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
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
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
well that yf theyr visours hadde ben of theyr facys shame wolde not haue suffred theym to sette forthe a fote ¶ And mayster 〈◊〉 vnder his 〈◊〉 face forceth not myche to shyfte a false caste amonge wyth a payre of false dyce ¶ And therfore syth thys man by wythdrawynge his name from hys booke hath done on a visour of dyssimulacyon dyssimulynge his person to voide the shame of his fashed and speketh to mych to be called mayster 〈◊〉 whyche name he were els well worthy for hys false dyce I shall in this dyspicyon bytwene hym and me be 〈◊〉 for thys onys syth by some name muste I call hym for lacke of hys other name to call hym mayster 〈◊〉 And thus finishynge 〈◊〉 preface we shall begynne the mater The fyrst booke The. i. chapyter MAyster 〈◊〉 hath in thys hys poysened treatice agaynst Crystes hole some so 〈◊〉 xxxii leuys In y e first xiiii wherof he expowneth vs the later parte of the syxte chapyter of saynt 〈◊〉 And incidently by the way the man maketh as though he answered the reasons whiche I made in my letter agaynste the pestylent treatice that fryth made fyrst agaynst the blessed sacramēt And in the same xiiii leuys also he bryngeth forth two thynges for specyall notable wherin he sayth I haue openly cōtraryed myn 〈◊〉 wrytynge ¶ I wyll good reader peruse the re manaūt of hys booke after this fyrst part answered In whyche conteynyng these thre thynges that I haue 〈◊〉 you the fyrst hath he so han desed y t all were there not as there are in dede dyuerse false 〈◊〉 interfaced therin yet it were for the mater of very sleyght effecte For in his exposiciō he nothyng toucheth nor cometh nere to the thyng wherin the poynt of all the mater standeth ¶ The secund point hath he so well treated in hys argumentacyon that the reasons whyche I laye agaynste Frith mayster Masker fyrst falsely reherseth and after so folyshely soyleth that he leueth thē more stronger agaynst hym whan he hath done 〈◊〉 he fownde them whan he bygan ¶ And as for the thyrde poynt concernynge hys notable notys of suche thynges as he sayeth to myne ouersyghte them he so garnessheth setteth out so semely to the show that I wolde no man sholde euer after this daye truste any worde that I shall wryte but yf ye se mayster 〈◊〉 pfaynesy proued therin eyther so folyshe as no man shold trust his wyt or so false that no man shold trust his trouth Let vs therfore now come to the fyrste point that is to wytte hys exposicyon The. ii chapyter THe whole summe of his 〈◊〉 is that our sauyour 〈◊〉 those wordes takynge occasion of the myracle that he so late before had wrought among them in fedyng fyut thousand of thē with fyue barly louys and two fysshes dyd in those wordes vppon theyr new resort vnto hym whan they folowed hym to Capharnaum fyrst rebuke blame them bycause they soughte hym not for the miracles that they had sene hym wurke but bicause they had ben fedde by hym fylled theyr belyes and that therfore our sauyour exhorted them to labour rather to gete that meat that neuer sholde perysshe Op pon whiche exhortacyon whan the Iewes asked hym what they sholde do wherby they sholde wurke y e wur kes of god Chryst sayd vnto them that the wurke of god was to byleue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hym whom the father had 〈◊〉 ¶ Thā goeth he ferther she weth that vpon the wordes of the Iewis askyng our lord what tokē he shewed for whiche they shold byleue in hym syth theyr forefathers had gyuen thē the brede of Māna in deserte of whi che it was writen he gaue them bred from aboue our lorde shewed them that Moses gaue them not that bred from heuen but his owne father had geuen them the very brede that was descended from heuen and that oure lorde there by all the remanaunt of those wordes in the sayd syxte chapiter of sait Iohn̄ declareth that hym selfe is that very bred is to be 〈◊〉 by the fayth and the byliefe y t Chrystes 〈◊〉 and body was broken and his bloude shed for our synnes And so expowneth he forth all these wordes of Chryst applyeng them onely to the declaracyon of his passyon to be suffred for our redempcion and that our sauyour wold haue them by leue that point that the byliefe of y t point was ment by the eatynge and that that fayth and byliefe is y e 〈◊〉 of our soules ¶ The whole somme of his exposicyō is this in al his sayd xiiii 〈◊〉 I mene not that this is all that euer he sayth therin for I leue out his cir cumstaunces his garnysshynge his notes his argumentacions his contencyons with me his mokkes his tauntys agaynst all catholyke folke his many folde heresyes also with all whiche here and there he furnyssheth all the progresse of his paynted processe all whiche thynges I shall after touche by them selfe But the somme the substaunce