nature of fayth or bylyefe but dede as to the attaynynge of euerlastynge lyfe ¶ Now wolde mayster Masker iugle make vs byleue that he meneth the fyrste maner of fayth that is quycke and lyuely by the reason that it hath good hope cheryte therwith ¶ But I can not suffre you good chrysten readers to be so be gyled 〈◊〉 suche a fonde falfe iugler For yf ye take hede vnto hym ye shall soone perceyue that he is euen but a very bungler ¶ For whan that he fyrste telleth 〈◊〉 what bylyefe is suffycient 〈◊〉 that yf we ones eate drynke 〈◊〉 by fayth and than expouneth y e hole somme of all that faythe sayenge that is to saye yf we byleue hys flesshe and his body to haue ben broken and hys bloud shedde for our synnys thaÌ„ ate our soules satisfyed we be iustyfied and now addeth therunto that loue foloweth faith in the order of our vn derstandynge and not in the order of successyon of tyme by whych he meneth y e euery man hath cheryte 〈◊〉 more as soone as he hath faythe 〈◊〉 may clerely se that he sayth y t a man hath cheryte euer as soone as he hath that fayth So that by hym who byleueth euer byleueth that Chryste dyed for vs he hath both fayth hope 〈◊〉 though he byleue nothynge ellys ¶ But now is thys a very false deuelysshe doctryne For this is no full fayth For a man maye beleue this yet leue many a thynge vnbyleued whyche we be bounden to byleue bysyde And therfore you may well se that though the theologycall vertue of ful and perfayt fayth haue al way cheryte togyther infounded with it yet mayster Maskers fayth that is neyther perfyt nor full maye be not in the begynnyng onely but
my bryngynge in the selfe same sample he maketh that argument for me And therfore now whaÌ„ vppon those facys in the glasse he maketh and faceth hym selfe that lye vppon me and than scoffeth that I face out the trouth with lyes and thaÌ„ proueth neuer one he doth but shew what prety wordes he coulde speke and how properly he coulde scoffe yf the mater wolde serue hym ¶ And yet I pray you good readers consyder well the wordes of that argumeÌ„t that he maketh in myne name we se many faces in many glasses therfore may one body be in many places Now spake not I you wote well of many faces sene in many glassys as he bothe falsely folysshely reherseth me but of one face sene at onys in many glassys For that is lyke to the mater For like as all those glasses whyle onely one man loketh in them he seeth but hys owne one face in all those places so be as saynt Chrysostom declareth all the hostes of the blessed sacrameÌ„t beynge in so farre dystaunt seuerall places a sondre all one very body of our blessed sauyour hym selfe and all one hoste one sacryfyce and one oblacyon ¶ And as properly as mayster mas ker scoffeth at that sample and symy sytude of the glasse I wolde not haue mysse lyked myne owne wytte therin yf thinuencyoÌ„ therof had ben myne owne For I fynde not many samples so mete for the mater to the capacite of good and vnlerned folke as it is For as for the poynt of which mayster Masker maketh all the dyf ficultye that one substaunce beynge but a creature myghte be in many places at onys euery man that is lerned seeth a sample that satisfyeth hym shortely For he seeth and perceyueth by good reasoÌ„ that the soule is vndiuisyble and is in euery parte of the body and in euery parte it is whole And yet is euery member a seuerall place And so is the blessed substaunce of the spyrytuall body of Chrystes flesshe his bonys whole in euery parte of the sacrament ¶ But thys sample of the soule can not euery man vnserned coÌ„ceyue and imagyne ryghte but of the glasse bath for his capacite a more me tely symisitude that y t in one poynt also doth more resemble the mater For the soule forsaketh euery member y t is clene deuided from the body But the blessed body of our sauyour abydeth styll whole in euery parte of the blessed sacrament though it be broken into neuer so many places as the image and forme of the face avydeth whole styll to hym that byholdeth it in euery parte of the broken glasse And thus good readers as for thys sample and symylytude of the face in the glasse mayster Masker maye for his folyshe facynge yt out be myche ashamed yf he haue any shame whan so euer he loketh on his owne face in the glasse ¶ And for conclusyon thys beynge of the body of Chryste in dyuers pla ces at ones syth the olde holy doctours and sayntes sawe and perceyued that the soule of euery man why che is a very substaunce and peraduenture yet of lesse spirituall power than the flesshe and bones of our sauyour Chryste be now and yet very flesshe for all that and very bonys also styll they rekened not that the beynge therof in dyuers places at ones wolde after theyr dayes begyn to be taken for so straunge and harde a thynge as these heretykes make yt nowe And therfore they made nothyng so great a mater of that poynt but the thynge that they thought men wolde moste meruayse of was the conuersyon and turnyng of the brede and the wyne into Chrystes very flesshe and bloud And therfore to make that poynte well open and to make it synke into mennys brestes those olde holy doctours and sayntes as I sayde in these wordes whyche maister maskar mocketh vsed many mo good samples of thynges done by nature ¶ But than were they no myracles sayth mayster Masker And what than good master Masker Myghte they not'serue to proue y t god myght do as mych by myracle as nature by her comen course Those wordes so were by maister masker you se wel very well and wysely put in The. xxiii chapyter 〈◊〉 this towarde the perceyuyng and bylyefe of that point of conuersyon of the brede and the wyne into the very flesshe and bloud of Christe I sayd that those holy doctours and sayntes vsed ensamples of other myracles done by god and wryten in holy scrypture ¶ Now at thys word mayster masker asketh me Ende versus where one I 〈◊〉 your you haue herd all redy good readers in the. xv chapyter of the fyrste boke the wordes of that holy doctour saynt Cyryll in whyche for the credence of that poynt that is to wytte the chaungynge of the brede and the wyne into Chrystes flesshe and hys bloud he bryngeth the myracles that god wrought in the olde lawe as the chauÌ„gyng of the water into bloude and the chaungyng of Moses rodde into a serpent and dyuers other chauÌ„ ges and myghty myracles mo ¶ Yow haue herde also before how saynt Chrysostome agaynste them y e wolde dowte how Chryste coulde geue them hys flesshe to eate layeth forth the myracle of the multiplyeng of fyue louys so sodaynly to xii basketes full more than the fuffycyent fedynge of fyue thousand folke ¶ Here be lo some verses yet mayster Masker mo than one miracle perdye that those holy doctours and sayntes haue vsed in this mater of the blessed sacrament And yet suche other mo shall I brynge you at another leysour ere I haue done wyth your second course that it shall greue you to se them And surely where properly you scoffe at me wyth my many facys in one hode I haue here in thys fyrste parte all redy brought you for the trew sayth of the catholyke chyrche agaynste your false heresye wherwith you wolde face our sauyout out of y e blessed sacrament I haue brought agaynst you to your face saint 〈◊〉 and Theophilactê° saynt Austayne and saynt Hylary saynt Hyreneus saynt Cyryll and saynte Chrysostome so many suche good facys into this one hode that al the shamefullyes y t your shamelesse face can make shall neuer agaynste these facys be able to face out the trouth And thus ende I good readers my fourth boke Here endeth the fourth booke The fyfth booke and the laste of the fyrste parte The fyrste chapyter Now come I good chrysten readers to the last poynte that I spake of the two contradyccyons of myn owne that mayster Masker hath hyghly layed vnto my charge whose wordes I shall good reders fyrst reherse you whole to these they be god saue them At laste note chrysten reader that mayster More in the thyrde boke of hys confutacyon of Tyndale the 249. syde to proue saynt 〈◊〉 gospell vnperfyte in suffycyent for leuyng out of so necessary a poynt of our fayth as he calleth the last souper of Chryste hys maundye sayth that Iohn spake
come in to the worlde and by those wordê declared clerely y t they thoughte he was Chryste that is to wytte Messyas whom they loked for by the pro phecye of Moyses and other prophe tes that shold come to saue y e world and that theruppon they wold haue made hym kynge who could haue went that they could haue hadde so soone vppon the morowe so colde a mynde toward hym as to go sayle seke hym for none other deuocyoÌ„ but for the fedynge of theyr belyes But our sauyour whose depe syghte entred into theyr hartes labored not vppon any fallible coniecturys both saw the sykenesse of theyr vnperfait myndes and as a perfyt phisicyon agaynst theyr dysease diuised them a good and perfyte medecyn sayenge vnto them thus wurke syrs and labour for the meat not the meate that perystheth but for the meate that abydeth into euerlastynge lyfe whyche meate the sone of maÌ„ shall gyue you for hym hath god y e father sealed As though he wold say ye labour hither seke me for such meate as I fedde you with y e tother daye but y t meat is soone gone and perysheth Labour wurke and make you meat that you maye eate the meat y t shall neuer be gone nor neuer perysh but shall last with you for euer in euerlasting lyfe ¶ By these wordes of the meate euerlastynge our sauyour dyd as the olde holy doctours declare insumate and secretely sygnifye to theym the meat of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both the spiritual eatyng of his godhed by fruicyoÌ„ in heuyn the bodyly eatyng of his very body here ierth of which both meates he more declareth after ¶ For the better perceyuing wherof ye shall vnderstand that y e materyall meate that men eate here hath two maner of peryshyngs One by which thorow the naturall operacyoÌ„ of the body that receyueth yt it is altered chaunged and leseth his own forme shape nature and substaunce and is tourned into the nature substaunce of the body which it norisheth And in this maner of peryshynge perysheth all the meate that euery man eateth or els it nothyng nurysheth ¶ The tother maner of perysshyng by which the meate perysheth is that peryshynge by which the meate that is taken thorough glotony is for the inordynate appetyte and vse thereof destroyed and punyshed by god and the glotonous bely to Of whyche maner of peryshynge saynte Poule sayth The meate for the bely the bely for the meate and god shall destroye both the tone and the tother This is spoken agaynste those that eate not for the conseruacion of theyr lyfe and theyr helth to preserue them selfe to the seruyce of god but eate drynke onely for the voluptuouse pleasure of theyr body ¶ Now taught our lord the Jewes in these few wordes adoctryne short and compendyouse that they sholde neyther be glotons in laborynge for the meate that perysheth of that secunde fashyon nor so very hyghly esteme the meate that perysheth of the fyrst fasshyon that is to wyt any maner of meate that onely nurisheth the body but that they sholde labour and wurke and endeuour them selfe that they myght be meate to receyue and eate that meate that shall abyde endure with theÌ„ in euerlastinge lyfe that is to saye that as theym selues were bothe bodyes and soules so spi rytually to receyue and eate of hys own godhed with the fruicyoÌ„ wherof they shold after this lyfe be euerlastyngly fedde among his angellys in heuyn and for the meane whyle in thys world bodyly to receyue eate his owne blessed body into theyrs as an ernest peny of theyr perpetuall coÌ„ iuÌ„ccyon and incorporacyon with hym afterwarde in the kyngdome of hys eternall glory where our bodies shal also be fedde for euer wyth the farpassynge pleasure of the bodyly beholdynge of his gloryous body there in his owne bewtyfull forme whiche we now veryly recepue here hydde in the blessed sacrament in lykenesse and forme of brede ¶ This is the meat that Cryste in those worde ment wold they shold labour to make them selfe mete for For this meat wyll in no wyse perish But where as the bodyly meate that the man eateth of the shepe in the nuryshynge of the man perysheth and leseth his owne