that is to prohibite or forbid mariage and coÌ„mauÌ„de to abstaine from meates whyche God hath created to be receiued wyth thankes geueing as the good ceatures of God Who foloweth the diuelles doctrine moste in these to pointes is not harde to be iudged of al the world Yet muste we futhermore consider the spiritâ—es you saye which thinge we â–ª are not loth to do for Iohn teacheth vs so mistrusteinge our owne iudgment And Iohn sayeth that euerie spirite that confesseth Iesus Christ to be come in the flesh is of God This do we all confesse whome you call at your pleasure heretikes and saye that we wyll doubte in all together But we knoweinge certenlie by the scriptures that he was manifestely declared in the flesh to be verie man and perfectly declared in the spirite to be God in the wonderouse workinge of his miracles was sene amonge the angelles was beleued in the world and receiued into glorie where he reigneth equale wyth his father sittinge at the ryght hand of God from whense we no thing doubt but we shal se him come down as the apostles dyd se hym go vp into the heauenes Act. i. In the meane season we beleue stedfastly that he is with his faiethfull church by hys holy spirite euen to the worldes ende For the which he gaue him selfe to sanctifie it and cleuse it in the fountaine of water bi the worde to make it vnto him selfe a gloriouse congregacion wythout spot or wrynckle or any suche thynge but that it shoulde be holy and wythout blame Where contrarie wyse you whiche accompte your selues onely men of the churche and spirirituall men as the onelye partakers of the spirite doe wyth out scripture or reasone teache vs laye and lewde men as ye call vs onelye wyth swerde and fire that Christe was not verie man haueinge a naturall bodie For you saye that thys his bodie that he had maie be in x. thowsande places at once Whiche property howe well it agreth with a natural bodie al that haue any knowledge maye decerne Againe you saye that this bodie of the same lengeth and breadeth that it hanged vpon the crosse maye be closed in a little boxe contrarie to the ordinaunce of mans naturall bodie in the creacion And where we se nothynge but a piece of breade for you can not teache vs by the scriptures that the breade is chaunged we must neades beleue that their is a bodie besides the bread because you saye so thought there can be perceiued neither quantitie nor qualitie that is to saye nothynge parteininge to a bodie As for your answere of fayeth constrained to beleue thys wythout either scripture or â–ª reasone that it maye haue merite and that all these be naturall reasons I shall answere whan I come at those wordes In the meane tyme marke your owne maliciouse wickednesse how you wil haue â–ª Christ to haue a bodie nothynge lyke the naturall bodie of man but insensible and infinit yet by your subtilties to be comprehedend and wythin your listes bandes and boxes to be contained and haue hys measure appointed but in no parte agreable to our natural bodi which he did voultchsalfe to take vpon him Thus after you haue denied him by your wicked enueÌ„cion to be a verie maÌ„ like one of vs sinne onely excepted whych the scripture teacheth plaine After you haue denied christ to haue a verie natural bodie and verie flesh then procede you to teach how he cometh in breade And because you â—et Christes religion in your ceremonies as farthynges that make the heape you set Iesu oure saniour to come in al trifles and baggage Yet to cloke your false speach wyth hipocrisie you saye properly that Christe consecrateth him selfe in those formes of bread wine with which worde consecrate you ingle by your diâ—ilish sophistrie For if ye meane he haloweth him selfe into bread wine which your word coÌ„secrate doeth signifie as lewde as you take vs we woulde laught at your folie If you woulde saye by that worde he tourneth him selfe into the fourme of breade and wyne so then your doctrine is that Christe cometh vnto vs in breade wine And we saye that he is comen all redie in the fleshe and in the same fleshe is gone vp to heauen and from thense shall come to iudge all flesh You saye lo here is Christe Lo there is Christe Loke whose spirites you be You are of the world and therfore speake you of the worlde and the world heareth you And like as by faieth so also by loue saieth Iohn is the spirite of trueth and of errowre knowne asuÌ„der Therfore let vs loue together for loue is of God and euerie one that loueth is borne of God He that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue If we loue together God dwelleth in vs and his loue is perfece in vs. If any man saie I loue God and doeth yet hate his brother that man is a lier For he that loueth not hys brother whom he seeth how can he loue God whom he seeth not Howe your hote bourneinge loue whyche causeth you to bourne men that can not vnderstand your gloses can be of god I know not but thys wotte I well that when the people of Samaria woulde not receiue Christe hys Apostles woulde haue had fire froÌ„ heauen to bourne them But Christe answered You knowe not whose spirites you are The sonne of man dyd not come to destroy the soules of men but to saue them And you byshoppes haue your authoritie to edifie and not to destroie But the olde serpent and his first begotten caine theÌ„ Pharao next Herod and the phariseis the olde byshopes condemninge Christe and you their successours banisheinge his worde with crueltie are of a coÌ„trarie spirite And where you byd vs take hede of carioÌ„ surely your glose is a very carion and the worde of God which you take a way froÌ„ al men saue geÌ„tlemeÌ„ marchauÌ„tes is the onely fode and life of the soule wher it liueth as Christ him selfe wittnesseth Not by bread only liueth man but by eueri word that proceadeth out of the mouth of God But the blacke birdes and rauenes the pies and deuoreinge fleshe crowes they fede vpon flesh and theafore vpon carion My wordes saieth Christe are spirite and lyfe My spirite sayeth God shall no longer remayne with man because he is fleshe Therfore wheÌ„ the worde of God and the spirite of lyfe are not with your fleshly teachinge it must nedes be carion Suche is your flieinge about the dead as about carion for filling of your paunches For the deade carions haue made you riche in youre monasteries chauntries and perpetuities The deade carions of Becket Benno and darnel Gader of Dunstane woulstane Audrie and suche other haue filled your wide throtes so full and you carie your praye so gredily in your monthes that you are become dome dogges that you can not barcke but onelye at them that woulde
reine you of that foule carion and leade you home to take heede of your maisters folde And to teache plainely what is carion we do take it to be what so euer you do bringe into the church of Christ as his religioÌ„ without hys holy worde and the liuely spirite of God The same I saye is that stinckinge carion that Paulle calleth Anathema and the prophet warneth vs we touche it not And Iohn biddeth vs that we do not so much as saye Ane and salute the bringers therof leste we be compted partakers of their iuell workes I wyll passe with silence the roten ragges and carion bones of your reliques and suche lyke ware that sauoure little of the spirite of life and of the worshipeing of god in spirite and trueth But for thys thinge we haue in hande lettinge slippe all other your vnsauourie cerimoneis and carianlyke relyques more stinckinge carion surely and more poisenfull sophistrie causeinge deathe and murren of so many soules was ther neuer in the worlde then the gloses and dreames of your idle braines about this mattier that we shal now handle as shalbe proued plainelie by the grace of the liueinge God Your termes of realities qualites accedentes and dimencions sauour nothinge of the spirite of God and therefore are they fleshe and carion The whole course of your boke labouringe to make Christe really and naturally present vnder these fourmes qualites and quaÌ„tities sauoureth of the rotten pastures and stinckinge fleshli braines of your dreameinge doctours Dunse Thomas de Aquino and petrus Lombardus Therfore is this the carion wherof we muste be ware This is the diuellishe sophistrie wherwyth the world hath bene so loÌ„g bewitched in such sorte that in the steade of the liuelie feading of their soules by the worde of God the breade of lyfe you haue filled theire eares and eies with darcke termes dombe signes and deceiueable shadowes allwaies beateinge and burninge the poreshep bleatinge a gainste the filthy stinckinge carion of your popeishe and I dolatrouse tradicions What other thinge let all men iudge betwexte vs are these sophisticall termes of realitie quantitie accedentes dimentions and alteracions whyche are the onely foundacion of your boke and the establishement of thys fleshly doctrine but the vsuall termes of the subtile sophistes of Cambrige and exforde and the Sorbonistes of parise They can not be founde in the bokes of the holy spirite of the holy scripture of God â–ª and therfor are they fleshely sophistrie and stinckeinge carion Thys your boke all grounded vpon man which is but flesh vpon the darcke sentences and blind termes of blind teachers as Iohn Damascene and such other can be likened to nothinge so well as to carion The whiche mattier is picked out of the maister of the sentences or carionouse sophismes chouse whether you wyl call hym And where you woulde seme to be most spirituall about the words of Christ Hoc est corpus meum ther you are all to gether carnalle and fleshly You wil haue a carnall chaunge a carnal presence a carnall sacrifice A piece of paste as we saye fleshe and bloude as we saye to be carnally worshipped wyth fonde gestures A creature to be made the creatoure A vile cake to be made God and man Which doctrine beinge examined by the spirite of God the triar of all trueth shalbe founde Idolatrouse carion The residue of your preface would haue vs captiue to you Christes vikeres to your doctours and mainteners These haue you alwayes heretofore called the churche of Rome But nowe that you