and the ende wherto all the whole processe of his exposicyō cometh is this that I haue rehersed you The. iii. chapyter BUt now good chrysten readers all this exposicyō were it neuer so trew neuer so comely nor neuer so cunnyngly handeled yet were it as I tolde you before very farre from the purpose For this exposicyō myghte be good ynough yet myght Thryste in those wordes teache the thynge that we speke of 〈◊〉 that is to wytte besyde the teachyng them that hym selfe was the very brede y t was descended from heuyn to gyue lyfe to the world and that he sholde suffre deth for the synnes of y e world and that they shold byleue these thyn ges and so eate hym 〈◊〉 by fayth he myghte I saye teche in those wordes also that he wolde gyue vnto men his very body his very 〈◊〉 to eate and his very bloud to drinke and that he wolde that they shold byleue that lesson also And wrth y e spy rituall eatynge therof by farth receyue and eate also his very blessed body flesshe and bloude by the mouth not in his owne flesshely forme as y e flesshely Iewes mysse toke it but as hym selfe than ment it and parte there expowned it and by his institu 〈◊〉 dyd after more clerely declare it informe of brede and wyne in y e blessed sacrament of the aulter ¶ It is I trow good readers to no man almost vnknowen that the holy scrypture of god is in suche meruelous maner by the profound wysedome of his holy spyryte for y e more plentuouse profyte of his chyrche de uised indyghted and wryten that it hath not onely that one sense trewe which we call the litterall sence that is to wytte that sence whiche for the fyrst lessō therof god wold we shold perceiue and lerne but also diuerse other sensys spirytuall pertaynynge to the profyte of our maners and instrucciōs in sūdry vertues by meane of 〈◊〉 openyng
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
sufficient cause to make them knowe his power leue theyr murmuryng And therfore they that leue not murmuryng at his blessed sacramēt yet shew a great token that they byleue not his wonderfull ascensiō neyther For yf they byleued well that he had power of hym selfe to ascende vp in body and syt in heuen one equale god with his father the holy goost than wold they 〈◊〉 wene as they do y t god lacked power to make hys owne body to be in dyuer se places at onys and be both in heuen and erth The. xxi chapyter BUt now for as mych as 〈◊〉 parte of these folkes diffydence and distrust rose of that that the respecte of the lothsomnes made thē the lesse wyllynge to byleue in that they thought that he ment to geue them his flesshe to eate in gobbettes cutte out dede wythout lyfe or spyryte our sauyour answered them to that poynt And though he wold not at that tyme tell them the maner how he wolde geue it them to eate yet he tolde them that he wolde not geue it them so And therfore he sayd vnto them The spirit is it that quycketh or geueth lyfe the flesshe auayleth nothyng The wordes which I haue spoken to you be spyrit and lyfe ¶ As though he wold say vnto thē I tolde you before that who so wold eate my fleshe sholde haue euerlastyng lyfe And therfore why be you so madde as to wene that I mene my fleshe cut out in gobbettes dede wythout lyfe or spyryt it is the spirit that geueth lyfe And therfore without the spirit the fleshe shold auayle you nought But beyng knytte with the spirite of my godhed whyche is the substaunce and very foūtayne of lyfe so it shal to them that worthyly eate it geue euerlastynge lyfe And therfore the wordes that I speke be not onely fleshe for y t wyll no more geue lyfe alone thā wyll fayth alone geue life that is dede without y e wyll of good wurkes But my wordes therfore that I haue spoken to you of my fleshe to be eaten be not fleshe alone but spyryte also and lyfe Therfore you muste vnderstande them not so fleshely as you do that I wolde geue you my fleshe in gobbettes dede but you must vnderstād them spyrytually that you shall eate it in an other maner animated wyth my soule and ioyned with the spyrite of my godhed by whych my flessh is it self made not onely lyuely but also geuynge lyfe ¶ Thus ment our lord in those wor des Wherin leste mayster masker myght make men wene that I runne all at ryotte vppon myne own 〈◊〉 holy saynte Austayne sheweth that in these wordes The spyryt it is y t quyckeneth the fleshe auayleth no thyng Our sauyour meneth that his flesh dede without y e spirit auayleth nothyng as cūnyng nothyng auayleth without cherite without whiche as sait Paule saith it doth but puffe vp a mā in pride But on y e totherlide lyke as cūnyng mych edifyeth profiteth ioyned with cheryte so y e flesh of our sauiour mych auayleth ioyned wyth hys holy spyryte ¶ Saynt Cyrill also vppon y e same wordes declarynge them by a longe processe to the purpose that I haue shewed you saith among many other thynges in thys maner as it were in the