nature not turnynge the flesh of the man in to the flesh of the shepe but beynge turned from the owne proper nature of shepys fleshe in to the naturall fleshe of the man this meate is of suche vigour strength that in the nuryshyng of the man it abvdeth whole and vnchaunged not beynge turned into the flesh of the man but afterynge turnyng traÌ„sformyng as holy saynt Austayn sayth the fleshely man froÌ„ his groce 〈◊〉 into a certayn maner of the pure nature of it selfe by particy pacyon of that holy blessed flesh and immortall that is with his siuely spy ryte imedyately ioyned and vnseparably knitte vnto y e eternall flowyng fouÌ„tayn of all lyfe y e godhed This meat therfore Cryste byddeth them labour wurke for in those wordes wurke you not the meat y t peryssheth but that abideth into euerlasting lyfe ¶ But yet though Cryst toÌ„mauded them that they shold not be idle slougardes slouthfull of them self but that they sholde wurke labour for theyr owne parte to gete this meate and make them selfe mete therfore yet he let them knowe that no man could by hys owne onely power attayne it And therfore he added these wordê whych meate the sone of man shall gyue you tellyng them therby that hym selfe which had fedde them before wyth that other meate whiche was peryshable wold also yf them selfe wold wurke and labour for it geue theym the tother meate that is permanent in to lyfe euerlastyng to ¶ And therfore as dyuerse holy doctours say whan the preste minystreth vs this mete let vs not thinke that it is he that gyueth it vs not the preste I saye whome we se but the sone of man Chryst hym self whose own fleshe not y e preste there geueth vs but as Chrystes mynystre delyuereth vs. But y e very geuer therof is our blessed sauyour hym selfe as hym selfe in these wordê wytnesseth where he sayth queÌ„ filius hominis dabit vobis whyche meate the sone of man shall gyue you ¶ Now lest the Iewes myght haue cause to mystruste that he y t were the sone of man couldÌ„ gyue theÌ„ y t meate that were fre from all peryshynge permanent into euerlastynge lyfe he taketh awaye that obieccion and sheweth them that he is not onely y e sone of man but also the sone of god and no more verily man by that that he is the sone of man that is to wyt not of Ioseph but of our forefather Adam the fyrst man than he is veryly god in that he is the sone of god as veryly and as naturally begotten of god the father by generacyon as he was veryly and naturally descended of our forefather Adam by liniall dyscent and
father gyueth downe from heuyn to geue not onely nuryshynge but also lyfe to the worlde ¶ The comen brede doth but helpe to kepe and conserue the lyfe that the man hath all redy But my father hath sent me down me I say the very brede wherof angelles fede not onely to conserue and kepe the life of the body all be it that do I to he le of your syke folkes full many but also to quycken them that are dede many in body and al the whole world in soule wherof none can haue lyfe but by me ¶ And therfore he y t cometh to me that is to wytte who so wyll wurke the wurke of god that I tolde you y e is to wytte come by fayth vn to me and byleue in hym whom the father hath sent that is to wytte in my self hys hunger and thyrste shall I take awaye for euer ¶ Good is it good readers to consyder well these wordê leste by these wordes wronge vnderstanden some men myghte wene as these heretyques teche that now a dayes renew that olde heresye that bothe saynte Iamys and saynte Poule by playne expresse wordes reproue that oure lorde wolde aske no more of any chri sten man but onely bare faythe alone Whyche heresye wherof they so myche bosted a whyle these heretykes now fele so fully coÌ„futed that though they lyue styll lyke those that byleue it yet in theyr wordes wrytynge they be fayne to retrete for 〈◊〉 to seke suche gloses to saue theyr olde wrytynge as myght make vnwyse men wene that they neuer ment otherwyse than the whole catholyke chyrche comenly techeth and precheth Whiche yf they had ment none other in dede as in dede they ment and yet mene farre other styll than hadde they ye wote well made myche bysynes about nought ¶ But lettynge these heretyques passe ye shall good chrysten readers vnderstande that lyke as yf a man wold teche a chyld to rede he muste fyrst begynne at his A B c for without the knowlege of hys letters he can neuer go forward so for as mich as no 〈◊〉 can come vnto Cryst without fayth but faith must nedes be the fyrst entre toward all chrysten vertues syth no man can eyther hope in hym or loue hym whom he knoweth not and Chryst can no man chrystenly know but by fayth for as 〈◊〉 Poule sayth he that commeth vnto god he must nedes byleue so dyd our sauyour therfore as a good a wyse mayster of his chrysten scole bygyn ther with y e Iewys that there offred them self as his scolers he began I say with fayth But yet he ment not that to saluacyon they shold nede no thynge elles but onely bare fayth so that yf they wold byleue all thynges that he sholde tell them they sholde therby be surely saued though they wolde do nothynge that he wold byd theym ¶ But than what saye we to these wordes of our sauyour He that byleueth in me shall neuer thyrste By thys worde of neuer thyrstynge he meneth euerlastyng saluacyoÌ„ which he promyseth here to all those that by leue in hym wherfore it may seme y t who so euer byleue though he do no thynge els shall by this promyse of our sauyour be saued ¶ Saynt IohnÌ„ the baptyst at suche tyme as people came to hym asked what they sholde do whereby they myght auoyde daÌ„pnacioÌ„ he bode theÌ„ geue almoyse And whan the Publicanys asked hym what they shold do to auoyde daÌ„pnacyon he bode theym forbere brybys and take no more thaÌ„ the dew custumes toll And to the souldyours askynge hym the same questyon for theyr part he answered that they sholde pyke no querellys nor do no man no violence nor take 〈◊〉 by force but holde theym selfe content wyth theyr wagys 〈◊〉 dyd he not mene that any of all thesse lessons was inough to saue theÌ„ wythout any more but he tolde them for the whyle eche of them the thyng that sholde be most metely for them and moste proprely pertayne to theyr persons and therfore moste metely for them to lerne fyrste and the remanauÌ„t shold ech of theÌ„ after lerne 〈◊〉 and lytell at length so that at laste they sholde eche of them do that one thynge wyth all other thynges necessary also and wythout whych that one thyng could not saue them ¶ Thus dyd our sauyoure also bycause the Iewys were full of infydelyte and full of incredulyte which vnbylyefe endurynge they coulde not entre into the way of saluacyon He therfore fyrste taughte theym fyrst the lesson of bylyefe and fayth whyche onys hadde they shoulde be mete to lerne on the remanaunt encreace both in hope in well wurkyng cheryte so that fayth ones had he tolde them they shold not 〈◊〉 For yf they onys byleued his worde it was a meane to make them hope in hym and loue hym both those 〈◊〉 thynges wold make them obay hym and wurke in suche other vertuouse as he wolde for theyr owne 〈◊〉 commande them ¶ There are also good readers dyuerse holy doctours that saye that in these wordes by whych our sauyour sayde vnto the Iewes he that byleueth in me shall neuer thyrst he ment not hym that had a bare fayth alone which is as saynt Iamys sayth but adede fayth but hym that had fayth well formed wyth hope cheryte ¶ And therfore sayth holy saynt Au stayne thus Chryst sayth not byleue hym but byleue in hym For it foloweth not by and by that who so byleue hym byleueth in hym For the deuyls byleued hym but they byleued not in hym And we byleue saint Poule but we byleue not in saynt Poule To by leue therfore in hym is wyth byleuynge to go into hym and to be incorporate in hys membrys This is the fayth that god requireth and exac 〈◊〉 of vs that is to wytte the fayth that by loue wyll wurke well yet ys fayth dyscerned and seuered froÌ„ workys as the apostle sayth a man is iu stifyed by fayth without the wurkes of the lawe And there are wurkes that seme good without the fayth of Chryste but they be not for they be not referred vnto that ende of whiche all good thynges come For the ende of the law is Christ vnto iustice vnto all that byleue And therfore our sauyour wold not dyscerne and deuyde fayth from the worke but sayth that the fayth it selfe was y t worke of god that is to wytte the fayth that by loue wurketh ¶ 〈◊〉 ye perceyue good readers that to byleue meritoriousely so as 〈◊〉 shal be rewarded with saluacion may not be fayth alone but fayth wyth a wurkynge loue Nor it may not be a bare byleuynge of Cryst but it must be a byleuynge in Cryste that is as saynt Austayn sayth not an 〈◊〉 dede 〈◊〉 bylyefe but a bylyefe lyuely quycke styrynge by cheryte and good wurkes euer walkyng and goyng into Cryst And than they that so byleue in hym not
his soule so myghte Chryste saye of hym selfe I am descended from heuyn bycause hys godhed descended frome thense though hys body dyd not and he myghte saye I shall suf fre and dye bycause hys manhed so sholde and yet was hys godhed neyther mortall nor passyble And for all that myghte it be sayde of Cryst God dyed for vs bycause he dyed that than was god And of Chryste niyghte it well be layed Thys man made heuyn and erthe and yet hys manhed made it not but was made by hys godhed as other creaturys were But those wordes are well veryfyed by the reason that he whyche of the person of Chryste sayth thys man sygnyfyeth and meaneth not hys onely manhed but his whole person whiche is not onely man but very god also ¶ Thys thynge and this maner of spekynge expressed our sauiour very playne hym selfe whan he sayd vnto Nichodemus in talkynge with hym of the sacrament of baptisme No maÌ„ hath ascended into heuyn but he that descended frome heuyn the sone of man that is in heuyn In these wordes he sheweth vnto Nichodemus that there was more credence to be geuyn vnto hym selfe alone than vn to all the prophetes that euer were before For hym selfe more perfytely 〈◊〉 we all thynge than all they dyd For neuer man had there ben in heueÌ„ but he For neuer man sayd our lorde hath ascended into heuyn but he that descended frome heuyn the sone of man that is to wytte I my selfe that am in heuyn ¶ Here he sayed that y t sone of man had bene in heuen and had descended from heuyn was yet in heuyn 〈◊〉 Now was not his godhed the sone of man but the sone of god nor his manhed the sone of god but the sone of man But now though the godhed the manhed were not bothe one but two distincte naturs styll yet syth the sone of god and the sone of man were bothe one that is to wyt both twayne one person Cryste Cryste therfore myght well say than of hymselfe I the sone of god am the sone of man I the sone of man am y e sone of god and I the sone of god am walkynge amonge men on erth and I the sone of man am syttynge wyth my father in heuyn ¶ Now that ye maye good readers the better conceyue thys mater and more easely perceyue the sentence of these wordes of Cryst All that my father gyueth me c. I shal expoune you these wordê of his in order as it were in bys owne person spekynge the wordes of thys exposycyon hym selfe ¶ No man can come to me by hye owne labour alone But all that my father geueth me shall come to me Labour therfore to my father pray hym to geue you to me geuynge you occasyon and helpynge you wyth your own wyll wurkyng with hym makyng you byleue me and so shall you wurkyng with him by your own good wyll in subdueng of your reason to y e obedyence of fayth by bylief come to me and with good wyll of well wurkynge also with the bylief shall not onely byleue me but also by leue in me and go into me by beynge a membre of myne and incorporatynge your self in me and I shall by the gyfte of myne owne body to be eaten and receyued of yours incorpo rate my selfe in you and I wyll not cast you out frome but be styll incorporated wyth you but yf you cast me out frome you and so by synne caste your selfe awaye fro me els of all that commeth to me by my fathers bryngynge I wyll caste none oute For yf ye came to me by my father thorow fayth and that I wolde not than suffre deth for your saluacyon than dyd I caste you oute For