maye deceiue if it be possible the verie electe by a false name calling it Christes church But in verie dede it is the sinnagog of Sathan and the church of Antichriste because you are in liueinge so contrarie to Christe and because you set â–ª and establish therin the ceremonies of Antichrist and bannishe the pore shepe from the worde of theyr shepherde seldome or neuer preacheinge vnto them Christe but your owne baggage nor yet sufferinge the pore lambes to reade and feade of hys worde and pasture But we all are not so folishe thus to be enchaunted We haue Iesu Christe before oure eies crucified by your predicessours which boasted them selues to be the church â–ª Whome alone we learne to knowe to heare and to folowe nowe in these latter daies because your fathers boeth of Rome and of Englande haue led vs out of the waye vn whoreinge in to Babilon and haue hitherto taught vs to worshipe suche thinges as by their nature are no goddes But nowe seing that we knowe God yea rather seinge that we are knowne of God we wil not returne agayne to your weake Idoles and your beggerie ceremonies to the whiche you woulde haue vs slaues and do seruice a freshe But marke and take it for an answere We haue begone in the spirite and we nether wyll nor can be made perfite by the fleshe We wyll make subiecte our senses and captiue our vnderstandinge to all trueth of goddes holy word but to no lies of your idle braines and couetous conspiracie We are no longer vnder the schole of your popeish tradicions for we are all the children of God because we haue beleaued in Christe Iesu For so many of vs sayeth Paulle as are baptised we are clade with Christe so that there is no Iewe nor Greke no exception of yoman from Ientleman or man from womaÌ„ but wee are all one in Iesu Christe Therfore wil we staÌ„d in the liberti wherin Christ hath deliuered vs and we wyll no more be wrapped with your seruile bondage knowinge that whoso trobleth vs shal receiue his iudgement who so euer he be Therefore all the fruites of the fleshe and al the workes of darckenesse set a parte adulterie Idolatrie and suche like we will walke in the workes of the spirite loue Ioye peace gentlenesse liberalitie goodnesse faith mildenesse and sobrenesse And we wil glorie in nothinge â—aue onely in the crose of oure Lorde Iesu Christ by whome the worlde is crucified vnto vs and we vnto the worlde beinge fully parswaded that Christe is the good shepeherde that putteth his soule for his shepe and that al you bishopes are but hirlinges workyng for wages whiche scatter the fâ—oke barcke not for the shâ—pe But he knoweth his shepe and is knowne of them His voice onely wil they heare hym onely wyll they folow and he onely geueth vnto them euerlasting lyfe they shall neuer perish No man shal be able to take them out of his hande for his father and he be all one Thus are we beinge grounded vppon oure heade and maister Christ by faieth the very true church of Christe againste the whyche the gates of hel can not preuaile ⧠An answere concerneinge the true vnderstandeinge and wisdoÌ„e that God geueth to all men that aske it in sure fayeth wherin is declared the true vnderstandinge of these wordes Hoc est corpus meum Winchesters text THe first chiefe and principall point of
haueinge but one texte thorough out al the Bible that maketh for your purpose do swareue frome that and put ther vnto your gloses whyche do also driue you frome the firste texte this is my bodye when you write that it is in fourme of bread and vnder the accidentes and qualites of breade For Christe dyd not saye in thys is my bodie or vnder this is mi bodie But this is my bodie Wherfore nowe 〈◊〉 â—…e you shoulde slaunder vs no more wyth denieing of the scripture for we denie but your gloses It is scripture that we striue for It is scripture that we desier It is scripture that you denie vs vnder the degre of geÌ„tile men Wherein doublesse if we boeth had our senâ—… diligently occupied and exâ—…sed spiritually â–ª nâ— doubte not onely thys text but al the misterie of redempcion shoulde be so well knowne that we woulde no longer seke our redemer vpon eâ—…er here nor ther but onely at the right hande of hys father from whâ—â—e sendeingâ— his spirite he maxe saue vs at the fâ—ll so many as by hym wyll go to God We do beleue wyth oure herte and must playnely and simplye coÌ„fesse with oure mouth that thys is the bodie of Christ thys is the bloude of Christ thys cup is the newe testament that the fleshe of Christe is verie meaâ—e and hys bloude verie drinke That Christ is the waye the trueth and the liâ—… the doâ—e the good shepeherde Christe is the verie true vine and we the braunchese That all we are one breade and one verie bodie so mani as be partakers of one breade And al these thynges I do beleue more surely then if I dyd se them wyth mine eyes or perceiue them with any other sense â—ecause the knowledge of the spirite farre passeth all other knowledge and the heauenly thynges are sure when the other are but decâ—euable shadowes It is neither Manna that fed the fathers neither any other thinge or name vnder heauen but onely the breade comminge downe from heauen that is the verie true meaâ—e geueinge lyfe to the worlde Thus are we fully taught in the text of Iohn where we maye most playnely se this spâ—…ual eatinge whereof onely all confort lyfe and fode of the soule do arise and stowe forth In that Chap we learne that the people folowinge Christ for the hope of meate because he had fed them a little before were by him called according to the whole course of the scriptures as maye appeare specially to hym that hath bene diligently exercised in the misteries of the prophetes from the sensible and outwarde bodily thynges to thynges inwarde and spirituall For the beautie of thys kinges daughter as Dauid saieth is inwarde And therefore doeth our sauiour admonishe them that sought hym for meate that before all thynges they shoulde worcke the meate that neuer perisheth Thus goeth he frome the meate that nourisheth the bodie vnto the meate of hys heauenly worde that nourisheth the soule This meate he calleth the heauenly meate that geueth lyfe vnto the worlde and that so abundantly that who so eateth it shall neuer be hungri agayne Thys meate as the maner of the Hebrues is to call all kinde of meate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so doothe he same tyme call it breade 〈◊〉 meate When they hearinge thys dyd imagine bodily meate as Manna that Moses gaue he openeth thys meate sayinge I am the breade of lyfe He that cometh to â—â—e shall not be hungrie and he that beleueth in me shall neuer be thirstie By the whyche wordes he meaueth none other thynge but that those that come vnto hym that is to saye beleue in hym for so are the wordes folowinge they can none other wayes be wrasted Qui veuit ad me non esuriet et qui credit in me non sitiet vnquam They shall seke none other foode but onely thys verie breade that cometh downe from heauen The Iewes astonied that he called hym selfe the breade comming downe from heauen and the liuely meate sayed Is not thys the sonne of Ioseph But Christe admonished them againe byddinge them not grudge at thys for it standeth not in the capacite of man but by the inspiracion of the spirite as the prophet saied They shalbe al taught of God Wherfore it is not possible for any maÌ„ to beleue that Christe was borne from heauen the meate of the soule excepte the father drawe hym Then goeth he farther to shewe howe he is the meate of the soule and howe he shoulde be eaten For the firste he saieth thus Verilie I saie vnto you He that beleueth in me hath euerlasting life I am the breade of life whiche came downe from heauen that men might eate of thys breade and not dye But to tell the wattier plaine Thys breade that I wyll geue you is my fleshe which I wyll geue for the lyfe of the worlde Thys offeringe of my selfe for you shall reconcile the worlde vnto my father and therby geue it life This therfore is it that I haue spoken so longe vnto you whan I shal be offerred vp for the worlde and dye for the sinnes therof than shall I be the meate of soules wherby they liue ascerteined of the mercie of God who nowe can denie nothinge vnto man seinge he hath geuen his owne sonne for him Thus therfore is my fleshe the meate of the soule beinge flaine for the deade that thei might liue Not as you thinke geueing it vnto you as I am counersant amonge you for that whyche is engendred of the fleshe is fleshe and therfore my fleshe carnally eaten can bring furth nothing but fleshe but contrariewise the fleshe of Christe â—…ge for vs maketh vs spirituaâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therfore the childreÌ„â—… of God On thys sorte it is verie meaâ—e and verie drinke But the Iewes coulde not perceiue thys but sayed againe Howe can he geue vs his flesh to eateâ— vnto 〈◊〉 Christ sayeth againe excepte 〈◊〉 the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke his bloude you shal noâ— haue lyfe in you What Lorde hath no man lyfe but that denoureth the wyâ—h hys teâ—h and swaloweth the downe hys throte Or hath euerie suche euerlastynge lyfe as doeth eate the carnally and bodâ—â—e euen the same bodie wherein thou liuedest wheÌ„ thou saidest He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude hath euerlastinge lyfe and I wil raise him at the laste daye Naye surely For than euerie Idolatour and whorâ—â—onger who can haue no parte in thy kingdome myght make them selfe sure of life by their owne worcke For they saye they eate the carnally and bodily fleshe bloude and bones But o men ouer muche carnall and fleshlye and yet not once vnderstaÌ„dinge what should folowe of the coÌ„mone iudgment of the senses Bâ—t as Iudas propâ—ecied vpon you euê in suche thinges as you haue the knowledge of by the course of nature commune wyth brute beastes in the same you are corrupted Ipraie you therfore suffer me to reasoÌ„e with you accordeinge to your