person of Cryst spekyng to those Iewes to those dyscyples of hys that sayde his wordes were so hard that no man could abide to here hym which they sayd as sayth saynt Chrisostom for theyr own excuse bycause them self were about to walke theyr way To them therfore sayth our sa uyour thus in saynt Cyrilles exposi cyon wene you whā I sayd that who so eate my flesh shal haue euerlasting lyfe that I ment therin that this erthely body of myne doth gyue lyfe of his own proper nature Nay veryly But I dyd speke to you of the spyryt and of eternall lyfe But it is not the nature of the flesshe that maketh the spyryt geue lyfe but the power of the spyryte maketh the fleshe geue lyfe The wordes therfore y t I haue spoken to you be spirit lyfe that is to wytte they be spyrituall spoken of the spirit and lyfe that is to wytte of y e spirit y t is the natural life y e geueth lyfe But yet the thyng y t we haue all redy said it shal do no harme though we repete it agayn The thing that I haue sayd is this The nature of the flesh can not of it self geue lyfe For what had thā the nature of y e gddhed more But thā on y e tother syde there is not ī Crist onely flesh but he hath y e sone of god ioyned with it which is y e squale substaūs of life with his fader And therfore whan Cryst calleth hys fleshe a geuer of lyfe that power of geuynge lyfe he doth not attrybute vnto his fleshe and vnto hys holy spi rite bothe of one fashyon For the spiryte geueth lyfe by it selfe and of hys owne nature But the fleshe ascēdeth vnto that power of geuynge lyfe by reason of the coniunccyon and vnyte that it hath wyth that holy spyryte How be it how and by what meane that thynge is done we neyther are able with tōge to tell nor with mynd to imagyne but wyth sylence ferme fayth we receyue it ¶ Thus haue you herde good readers that the thynge that I saye do not onely I say but saynt Austayne also and saynt Cyrill both Whych is inough to you to perceyue that I dyuyse not myne exposyciō all of myne owne hed and may be inough to any good chrysten man also to perceyue clerefy that our sauyour in these wor des dyd speke not onely of a spyrytuall eatynge of his fleshe by bylyes and remembraunce of hys deth and passyon as mayster Masker fryth and these fond felowes styffely bert vs in hande but spake also and ment it of the remembrynge of hys deth passyon by the very eatynge of hys very blessed body as it is eaten in the blessed sacrament The. xxii chapyter BUt these heretykes are so sette vppon myschyefe and wysfulnesse that they wyll not in any wyse vnderstand the truth And how coulde they vnderstande the trouth whan they wyll not byleue For as the prophete Esaie sayth but yf you byleue you shal not vnderstand And therfore these heretykes can not vnderstand For they be in the case now that those dyscyples those Iewes were with whom our sauyour foūde that faute than in his wordes nexte ensuenge sayd But there be some of you that byseue not as though he word say as playnely as I haue told it you and as oftē yet are there some of you y t byleue it not But he knewe from the begynnynge who shold byleue and who also sholde betraye hym ¶ And so knoweth he lyke wise now to who be good and who be nought and who shall amende and who shall neuer amende Not that
geue it men to eate for the lyfe that men sholde haue by the eatynge of it And therfore he pursueth forth bothe vpon the eatynge therof and vppon the lyfe that they shall lacke that wyll not eate it and of the lyfe that they shall haue that wyll eate it So that as I saye Chryste spake and ment after the mynde of some holy cunnynge men but of the eatynge onely but by all good men of the eatyng specyally and without any maner questyon of the eatynge moste playnely as of whiche he speketh by name expressely And of hys deth yf he there spake of it as diuers holy doctours thynke he dyd yet he spake it so couertly y t he rather ment it than sayd it as the thynge wherof he nothynge named but onely the ge uynge to eate So that where as mayster Masker argueth y t Chryste nothynge ment of geuynge of hys flesshe to be eaten in the sacrament but onely of his flessh to be crucified bycause that yf he hadde ment of his flesshe to be eatyn in the sacrament he coulde and wolde haue tolde them playnely so ye se now good readers very playne proued by the self same place that syth mayster Masker can not saye nay but that of his body to be geuyn by deth Chryst could haue spoken myche more playnely than he dyd in that place as well as he could haue spoken more playnely of the geuynge of hys body to be eaten in the blessed sacrament mayster Mas kers owne argument yf it were aught as it is nought vtterly destroyeth all his owne exposycyon whole And therfore ye maye se that the man is a wyse man and well ouer seen in arguynge The. ii chapyter IN the. xi lefe he hath an other argument towarde