none can come in to my blisse of heuyn but by hys rawnson payed by my dethe and passyon But I wyll not refuse that but I wyll suffre and dye for the worlde to gyue the dede worlde lyfe by my deth For I am descended from heuyn sent by my father not to do myne owne wyll but the wyll of hym that hath sent me But I mene not by these wordes that I wyll dye agaynst myne owne wyll but that al be it the sensuall part of my manhed wolde of the nature of man abhorre shrinke and withdrawe from the gre uouse payne of suche an intollerable passyon yet shall my wyll bothe of my godhed be all one with the wyll of my father and therby in suche maner obedyent vnto his father as we say a man is obedyent vnto his owne reason and yet is not his owne reasoÌ„ another power superiour aboue hym selfe And my wyll of my manhed shall also be so confortable to y e wyll of my father y e wyl of the holy goost and the wyll of myne owne godhed all whiche thre wylles are in dede one wyll as all our thre persons are in godhed one god that I wyll wyllyngly dye for them all that so come to me by my fathers bryngynge thorough the well wurkynge fayth and wyll abyde and perseuer And like wyse as I wyll by myne owne body gyuen vnto theym by eatynge in to they re owne gyue theÌ„ an ernest peny of our incorporacyon togyther and a memory all of that deth and passyon by whiche I wyll wyllyngly geue my selfe for them by beynge slayne and sacryfysed for theyr synne and made the raunsoÌ„ of theyr redempcioÌ„ whan god shall for this obedyence of my manhode vnto the deth the 〈◊〉 deth of the crosse lyfte me vp and ex alte me and gyue me the name that is aboue all names than shall I by my resurreccion agayne to lyfe geue them a sample and make them sure that I shall in syke wyse at the laste day leue none of them to be loste no more in body than in soule but shall so resuscitate and rayse agayne theyr bodyes that lyke as I shall my selfe asceÌ„de into heuyn agayn from wheÌ„se I came so shall they as membres of my body ascend thyther with me and there be fedde of thys euerlastynge lyuely brede that I tell you of that is to wytte of the fruycioÌ„ of my godhed and byholdynge also of my gloryouse manhed for euer eche of you that haue vse of reason after thanalogye and proporcyon of the well formed fayth with hope well wurkynge cherite that you shall haue had in thys lyfe here before For thys 〈◊〉 as I byfore told you the wyll of my father that sent me that euery man that sethe hys sone as you do and not onely seeth him as you do but also by leueth in hym as you do not shall haue yf he perseuer in that well wurkynge by lyef the meat that I speke of that shall not peryshe but abyde in to euerlastynge lyfe For though ye se euery man dye here for the whyle yet I shall as I tolde you beynge of egall power with my father reyse them all vppe egayne my selfe at the laste daye than
virginyte that she neuer neyther longed nor loked for any messenger from god that sholde byd her 〈◊〉 And therfore was she so dyscrete and cyrcumspecte that she wolde not onely consyder who spake to her 〈◊〉 dyscerne whyther it were man or spyrite and also whyther it were a good spyryte or an euyll but she wolde also way well the wordes were the spyryte neuer so good leste her own mysse takyng by neglygeÌ„ce myght marre the reuesacyon And therfore at Gabrielys fyrste apperauÌ„ce bycause he was goodly hys wordes were faire and plesauÌ„tly set and spoken somwhat lyke a 〈◊〉 she was somwhat abasshed and troubled in her mynde at the maner of his salutacyon But after vpon his ferther wordes whan she aduysed hym and hys message well than perceyuynge hym to be not a man but an angell not an euyl angell but a good and specyally sent from god and 〈◊〉 mater no worldly wowyng but an he uynly message she was not a sytell ioyful in her hart And as I sayd had she not vowed virgynyte but hadde ben at her lybertye she had as me semeth had no cause to do wte what god wolde haue her do namely hauynge an husband allredy Nor neuer woldÌ„ she haue thought that it had ben better for her to lyue styll in virgynyte than to go about y t generacyoÌ„ wherof god had sent her word But now for as mych as she was by her vow 〈◊〉 den to virginite wherof she wist wel she myght not dispence with her self and the angell bode not her go about to coÌ„ceyue but onely tolde her as by way of prophecye that she shold con ceyue wel she wyst god froÌ„ whom the message came could make her coÌ„ceyue without man yf he wold therfore she neyther wold tempte god in desyryng hym to do that myracle nor by mysse takynge of his message for hast ouersyght offend his mayster by the brekyng of her vow but dyscretely dyd aske the messenger how in what wyse she shold coÌ„ceiue wher upon he shewed her that she shold be conceyued by the holy goost ¶ Here you se good reders that the cause of her question in her askynge how rose of no diffidence but of veri sure faith bicause she surely byleued y t he could make her coÌ„ceyue her vir ginite saued For els had she not had fermely y t faith she had had no cause to aske the questyoÌ„ but myght haue rehened clerely that he wolde haue her conceyued by her husband ¶ And therfore was her questyon farte fro the question of zachary the father of saynt IohnÌ„ whiche asked not the angell how but what token he sholde haue that he sayd trew for ellys it semed that for all his worde bycause of theyr bothe agys he was mynded no more to medle with hys wyfe syth he thought possybylite of generacyon passed And for that dyffydens was he punyshed by losse of hys speche tyll the byrth of y e chyld ¶ And her questyon was also very farre fro this questyoÌ„ of the Iewys here and from theyr askynge how whyle the cause of her questyon was fayth and the cause of theyr questyoÌ„ dyffydens ¶ Nichodemus also whan our lord bygan to tell hym of the sacrameÌ„t of baptysme and sayd vnto hym verily veryly I tell the but if a man be born agayne he can not se the kyngdome of god answered our sauyour sayd how may a man be borne agayn whaÌ„ he is olde maye he entre agayne into hys mothers vely be born agayne ¶ Lo. here the man was deceyued in that he thoughte vpoÌ„ a bodyly byrth where as our sauyour ment of a spyrytuall byrth by fayth and by the sacrament of baptysme And therfore our lorde tolde hym forthwyth that he ment not that a man sholde be bodyly borne agayne of his mother but ment of a spyrytuall regeneracyon in soule by the water and y e holy goost ¶ Now be it he told hym not for all that all the forme and maner of that sacrament but what the substaunce sholde be and by whose power and wherof it shold take effecte ¶ Now these iewes here to whome Cryste preched of the geuyng of his body to them for meat were not fully in the case of Nichodemus but in some point they were nerer y e trewth than he was at the begynnynge For they toke our sauyours worde ryght in that they vnderstode that he spake of his owne very fleshe and that he wold geue it them to eate where as Nichodemus vnderstode no part of the generacyon and byrth that Cryst spake of But they myssetoke the ma ner how he wolde geue it them ran forth in the deuyce and imagynacyon of theyr owne fantasy But in dyffydence dystrust they were lyke Nichodemus which sayd how maye a man be borne agayn whan he is old And peradueÌ„ture the farther of froÌ„ endeuour to warde byseuynge For in Nichodemus though I fynd no coÌ„sent of faith in conclusyon yet y e gospell speketh not of any finall contradyccyon in hym nor of any desperate departynge as these Iewes these disciples dyd And Nichodems spake in his cause after but these discyples neuer walked after with hym ¶ Now Cryste there vnto Nichodemus bycause he was slene fro the mater told him y t it shold be no bodyly byrth but a spiritual and bode hym meruayle not therof no more thaÌ„ of y e spiryng or mouyng of the spiryt or of y e wynd for y t word diuerse doctours take diuersely whose voice though he herd he neither wyst froÌ„ whens it came nor whyther he wold go But now whaÌ„ y t Nichodemê° ê‘ceyuynge what y e thyng was dyd yet woÌ„der on styl sayd how may these things be ThaÌ„ our lord dyd no more but leue hym with y e same tale styll byd him byleue tell hym why he so sholde syth hym self y t so told hym came froÌ„ heuyn and therfore could tell it and gaue hym a sinificacyon of hys deth wherby that sacrameÌ„t shold take the strength But as for hys questyon how this myght be other wyse thaÌ„ y e it was by the power of god that questyon Cryst lefte vnsoyled ¶ Now dyd he lyke wyse with these ie wys here Syth it was so that they perceyued all redy that he spake of his very flesshe and yet for all that word not byteue he could geue it theÌ„ but thoughte the thynge so straunge and wonderfull that they thought he could not do it therfore asked how he could do it he dyd no more but styl tell them that he wolde do it and that he veryly wold gyue them his fleshe to eate and his very bloud to drynke and tolde them the profyte that they shold haue yf they byleued hym and dyd it and what losse they shold haue yf for lacke of bylyef they wold seue it vndone and that he was come froÌ„ heuyn and therfore they ought neyther to myssetruste hys word nor his power
warde waye and byleue the contrary or at the leste wyse saye that he byleueth y e contrary But in good sayth y t they veryly byleue as they say that can I not byleue except that of y e scrypture and the chrysten fayth these folke by leue nothyng at all And so vpon my fayth I fere me that you shall se it proue at laste as appereth by somof them that so begynne all redy and haue in some places put forth suche poysen in wrytynge ¶ But surely though neyther any man had euer wryten vppon these wordes of Cryste nor our sauyour bym selfe neuer spoken word therof after that euer had in wrytyng comeÌ„ into meÌ„nys hands yet are these wordes here spokeÌ„ so playne so ful that they must nedes make any man that were wyllyng to byleue hym clerly perceyue and knowe that in one maner or other he wolde gyue vs hys awne very flesshe verely to be recey ued and eaten For whan the Iewys sayd how can he geue vs his flesshe to eate He answered them with no sophims but with a very playn open tale tolde them they sholde neyther dystruste that he could on hys parte geue them his flesshe to eate nor yet refuse vppon theyr parte to eate it if euer they wolde be saued As though he wold say Maruayle you and mys truste you my word and aske how I can geue you mine own flesh to eate I wyll not tell you how I can geue it nor in what forme or fasshyon ye shall eate it but this I wyll tell you neyther in tropis allegories nor parables but euyn for a very playne trouth y e eate ye shall my very flessh in dede yf euer ye purpose to be saued ye and drynke my very bloude to For but yf you be content to eate and wyth a trewe fayth to eate the flessh of the sone of man and drynke hys bloude ye shall not haue lyfe in you But who so wyth a trewe well wurkynge fayth eateth my flesshe and drynketh my bloude he hath euerlastynge lyfe Not onely bycause he ys as sure to haue it whan the tyme shall come as though he had it all redy by reasoÌ„ of the promyse that Chryste here ma keth where he sayth And I shall re suscitate and rayse hym 〈◊〉 at the last day but also for that the very body of Cryste that he receyueth is very lyfe euerlastyng of it selfe and such a lyfe as to them that well wyll receyue it in trew fayth and purpose of good lyuynge it is the thynge that is able to gyue lyfe quyknesse euer lastynge For as the godhed is of his owne nature 〈◊〉 lyfe so is the flesshe ioyned in vnyte of person to the godhed by that immedyate coÌ„iunccyon and vnyte made bothe euer lastyng lyuely in it selfe and also euerlasting lyfe to the geuyng of life euerlastyngly to all other that well and wurthely receyue hym and wyll perseuer and abyde wyth hym For though euery maÌ„ here naturally dye for the whyle yet shall Chryst as he promyseth here reyse resuscytate hym agayne to euerlastynge lyfe in the laste daye The. xviii chapyter ANd to shew more and more that he meneth playnely of very eatynge and very drynkynge he sayth my flesshe is veryly meate my bloude is veryly drynke 〈◊〉 these wordes sayth saynt Cyril thus