be betwixt me and your feyned goddes I am that auncient in yeres that doeth feele â–ª none age For a thousande yeres are but one daye in my syghte For in the twynckelynge of an eye do I beholde all thynges be they presente paste or to come Your Saturne whom you hange vp in a corde as a wicked fellowe had neede to haue Iupiter his sonne sought out to healpe to defende hym in his olde age when his chaungable fleshe and bones whiche you feyne him to haue and defende the same wyth sworde and fyre begyn once to musker and moulde after he passeth once the age of one moneth But who shal reuenge the litle gods whiche liue but the space of one minute and so perish coÌ„tinually Thei are takeÌ„ streighte from the wafer box to the chalice and there are they deuoured A woÌ„derfull mattier so sone made God and so sone-brought to nought againe Olde Aristotle your great maister couÌ„pteth for a greate miracle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in englishe beastes that â—yue but one daye But if he had knowen thys sodeyne chaunge of so many Goddes in one minute what myght he haue writteÌ„ to his posteritie I appeale to your owne conscience in this mattier your conscience I say that do make and marre so many Goddes in so litle space you I saye that do seeke out so straunge ingines for the preseruation of your Goddes You close hym in a box of harder metal then myse teeth can penetrate you hange hym vp in a corde leste the gredie myse shoulde besiege hym you couer hym wyth a canopie so that the myse can not come at hym and what meaneth all thys but that you knowe by experieÌ„ce that the myse do nothinge feare hym because he is made but of breade and hath no lyfe in hym nor hardinesse to beate a mouse Let your owne coÌ„science be Iudge in thys mattier But O wicked Idolatours If thys were God that you do thys handle he woulde somtyme breake open his prison wherein he is enclosed by his power and strength How be it he can do nothinge Or if he can do any thynge crie vpon him as dyd the priestes of the olde Idolatours that he wyll do so much as put one horne out of his shel box wherin he is enclosed to assray his enemies or els to your great coÌ„fusion he shall be lesse set by then a creping snaple Or if you dare make a profe of his power leaue hym without but one night out of his box and you shal see the litle mise wyll not be much afrayed of hym neither do the cattes backes owles swallowes and sparowes greatly feare hym Then tel me I praye you why man shoulde be so mad as to stande in feare of the thynge whiche is of no reputation Feare him not therfore O my litle flocke for he can neither do good nor â—uyll No he hath neither life nor feeling He felt not when he was baken into a cake neither feeleth he wheÌ„ the priest breaketh him because there is no spirite of lyfe in hym Be you ashamed therfore al you that worshippe him for if by the negligence of the priestes he fall to the grounde he can not aryse alone neither if he be raysed can he stande In vayne therfore do you worship suche a God as in no poynt can healpe hym selfe Howe can you then desyre his healpe in your aduersitie The Goddes that you worshyp are none other thynge but as the baker that baketh them wyll haue them and the priest that maketh them And neither of these two workemen is of longe continuaunce Howe caÌ„ their workes be Goddes therfore These gods of yours caÌ„ not deliuer them selues froÌ„ theues and robbers whiche haue ofteÌ„ times spoyled them of their boxes And you haue of late seene in the suppressioÌ„ of the Abbayes which I did sende for a punishmeÌ„t of Idolaters they were then left succuâ—lesse turned out of their siluer boxes and were not able to resist Therfore wheÌ„ you see the people worshiping round about you say in your hertes O Lorde that hast layed the foundations of the earth and the heauens the muste we worshippe And so doinge myne Angel is with you and I wyll require your soules at the hande of the oppressours Oh hertes barraine of al heaueÌ„ly doctrine Oh myndes voied of al godlines Howe can I the true God be knowen whilse the bread God and the cake vnsensible is in so high reputation Yea what needeth it men to lifte vp their mindes vnto heauen seinge they haue hym in earth which can grauÌ„t their prayers Howe can they worship in spirite and trueth seing they worshipe the thinge that hath neither spirite nor lyfe Howe caÌ„ you vnderstaÌ„de or coÌ„preheÌ„de my dreadful maiestie whilse ye do take this for a god whoÌ„ a blast of wynde wyll klowe downe from his aultare and his superaltare Al such goddes therfore as haue not made the heauens shall perish froÌ„ the earth and froÌ„ vnder the heaueÌ„ Marke howe the breath of maÌ„ a thinge of smal streÌ„gth againste any other creature is able to chaunge alter traÌ„sfourme the breade so sone as he hath it in his mouth and it shalbe ynough to him that hath reason to declare how shaÌ„ful the chauÌ„g is from the most strong to the moste weake froÌ„ the greatest to the least from the best and most mightie to the worste most impotent Oh miserable and chaungeable nature of man Oh twise miserable God whom this miserable man maketh Yea thrise miserable for he must come downe into the chalice at the call of euery whoremonger and sodomite drunckarde and couetouse caytyfe and be streight wayes swallowed into his filthy and vusaciable paunch that the firste beginnynge and endynge of his godhead maye he lyke miserable If the scripture do describe you any such If AdaÌ„ Enoch Noah AbrahaÌ„ Isaac Moyses AaroÌ„ or Samuel do knowe any such If Esaie Ieremias or Daniell haue described him in their prophecies If Math. Marke or Luke whoÌ„ you leudly alledge had tolde you that there had ben any such God on the erth If Peter Paule Iames and Iohn the faythful witnesses of my sonne Christe and the openers of his secretes had taughte you thys crusted cake myghte be chaunged into God or his sonne Christe shewe me one place But I knowe your crafte and subtiltie Nothynge is impossible to God you saye What then Shall God at your commaundement be a stone a tree or breade By the same possibilitie make hym your Asse All mine therfore shall answere you in this sort Because all thynges are possible vnto oure God he is able to escape your blynde iugelynge and is of power ynough to destroye you al together with your Idols And what so euer he be that teacheth any God that I haue not opened to my seruauntes in the scriptures the same I haue commaunded by my seruaunte Moyses to be stoned to death Which lawe I do nowe ratifie and wil
that all such be put out from amonge my people And who so euer wilnot repēt this grosse errour beinge admonished be it knowen vnto them that they are not of my shepe For my shepe do heare my voice And being once raysed wyth my voice they wyll folowe no straunger but wil with open voice crie vnto the straunger and say Oh Idole shepeherde Al this haue I spokē because I your god am so opēly cōtemned and a weaks Idol embraced Gyue eare nowe and herken what I shal saye for my sonne whō I sent to be your sauiour and the onely sacrifice that can take awaye synne in my sight You make hym of none effect that so you maye establishe your owne glorious workes and sacrifices I was and am fully cōtented and satisfied wyth the offering of his body once done What neede is there then of your lyeinge sacrifice If his onely sacrifice be ynough as it is ynough more then ynough to satisfie for al what nedeth you to sacrifice and offer him vp again Wyl you or cā you kyl him againe For that which is sacrificed must needs be slayne and wythout bloude can there be no remission of sinnes I know your hertes bloudy bishops by the betrayinge of him whē he was in the earth amonge you nowe by the brennyng of his worde by the tirānous destroyinge of his flocke which wolde cal againe the memorie of his passiō which you haue extinguished wyth your sacrifice for the quycke the dead making it a cloke for your couetousnes and a buckler for the pompe and rigorous authoritie you chalendge ouer my litle flocke I appointed him priest according to the ordre of Melchisedech without successoure or felow I anointed him with the spiritual oile of my spirite that I mighte haue a bishop to offre vnto me sacrifice which should be pure and without spot whiche shoulde not neede many times to offer or to be offered but makinge al thynges perfecte by one onely offeringe of him selfe vnto me his father and by his bloude which all other sacrifices so oft iterated and repeted as thinges vnperfect dyd onelie signifie In this my dearly beloued sonne is my delyte He is the greate bishop whiche once for all hath entered into the place most holie And beinge founde lyke one of you in althings sinne only excepted he hath now penetrated and passed throughe into the heauens there to be your bishop for euer to offer hym selfe alwayes for you in my syghte by whom you maye come to the throne of my grace to haue healpe by tyme. If you wyl seeke any other bishoppe to offre for yo◠I tell you he is poluted and muste firste offre for hym selfe And because of the imperfection that is in hym he can not please me nor pacifie forhim selfe Yea you may also perceiue that his offeryng is vnperfecte or els should he not neede to reiterate it so oftē If you wil not be deceiued therfore sticke fast vnto the offering ofmy sōne once for all made for you And as I haue giuē him to the deth for your sakes so wyll I deny you nothinge that you aske in his name be you sure Hōse comethit that you be called christiās that Christ my sonne was for your sakes manifestly made man in the flesh was iustly declarede God by the spirite and shewed vnto the Angels and after receyued into glorie This must you beleue if you wyl be partakers of the same glorie That he was verie man as one of you are synne onely excepted conuersant vpon the earth in all humilitie care and miserie at my cōmaundemēt wherby for his obedience toward me he deserued to be ▪ crowned wyth a crown of glorie wherfore I sendynge the holye gost vnto you at his desyre whyche may teach you how you are become my chyldren by hym dyd take him vnto my selfe and raised him aboue al the heauēs euen to sitte at my ryght hand for euer Wher you shal seke him if you intende