whiche he maketh a blynde induccyon byfore And bycause ye shall se that I wyll not go about to begyle you I wyll reherse you his induccyon fyrst and than his argumēt after These arre his wordes Whan the Iewes wolde not vnderstande thys spyrytuall sayenge of the eatynge of Chrystes flessh and drynkynge of his bloude so ofte and so playnely declared he gaue them a stronge tryppe and made them more blynde for they so deserued if suche are the secrete iudgementes of god addyng vnto all hys sayenges thus who so eate my flessh and drynke my bloude abydeth in me and I in hym These wordes were spoken vnto the 〈◊〉 into theyr farther obstynacyō but vnto the faythfull for theyr better instruccyon Now gather of thys the contrary and saye who so eateth not my flessh and drynketh not my bloude abydeth not in me nor I in hym ioyne thys to that foresayd sentence excepte ye eate the flesshe of the sone of man and drynke hys bloude ye haue no lyfe in you Lette it neuer fall 〈◊〉 thy mynd chrysten reader that fayth is the lyfe of the ryghtwyse and that Chryst is thye lyuynge brede whom thou eatest that is to saye in whom thou byleuest ¶ Here is mayster Masker fall to iuglynge so and as a iugser layeth forth hys trynclettes vpon the table and byddeth men loke on this loke on that and blo we in hys hande and than with certayne straunge wordes to make men muse whurseth his iuglynge stycke about his fyngers to make men loke vpon that whyle he playeth a false caste and conuayeth with y e tother hand some thynge slyly into his purse or his sleue or some where out of syght so fareth maister Masker here that maketh Christes holy worde serue hym for his iugling boxes and sayeth them forth vppon the borde afore vs and byddeth vs lo loke on this texte and than soke so vpon this and whan he hath she wed forth thus two or thre textes and byd vs loke vpon them he telleth vs not wherfore nor what we shall fynde in thē But bycause they be so playne agaynste hym he letteth them slynke awaye and than to blere our eyen and call our mynde fro the mater vp he taketh his iuglynge stycke the cōmendacyon of fayth and whyrleth that about hys fyngers and sayeth Let it neuer fall fro thy mynde chrysten reader that sayth is the lyfe of the ryghtuouse and that Chryst is thys lyuynge brede whom thou eatest that is to saye in whom thou byleueft ¶ What are these wordes good chry sien reader to the purpose All thys wyll I pray you remember to But I wyll pray you remēber there with all where about this iugeler goth y t wolde with bryddynge vs loke vppe here vppon fayth iugle awaye one great poynt of farth from vs and make vs take no hede of Chrystes wordes playnely spoken here of the very eatyng of his holy flesshe And therfore let vs remēber fayth as be byddeth But let vs remember well therwith specially this piece therof y t this iugler with byddynge vs remēbre wold fayne haue vs forgette ¶ But now after thys induccyon forth he cometh with his wyse argu ment in this wyse For yf our popystes take eatyng and drynkyng here bodyly as to eate the naturall body of Chryste vnder the forme of brede and to drynke his bloud vnder the forme of wyne than must all yonge chyldren that neuer came at goddes borde departed and al lay men that neuer dranke his bloude be dampned If our sauyour Chryste whyche is the waye to trouth and the trouth it selfe and the very trewe lyfe also coulde and wold say false and breke his promyse by whyche he promysed his chyrche to be therwith hym selfe vnto the worldes ende and to sende it also the spyrite of trouth that shold teche it and sede it into al trouth than wolde there of trouth bothe of these wordes of Chryste and these other wordes of his also But yf a man be borne agayne of the water and the holy goost he can not se the kyngdom of god and of many other wordes of his mo many greate dowtes aryse ryght harde and inexplycable But now am I very sure sith trouth can not be but trew Chrystes promyse shall euer stande and be kepte ther fore shall his chyrche euer more by y e meane of his holy spyryte which maketh men of one maner and mynde in the howse of his chyrche so fall in a concorde and agrement togyther vppon the trew sense and so be led into euery necessary trewth that by misse takynge of any parte of scrypture it shall neuer be suffred to fall into any dampnable errour Whiche thynge what pratynge so euer mayster masker make I haue so often so surely proued for the comen knowen catholyke chyrch of good and badde bothe agaynst Willy ā T indale y t neyther he nor all these heretikes among thē all shall neuer be able to voyde it ¶ Now as for his argument concernynge laye men of age it were alytell more stronge yf the blessed body of our lorde were in the blessed sacramēt vnder forme of brede with out his bloude whiche whyle it ys not nor theyr