Chryste here declareth the dyfference agayne bytwene the mystycall benedyccyon that ys to wytte the blessed sacrament and manna and bytwene the water flowynge out of the stone and the coÌ„munioÌ„ of the holy bloude And thys he repeteth agayne to the entent they sholde no more merueyle of y e myracle of manna but that they sholde rather receyue hym whyche is the heuynly brede and the gyuer of eternall lyfe your father 's sayd oure sauyour dyd eate maÌ„na in the desert and they be deade But thys brede is descended from heuyn that a man sholde eate therof and not dye For the meate of manna brought not eter nall lyfe but a short remedy agaynst hunger And therfore manna was not the very meate that is to wytte manna was not the brede from heuen but the holy body of Chryst that ys the meate that noryssheth to immortalyte and eternall lyfe ye sayth some man but they dranke water out of the stone But what wanne they by that for deade they be and therfore that was not y t very drynke but the very drynke ys the drynke of Chryste by whyche death ys vtterly turned vppe and destroyed For it ys not the bloude of hym that ys onely man but the bloude of that man whych beynge toyned to the naturall lyfe that ys to wytte the godhed ys made also lyfe hym selfe Therfore we be the body and the meÌ„bres of Chryste For by thys blessed sacrament we receyue the very sone of god hym selfe ¶ Here you se good readers that saynte Cyrillus playnely declareth here y t these wordes of Chryst My 〈◊〉 is veryly meate c. are spoken and ment of hys holy flesshe in the blessed sacrament of whyche mayster Masker in all hys exposycyon and in all his hole wyse wurke telieth vs playnely the contrary But saynte Cyrillus is here open and playne bothe for that poynte for the hole mater For who can more playnly declare any thyng thaÌ„ y t holy doctour declareth in these wordê y t in the blessed sacrameÌ„t is veryly eaten and dronken the very blessed body holy bloude of Chryst. And yet doth not saynt Cyrillus say it more opeÌ„ly than 〈◊〉 our sauyour in hys 〈◊〉 wordes hymselfe ¶ And now ferther to shewe that it must nedys be so that he whyche eateth hys flesshe drynketh his bloud muste nedes be resuscytate reysed agayne in body to euerlastynge lyfe our sauyour addeth therunto saith He that eateth my flesshe and drynketh my bloude dwelleth in me and I in hym Uppon whyche wordes also thus sayth holy saynt Cyrill ¶ Lyke as yl a man vnto molteÌ„ wex put other wex it can not be but that he shall thorow out mengle the tone wyth the tother so yf a man receyue the flesshe and the bloude of our lord worthely and as he 〈◊〉 it can not be but that he shall be so ioyned wyth Chryst as Chryst shal be wyth hym he wyth Chryst. ¶ Thus may you good readers se how veryly a man eateth in the sacra ment the 〈◊〉 body of Cryst and by that eatynge how eche of them is in other And than yf he so perseuer how can it be that that body shall haue euerlastynge deth in whych there is 〈◊〉 euerlastynge lyfe For as ye haue herd the body of Chryste is by the coÌ„iunccyon wyth his godhed made euerlastynge lyfe ¶ But this is ment as I saye and all the holy doctours do declare the same of them that receyue the sacrament not onely sacramentally but also effectually That is to wyt of them that not onely receyue the body of our sauyour by the sacrament into theyr bodyes
them But there is vndowtedly a certayne maner of eatynge that flesshe and drynkynge that bloude in whyche maner he that eateth it and drynketh it dwelleth in Cryste and Cryste in hym And therfore not who so euer eate the flesshe of Cryste and drynke hys bloude dwelleth in Cryste and Cryste in hym but he that eateth it and drynketh it after a certayne maner whyche maner Cryste saw whan he spake the wordes ¶ Here you se good readers that saint Austayn she weth that Iudas in the sacramēt receyued dyd eate y t body of Cryst and declareth also the very whole thyng that he meneth cō cernyng the vnderstandyng of this word of Crist He y t 〈◊〉 my flesh and drynketh my bloude dwelleth in me and I in hym that is to wyt they y u eate it in a certeyn maner by which he meneth they y t eat it wel in y t state of grace as he playnely declareth bothe in hys exposycyon vppon saint Iohn̄s gospel and many sundry pla ces bysyde ¶ And those that receyue hym other wyse with a fayned hart and in purpose of deadely synne they folo we Iudas and shortely shew them self For suche as they were wont to be such wyll they be styll or yet rather mych wurse if they were before veri nought And therfore sayth saynt Au stayn y t a mā to eate y e flesh of Crist is to dwell in Cryst to haue Cryst dwellyng in hym For he y t dwelleth not ī Crist wel declareth y t though he haue receyued eatē his flesh into his body by the sacramēt yet hath he not receyued eatē his spirit as I sayde into hys soule and therfore hath not receyued and eaten his fiesshe effectually but without theffecte of the spyryte and lyfe whiche is the thyng wherby the flesshe geuyth the lyfe and wythout whiche as our sauyour saith his flesh auayleth vs nothyng And so for lacke of the spyrytuall eatynge the flesshely eater of his flesh though he receyue the sacrament receyueth not theffecte of the sacramēt the thynge that the sacrament sygnyfyeth that is the partycypacyon of y e mystycall body of Chryste that is to wytte the chyrche and congregacyon of all sayntes whyche chyrch and cō gregacyon is gathered togyther as many mēbres into one body Cryste as the brede whyche our lorde in the sacramēt chaungeth into hys blessed body is one lose made of many gray nes of whete and the wyne whyche he chaungeth into his bloude is one cuppe of wine made of many grapes as thapostle declareth ¶ And veryly to be a quycke lyuely member of that body doth no man attayne that receyueth the sacrament without fayth and purpose of good lyfe but waxeth a more weke membre a more lame more astonied and more losely hangynge theron than he dyd before and by suche often receyuynge so rotteth more and more that finally it falleth quyte of and is cast out into the dunghyll of hell and shal neuer be resuscytate reysed agayne to be made a membre of that body in glory ¶ But as saynt Austayne sayth yf a man after the receyuynge of the sacrament do dwell siyll in god that is to wytte abyde and perseuer in trew fayth and good wurkes than is it a good synge and token that he hath effectually eaten the flessh of Cryst in the blessed sacrament And therupon muste it nedes good crysten reader folow y t he that receyueth the blessed sacramēt well eateth therin y e flesh of Cryst not onely veryly whyche euery man doth good bad but also which onely the good foske do effec tually so dwelleth in Cryste and Cryste in hym perseuerauntly that man or woman without dowt it must nedes be that they can neuer euerlastyngly dye but Cryst dwellyng in them shall conserue theyr soules and resuscytate agayn theyr bodyes that so dwell in hym into euerlastynge lyfe The. xix chapyter 〈◊〉 the surety and vnfallyble profe wherof our sauiour said forth with vpō his worde afore remē bred forther vnto the Jewes as the lyuynge father sent me so also do I lyue for my father And he that eateth me shall lyue also for me ¶ The father of heuyn beynge the orygynall substaunce of lyfe before all begynnyng begate hys coeternall sone and gaue vnto hym his owne whole substaūce therfore his own whole lyfe as to hym whome he begate one equale god wyth hym selfe in nothynge dyfferent but in onely persone ¶ The father I saye gaue all hys owne whole lyfe to his sone and yet none therof from hym self And ther fore sayth our sauyour Cryste that hym selfe lyueth for or by his father And so y t man saith he that eateth me shall lyue thorow me For syth that by the very eatyng of hys very blessed body the eater but yf hym selfe be the let is ioyned wyth the flesshe of Chryst as holy saynt Cyrill hath declared and therby with that holy spyryt of hys also whyche from that holy flesshe is vnseparable and so ioyned vnto the very substaunce of lyfe that is lyfe and geueth lyfe to he can not but lyue thorow Chryste ¶ 〈◊〉 this our sauyour fynally for conclusyon telleth them that this brede also is come frō heuyn sayeng Thys is the brede that is descended from heuyn Not meanynge that his flesshe was fyrst in heuē and so sent downe from thense as some heretyhes haue ere this holden an opynyō but that hys body was in the blessed virgyn hys mother by the heuynly obumbracyon of the holy goste And also syth hys godhed and hys manhed were ioyned and knytte togyther in very vnite of person our sauyour vsed that maner of spekynge by the tone that he vsed by the tother And therfore as he sayde vnto Nichodemus the sone of man descēded from heuyn so sayth he here of hys flessh this is the brede that is descended frō heuyn ¶ And bycause that the Iewys had in the begynnynge of this cōmunicacyon bosted vnto hym the brede of manna bryngynge forth for y e preyse therof the wordes of the prophete Thou hast geuyn them brede from heuyn Our lord here shewed theym that thys brede that he wolde geue them to eate that is to wyt his owne very flesshe as hym self very playnely declared them is of an other ma ner descēded down frō heuen thā the manna whose descendynge from heuyn they in the begynnynge bosted so And therfore he sayd Thys is the brede that is descended from heuyn not as your fathers dyd eate manna are dede He that eateth thys bred shall lyue for euer As though he wold say This is another maner of brede otherwyse come from heuyn than manna was that ye boste of so For that bred was gyuen you but for the sustenaunce of the lyfe in thys worlde but this brede y t is myne own body conceyued by the holy goost in vnyte of person ioyned wyth my godhed as verily as it is ioyned with myne
own soule is another maner of heuynly brede and shal be gyuen you to eate for another maner of purpose For manna that was geuen your fathers to eate for the onely sustinaūce of theyr tēporall lyfe was but a fygure of this brede thus geuyn you to eate as I shal begyn to geue it at my maūdy souper the maner wherof I wyll not tell you now And therfore as the figure or y e shadow of a thyng is farre fro the propertye of y e thyng it selfe so was the brede of manna farre fro the propertye of this brede y t is my flesshe For lyke wyse as bycause it was a fygure of thys brede that is very lyfe it serued for the sus stynaunce of lyfe so bycause it was but a fygure and not the very lyfe it selfe it serued therfore not to geue lyfe but to sustayne life not for euer but for a whyle But this brede that is my flesshe whyche I shall geue you as veryly to eate as euer your fathers dyd eate manna bycause it is not the fygure onely of the thynge that is lyfe but is also by cōiuncciō with the godhed the very lyfe it self that was figured I shall geue it you to eat in such a maner that it shal not onely mayntayn fede and sustayne the body of the eater in thys present lyfe but it shall also gyue lyfe ye that euersastynge lyfe in glory not onely to y e soule but also to the body to in tyme mete and conuenyent raysynge it vy agayne from deth and settynge it wyth the soule in eternall lyfe of euerlastynge blysse The. xx chapyter THys communycacyon wyth the Hewys had our lorde techynge in the synagoge at Caparnaū And many therfore of hys dyscyples herynge these thynger sayde Thys word is hard and who can here hym ¶ The more and more that our sauyour playnely tolde them that he wolde geue them hys very fsesshe to eate the more and more meruelouse harde they thought his sayenge and rekened that it was impossyble for any man to byleue it And therfore for lacke of bylyefe they loste the profyt And these that thus thought thys mater so meruelouse harde and straunge that they wolde not byleue but for lacke of bylyefe lost the profyte were not onely such Iewes as were his enemies but many of those also that were his owne dyscyples ¶ But oure sauyour knowynge in hym selfe as he that was god and neded no man to tell hym that hys dyscyples murmured at his wordes bycause he tolde them so often and so playnely that men shold haue no life but yf they wolde be content veryly to eate hys owne flessh he sayd vnto them Doth thys