to find hime But neither here nor ther in ani corner of the earth He tolde you that he must departe from you And if you loke for my fauoure you muste not compt him a liar But wylt thou seke my sonne Lo he hath offered one offerynge for sinne and sytteth for euer at the ryght hande of me hys father lokynge for that whiche remayneth That is that hys enemies be made his fote stole And thus doeth my spirite witnes vnto you that in this my newe testamēt established in hys death your sinnes shoulde be done awaye so that I woulde no more remembre them Then if you beleue them to be forgyuen how can you offer for them any more It is a manifest token therfore that all you which wilbe styll sacrificeynge for your synnes do not beleue that they beforgeuē by the death of my sonne Christe You also whych wyll carnally and grosely eate hym and feade vpon hym as chaungeynge breade into hys fleshe can not worthly beleue vpon hym For he departeyngefrō the earth dyd cōmaund you to eate the bread of this supper which he louyngly called hys bodye for your weake remēbraunce and for the declaracion of the benefite which he then shewed vnto all the faythful beleuers in hys death and bloud shedeynge For the declaracion and remēbraunce I saye of this benefite he cōmaunded all his faythful folowers brotherly to deuide amonge them the bread and wyne so ofte as they woulde eate or drynke in the remembraunce of hym whom they shoulde not haue any longer presently conuersant amonge them For he was then commynge vnto me his father for your profyte And therfore byddeth he you do this thynge in the remēbraunce of hym wyll you then know what it is to do the worke that he commaundeth you or to worke the meate that ne neuer perisheth whiche meate he promised to geue vnto you and I haue sēt him downe and appointed hym for the same purpose If you wil knowe this worcke reade in the. vi of Iohn wher you shal learne that the worke of God is to belieue in hym whome he hath sent This is al that you can geue me This is all that I require at your handes I geue you therfore the breade of life if you can receiue it by faieth vnfainedlie That is to say trusteinge to my promise onely in the death of my sonne and to none other creature Yea my sonne is this breade of lyfe and he that cometh vnto hym shall not be hongry he that beleueth in hym shal not be thirsty And thys he tolde you was my wyll and pleasure that who so euer doeth see him and beliue in hym hath euerlasteynge lyfe For thys is the lyfe euerlasteynge to knowe me and to knowe my sonne whome I haue sent Iesu Christe By thys knoweledg do the Angelles and blessed spirites lyue reioyce and take their comfort Thys is the heauenlye fode Thys is the Manna that comethe frome heauen Therfore so muche haste
Christe Iesu our sauiour who onelye is the ende of all prophecies in whome they al are made perfecte with whome we shall enioye this perfecte peace so many as defire to knowe the liuinge God and whome he sent downe to saue the worlde Iesu Christ nowe sitting at his right hande to whome be glorie For euer and euer So be it Iohn iiii Episto i. Who so knoweth God heareth vs. Anâ— he that is not of God heareth not vs. And herby do we know the spirite of truthe and the spirite of errowre The Prologue GRace and peace from the Lorde the liueinge God who hath all our hertes in hys hande to moue and stere to what shall lyke hym beste who onely knoweth the hertes of men and therefore oneli is the iudge of the thoughtes and intentes of vs all what or whan so euer we speake or thinke whose daye and iudgment is without regarde what man which is but flesh and bloud and therefore ful of erroure and blindnesse shall dispute and determine and iudge I paciently loke for and a bide whan as all darnell drake and weede shall be caste into the hell fire and all the good graine shal be gathered into God his owne garner vnto whome we lyue all the tyme that we walke vpon the earth And wheÌ„ we die yet are we sure that we are his owne by the raunsome that his dearely beloued sone Christ our Lord and heade hath paied geueinge the holy gost into our hertes as a most suer wittnesse of the same teacheinge vs to crie Aba father whereby we knowe that though we die yet we die vnto hym to lyue euer after cowpled and ioyned in one kinde and nature vnto our heade Christe who as he is fully God and of equale powre wyth his father so shal he make vs like vnto hym when he shal appeare after our porcion and measure partakers of his godly nature like as he hath in hys world though but in a shadowe and cloude in regarde of the fulnesse that shalbe declared be gonne al redy to regenerate and begete vs a newe â–ª creature by the holy gost workinge by the worde of hys trueth that we nowe resembling the image of God whereunto we were made maye be continually occupyed in the workes of hys kingdome as be these Iustice peace â–ª and ioy in the same holy gost geuear of al goodnes For he that by these workes serueth Christe is acceptable to God and conmended of men Thys sâ—me â—â—e euer lasteinge God without begininge and without endinge he geue me grace to the fortheraunce of his glorie to make answere to that deuellishe detection the sophistrie of Sathan published by Stephane Gardiner bishope of Winchester for the maintenaunce of the popishe Idole the dombe God and poetical chaungling wher by not onely the true liuinge God is neglected his true honoure obscured and defaced the preachinge of hys worde almoste set at nought but also all kindes of poperie as images blessing kissinge shaueinge of crownes supersticioÌ„ of garmenets and such like are craftily by subtile pointes of the popes sophistri and wordes filthy framed for such merchaundise confirmed and established as thought al the whole heape of these triffes heaped vp together were the religion of a Christian man wher as to knowe God for our true God and whom hehath sent Iesu Christ and by this knowledge to be borne a new and to kepe our selfe immaculate and vnde filed from the worlde is the true and perfecte religioÌ„ demauÌ„ded of vs true christians The other is but countrefaite what so euer â—his sophistrie doeth name it because our maister christ who can not lie doeth saie ful plaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They worshipe me in vaine teacheinge the doctrine and preceptes of men c. And where he bringeth in this texte in the ende of his boke nothing so ful as our sauior Christ did speake it as he knoweth well inowgh if he haue so muche Greke as he braggeth abrode he addeth therunto his owne glose as though he coulde vtter the wordes of christ the sone of God much more wiselie by hys babling Yet am I coÌ„tent to let his own glose be his owne iudge in these matters His wordes bee these They worshippe me in vaine with the teachinge of such as remaine in the estate of men onely theÌ„ teach their owne for theÌ„ selues for al such teachinge is like the teachar that is to saye carnal Let eueri man that hath not his conscience al redie brenned wyth the hote proâ—e marke whether hys owne glose make against him and all the ceremonies that hys father the pope beinge I trowe but in the estate of a man and that a carnal maÌ„ hath made though Winchester go aboute craftily accordinge to the cannon lawe whereof he is sworne by solemne othe doctoure and teacher to make him more theÌ„ a man And marke againe good christen hertes what they win by theyr gloses and multiplied wordes wherby in fayth it were verie easy to confute them all euen by the testimonies of their owne doctours as Bucere Ecolampadius and Frith haue done perfectlie well if these men woulde suffer there bokes to come to lyght For these papistes do so mixte the trueth and salsehed together for without some ground of trueth noman woulde beleue them that the one piece of the tale standeth commonly with the trueth and the other vttereth their salshed And therfore speake they longe matter and are not content to saye plainely a spade but they muste necker it as they do in theyr mattens and saye spaâ—a aâ—ade As for me I haue learned to cal breade bread to speake althinges plainelie Therfore by the open scriptures wyll I make them answere to their questions For al the scripture inspired from God is profitable boeth to teache and to reproue to correcte and to instructe in rightuousnesse that the man of God maye be perfecte and fite for euerie good worcke So that if ther be any â–ª good worke â–ª to be taught or yll worck â—o be rebuked we must go to the scripture onely as to the toutchstone and onelye triall of al trueth For wyth scriptures did Christe driue awaie the deuil and not wyth holy water as you are reported to saie that the deuil greatly dreadeth it and so do ye still commaunde that it shalbe made a coniured water euerie sonnedayes in â–ª euery churche to driue furth deuilles But he thoughe he were boeth god and man alledgeth scriptures alwayes to confirme his saienges and commandeth his hearers to sherch the scriptures So doe Peter Paule Iames and Iohn Wheras Paul beinge brought vp at the fete of Gamaliell the greate lawier was redie inoughe to haue disputed out of the Thalmud of the tradicions of their fathers whiche he saieth he hath ernestely studied beinge ouâ— of the phariseies and interpretour of that law and such one as by the outward wordes of the lawe could not be found fantie Yet dyd he accoÌ„pte all thys