For he confuteth you mayster Masker you se well a lytell more clerer than I. And than whyther of them twayne ye shal byleue and take for the more credyble man mayster Masker or holy saynt Chrysostom euery mannye owne wytte that any wyt hath wyll well serue hym to se. The. iiii chapyter BUt mayster Masker to shewe you a ferther declaracyon of his wytte forth with vpon his wyse and wurshypfull exposycyon of those wordes of Chryst he repeteth that fonde argument agayne that Chryst ment not of eatynge his flesshe in the sacrament bycause that yf he hadde ment it he coulde and wolde haue de clared his menynge more playnely And in that mater thus maister Mas ker sayth Here myght Chryste haue 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 the trouth of the eatynge of hys fieshe in forme of brede had thys ben his menynge For he 〈◊〉 them neuer in any perplexite or dowt but sought all the wayes by symylytudes and famylyare examples to teche them playnely he neuer spake them so harde a parable but where he perceyued theyr feble ignoraunce anone he helpt them and declared it them ye and somtymes he preuented theyr askynge wyth his owne declaracyon And thynke ye not that he dyd not so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 veryly For he came to teache vs and not to leue vs in any dowt and ignoraunce especyally the chyefe poynt of our saluacyon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 standeth in the bylyefe in hys deth for our synnys Wherfore to put them out of all dowt as concernyng this eatyng of his flessh and drynkyng of his bloud that sholde geue euerlastynge lyfe where they 〈◊〉 it for his very body to be eaten with theyr tethe he sayed It is the 〈◊〉 that geueth this lyfe My flesshe profyteth nothynge at all to be eaten as 〈◊〉 meane so 〈◊〉 It is spyrytuall meate that I here speke of It is my spyryt that draweth the har tes of men to me by fayth and so refresheth them gostesy ye be therfore carnal to thynke that I speke of my flesshe to be eaten bodyly For so it profyteth yow nothynge at all How longe wyll you be wyth out vnderstandyng It is my spyryte I tell you that geueth lyfe My flesshe profyteth you nothynge to eate it but to byleue that it shal be crucyfyed suffre for the redempcyon of the worlde it profyteth And when ye thus byleue than eate 〈◊〉 my flesshe and drynke my bloude that is ye byleue in me to suffre for your synnes The veryte hath spoken these wor des My flesshe profyteth nothyng at all it canne not therfore be false For bothe the Iewes and hys dyscyples murmured and dysputed of his flessh how it sholde be eaten and not of the offerynge therof for our synnes as Chryst ment Thys therfore is the fure anker to holde vs by agaynst all the obieccions of the 〈◊〉 for the eatynge of Chrystes body as they say in forme of brede Chryst sayd My flesh profyteth nothyng menyng to eate it bodely Thys is the key that solueth all theyr argumentes openeth the waye to shew 〈◊〉 all theyr false and abomy nable 〈◊〉 lyes vppon Chrystes wordes and vttereth theyr sleyght ingesynge ouer the brede to mayntayne 〈◊〉 kyngdome therwyth And thus when Chryste had declared it and taught them that it was not the bodyly eatynge of hys materyall body but the eatynge wyth the spyryte of faythe he added sayenge The wordes whyche I here speke vnto you 〈◊〉 spyryte and lyfe that is to saye thys mater that I here haue spoken of with so many wordes must be spyrytually vnderstanden to geue ye this lyfe euerlastynge wherfore the cause why ye vnderstand me not is that ye byleue not Here is lo the conclusyon of all hys sermon ¶ Many a fonde processe haue I redde good chrysten readers but neuer redde I neyther a more folysshe nor a more false than this is For the effecte and the purpose of al this pro cesse is that Chryst in all his wordes spoken in thys syxte chapiter of saint IohnÌ„ ment nothynge of the eatyng of his blessed body in the blessed sacrament but onely of an alle gorycal eatynge of his body by whyche he ment onely that they sholde byleue that he sholde be crucyfyed 〈◊〉 shedde his bloude and dye for redempcyon of the worlde ¶ Now that our saniour bysyde al such allegories other spirituall vnderstaÌ„dings playnely ment of y e very eatyng of his blessed body in the bles sed sacrament you haue good reders all redy sene by so many holy doctours and sayntes whose playn wor des I haue rehersed you that no maÌ„ can dowte but that in the whole conclusyon of his argument and his exposycyon mayster 〈◊〉 hath a shamefull fall except any maÌ„ dowt whyther mayster Masker be better to be byleued alone or those holy doc tours amonge them all ¶ But now thys false conclusyon of hys how febly and how folyshely he defendeth y t is euyn a very great pleasure to se. ¶ In this processe hath he ii poynts The fyrste is that Chryste coulde wolde haue made it open and playne in thys place by clere and euydent worde yf he had ment of