offende you do you stumble at thys what than yf you shall se the sone of man ascende vppe where as he was before The spyryt is that that quyckeneth the flessh auayleth nothing The wordes that I haue spoken to you be spirit lyfe ¶ In these 〈◊〉 our lorde 〈◊〉 tely to 〈◊〉 all theyr objectyōs gro wynge vpon theyr infydelyte also confuteth theyr infidelyte and in hys word after folowyng putteth them yet agayne in mynde of the medicine y t might remoue theyr vnfaithfulnes geue them the very fast fayth ¶ The Iewes had byfore murmu red agaynst that that he had sayde y t he was descēded frō heuyn Agaynst whiche they sayd Is not he the sone of Ioseph whose father and mother we know And how sayth he thā that he is descended from heuyn And a great pyece of theyr murmure therin arose as ye se vppon that poynt that they had mysse conceyued wenyng y t Joseph had ben his father For had they beleued that his māhed had ben conceyued by y e holy goste they wold haue murmured y t lesse And had they byleued y t his godhed had descēded in to it from heuyn they wold not haue murmured at all ¶ In Lyke wise they murmured at the secūd poynt in that he shewed thē so playnely y t he wold geue them his very flesshe to be theyr very mete sayd how can he gyue vs his flesh to eate And many of his dysciples sayd also this is an hard word who may here hym And a great parte of theyr murmure was bycause they thought that they shold haue eaten his fleshe in y e self fseshly forme bycause as sa it Austayn saith in sundry 〈◊〉 y t they thought they shold haue eaten his fleshe in dede gobbettes cut out piecemele as the meat is cut out in y e shamelles also bycause they knew him not to be god For had thei knowē that the maner in whyche he wolde geue them hys very flesshe to eate shold not be in the self same fleshelp forme but in the pleasaunt forme of brede though they wolde yet haue meruayled bycause they woide haue thought it wonderfull yet wold they haue murmured the lesse bycause they wold not haue thought it lothely But thā had they ferther knowē that he had ben god than wolde they not I suppose haue murmured at the mater at all For I wene veryly that there were neyther of those disciples nor of those Iewes neyther any one so euyll as now be mayster Masker fryth hys felowes that seynge the receyuyng nothynge lothesome and byleuynge that Cryst was god yf they byleue it wyll not yet byleue he can do it but murmur grudg agaynst it styll ¶ For though mayster Masker say that yf Cryst sayd he wold do it than hym selfe wold byleue he could do it yet it shall appere ere we part both that Cryst sayth it And he wyll not byleue that Cryst though he say it meneth it And also that the cause why he wyll not byleue that Cryste meneth it is bycause he byleueth that god can not do it ¶ But now sayd our sauyour vnto them in answerynge all thys gere Do you stumble at thys what yf ye se the sone of man ascende vp where he was before what wyl you thā say For than could they haue no cause to distruste that he descended downe whan they shold se hym ascende vp For that thynge semeth in mennys madde eyen suche as they were that wolde not take hym but for a man farre the gretter maystry of the both ¶ Also whan they sholde se hym ascende vp to heuyn whole than sholde they well perceyue that they mysse toke hym by a false imagynacyon of theyr owne deuyce whan they constre wed the geuynge of hys fleshe to eate as though he ment to gyue it thē in such wyse as hym selfe shold lose all that they sholde eate ¶ And whan he sayde they sholdse the sone of man ascend vp there as he was byfore he gaue them agayne a sygnyfycacyō that hym selfe y e sone of man was the sone of god also and therby hym selfe god also into the worlde comen and descended from heuyn ¶ In these wordes our sauyour she weth that his ascensyō shold be a
bode them abyde as though he had nede of theyr abydyng but onely asked theym whyther they wolde go or not sygnifyeng that for all theyr 〈◊〉 they were in the liberty of theyr owne fre wyll eyther to go after the tother or to abide styll wyth hym Than answered Simon Peter and sayd Lord to whom shall we go Thou hast the wordes of euerlastynge lyfe And we byleue and know that thou arte Chryst the sone of god As though he wolde saye yf we loue lyfe to whom sholde we go fro the For onely thou hast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of lyfe onely but also of life euer lastynge for all thy wordes and thy doctryne drawe men therto And we byleue and by bylyef we know that thou art Cryst the very sone of god And therby we knowe that thou arte not onely very man but also very god And we perceyue well therfore that thou arte the brede that is descen ded from heuen and that thou shalt ascende thyder agayne and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou arte able and of power to geue vs that meruelouse meate of thyn owne holy fleshe to eate And that thou so wylt do we byleue and wote well bycause thou so doste promyse And we perceyue well y t thou wylt not geue it vsin dede gobbettes that could not auayle vs but alyue with thyne holy spyryte y e fouÌ„tayne of lyfe wherby thy fleshe shall geue vs yf we wyll eate it euerlastynge lyfe whan thou shalt resuscytate our bodyes in the last day But in what meruelouse maner thou wylt geue it vs to eate that haste thou not yet declared vs nor we wyll not be to boldely curyouse or inquisytyue of thy meruelouse mistery But therin abyde the tyme of thyne own determy nacyon as to whose hyghe heuynly wysedome the season mete and 〈◊〉 is open and knowen and vn knowen to mortall men And we wyl therfore obedyently receyue it eate it at what tyme and in what wyse y t thy gracyouse pleasure shal be to coÌ„maunde vs. ¶ Whan saynt Peter as hed vnder Cryst of that coÌ„pany had made this answere not onely for hym selfe but also for them all not sayenge I but we our lorde to lette hym se that he was somwhat deceyued had sayed more than he coulde make good For one false shrew was there yet styll remaynynge amonge the twelue wherof xi were not ware our sauyour therfore sayd Haue not I chosen you twelue of you twelue yet is there one a deuell Thys he spake by Iudas Iskariot the sone of Simon for he it was that shold 〈◊〉 hym beyng one of the twelue ¶ Our lorde here good 〈◊〉 she wed hym selfe not deceyued For though Iudas falsed was vnknoweÌ„ to his felowes yet was it not vnkno weÌ„ to hys mayster which though he shewed hym selfe not ignoraunt of hys seruauntes 〈◊〉 mynde traytorouse purpose towarde his owne persone to warde whych purpose as it semeth Iudas hart had at thys tyme conceyued some inclinacyon yet had he pacyence with hym and continually dyd vse y e wayes to reforme and amende hym neuer castyng hym out tyll he clerely caste out hym self accordynge to the sayenge of our sauiour He that cometh to me I wyll not caste hym out The. xxiiii chapyter BUt here do many men 〈◊〉 not onely that our sauyour wold heye hym so longe knowynge hym so false but also that he wolde take hym to him for his 〈◊〉 in the begynnyng fore knowynge by 〈◊〉 godhed from the begynnynge that he wolde after be false And dyuerse holy doctours hold also that he was neuer trew nor good but nought and false fro the begynnyng And in this mater wherof god hath not so fully 〈◊〉 vnto men the certeynte that we be preasely bounden to the 〈◊〉 of eyther other parte euery man ys at lybertye to byleue whyther parte that hym selfe thynketh moost lykely by naturall reason and scripture ¶ And therfore though some good holy men and sayntes haue thought that Iudas was neuer good but y t our sauyour toke hym to his apostle and so kepte hym in all hys masyee styll for thaccomplysshement of the great mystery of hys passyon well vsyng therby y e euyll of man as 〈◊〉 euyll vseth the goodnes of god yet thynketh me that as Theophylactê° sayth and saynt Cyrill saint Chrisostome to Iudas was ones very good whan our lorde dyd chese hym for his apostle and was at that tyme geuyn vnto Cryst by his father For profe wherof that godly cunnynge 〈◊〉 M. 〈◊〉 well bryngeth in y e wordes of our sauyour hym selfe sayenge to his father a lytle after his maundye finished Them that thou haste geuen vnto me I haue kepte none of them hath perysshed but the 〈◊〉 of perdycyoÌ„ Which he ment by Iudas beyng than yet alyue in body by nature but dede in soule by dedely synne Hym our lord toke vnto hym for hys apostle whyle he was good and not of the comen sorte of good men but also very specyall good as these holy doctours do diuine gesse ¶ And though Cryste foresaw the wrechednes that he wolde after fall to yet wolde he not forbere y e ryght order of iustyce but take hym in such degre for the tyme as hys present goodnes of good congrueÌ„s deserued For beynge at that tyme more mete for thoffyce of an apostle thaÌ„ another maÌ„ if Cryst shold haue reiected him as vnworthy vnmete for the fawt y t hym self knew he wold after do to ward which fawte he was at y t tyme nothynge mynded thaÌ„ shold he haue reproched hym at suche tyme as he was not worthy to be reproched And than were it some what lyke as yf a man bycause he maketh hym selfe very sure that hys wyfe and hys chylderne wyll one tyme or other not fayle to dysplease hym afterwarde at some one tyme or other be angry therfore wyth theÌ„ all 〈◊〉 them and bete them byfore Our sauyour therfore whan Iudas was very good after suche rate of goodnesse as is in mortall men toke hym and promoted hym to the offyce and dygnyte of hys owne apostle after that order of iustyce by whych he re wardeth one man aboue another after the rate of theyr merytes and yet euery man of them all farre aboue al hys merytes ¶ Now whan he was afterwarde thorow couetyce waxed nought yet our lorde kepte hym styll and wolde not by takynge hys offyce from hym dysclose his secrete falsed and putte hym to shame but vsed many other meanes to mende hym and kepe ther with the honestye of hys name not lettynge to procure hys amendemeÌ„t on hys parte though he well knewe the wreche wolde neuer amende vppon hys parte ¶ But lyke wyse as though a man haue an incurable syknes it yet becoÌ„meth the physycyon all the tyme that he lyueth therwyth to do hys parte styll to ward the curynge therof so bycame it our saunour to do it as he dyd and not to leue of
harte so sure but that with hys good hope he shall all waye couple some feare as a brydyll abytte to refrayne and pull hym backe leste he fall to myschyefe and folow Iudas in falshed waxe a deuyll as Cryst called hym Whyche name our sauyour gaue him not without good cause For y t deuyllys seruaūt sayth saynt Cyril is a deuyll to For lyke wyse as he y t is by godly vertues ioyned vnto god is one spyryt wyth god so he that is with deuylysshe vyces ioyned wyth the deuyll is one spyryte wyth hym ¶ And therfore good readers he y t in suche plyght receyueth the blessed sacrament wythout purpose of amen dement or wythout the fayth and by lyefe that the very flesshe bloude of Chryste is in it he receyueth as saynt Austayne sayth notwythstandyng his noughtynesse y e very fleshe and bloude of Cryst the very pryce of our redempciō But he receyueth them to hys harme as Iudas dyd eateth and drynketh hys owne iugement dampnacyon as sayth saynt Poule bycause he discerneth not our lordes body But who so doth on the tother syde whych I besech god we may all do caste out the deuyll hys wurkes by the sacrament of penaūce and than in the memory all remembraūce of Chrystes passyon receyue that blessed sacrament wyth tre we fayth and deuocyon wyth all honour and wurshyppe as to the reuerence of Crystes blessed person present in it apperteyneth they that so receyue the blessed sacrament verily receyue and eate the blessed body of Cryst that not onely sacramētally but also effectually not onely the fygure but the thynge also not onely his blessed fleshe in to theyr bodyes but also his holy spyryte into theyr soules by par tycypacyon wherof he is incorporate in them they in hym be made lyuely membres of his mysticall body the congregaciō of all sayntes of which theyr soules shall yf they perseuer attayne y e fruit fruicyō clene pure onys purged after thys transytory lyfe and theyr flesh also shall Cryst resuscytate vnto the same