againe Haueinge no nede as other byshopes haue to offer for hys owne sinnes and then for the synnes of the people for he hath done that once whan he offerred him selfe Againe in the. ix Chap By hys owne bloude wente he in once into â—he holie place euerlasteinge redemption opâ—ained The whiche euerlasteinge redemption if we haue optained al redie in that he offerred hym selfe by spirite euerlasteinge as Paule sayeth without spot vnto God and so hath purified oure conscience from deade workes what neade we an other pope Byshope or prieste to offer hym agayne Hath he not sufficiently and aboundantly offered hym selfe for the sinnes of the whole world Howe can the priest then offer hym to take a waâ—e sinnes or profite quicke and deade For those selfe same sinnes wer taken away before by Christ or else shal they neuer be taken waie by the pâ—istes Therfore is this but vaine iug linge for money and for the maintenaunce of your dignities Againe Christe is gone into heauen that he maye appeare nowe in the sight of God for vs not that he may oft offer hym self what authorite than I pray you hath the priest oft to offer hym for than muste he oft haue suffered sith the world was made But now once at the later ende of the worlde for to driue awaye sinne dyd he appeare by the offeringe of hym self And where as all men once must die and after receyue iudgment so also Christe is once offerred vp that he maye take awaye the sinnes of manye Agayne in the. x. wee are made holie by the offeringe of the bodâ— of Christe once done What it is that yoâ— priestes do offer so ofte I shal tel you anoâ—… Euerie priest sayeth Paule standeth daie â–ª ly doinge sacrifice and offerringe the saâ—… oblacions often tymes which neuer can take awaye sinne Which wordes â—houghe thei 〈◊〉 spoken onely of the priestes of the olde lawe yet coÌ„parynge that which foloweth it shalbe proued true in you of the newe lawe For Christe after one offeringe offerred for sinnes â—â—tteth for euer at the right hande of god A gaine By one onely offerringe hath he made peâ—fecte for euer so many as are made holie Iâ— he haue made vs perfect by one only offeringe wherto serue the priestes â–ª that we maye conclude as Paulle doeth Where ther is remission of and forgeuenesse of sinnes be 〈◊〉 in the olde testament or the newe â—hâ—re remaineth no farther oblacion or offerringe for them Contrariwise as Paulle reasone the with them so maie we reasone with you if thys offeringe myght take a waye sinne or make theÌ„ perfecte that vse it woulde they not haue leste of the offerringe of it for them selfe their foundars and all suche as they vsed it for Because nowe they shoulde haue had no conscience of their sinnes which hade thus sacrified and bene once purged Therfore sayeth Paule in the sacrifices of the olde lawe whyche were not done wyth out bloude was onely the commemoracion and remembraunce yerely of sinnes And Christe hym selfe sayeth of thys oure sacrament Do thys in the remembraunce of me Lyke as in the passouer whyche was the figure of oure deliueraunce by Christe the vn spotted lambe yerely remembraunce was commaunded to be done Though by the open word of god who is able to chaunge what lyketh hym whose powre no man euer doubted of that had but the gifte of reasone the ceremonie of oure redemption which they had but in shadowe and we haue in trueth and therfore it ceased whan the bodye that is Christe did come and offer the true passeouer lambe thoughe I saye thys ceremonie of the Iewes be by these open wordes of God thus named Thys is the passouer of the Lorde yet was ther neuer any of the Iewes priestes so mad to saye that God chaunged any substaunce by thys worde is yet were they all baptised by Moyses as Paule witnesseth in the cloude â–ª and in the sea And they all did eate the same spiritual meate and drinke the same spirituall drinck for they dyd drinke of the spirituall drinke whiche folowed them The stone was Christe But we more grosse and carnall by much in all oure doeinges blowe inges and blâ—ssâ—iâ—ges then were â—he pharisies though Christe sâ—ke such worshipers as shall worshâ—e hym in spirite not contented wyâ—h the spirituall fode of the soule wherwiâ—â— onely he feadeth the soule because it is also a spirit and therfore taketh no fode but onely Christe and hys worde spiritually ministred whyche are spirite and life where as â—he fleshe profiteth nothinge â—oeth as we reade in the sixt of Iâ—hâ— and the manifeste example of the olde byshopes haueinge hym carnally present amonge them â–ª and as you will haue it Iudas and all the wicked do carnally and fleshely eate hym and yet do not abyde in hym but haue damnacioâ— contrarie to the sainge of Christ He that eateth my fleshe and dâ—…h my bloude hath euerlastinge life and I shall raise hym vp at the laâ—â—e daye And againe He that eateth mi fleshe and drincketh my â–ª bloude abydeth in me and I in hym And as Iohn sayth in hys firste Epistle God hath geuen vs euerlastinge lyfe and thys lyfe is in hys sonne He that hath the sonne hath life and he that hath not the soÌ„ne of God hath not lyfe All whiche scriptures â—oeth they that teach vs that Christe can no more nether neadeth againe in bodye to be offerred and sacrificed and therfore compell vs to graunt that these wordes thys is bodie which shalbe geuen for you were neuer ment so carnally that euerie prieste â—…blinge these wordes in a strange language with breathing and bloweing shoulde cause Christe to come downe from the right hand of the father to be chaunged into bread that he myght sacrifice hym newe againe to take awaye sinnes In lyke maner do those scriptures that teach all sacrifices to be perpetuall commemoracions and remembraunces of the spirituall eateinge of Christe amonge the fathers of the olde testameÌ„t and that Christ likwise wyll haue thys sacrament ministred in the remembraunce of hym in the newe testameÌ„t wher as the speache maye feme verie idle to saye make me in the remembrauÌ„ce of me althought it so were that it myght be so sayed without intolerable arrogancie as it can not in any wise whether you saie you make him by hys worde or no as shall appeare afterwarde Those scriptures also whyche teach that we haue life euerlasteinge so â—â—â—y of vs as eate hâ—s fleshe and drinke hys bloude yea that we shall neuer be hongrie or â—hirstie agayne so many of vs â–ª as once do taâ—e of thys bread comming from heauen Finally alscriotures that teach how and after what sort Christ is profitable vnto vs for they are the chiefe establyshementes of oure fayeth that were not present with him at suche time as he was budilie vpon the earth That is to saye that the flesh profiteth no thinge The wordes that I
speake are spirit and lyfe Wher vpon Peter saied Lord why ther sâ—hal we gooâ—thou hast the words of euerlasting life And these are the waters that Christe wyll geue after the whiche no man shall euer thurste But the water whiche I shall geue hâ—m saieth Christe shalbe made in hym a fountaine of water springeinge into lyâ—â—e euerlasteing Blessed be they that heare the worde of God and kepe it whiche was sharpely answered agaynste them which dyd so highlie aduaunce to knowe God in the fleshe Against whom also Paule sayth we know none after the fleshe etc. Moreouer saieth he though we haue knowne Christ after the fleshe yet nowe do we not knowe hym so any longer But he that is in Christe muste be a newe creature in the spirite accordeinge to the saieinge of Christe to him Nâ—codemus Excepte a man be borne a newe from aboue from heauen euen of the spirite the can not enter the kingdoÌ„e of heaneÌ„ That whych is borne of the fleshe is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit Againe it is profitable that I go from you for it I go not the spirite of confort shal not come vnto you but if I go I wyl sende hym vnto you he shal leade you into al truthe Therefore should you reioyce because I saie that I go vnto my father Thys profite of the bodilie departeing to haue the confort of the spirite dyd appeare manifestelie in Petre and the other Apostles who deniynge and forsakeinge theyr maister whome they hade bodily present dyd nothing doubt to die for hym whan he was in bodie absent Besides that thys bodilie presens in euerie corner to take awaye sinne is preiudicial to the liuely fealeing of oure faith Firste for that he is verie man in al thinges haueing a naturall bodye as we haue sufficiently paiyng oure raâ—â—some to hys father vpon the crosse SecoÌ„dly it may cause vs to doubt whether we shall saye that he hath ascended into heauen and there sitteth at the right hand of the father and froÌ„ thence shal come to iudge the quicke and the deade other else saie with you that the prieste muste dayly offer hym a sacrifice here vpon earth for vs and that he muste kepe him heare styl in a boxe to ware mouldie and mustie and then chaunge hym for a newe Christe beinge infinitly created Who shall at the daye of dome starte forth of all these boxes at once into a newe shape I trowâ— to iudge all the eâ—â—h or elfe muste you â—…des confesse that they shall al be iudged and â—…ned where they lye in their boxes The scripture I saye the liuely sâ—aâ—eing of my fayeth grounded onely vpon the spirite of Christâ— and your owne madnesse that I haue reade in your owne bokes and no pride or arroganciâ— what so euer you saye I take god to recorde caâ—se me that I dare not so carnally and grossely vnderstaÌ„d the wordes of Christe as you do And I daâ—e maintaine 〈…〉 I haue many of your owne doc tours whose testimonie either in thys poynt or any other vnâ—es they bringe open scripture wâ—…h them I do not greately regarde but to your confution Yet haue I the better parte of them whiche do spiritually vnderstande and interprete thys scripture wyth me â–ª How be it I knowe we shall neuer make aâ— ende 〈◊〉 we bringe doctour vpon doctoure To answere therfore to thys text this is my bodye whyche is your onely shoâ—eaukere And to 〈…〉 aâ— your wode wordes tauÌ„tes that flowe frome your eloquet mouth as smoke doeth from a lake of brimstone But firste I wyll bringe forth the whole texte of Mathewe Marke and Luke And by the open worde of God I truste I shall declare the true sence and meaneing to him that wyth a spirituall eie shall iudge therof Christ in the xxvi of Mathewe when he was together wyth hys Apostles eateinge the passouer whyche was the most liue lyke figure in the olde lawe nowe makeing an ende in Christe the lambe wythout all spoâ—e and blemishe did ordeine this godly sacrament for the remembraunce of hym selfe to the worlde folowinge and that hys death myght be shewed and published vnto the worldes and like as in the passouer was cotinually mencioned and declared to the posteritie foloweinge the benifite of God in the deliueraunce from