the eatynge of his flesshe in the sacrament The second is that by these wordê It is the spyryte that geueth lyfe my fleshe profyteth nothynge at all The wordes that I haue spoken to you be spyryte and lyfe Chryste doth playn and clerely declare both that he ment not the eatynge of his flesshe in the sa crament and also that he ment onely the bylyefe that he sholde dye for the synne of the worlde ¶ Now touchynge his fyrste folysh poynt I haue confuted it all redy shewed you some samples where Chryste coulde at some tyme haue declared the mater mych more openly than he dyd and that in great maters of our fayth For I thynke the sacrament of baptysme is a pryncypall poynt of our fayth And yet Chryste taught not Nichodemus all that he coulde haue tolde hym therin as I sayd before ¶ And longeth it nothyng to y e fayth to byleue the remyssyon of mortall sinnes I suppose yes And yet could Chryste yf he had wolde haue decla red more clerely those worde of his who so blaspheme the sone of man it shal be forgeuen hym But he that blasphemeth the holy gooste it shall neyther be forgeueÌ„ him in this world nor in the world to come ¶ No good chrysten man thynketh other but that it is a pryncypall artycle of the chrysten fayth to byleue y t Chryst is one equale god with his father And yet Chryste albe it that by all places sette togyther he hath declared it clere inough in conclusion to them that wyll not be wylfull contencyouse yet dyd he not in euery place where he spake therof declare the mater so clerely as he could haue done yf he than hadde wolde whiche appereth by that that in some other places he declared it more clerely af ter And yet in all the places of the
dye for your synnys And syth he sayd not thus mayster Maskers own argument hath cutte of his cable rope lost his anchore runne his shyppe hym self agaynst a rocke For he sayth that yf he had ment it he wold haue tolde them playne the tale to put them out of all dowte ¶ And here you se now good reders by mo meanys than one as wel by y e exposycyons of olde holy doctours sayntes as by the wyse argument of mayster masker hym self to what wyse wurshypfull ende thys ryall brage of his is come to passe in whiche he triumpheth ouer the catholike chyrch the blessed sacramēt where he bosteth thus Thys therfore is the sure anker to holde vs by agaynst all the obieccions of the papystes for the eatynge of Chrystes body as they say in forme of brede Chryst sayd My flesh profyteth nothyng menyng to eate it bodely Thys is the key that solueth all theyr argumentes openeth the waye to shew vs all theyr false and abomynable blasphemouse lyes vppon Chrystes wordes and vttereth theyr sleyght ingelynge ouer the brede to mayntayne Antichrystes kyngdome therwyth And thus when Chryste had declared it and taught them that it was not the bodyly eatynge of hys materyall body but the eatynge wyth the spyryte of faythe he added sayenge The wordes whyche I here speke vnto you are spyryte and lyfe that is to saye thys mater that I here haue spoken of with so many wordes must be spyrytually vnderstanden to geue ye this lyfe euerlastynge wherfore the cause why ye vnderstand me not is that ye byleue me not Here is lo the conclusyon of all hys sermon ¶ Syth your selfe haue sene good readers that in this mater and in this whole exposycyon there are agaynst mayster masker not onely the catholyke chyrche of our tyme but also all the olde holy doctours and sayntes which with one voyce expoune these wordes of Chryste to be spoken and ment of that eatynge of Chrystes flesshe by whyche it is eaten in the blessed sacrament agaynste whiche poynt mayster masker here rageth in this his furyouse boste raylynge vp pon them all that so teche or byleue vnder his spygstuff name of papystes I wold wytte of mayster masker whyther saynt 〈◊〉 saynt Austayn and saynt Ambrose saynt 〈◊〉 and saint 〈◊〉 Theophilactus saynt Cyrill and saynt Chry sostome were all papystes or not If he answere ye and saye the were than shall he make no man that wise is asshamed of the name of papyste as odyouse as he wolde make it yf he graunte vs that suche good godly men such holy doctours sayntes were papystes ¶ Now yf he answere me nay and say that they were no papystes than he maketh it playne and open vnto you good reders that he playeth but the part of a folyssh rayler aiester and doth but deceyue and mocke all his owne fratexnyte whan by raylynge agaynste papystes whom he wold haue taken for folke of a false fayth he dyssembleth the trouth that his here sye is not onely dampned by them that he calleth papystes but by them also whom he cōfesscth for no papistes and whom he cannot but cō fesse for old holy doctours saintes nor cannot so blynd you but that you playnely perceyue by theyr own wor des which I haue rehersed you and yet shal hereafter more playnely per ceyue by mo holy doctours