glory as hym selfe hath promysed Of whych hys gracyous promyse hys hyghe grace and goodnesse so vouche saue to make vs all perteners thorow the merytes of hys bytter passyō Amē ¶ And thus ende I good readers my fyrst boke conteynyng thexposycyon of those wordes in the syxte cha pyter of saynte Iohn̄ wherby you may bothe perceyue by these myndes of holy sayntes whose wordes I bryng forth the trewth of our fayth concernynge the blessed body bloud of Chryst veryly eaten in the blessed sacrament and may also perceyue and controlle the wyly false folyshe exposycyon of mayster Masker to the contrary suche as haue hys boke and they be not a fewe And yet that all men may se that I neyther blame hym for nought nor bylye hym I shall in my secunde boke she we yous as I promysed some part of hys fawte both in falshed and in foly his own wordes therwyth Here endethe the fyrste boke The secunde boke The. i. chapyter I haue good reders ī my fyrst boke here before perused you thexposicyon of all that part of y e syxte chapyter of saynte Iohn̄ which mayster Masker hath expowned you before And in the begynnyng of thys exposicyō I haue not brought you forth the worde of any of the olde expositours bycause y t as I suppose myne 〈◊〉 wyll not mych 〈◊〉 tende wyth me for so farre But afterwarde concernyng those wordes in which our sauyour expressely speketh of the geuyng of his very flesh bloud to be veryly eaten drōken there haue I brought you forth such authorytees of olde holy doctours sayntes y t ye may well se bothe that I fayne you not the mater but expowne it you ryght also ye se therby clerely that mayster Masker expowneth it wrong For though a man may dyuersly expoune one texte and bothe well yet whan one expowneth it in one trewe maner of a false purpose to exclude another trouth that is in that wrytynge by the spyryte of god 〈◊〉 and immedyately ment his exposvcyon is false all though euery worde were trewe as mayster Mas kers is not ¶ And therfore syth you se myne ex posycion proued you by excellēt holy men and by theyr playne wordes ye perceyue that the wordes of our sauyour hym self do proue agaynst all these 〈◊〉 the catholyke fayth of Crystes catholyke chyrche very faythfull and tre we concernyng the very flesshe of Cryste veryly eaten in the blessed sacrament of whyche eatynge mayster Masker wold with his exposycyon make men so madde as to wene y t Cryst spake nothynge at all now I say by thys exposycyō of myne ye se his exposycyō auoyded clerely for nought and all the mater clere vpon our parte though no man wrote one worde more ¶ And yet wyll I for all that for y t ferther declaracyon of mayster Mas kers handelynge she we you some peices of thexposycyō in specyall by whych ye maye clerely se what credence may be geuē to the man eyther for honesty or lernynge vertue 〈◊〉 or trouth The. ii chapyter IN the begynnynge of the second lefe of hys boke these are mayster Maskers wordes ¶ Consyder what thys meate is whyche he bad thē here prepare and seke fore sayenge worke take paynes and seke for that meate c. and thou 〈◊〉 se it no nother meate than the bylyefe in chryst Wherfore he concludeth that thys meate so often mencyoned is fayth Of the whyche meat sayth the prophete the iufte lyueth Fayth in hym is therfore the meate whiche chryst prepareth and dresseth so purely powderynge and spycyng it wyth spyrytual allegoryes in all thys chapyter folowynge to geue vs euerlasiynge lyfe thorow it ¶ I wyll not laye these wordes to hys charge as heresye but I wylbe bolde by hys lycence to note in them a lytle lacke of wytte and some good store of foly For though a man may well and wyth good reasō call fayth a meate of mannys soule yet is it great foly to saye that the meate that Chryst speketh of here ys as mayster Masker sayth it is none other meate but fayth ¶ For mayster Masker maye playnely se and is not I suppose so poore blynde but that he seeth well in dede that the meate whych Cryst speketh of here is our sauyour Cryste hym selfe Whyche thynge he so playnely speketh that no man can mysse to per ceyue it whan he saith I am my self the brede of lyfe And whan he sayth I am the lyuely brede that am descen ded frō heuyn he that eateth of this brede shall lyue for euer And whā he sayth also That y e meat shold be hys owne fleshe whyche promyse he performed after at his maundye whych thynge he tolde them playne in these wordes And the brede which I shall geue you is my flesshe And he that eateth my flesshe and drynketh my bloude hath euerlastyng lyfe and I shall
chrysten are bounden to obaye his preceptes But yet that we sholde be not onely by loue but also in very dede turned in to y t flesh of his that thyng is done by the meate that his lyberalyte hath gyuen vs. For whyle he lon ged to declare and expresse hys loue that he bore towarde vs he hath by his owne body mengled hym selfe wyth vs and hath made hym selfe one wyth vs that the body sholde be vned with the hedde For that is the greateste thynge that louers longe for that is to wytte to be if it were possyble made both one And that thynge lygnyfyed Iob of hio seruaūtes of whom he was most hartely beloued which to expresse the vehemēt loue that they bare towarde hym sayde who coulde gyue vs the gyfte that we myghte haue oure bodyes euyn fulfylled with hys flesshe whyche thynge Chryst hath done for vs in dede bothe to th entent to bynd vs in the more feruent loue towarde hym and also to declare the feruent loue and desyre that hym selfe bare towarde vs. And therfore hath he not onely suffered hym selfe to be sene or loked vppon by them that desyre and longe for hym but also to be touched and eaten and the very teth to be infyxed into his flesshe and all folke to be fulfylled in the desyre of hym Frō goddes borde therfore let vs ryse like lions that blew out fyre at the mouth suche as the denyll maye be aferde to beholde vs let vs consyder Chryst our hed what a loue he hath shewed vs. The fathers and the mothers oftentymes put out theyr chyldren to other folke to nurse But I may our sauyour say nuryshe fede my chyldren with myne owne flesshe I geue them here myne own selfe so fauour I them all And suche greate hope I geue theym all agayne the tyme that shall come For he that in suche wyse gyueth vs hym selfe in this lyfe here mych more wyll he gyue vs hym selfe in the lyfe that is to come I longed sayd our lorde to be your brother And for your sakes I haue communycated and made comen vnto you my flesh and my bloud The thynges by whyche I was ioyned with you those thynges haue I exhybyted agayne and geuen to you y t is to saye the very fleshe and bloude by which I was made natural man with you that same haue I in the sacrament ex hybyted geuen agayne vnto you Thys bloud causeth y e kinges image to floure in vs. This bloude wyl not suffre the bewty and the noblynes of of the soule whych it euer watereth nuryssheth to wyther or fade fall The bloud that is made in vs of our other comen meate is not by and by bloude but before it be bloude it ys somwhat ellys But this bloude of Chryst out of hande watereth y e soule with a certayne meruelouse myght and strength seasoneth it by and by This mystycall or sacramētall bloud that is to saye thys bloud of Christ in the sacrament dryueth the deuyls farre of and bryngeth to vs not angellys onely but the lorde of all angellys to The deuyls whan they by holde and se the bloud of Chryst with in vs they fle larre from vs and the angellys runne as faste towarde vs. ¶ And yet saynt Chrysostome ceaceth not wyth all thys but goth forth with a lenger processe declaryng the great benefyte of this bloud both by the shedyng on the crosse and by the receyuyng in the sacrament whyche whole processe I shall peraduenture hereafter in some other place reherse ¶ But for this mater good chrysten readers thus mych dothe more then suffyse For by lesse than this ye may more than playnely perceyue that thys olde holy doctour saynt Chryso stom manyfestely declareth sheweth that our sauyour in those wordes that he spake to the Iewes mencyoned in the syxte chapyter of saynte Iohst veryly spake and ment of the very eatynge of his flesshe whyche thynge he promysed there and which promyse he performed after at hys maundy whan he there instituted the blessed sacrament The. x. chapyter ANd nowe good readers to fynyshe at laste this mater of may ster Maskers agaynste my secunde argument whyche he calleth my fyrste bycause my fyrste is suche as he is lothe to loke vppon I retorne ones agayne to mayster maskers two sore captyouse questyons and lykewise as he hath asked theym of me and I haue as you se so well auoyded his gynnys and his grinnes and all his trymtrams that he hathe not yet trayned me into no trappe of myne owne as you se him solēpnely boste so wyll I now be bolde to aske of hym fyrst whyther saynt Chri sostome here ye and saynt Austayne to and saynte Cyrille saynte Bede saynte Nyreneus and saynt Nilary were of the mynde that thapostles vnderstode theyr mayster Chry stes wordes whan he sayd And the brede that I shall gyue you is my fleshe c. And my flesh is very meate c. And I tell you very trouth except you eate the flesh of y t sone of man c. ¶ If mayster masker answer me to thys questyon naye or no than shall he make me bolde to answere y e same to hym For than shall he not fere me wyth his owne sayenge that the gospell sayth contrary in the syxte chapyter of saynte 〈◊〉 yf he graunte and confesse hym selfe that all those holy doctours saye therin agaynste his owne sayenge whyche amonge them all vnderstode that gospell as well as hym selfe alone ye though he take Fryth and frere Nuyskyn to hym to And therfore yf he answere naye or no than is he quyte ouerthrowen as you se and his secunde questyon quyte gone to for than can he neuer come to it ¶ Now on the tother syde yf he answere me ye or yes than se good readers wherto mayster Masker bryngeth hym self euyn to be taken in his owne trappe For than he marreth all hys mater For syth you se clerely good readers that all these holy doctours and sayntes openly do declare by theyr playne worde which your selfe haue here all redy herde that Chryste in those worde veryly spake and ment of the very eatynge of his very flesshe in dede it muste nedes folow agaynste mayster Maskers mynde in the earys the hartes of al such as byleue better al those holy doctours than hym that this is the ryght vnderstandynge of Chrystes wordes and that thapostles yf they vnderstode his wordes vnderstode them after the same fashyon that is to wyt that he spake ment of y e very eatyng of his very flesh in ded And so serueth hym his secunde questyon of nought For the cause why they meruaysed not in any murmurynge maner was bycause they byleued it well at theyr maysters word whych mayster masker doth not and y e cause why therwere not by by curyouse inquisitiue was asyou haue herd saīt Chrysostome declare ' bycause they were meke and obedyent and not so