Egipt And as that ceremonie the eateinge of the lambe was called the passouer and he hym selfe called the lambe of god so like wise calleth he thys hight misterie and sacrament hys bodie and a newe testament in hys bloude That as truely as the Israelites were deliuered forth of Egipte the angel passing by not hurting the people of that house the dore posts wherof were sprinkled wyth the bloude of that lambe so verily shoulde Christe delyuer vs out of the Egipt of sinne and perfourme the thynge before figured For thys cause saieth Iohn beholde the lambe of God whych taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde And Christe sayeth Thys is my bodye whyche is gyuen for you And thys cup is the newe testament in my bloude whiche is shede for you By the which wordes it maye appeare that Christe dyd meane no chaunge of natures or traunssubstancion but onely that where the bloude of the lambe in the olde testament was sprenkled on the postes to saue frome the aduengeinge angell so many as shoulde be saued so lykewise thys bloude of Christ in the newe testament should be shede to saue vs so mani as haue our soules sprink led wyth the bloude of thys lambe Christe Iesâ— Therfore in lyke maner as the fathers of the olde lawe dranke of the spirituall ston that folowed them â–ª whiche was Christe euen so are we all commaunded to drinke of thys bloude none other wyse then the chyldren of Israell were commaunded that the bloude of the lambe shoulde be theire token in all the houses wher they were Ther was 〈◊〉 man so mad to saye that these wordes this cup is â—he newe testameÌ„t in my bloud dyd chaunge the substaunce of the cup into the newe testament And yet are thei christes owne wordes who can not lye If you therfore be driuen to your â–ª gloses tropes and figures in the wordes spoken of thys sacrament why should we be coÌ„demned to death because we can not vnderstande youre carnal gloses â–ª You must neades haue one glose to declare what is meÌ„t by the cup. Whether the wiâ—e the bloude or the cup it selfe either else a signe and sacrament of the newe testament or a performeinge of the same in the bloude of Christe as Luke teacheth you to speake and as Mathew and Marcke boeth do wittnesse This is my bloud of the newe testament whyche is shed for many to the remission of their sinnes Thus were the Apostles nothinge curiouse in wordes as they ought to haue bene if the wordes had made the cup or the wine God chaunging the substaunce therof so sone as they hadâ—â—eâ— spoken Thus you
owne grossenes Howe dare you for shame name this christes bodie that you do eate and saie that you eate it bodily May any thing be called a bodie but that may be perceyued bi some of our outwarde sences For by theÌ„ onely as by corporall instruments appointed of God to the same purpose maye we iudge what so euer is a bodie Seinge then our senses and bodilie instrumenâ—es perceiue no suche bodie the worcke beinge inwarde by the spirite what neade we to speake grossely and carnallie of the bodie or whaâ— profite can come by that strange doctringe Seinge then that Christe is not the meate of the soule that waye it is to muche shame thus to contrefaite a Christ in the breade good for nothinge But we beleueinge that Christe hath died for vs haue all the conforte that maye be continuallie refreshed wyth the body and bloude whyche are the onely foode of the soule For of thys spirituall eateinge the spirite encreaseth like as of the carnal eateing flesh onelie can be cherished and encreased For this worde must euer staÌ„d true That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that whiche is borne of the spirit is spirite And for this cause doeth Christe vnderstand a spiritual eateinge But howe I praye you That 〈…〉 maye be eaten carnally and bodily Then shal it be al one thinge to eate hym bodily 〈…〉 spiritually which euen by your sophistrie you must nedes iudge impossible If the eaâ—â—ng of Christ be spiritual â–ª why do you say that you eate hym bodilye If it be bodilie what other thyng can it confort butthe bodi Christ saiâ—h that except we eat his flesh that is beleue that he died and shed his bloud for vs we cannot haue lyfe in vs. Agayn if we 〈◊〉 his flesh that is beleue that it was slaine for vs and drinke his bloude that is beleue shed that his bloud is shed for vs than is Christ in vs and we in him But is Christ in any man corporally and bodilie Naye ve rily What neadeth it vs than to make any â—…o doubtes of cateinge hym bodily for thaÌ„ do we eate hys bodie when we beleue that it was slaine for vs. It is fayth therfore and â—…e other eateinge wher of Christ speaketh for man consisteth of two partes bodie and soule The bodie nether can nor dare by any meanes eate him because it is horrible and a gainste nature No thoughe it coulde and woulde eate hym it shoulde auaile hym no more then the bodilie kisse of Iudas and the handeling of the Iewes auailed them It remaineth therfore that the soule shal eate him which can be none other wayes but by liuely faieth in the bodie and bloude â–ª offerred for vs vnto hys father The soule hath no teth and therfore none other maner of eateinge Thus do we conclude that the soule beinge a spirite and the meate spirituall no maÌ„ ought to seke for to eate Christe in this sacrament bodilie really and carnally but onely spiritually as hys worde is spirite and lyfe But stil you wyl vse your eloquence and saye Thys is spoken by intollerable arroyancie deuillishe sophistrie carnall reasones deceitfull expositions croked argumentes contrefaite contradictions by the spirite of the deuell it is lies erroure and blindnesse Captiue your wittes vnto vs of the cleargie Christe speaketh still in the priest at the aultare and saieth This is my bodie And therfore it is his natural bodie Thys is it that you haue to saye Oh howe full of Christes holy worde and the conforte of the scriptures is thys blessed byshoppe These are the blesseinges that flowe from thê so sone as they wagge theire pope holye membres I wyll not raile againe to your worthynesse But as I haue begoue I wyll answere wyth scriptures The tonge is a worlde of wickednesse So is thetonge set in our membres that â–ª it defyleth the whole bodie and setteth on fire all that we haue of nature and is it selfe set onfire euen of hel Therwith do we blesse god and curse men made to hys owne Image Out of one mouth procedeth blesseinge and curseinge where it is contrarie by course of nature that one fountayne shoulde bringe fourth both swete and bitter water If any man be wyse and endued wythknowledge amonge you let him shewe hys worckes out of hys good conuersasion wyth mekenesse and wisedome But if you haue bitter enuie and striffe in y our herte reioyce not neither be ye lyars agaynst the trueth For such wise dome desceudeth not froÌ„ a boue but is erthly naturall and deuellishe For where enuie ann strife are ther is vnstablenesse and all maner of iuell workes But the wysdome that is from aboue is first pure than peaceable gentile and easye to be entreated Full of mercie and good fruites wythout iudgeing wythout simulacion Yea and the fruitte of rightuousnes is sownein peace to them that maintaine peace But to go forth with our purpose No arrogancie no deuellishe spirite or sophistrie can haue the whole course of scriptures thus to maintayne their cause To proue farther therfore that we be taught the spiritual worship onely and not the sâ—eshely and carnall that perisheth and consumeth by tyme marke the scriptures First howe Christ con maundeth to worcke the meate not that perisheth but that remaueth into lyfe euerlastinge whiche the sonne of man shal geue you Nowe Christ did geue vs none other meate wherbye we lyue for euer but thys gospell aâ—d glade tidinges that he freely hath sufferred death for vs. Againe this is the worke of God To beleue in him whom he hath sent Lo the plain wordes of christ Fayeth in him whom the father hath set worketh the meate that neuer perishe It is fayeth therfore in Christ crucified that maketh vs â–ª blessed and not to eate the bodie carnally bodilie and naturally For then should we haue two waies to lyfe The one by fayth and the other by this bodilie eateinge which no man I trowe wyll graunte Againe Christe sayeth that it is the true breade that cometh downe from heauen and geueth lyfe vnto the worlde So that Christ is the liuely fode as he is God and geueth lyfe vnto the world as he is God the sonne of God not as he is fleshe For if the bodily meate that we do eate be but a burthen vnto â—s tyll it be chaunged iâ—to spirite and altered from the grosse substaunce to nourish the liuely spirites and spirituall partes what do we so grossely thyncke that the flesh of christ swalowed into oure bealies shall do vs so muche good â–ª Thys opinion is verie grosse Therfore sayeth Christe to the Capernites in the same blindenesse What if you shal see the soÌ„ne of man go vp where he was before It is the spirite that geueth lyfe the fleshe profiteh nothing The wordes that I speake vnto you are spirite and lyfe Thus doeth he call from the earth to heauen from the fleshe to the spirite lyke