saynts of the same sort by mo playne wor des also of y e same y t they do all with one voyce expoune these wordes of Chryst mencyoned in the syxte chapi ter of saynt Iohn to be spokē ment of y t eatyng of his flesh by which we eate it in the blessed sacrament ¶ And thus haue I good reders answered you all mayster Maskers ar gumentes by whych he reproueth in generall vnder the name of papyste all those that is to wytte all the olde holy doctours and sayntes that contrary to hys heresye expowne the sayde wordes of Chryste to be ment of the very eatynge of hys flesshe and not onely of the byleuynge of his deth for our synne And now wyll I come to his subtyll dysputacyōs that he maketh against me by name in specyall to soyle such thynges as I in my letter wrote agaynst Iohn Fryth Here endeth the thyrde booke The fourth boke IN the syxte lefe thus he sayth Here maketh M. More this argumēt agaynst the 〈◊〉 man Bycause the Iewes merueyled at this 〈◊〉 my fleshe is very meate my bloude drynke and not at this I am the dore and the very vyne therfore this text sayth he my flesshe 〈◊〉 must be vnderstanden after the lytterall sence that is to wyt euen as the carnall Iewes vnderstode it murmurynge at it veynge offended goynge theyr wayes from Cryst for theyr so carnal vnderstandynge therof and the tother textes I am the dore c. must be vnderstanden in an allegorye a spyrytual sence bycause his hearers merueyled no thynge at the maner of speche ¶ I haue good readers byfore this argument that he speketh of another argument in that pystle of myne agaynst fryth whyche all though it went before and was redde before this yet bycause it wolde not well be soyled maister Masker was content to dyssemble it But I shall afterward anone lay it afore hym agayne and sette hym to it with a festue that he shall not saye but he sawe it ¶ But now as for this argument of myne that he maketh the fyrste I mysse fortuned to make so feble that he taketh euyn a pleasure to playe with it and therfore he soyleth it and soyleth it agayne that 〈◊〉 wysely ye may be faste and sure and so shall you saye your selfe whan you se all But yet though he wynne hym selfe worshyp in the soylynge yt was no great wysedome to lese his worshyp in the rehersynge wyth false beryng in hande that I saye that those wordes of Cryste muste be vnderstanden after that lyterall sense that the carnall Iewys toke therin that mur mured and went theyr way therfore For they toke yt of hys fseshe to be eaten in the self same fleshely forme and as holy saynte Austayne sayeth that they shold haue eaten his fleshe deade withoute lyfe or spyryte as befe or motten is cutte out in bochers shoppys And I am very sure that mayster Maskar hathe no such word in my letter wherof he maye take hold to say that I say that Chrystes worde shold be taken so But this is no newe fashyon of these folkes to reherse other mennes argumentes in suche maner as theym selfe lyste to make them and thē they make them such as them selfe may most easely soyle theym whych whyle mayster Masker hathe done wyth myne yet hath he lytle auauntage therby But to th entent that all thynge shall be the more open byfore your yien I shall reherse you fyrste the thynge that he wolde be content you sawe not ytis to wit myne own worde as I wrote theym whyche
fayne ye another chyrch then Chrystes and that ye muste byleue it what so euer it teach you for he hath fayned to that it can not 〈◊〉 though ye se it erre and fyght agaynst it selfe a thowsand tymes ye yf it tell you blacke is whyte and good is badde and the 〈◊〉 is god yet muste ye byleue it or ellye be burned as heretykes ¶ Styll ye se the wisdome good reders the trouth of maister masker in euery piece of his mater For here you se that all these thynges that he speketh of as that the chyrch can not erre and the crepynge to the crosse wyth all other ceremonyes of the chyrche inuocacyon of sayntes goynge on pylgrymage wurshyppyng of images byleuynge of purgatory byleuynge the body of our sauyour present in the blessed sacrament all these thynge he calleth myne vnwryten vanitees and maketh as though these thynges were all of my faynynge Is not this wene you wysely fayned of hym that the thynges comenly vsed this xiiii C. yere by fore I was borne sholde now be fayned and imagyned by me But yet shall it be as long after my dayes and his to ere mayster Masker and all the mayny of them shall amonge theym all be able to confute the thynges y e my selfe haue in the maters wryten And yet hange not the maters vpon my wrytynge but vppon the treuth it selfe reueled vnto Christe knowē catholyke chyrche bothe by Chryste hym self and his apostles after him by tradycyon and by wrytynge both and by many myracles confyrmed wyth the secrete instyncte and inspyracyō of his holy spyryte wrought brought into a full whole catholike agrement and consent as