at ones and essencyally fyl the place not by hys owne almyghtye power but by the almyghty power of god and yet not so fyll the place neyther but that yt maye haue a nother wysh yt in the same place For I trowe he wyl not denye but that there be many creatures in those places whyche god wyth his owne presence essencyally fylleth full ¶ Therefore as for these wordes ofter the sayde maner whyche he putteth in to make vs amased mayster Maskar must put out again Now y t being put out reherse cōsyder wel master maskars argument what thynge so euer is in euery place at ones that thynge muste nedes be infynyte with out begynnynge and ende it must be one and alone and almyghty which propretyes are appropryed to the gloryouse maiestie of the godhed But the manhed of Chryste is a cre ature and not god ergo Chrystes manhed can not be in all places or in many places at ones And yet consyder here that though he leue oute that odyouse worde yet muste his cōclusyon be indede that god cā not make yt so as you se plain by his begynnyng where he she weth that yt implyeth repugnaunce that therfore god can not do yt ¶ Now good readers consyder wel his fyrste proposycyon whyche we call the maior that is to wyt that god can not make any thynge created to be euery where at ones Let vs pray hym to proue yt and geue hym one yeres leysour to yt But here he taketh vppon hym to proue yt and layeth for the reason that god cā not make any creature to be in all places at ones bycause yt shold than be infynyte and therby god almyghties mate and hygh felow Lette hym as I say proue vs this in two yere that yt sholde than be infynyte wythoute begynnynge and wythout ende and almyghty In good fayth eyther am I very dull or elles doth mayster Maskar tel vs here in a very madde tale ¶ I thynke he wyll not denye but that god whyche coulde make all this worlde heuen and erthe and all the creatures y t he created therin coulde yf yt so had pleased hym haue created onely one man and let all the remanaunt alone vncreated and haue kept hym styll and neuer haue made heuen nor erth nor none other thyng but onely that one man alone The soule nowe that than hadde ben crea ted in that man hadde yt not than ben in all places at ones I suppose yes For there hadde bene no mo places than that mannys bodye and therein hadde there ben many placesin many diuerse partes of the man in all why che that soule sholde haue bene present at ones and the whole soule in euery parte of all those places at ones For so is euery soule in euery mannes bodye nowe And yet hadde that soule not ben infynyte no more than euery soule is now ¶ If god wolde nowe as yf he wolde he coulde create a newe spyryte that sholde fulfyll all the whole worlde heuyn and erthe and all as myche as euer ys created that in suche wyse sholde be whole present at ones in euery parte of the worlde as the soule is in euery parte of a man and yet sholde not be the soule of the worlde I wyll here aske may ster Maskar were that newe created spyryte infynyte If he answere me naye than hathe he soyled hys owne wyse reason hym selfe For thanne no more were the manhed of Chryste though yt were present in all those places of the whole world at ones If he answere me ye than syth that spyryte were no more infynyte than the worlde ys wyth in the lymytes and boundes wherof yt were conteyned yt wolde folowe therof that the worlde were infynyte all redye whyche is false And also yf yt were trewe thanne wold yt folow by mayster Maskers reason that god almyghtye hadde a mache all redy that is to wyt a nother thyng infynyte besyde hym self whyche is the inconuenience that ma keth mayster Maskar afferme yt for impossyble that god coulde make Chrystes manhed to be in all places at ones ¶ Thus you se good readers vpon what wyse grounde mayster Maskar hath here concluded that god can not make Chrystes bodye to be in all places at ones ¶ But yet is yt a worlde to consyder how madly the man concludeth His conclusion is this ye wote wel Wherfore Chrystes body can not be in all places or in many places at ones All his reason ye wote well goth vppon beynge in all places at ones bycause that theruppon wolde yt by his wyse reason folowe that yt shold be infynyte And nowe is that poynte of trouthe no parte of our mater For we saye not that Chrystes bodye is in all places at ones but in heuyn and in suche places as the blessed sacramente ys And therfore where as his reason goeth nothynge agaynste beynge in many places at ones but onely agaynste beynge at ones in all places he concludeth sodaynely agaynste beynge in many places towarde whyche conclusyon no pyece of his premisses hadde any maner of mocyon And so in all this his hygh solemne argument and his farre fet reason neyther is his maior trew nor his argumēt toucheth not the mater nor his premysses any thynge proue his conclusyon And yet after thys goodly reasonyng of his he reioyceth in his harte hyghly to se how iolyly he hathe handeled yt and sayeth Here yt is playne that all thynges that More yma gyneth and fayneth are not possyble to god For yf ys not possyble to god to make a creature egall to hym selfe for yt includeth vepugnaunce and 〈◊〉 teth hys glorye ¶ Mayster maskar speketh myche of myne vnwryten dremys and vanytees But here haue we hadde a wryten dreme of hys and therein this folyshe boste also so ful of vayn gloryouse vanytie that yf I hadde dremed yt in a fyt of a feuer I wold I wene haue ben a shamed to haue tolde my dreme to my wyfe when I woke And nowe shall you good readers haue here a nother pyece as proper God promysed and swore that all nacyons shuld be blessed in the deth of that promysed sede whych was Chryste god had determyned and decreed yt before the world was made ergo Cryste must nedys haue dyed and to expowne this worde oportet as More mynseth it For it was so necessary that the contrary was impossyble excepte More wolde make god a 〈◊〉 whyche is impossyble Paule concludeth that Cryst must nedes haue dyed vsynge this latin terme Necesse Sayeng where so euer is a testyment there muste the deth of the testyment makes go betwene or essys the testament is not ratyfyed and sure but ryghtuousnes and remyssyon of synnes in Chrystes blood is his new testamēt wherof he is medyatour 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 maker muste nedes haue dyed Wreste not therfore mayster More this word opor tet though ye synde potest for oportet in some corrupte copy vnto your vnsauery sence But let oportet sygnyfye
and ouer that hath by many wonderfull myracles many festly proued testyfyed that thopinions in which Fryth obstynately ther with very folishly dyed were very pesrylent here syes wherby he is ê‘petually seuered froÌ„ the lyuely body of Chryst and made a ded meÌ„ber of the deuyll I byleue therfore and very surely knowe as a thynge taught me by god that the wreched body of that felow shall neuer be in two placs at onys but whaÌ„ it shall ryse agayne and be restored to that wreched obstynate soule shall ther with lye styll euer more in one place that is to wyt in theuerlastyng fyre of hell From whych I beseche our lorde turne Tyndale George Iay wyth all the whole bretherhed and mayster Masker amonge other who so euer he be by tyme. ¶ Now vpon his aforesard suche a proper handeled mocke as you haue herde mayster masker goeth on and geueth me ryght holsom admonicyoÌ„ that I medle no more with such hygh maters as is the great absolute almyghty power of god therin thus he sayth vnto me Syr you be to bysy wyth goddes almyghty power and haue taken to great a burden vppon your weke shuldren The. xvii chapyter HEre he sholde haue rehersed what one worde I had sayd of goddes almyghty power in whyche worde I was to bysy Rede my letter ouer and you shall clerely se that I saye nothynge ellys but that god is almyghty that he therfore may do all thynge And yet as you shall here mayster Masker hym selfe confesse I sayed not that god coulde do thynges that imply repugnaunce But I sayd that some thynges may seme repugnaunt vnto vs which thynges god seeth how to sette togyther well inough Be these wordê good reader ouer hyghly spoken of godde almighty power May not a pore vnserned man be bolde to saye that god is able to do so myche And yet for sayeng thus mych sayth mayster Masker that I am to besy and haue taken to great a burden vppon my weke sholdren and haue ouer faded my selfe with myne owne harneyse and wepons many gaye wor des mo to vttre his eloquence with all But mayster Masker vn the tother syde is not hym selfe to bysy at all with goddes almyghty power in affermynge that god hath not the power to make hys owne blessed body in many places at onys Hys myghty stronge sholdren take not to mych weyght vppon them whan in stede of omnypotent he proueth god impotent and that by suche impotent argumentes as you se your selfe so shamefully haste that neuer sambe cryple y t lay impotent by y e wallys in crepyng out vnto a dole halted halfe so sore But than goth he ferther for the prayse of yonge Dauyd sayth you haue ouerladen your selfe wyth your owne harneyse and weapons and yonge Dauyd is lyke to preuayse agaynst you wyth hys slynge his stone ¶ As for mayster Maskers yonge mayster Dauyd who so loke vppon his fyrst treatice my letter together shall sone se y t his sfing and his stone be beten both about hys earys And whaÌ„ so euer his new sling his new stone which is as I nowe here saye very lately come ouer in prent come onys into my handes I shall turne his slynge into a cokste we his stone into a fether for any harine that it shal be able to do but yf it be to suche as wyllyngely wyll putte out theyr owne eyen to whych they neuer nede neyther stone nor slynge but wyth a fether they maye do it and they be so madde ¶ But an heuy thynge it is to here of his yonge folyshe Dauyd that hath thus wyth his stone of stobburnesse stryken out his owne brayne with the slynge of hys heresyes slon gen hym selfe to the 〈◊〉 ¶ yet mayster Masker can not seue me thus but on he goth ferther in his 〈◊〉 rethoryke thus he sayth God hath infatuated your hygh subtyll wy sdome your crafty conuayaunce is espyed God hath sent your chyrche a mete couer for suche a cuppe euyn such a defender as you take your selfe to be that shall lette all theyr whole cause fall flatte in the myre vnto bothe your shames and vtter confusyon God therfore be praysed euer amen The. xviii chapyter AS for wysdome I wyll not coÌ„ pare wyth mayster Masker therin nor wolde waxe myche the prowder in good faythe though menne wolde saye that I had more wytte than he I praye god sende vs bothe a sytell more of his grace and make vs bothe good ¶ But where as he iesteth concernynge my defence of the chyrch who so loke my bokes thorow shall fynde that the chyrch in the treuth of whose catholyke fayth concernynge the bles sed sacrameÌ„t I wryte agaynst fryth and Tyndale and mayster Masker and such false heretykes mo is none other chyrch but the trewe catholyke chyrche of Cryst the whole congregacyoÌ„ of al trew chrysten nacyoÌ„s of whyche chyrche I take not my selfe to be any specyall defender how be it to defende it is in dede euery good mannys parte And as for hytherto the thynges that I haue wryten are I thanke god stronge inough to stand as it is playnely pued agaynst all these heretykes y t haue wrestsed therwith wherof they coulde neuer yet ouerthro we one lyne and no man more shamefully sowsed in y e myre than mayster Masker here hym self that bosteth his victory while he fieth in the dyrte But the catholyke chyrche hath another maner defender thaÌ„ is any erthely man For it hath god hym selfe therin and his holy spyryt permanent and abydyng by Crystes own promise to defende it froÌ„ falshed vnto th ende of the worlde And therfore it can not fall flatte in the myre but god maketh heretykes fall flatte in the fyre ¶ Yet to th entent good readers that you sholde well se that I lefte not vnto wched the point of repugnauÌ„ce with whych mayster Masker hath al this whyle set out his hygh solempn reason agaynst godde almyghtynes hym selfe she weth here at laste that of repugnauÌ„ce I dyd speke my self Now be it in dede somwhat more moderately than he as ye shall not onely perceyue by the wordes of my letter but also by the wordê of mayster Masker hym selfe whyche be these Then sayth maister More though it semeth repugnaunt bothe to hym and to me one body to be in two places at onys yet god seeth how to make theym stonde togyther well inough This man wyth hys olde eyen and spectacles seeth farte in goddes sight and is of his preuey counsell that knoweth belyke by some secrete reuelacyon how god seeth one body to be in many places at onys includeth no repugnaunce For worde hath he none for hym in all scrypture no more theÌ„ one body to be in all places at onys It implyeth fyrst repugnauÌ„ce to my syght reason that all thys worlde shulde be made of nothynge that a vyrgyn sholde brynge forth a chyld But yet when I se it