fleshe profiteth nothinge thought it were eaten euerie meÌ„bre after other But the spirite giueth life Who leadeth vs to the fode that bringeth lyfe euerlasteinge And thus by the spirite whiche onely isprofitable we vnder stande these wordes Take and eate thys is my bodie which is giuen for you That like as I geue the bread to be eaten wyth the bodilie tethe so do I geue mi bodie to be eaten bi faith and that of the spirite For nowe shal it be geuen vnto the death that you maye haue lyfe And thus is my fleshe verie meate and my bodie breade and fode whiche maye be taken and receiued onely spiritually and not carnally bodilie or really In lyke maner therfore as you do bodilie take this brad at my hande eate it wyth your mouth and so receiue it into your stomake and bodie for the fode and sustentacion of your naturall lyfe so muste â–ª you by fayth the onely meane wherby ye maye eate or haue me present vpon erth receiue my body beleueing that my bodie is geuen for you that where you were deade frome God by your synnes I haue brought youfurth to leue in good workes vnto my father who compteth you nowe aâ—… children an heâ—ers prepared to euerlasteingâ—… lyfe so many as belieue truste in my deathâ—… Thus doeth Christe geue the breade to bâ—… eaten bodily with the mouth but hys bodiâ—… to be eaten spiritually in the spirite by faith And thys is it that good byshop Augustine sayeth What doest thou prepare thy teeth and thy bealiâ—… Beleue and thou haste eaten It is fleshe as I haue saied before what so euer bringeh not lyfe and therfore it profiteth nothing so ar al things that ar don without faith wherfore if christ might be eaten with the mouth as he might be in dede if he were bodilie in the breade which boeth fayethfull and vnfaythful do eate then myght Christe be eaten wythout fruite whiche is contrarie to the manifeste worde of God which affirmeth that who so euer eateth him hath euerlasteinge lyfe We do conclude therefore that there is but one onely eateinge of the bodie of Christ whyche is perceiued of the faythfull onely none otherwyse then these wordes whyche is geuen for you and whyche is shed for the remission of sinnes are proper and peculiar vnto them onely And to tell you somewhat of your sophistrie WhaÌ„ you reasone in this wyse Thys is the bodie of Christe therfore 〈◊〉 is naturally really and bodily hys bodie It is a fallax or deceiueable argument of sophistrie affirminge that simpliciter quod est modo aliquâ— Thys câ—n euerie sophiste of Cambridge tell you And we knowe that it is small reasone to conclude that Iohn baptist was thâ— same Elias that was dead many hundred yeres before hys tyme because Christe saâ—ed that he was Elias except we shoulde be of the opinion of the fonde Phylosophers who helde that the soules of men departed went into other newe bodies and so coÌ„tinued stil immortal In like maner whaÌ„ Iosephe saieth that the. vii fatte oxen are vii good yeres and the. vii leane one 〈◊〉 vii yuell yeres â–ª we maye not coÌ„clude that oxâ— or â—ieÌ„ aâ— natural yeres More ouer wheÌ„ Christ saieth that the worde of God is a sede it is but a slender argument to saye therfore it is a bodylye sede An hundred suche places maye be brought And yet if thei can bring but one place where God hath sayed This is such a thynge and woulde haue at corporally so to be I wyll gladly geue place vnto them thoughe it be so that the thynge do not appeare to be as God hath sayed it is But I do know â—…m certaine in my beliefe that al the workes of the Lorde be trueth And as he hath sayed that they be so shall they be and are in dede either in spirite or else in the sight of all men bodilie ¶ An answere coÌ„cerneing the knowledge of The seÌ„ses and a declaracion of al the. xii Articles of the fayth whyche euerie true Christian man muste beleue in herte and Confesse wyth moUth THus far haue I brought in mi faith plainely contrarie to no place of scripture except you call Your gloses scripture And where I myght haue your owne doctours to confirme the same yet wyll I not stir contencion so farre Knoweinge that no thynge hath bene so popeishlie thaught neither worshiping of Images and Idoles praieing to saintes and fond pilgrimages nor yet monasteries monkes purgatorie and the poppe hym selfe but it hath bene by theÌ„ and their subtile argumeÌ„tes diuised and by their writeinges set forth and maintained Wyth dainger therfore haue we folowed them ouer long But nowe you maye not thyncke styll to leade vs captiues from Christe whome we loke for spedilye to come into iudgement wyth vs when we shalbe iudged by his word and not by their writeinges We haue folowed you to longe beinge but blynde guides gropeinge after your blynde wayes in the darcke wythout wit reasone or faith but onely because your holie father of Rome and that holie mother churche dyd so belieue and teach and nowe at lengh as our holy mother church of Englande doeth leade and therfore maye you worthyly cal vs as you do beastely blinde and therfore far from the knowledge of our religion But nowe that your father is fallen and weseke for our father in heauen desireinge hys kingedom to come vpon the erthe and praieing for the foode of our soules his heauenly breade whiche you haue so longe banished and neither woulde your selfe enter into his kingedome nor suffer them that woulde to enter accordeinge to the sayeinge of Christe our sauioure we knoweynge that what so euer is not of fayth is sinne and that fayth is of heareynge not of you Byshoppes and your doctours but of the worde of God whyche can deceiue no man nor yet be deceiued desire and require you to beate into oure heades no longer as articles of oure faith your chaunge of suâ—… staâ—… your accidentes qualities and quaÌ„tities in fourme and vnder the fourme of dreade to go awaye from it when the bread musteth and brenneth you knowe not how For thys your answere is an euident argument that you knowe as little howe it came ther. And thinke not much I praie you that we do in thys mattier â—…ye your crafte â—…d falsehode not onely wyth scriptures but also wyth oure reasones and outwarâ—e senses The whyche three that is to saye Fayeth grownded vpon the worde of God reasone that caâ—â—e not be resisted and the senses as sight tasteinge smellinge and felinge which can by no learneinge but by your schole be deceiued Yet you woulde haue vs wholely captiuated vnto you in all these thinges that you might leade vs wher you lyste to make vnseÌ„sible chauÌ„g where you blowe and blesse crosse and kisse No faile in thynges far distant as is the â–ª sinne moue and sterres and diuers other thynges he senses maye
the olde testameÌ„t where the Idoles of the heatheÌ„ ar named in the singular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet for to settâ— forth the vnitie of the godhead alwaie with this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the plural nuÌ„bre is adioined a verbe of the singuler as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And also in the hygh name of God which the Iewes had in so high estimacioÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth sigâ—ifie vnto vs that onely euerlasteing powre wherbi al thinges haue their being is manifestli opeÌ„ed the vnitie indiâ—…sible Of this spirit is it writeÌ„ thus He that hath not the spirite of Christe is none of hys And agayne Who so ener are led by the spirit of God they are â–ª the childreÌ„ of God So â–ª that as we can not be wythout God or Christe su can we not be wythout this spirite proceadeinge from them boeth as Christ him selfe witnesseth saieinge The conforter euen the holye goste whome my father shal sende in my name Againe WhaÌ„ the holy â–ª goste shall come whom I shal send from my father Of this spirite dyd the prophetes speake muche vnder the name of water and fire as Esaie I shall poure forth my spirit vpoÌ„ the thirstie miâ—floudes vpon the drie land I shal poure forth my spirit vpon thy sede and my blesseing vpon thy buddes and the same shal saye I am the lordes Lyke vnto these are there other places as in Esaie xii Eze. xxxvi Psal C. xlvi lxiii This spirit together wyth the father and the sonne this Trinitie and Vnitie that can not be diuided do we belieue and teach not by a blynde saiynge of any doctoure as you do but by the worde of God and the worke of his spirite whiche is able to leade vs into all truth neuer faileth his church builded vpon the rock Christe agaynste the which the gates of hel can not preuaile For by this spirit thus workyng faieth in Christ and loue to God and maâ— is knowne the true church as Iohn sayeth By thys do we knowe that we dwell in hym and he in vs because he hath geuen vs of hys spirite And Paule saieth generally to alâ— the faithful Do you not knowe that you are the church of God and the spirit of God dwelleth in you If any man do defile the teÌ„ple of God him wyl God destroye Thys church of God is holy which you are wher he doeth not meane of the Popes Churche though it wer builded of v. M. proude cardinales and bishopesse much les of our english church built vpoÌ„ the blind ignoraÌ„ce sinful lyueing but of x. oâ— xi horned Miters for three or foure of you woulde all were well so it were not longe of theâ—… but of that onely Churche whyche doeth alwayes knowe heare and folowe the voice of Christe theâ—â— heade and shepeherde and wyll not harkeâ— to the voyce of any straâ—nger Who though they be but. ii or iii. gathered together in the name of Christe beinge alwayes dispersed abrode by the Idole shepherde yet is Christ in the middes of them and shal at the length gather them all in one that ther maye be one shepherde and one folde Thys church is washed this church is sanctified and made holie This churche is iustified by the name of the Lorde Iesu and by the spirite of oure God sayeth Paule Christe so loued thys churche that he spent him selfe for hyr to make hyr holye clenâ—ed throughe the fountaine of water by hys worde that he myght make hir vnto hym selfe a gloriouse churche haueinge no spot blemish or wrinckle or any such thynge But you wyl doubt still O byshopes whether of vs be thys church Whether you gloriouse in the worlde or we despiced Firste therfore marke the fouÌ„dacioÌ„s of this church for ther can no man laie anye other then that is al redye layed the Lorde Iesu Christe ⧠The fyrst foundacion Whome the fayeth hath set as the chosen stoâ— for the fouÌ„dacioÌ„ of the tru church Sion ⧠The seconde foundacion Christe is the heade of thys churche ⧠The threde foundacion And heade shepeherde of thys folde For the fyrste all men iudge that you al ledgeinge so muche mans lawaâ—es establisinge and buildinge your fayeth wyth mans â—â—raâ—y settinge your cousciences vpon your doctours who are but fleshe and bloude do not so greately regarde Christe as we do whyche wyl haue hym oure onely foundacion and wyll admitte nothinge but that is spoken by hys spirite in his scriptures This fayle you in your fyrst foundacion Secondelye if Christe be heade and maister who dyd come humble meke and pore rideinge vpon