necessary poyntes of the trewe we chrysten fayth ¶ This is also by mayster masker wonderfull wysely fayned y t More hath fayned all these thynges euyn to the entent to stably sshe the popes kyngdome But now what greate cause sholde moue me to bere that greate affeccyon to the pope as to fayne all these thynge for stably shement of his kyngdome that thynge mayster masker telleth you not as y e thynge that is so playne and euydent that he nedeth not For he thynketh y e euery man knoweth all redy that the pope is my godfather goeth aboute to make me a cardynall ¶ But now good chrysten readers they that wolde at the counsayle of this euyll chrysten caytyfe cast of all suche maner thynge as all good chry sten peple haue euer taken for good and now neyther crepe to the crosse nor set by any halowed thynge dyspute pylgrymags and set holy sayntes at nought no more reuerēce theyr images thā an horse of wax nor rekē theyr relykes any better than shepys bonys scrape clene the letany out of euery boke with our lady motens the dyryge to and away with our 〈◊〉 plaster cast the bedys in y e fyre beware also y t we wurshyp not the sacrament nor take it for no better thyng than vnblessed brede byleue that the chyrch erreth in euery thyng y e it teacheth and all that holy sayntes haue taught therin this xiiii C. 〈◊〉 for all they haue taughte all these thynges y t this man nowe dispyseth than wolde there wax a mery world y e very kyngdom of y e deuyl him self ¶ And veryly it semeth y t they wold set the people vppon 〈◊〉 For penaunce they shake of as a thynge not necessary Satisfacciō they call 〈◊〉 synne cōfessyon they call y e deuils dryft And of purgatory by two meaues they put mē out of drede Some by slepyng tyll domys daye some by sendyng all strayt to heuyn euery soule that dyeth is not dampned for euer And yet some good comforte geue they to the dampned to For tyll they se somtyme to deny hell all vtterly they goo aboute in the meane season to putte oute the fyre And some yet boldely forthwith to say there is none there that they dred a lytell and therfore for the season they brynge the mater in questyon dyspute it abrode say they wyll not vtterly afferme and say the cōtrary but the thynge is they say but as problema neutrū wherin they wold not force whyther parte they shold take yet yf they sholde chose they wold rather holde nay than ye or though there be fyre in eyther place that yet it neyther burneth so wle in helle nor payneth so wle in purgatory But Chryst I wote well in many places sayth there is fyre there his holy sayntes after hym afferme and saye the same and with that fyre he frayed his owne dyseyples byddyng them fere that fyre that they fell not therin ¶ Now though that clerkes 〈◊〉 in scolys hold problems vppon euery thynge yet can I not perceyue what profyte there can come to call it but a probleme amonge vnlerned folke and dyspute it out abrode and brynge the people in dowte make them rather thynke that there is none than any and that this worde fyre is spoken but by parable as these men make the eatynge of Chrystes blessed body Thus shal they make men take bothe paradyse and heuyn and god and all togyther but for parables at laste Though fere of hell alone be but a seruyle drede yet are there all redy to meny that fere hell to lytell euyn of theym that byleue the truthe and thynke that in hell there is very fyre in dede Now many wyll there than be that wyll fere it lesse yf such wordes onys maye make theym wene that there were in hell no very fyre at all but that the payne that they shall fele in hell were but after the maner of some beuy mynde or of a troublous dreme ¶ If a man byleue Chrystes word that in hell is fyre in dede and make the feare of that fyre one meane to kepe hym thense than though there were no fyre there yet hath he nothynge loste syth good he can gete none there though the fyre were thense But yf he byleue suche wordes on the tother syde and catche therby suche boldenesse that he sette hell at lyght and by the meanes ther of fall bosdely to synne and theruppon fynally fall downe vnto the deuyll yf he than fynde fyre there as I am sure he shall than shall he lye there and curse them that tolde hym those false talys as longe as god with hys good folke sytteth in the ioye of heuyn ¶ And therfore good chrysten readers wysedome wyll we byleue Chrystes owne wordes and let such vnwyse wordes and deuelyshe deuyces passe The. xiii chapyter BUt nowe after thys pleasaunt dyscourse of his into the rehersall of this hepe of heresies that you haue herde for whyche as for lytell tryfyls hys harte freteth sore that any heretyke sholde be burned he goth on agaynst me and sayth But let vs returne to our propose To dyspute of goddes almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 powre what god may do wyth hys body it is great foly and no lesse presump