hūdred yere before vs and all the olde holy doctours sayntes and al the general coūsayles and all the meruaylouse myracles that god hath shewed for the blessed sacramēt yerely almost and I wene dayly to what in one place and other al whyche thynges proue the textes that I lay to be ment and vnderstanden as I say Al they do therby declare agaynst hym also that none of his mo than twenty textes can in any wyse be wel and ryght vnderstanden as he sayth For ellys shold yt folow that dyuerse textes of holy scrypture not onely semed whyche may well be but also were indede whyche is a thynge impossyble and can not be cō traryouse repugnant vnto other ¶ Now good chrysten readers here youse that in his shyft that he vseth where he sayeth that he wyl byleue any one text trewly taken we bryng hym for the trew takyng vppon our parte all these thynges that I haue here shortely rehersed you of whych thynges hym selfe denyeth very fewe that is to wyt the olde holy doctours to holde on our parte and the people of theyr tyme. But therin haue I shewed you diuerse of y e beste sorte agaynst hym And the fayth of the people of the dyuerse tymes appereth by theyr bokes and by the coū sayles And than that the generall counsayles and the myracles are on our parte of these two thynges he denyeth neyther nother But syth he can denye none of them he dyspyseth bothe And the holy counsayles of Chrystes chyrche he casseth the Anti chrysten synagoge And goddes myracles both fryth and he be fayne to cal the workes of the deuyl And therfore good chrysten readers whyle you se all thys ye se well ynough that the textes of the gospell whyche we saye for the blessed bodye of Chryste in the blessed sacrament be clere and playne for the purpose and mayster Maskar wyll not agre yt so but sayth that we take theym not trewly onely bycause he will not perceyue and confesse the trouth ¶ Nowe where as mayster Maskar sayth of me ferther thus As for his vnwryten verytees and thou foryfe of hys Antichrysten synagoge vnto whyche the scrypture forsaken he is now at laste wyth shame ynough compelled to fle they be proued starke lyes and very deuylrye ¶ Consyder good chrysten readers that in these wordes mayster maskar telleth you two thynges Fyrste that I am wyth shame ynough compelled to fle fro the scrypture to myn vnwryten veryties and to thauthoryte of thantichrysten synagoge by whyche he meaneth the tradycyons and the determynacyons of the catho lyque chyrche The tother that the tradycyons and determinacyons of the chyrch be all redy proued starke lyes and very de uylrye For the fyrste poynte you sethat in this mater of the blessed sacrament whyche ys one of the thynges that he meaneth he hath not yet compelled me to fle fro the scrypture For I haue wel all redye proued you this poynt very playn and clerely by the selfe same place of scrypture whyche mayster Maskar hathe expowned falsely wolde wreste it a nother way that is to wyt the wordes of Chryst wryten in the syxt chapyter of saynt Iohn̄ Nowe yf I do for the profe of thys poynte say the tradycyon of y e whole catholyque chyrche besyde whyche thynge ys also suffycyent to proue the mater alone ys that a fleynge fro the scrypture If that be a fleynge fro the scrypture than myghte the olde heretyques very wel haue sayde the same vnto al the olde holy doctours that this new heretyque sayeth nowe to me For this woteth wel euery man that any lernynge hathe that those old holy doctours and sayntes layed agaynste those old heretykes not the scrypture onely but also the tradycyons vnwryten byleued and taughte by the chyrche And yf mayster Mas kar whan he shal defende hys boke dare denye me that they so dyd I shall brynge you so many playn proues therof that be he neuer so shame lesse he shal be ashamed thereof And he can not say naye but that they so dyd as I wote wel he can not than you se wel good reders y t by ma ster maskers wise reason those old he retikes might haue sayd agaynst eche of those old holy doctours saits as mayster Maskar sayth agaynste me now that they hadde made him with shame ynough fle fro the scrypture bycause he besyde the scrypture proued the trew faith and reproued their false heresyes by thauthoryte of the catholyque chyrche Suche strength haue alwaye so mayster mayhers ar gumentes ¶ Nowe touchyng the secund point where he calleth the catholyke chyrch the antichrysten synagoge and the vn wryten veryties starke lyes and deuylrye he hathe al redy shewed and declared partely which thynges they be that hym self meaneth by y t name For he hath before specyfyed purgatorye pylgrimages and prayenge to sayntes honourynge of ymages and crepynge to the crosse and halo wyng of belles agaynst euyl spirites in tem pestes and boughes on palme sone daye and byleuynge in the blessed sa crament And Tyndale that ys eyther hym selfe or his felow mocketh vnder the same name the sacrament of anelyng and calleth the sacramēt of consyrmacyon the butterynge of the boyes forhed had as lyefe haue at his chrystenynge sande put in hys mouth as salt and mocketh mych at fastyng And as for lent father frith vnder name of Bright well in the re uesacyon of Antichrist calleth it y e folishe fast which ieste was vndouted ly reueled father fryth by the spyryt of the deuyll hym selfe the spirituall father of Antichryste ¶ So that you maye se good readers that to saye the latenye or our ladye matens and crepe to the crosse at Ester or praye for all christen sou les these thynges such other as I haue 〈◊〉 you mayster Maskar saith are all redy proued starcke lyes and very deuylrye But he she weth vs no such profe yet neyther of lyes nor of deluylrye 〈◊〉 But euery man may sone se that he whych sayeth so myche and nothyng proueth maketh many a starke lye that thus to raile agaynste god and al good men and holy sayntes and helpynge of good chrysten soules and raylyng agaynst the blessed bodye of Chryste in the blessed sacrament callynge y e bylyef therof deuylrye yf suche raylyng in mayster maskar be not as I wene it is very playne and open deuylrye yt can be no lesse yet at the leste wyse than very playne and open knauery The. xxii chapyter MAster Maskar cometh at last to the mockynge of those wor des of my pystle wherin I she we that yf men wolde denye the cōuersyon of the brede and wyne into the blessed bodye and blood of Chryste bycause that vnto his owne reason the thynge semeth to implye repugnaunce he shal fynde many other thynges bothe in scrypture and in na ture and in hande craftes to of the trouthe wherof he nothynge douteth whyche yet for any solucion that hys owne reason coulde
wyth the bare onely fayth that these heretykes preche but with the well wurkyng faith y t the catholyke chyrche techeth they shal be saued sayth our sauyour from eternall hunger thyrst The. x. chapyter BUt than goth Crist ferther and she weth them y t they lacke thys meat though it stand before thē And she weth thē also by what mene they may gete it Lothus he sayd vn to them But I haue tolde you y t both you haue sene me and you haue not byleued as though he wold say you haue sene me done myracles and yet it hath not made you byleue ¶ He bode thē before y t they sholde wurke to gete the lyuely meate and he told them after y t the wurke which they shold wurke to gete it with was fayth bylief And he wrought 〈◊〉 cles whiche they saw to make them byleue And now he she weth thē y t for all this they haue not y e bylief yet but yet muste wurke labour to haue it ¶ Than myghte they haue asked hym whych way may we come to it But bycause they asked hym not he of his hygh goodnesse tolde them the meane vnasked and sayd All that my father gyueth me shall come to me As though he wold saye Though my father haue sent me downe to caae you to me and though I preche to you and tell you the trouth at your eare worke myracles before you that you may se thē at your eyen ye and fede you by myracles putte them euyn in your bely yet can you neuer come to me by fayth but yf my father brynge you Neuer can you be myne by fayth but yf my father gyue you me Now yf ye knowe of any good guyde that could brynge you to the place whyther ye wold fayne go where you sholde fynde the thynge that ye wolde fayne haue what wold you do wold you not labour to hym wolde you not pray and entreat hym to go with you guyde you thyther Now haue I told you who cā bryng you to me by fayth that is to wytte god my father and therfore labour to hym to guyde you to me pray hym to geue you to me wythout whose helpe ye can neuer come to me It is I tell you no smale thynge to byleue in me For but yf the grace of my father fyrst preuent you ye can neuer begynne to thynke thereon But he hath now preuented you by sendynge me to call vppon you Now be it yet for all that but yf he go forth wyth you and helpe to lede you forwarde you maye faynte fall and 〈◊〉 stylle by the waye come no ferther forth toward me But now he helpeth you forwarde by myne outwarde myracles whyche hym selfe worketh with me But yet except he wurke wyth you inwardly with his inward helpe to draw you you cā for al this 〈◊〉 come at me Call well vpō hym ther fore pray hym to draw you bryng you geue you to me which if you do endeuour your selfe for your own parte as I bode you before to wurke and walke wyth hym toward me be shall surely brynge you in to faith and by fayth in to hope and in to cheryte bothe and so gyue you gracyousely to me And than shall I geue you the lyuely meat that I spake of yf ye wyll abyde with me For hym that commeth to me wyll I not caste out Let hym loke that he caste not hym selfe out For surely I wyll not yf hym selfe wyll abyde For it is my fathers wyll that I sholde not and I am descended from heuyn not to do my wyll but to do the wyll of hym that hath sent me And thys ys veryly the wyll of the father that sent me that all that he hath gyuen me I sholde lese nothynge therof but that I sholde reyse vppe that agayne in the laste daye The. xi chapyter THese wordes myghte good readers seme to an vnchrysten man or to a false christened Arryane to sygnyfye that our sauyour were not 〈◊〉 god with his father in that he speketh so often as in ma ny mo 〈◊〉 of scrypture he speketh more often that he is obedyent to hys 〈◊〉 and that his father sent hym and that he is lesse than hys father and many suche other placys by whyche the olde Arriane 〈◊〉 defended theyr 〈◊〉 agaynste the godhed of Chryste in hys person as these Lutherane heretyques and these Huyskyns zuynglians and Tyndalyns draw now diuerse other textes to y e mayntenaunce of theyr false heresyes agaynst the precyous body and bloud of Cryst in his blessed sacrament ¶ But as good chrysten men well know that these newe heretykes are falsely now deceyued in the tone so know they to that those olde heretykes were falsely than deceyued in y e tother ¶ For all the minorite and the obedience that the scrypture speketh of in Chryste is all ment of his manhed whyche was lesse in 〈◊〉 and not of his goodhed for they were bothe equale ¶ For how coulde they be in godhed vnequale whan that in godhed they were bothe one though in persons di uerse And therfore 〈◊〉 sauyour by his godhed hath the selfe same wyll that hys father hath and none other as he hath the same wytte the same myght the same nature the same substaunce and finally the same godhed and none other And therfore what so euer the tone doth the tother dothe as the sone was sent by the father so was he also sent bothe by hym selfe and by the holy goost to And whan y e holy goost was sent he was sent bothe by the father and y e sone by him selfe also But incarnate was there no mo but the sone alone who as he had by hys godhed none other wyll but the very selfe same that hys father had and the holy goost so had he by his manhed another seuerall wyll and propre vnto the persone of his manhede it selfe as euery man hath his owne And of that wyll is it that he sayth I am descēded from heuyn not to do my wyll but y e wyll of hym that sent me for in the wyll of hys manhed he obayed the godhed ¶ But nowe yf thys obedyence be vnderstanden of hys manhed how can it stande wyth these wordes of his I am descended from heuyn not to do my wyll but the wyll of hym that sent me With that poynt good reader shall no mā nede to be moued For syth bothe the godhed and manhed were ioyned and vned together bothe in the one person of Chryste that whole person myghte saye of it selfe suche thynges as were veryfyed and trewe in any of the bothe naturys For lyke as a man maye saye of hym selfe I shall dye and retorne into the erthe and yet that shall not hys soule do but his body onely and I shall after my dethe go forth with to ioy or to payne and yet that shall not hys body do by and by but