an asse not hauinge an house where to â—aye hys heade dispisinge al worldly an outwarde glorie when the people would haue made him a kinge why do you ride on mules trapped wyth goulde Why haue you suche castelles holdes parckes and palaices Why wyll you be Lordes worldelie and take to you suche outwarde glorie Christe sayed that hys kyngedome was not of thys worlde and why wyl you beare suche rule heare Yea Christe forbade you to be called maister and why wyll you be called Lorde On the contrarie parte we haue the worde of Christ our heade for vs. Who sayeth Ther is no seruaunt greater then his Lorde and maister If they haue persecuted me they wil persecute you If they haue kept my word they wil kepe yours If the world do hate you knowe that it dyd hate me before it dyd heate you If you were of the worlde the worlde woulde loue that which is his owne But because you are not of the worlde but I haue chosen you forthe of the worlde therfore the worlde hateth you Yet do I leue you peace and my peace do I geue vnto you but not as the worlde geueth do I geue it vnto you â–ª Yea more ouer they shall curse and excommunicate you whyche was your olde practise o prealates and not onely that but the time shal come that who so euer sleath you shall thincke that he doeth high sacrifice vnto God And thys shall they do because they neither knowe my father nor peâ— me Tyrdlye If Christe be the heade shepeherde and dyd for your exemple saye that the learneynge whyche he taught was not hys but his fathers that sent him howe daâ—e you be so boulde to grownde so many thynges on your doctours Christe coÌ„maundeth you to feade hys flocke but you â—…ea them Christ coÌ„maundeth you to edifie but you distroye Christe byddeth you go into all the world to preach his word to al the worlde and to preach hys worde to al creatures but you saie naye none shal haue it but geÌ„tlemeÌ„ the other pore knaues shal haue a sophistrie boke of your gloses I praie you whoÌ„e make you the heade shepeherde in this and al your doeinges Not Christe but your doctours and Idle braines
the good man for he hath no Idoll I know there haue ben good men whiche haue hated all Idolatrie and the persecution of al ages can report the same The bokes also of theyr fayth so many as haue escaped your handes do yet testifie that they were sore offended wyth thys blynde chaunge of these dead ceremonies in the steede of the lyuely feaste of the Lorde where al men shoulde be fed wyth the body and bloud of Christ the sonne of God not turned into bread but lyuely workynge by the spirite in our soules And they do aâ—he thys question why you do breake his body in three and why you do put one piece into the chalice to the wyne seinge you dâ— teache that the wine alone is fleshe bones though you do put no grosser substaunce thereunto For because it is liquidum you can make it what you lust and dare entre some deale far ther then Christe did for he at the vttermost made it but bloude but you wyll make it bloud bones and fleshe say we shalbe breÌ„t if we do not beleue you and yet for all the stickinge to the bare letter you haue not one word through out the whole Bible wherby you maye clooke thys matter that the wyne shalbe the whole body fleshe bloud bones though ye crie The worde the word Faith fatyh These heritickes wyll not beleue the worde of God For your terme really preseÌ„t you shal vnderstande that after Bonifacius the thirde about the yere of our Lorde vi C. and. iij. obteyned of Phocas the false Emperour to be the heade of the churche by the craftie practise of the monkes Paschasius Humbertus Guimundus Algerus Rogerus Frauciscê° Anselmus and such other was realitie inueÌ„ted and termed to the sacrameÌ„t Before that time the spiritual eating only was magnified amonge the olde doctours But then beganne the churche of Rome to be gyueÌ„ ouer to al poÌ„pe wickednes and Idolatrie the mother church of al mischiefe The bishop his adhereÌ„tes of the Antichistes generation are now fully bent to lifte vp theÌ„ selues against euery thynge that is good and godly commaunding Images and other vile creatures to be worshypped But the Emperour Leo the. iiij gathered a counsayle at Bysantium of CCC bishoppes which decreed that only God ought to be worshypped and caused the Images to be breÌ„t and destroyed Then Damasâ—en becommeth their proctoure stubburnely resistynge the Emperour so longe tyll he had his ryghte hande cut of howe he gatte it agayne you must bringe some credible authoure or els we wyll not beleue you longe after when Idolatrie had gotten the vpper hande then dyd Petrus Lombardus maister of your sophisticall senteÌ„ces bringe vp your transmutation and transaccidentatioÌ„ About the yere of our Lorde M. Cxlvi gathered out of certeyne blynde wordes of the doctours afore his tyme. Then Pope Innocent the thyrde gaue it thys newe name that you maynteyne wyth fyre He called it Accidens sine subiecto Of the whiche Sophisme doctoure Duns doctoure Dorbell and doctoure Thomas de Aquino do dispute verie subtilely Theyr termes you may see more at large by the moste diligent confounder of theyr errours Ihou Bale in his boke named the misterie of iniquitie Then folowed the blynde rable of Scotistes and Thomistes and they haue broughte the worlde into thys contention that we nowe heare and are busyed wyth all Thus was thys high misterie of mannes saluation and moste comfortable sacrament cleane chaunged from the institution of Christe whiche was to be taken wyth thankesgyuynge in coÌ„mune amongest christian men that wyth open herte euerie man myght reioyce in the death of his Sauiour and gyue thankes for his redemption that thereby fayth myghte be established and brotherly loue nourished But nowe it is become a vayne gasyng and starynge vpon the sacrament in the steede of the Sauiour takyng the sacrament for hym that made it a sacrament Worshippyng the creature in the steede of the creatoure as we see nowe thys blynde swarme whiche for the lyuely preachynge of the death of Christ to be the life of the soule do cause mumbling al in a straunge tonge that the people might surely be kept from the consideration of the misterie And where Christ coÌ„maundeth vs to deuide it amongest vs and that we shoulde all dryâ—… of the â—â—ppe the popishe priest muste get him into a corner alone and there so many shall be part takers of the merites of his blowing blessyng and other coniuringe aâ—… wyll gyue hym any thynge They shall be prayed for in the middest of his Masse and shal haue their sinnes takeÌ„ away This winâ— they that wyll be the priestes benefactouâ—s The other shal see Christ really they saye but because he is dombe there and can not speake and the pristes lesson is no peny no Pater noster they maye knocke hande on breast and worship they wot not what lyfte vp their haÌ„des and stroke their heades lyke the Popes owne deare chyldreÌ„ but they shal haue no parte there neither of the sacrament whereof they are appoynted to be part takers by the opeÌ„ worde of Chiste eate and drinke of this you all nor yet of the remissioÌ„ of those synnes that the priest worâ—heth for â—nlesse they gyue some money Thys money it is that causeth it to fyght so sore agaynste Christes institution and to maynteyne your gaynful sacrifice and reall preseÌ„ce This money for the maynteinaunce of your dignities and Lordelyke porte hath caused you euer sith you were first poisoned therewyth to magnifie your owne handy worke But the God immortal wil aduenge his iniuries vpon al Idols and Idolatours Nowe to mistrust the immortalitie of the euerlastynge God as you laye vnto oure charge by whom all thynges endure were extreme blindnes And so likewise to compt your God which neuer had breath of lyfe immortall when the priest that hath made him and perchaunce eaten him the same day that he dyeth is mortall and goeth to the graue with his newe made God and many other meÌ„ as you say that dye wythin a quarter of an houre after they haue eaten him In whoÌ„ you make the doubte whether the hoste consecrate shall mouide corrupte or coÌ„sume lyinge in their bodies beinge deade for you are the first to my knowledge that euer moued that question To call this immortall I saye that neuer lyued lyeth in the grounde wyth the dead man maye well be called foâ—de Sophistrie But to toutche your wordes a little more You call thys the hoste wherein the body of Christ is preseÌ„t You begynne me thynketh to waxe ashamed to call this your hoste the bodie of Christ contrary to your playne text of scripture Thys is my bodie I must also laye thys vnto your charge Why you dare call hym hoste by a newe terme and not breade by the olde terme Some thynke it is because you take your owne wordes to be wyser then the wordes of Christe and his chosen Apostles And surely it is
erthly God that coulde not erre â—…deceiued yea offerring his shoes to be kiâ—… kinges and Emperours Thus I saye thys Romeish church changed frome pouertie to pride creepeinge vp like the Iuie by the rootes of the great trees be gan to ouer renne and subdue kingedoÌ„es and empieres yea to put downe kinges and Emperours For the mainteners of this diuellishe life and doctrine they had taÌ„ken such awaie and order that if we take theym and their adherentes that is to saye all theyr sworne doctours anointed byshoppes and shauen priestes for the true church we muste neades by theyr learning lyuinge and all their workes coÌ„demne Christ and his membres The true churche remayneth still pore persecuted and sore oppressed all the time of their tyrannie whiche coulde neuer beriefe Christe of hys witnesses for in al times and ages ther haue ben faitheful witnesses of the truthe though their names and doctrine haue alwaies bene obscured and sclaundered by these papistes who were allwaies bothe the Iudges and accusers the scribes and reporters of their doeynges This churche as it was alwaie ruled by the spirite of Christe so did it vnderstande the scripture spiritually by the spirite of god and worship him in spirite and truthe Like as amonge the fathers of the old testameÌ„t the ambitiouse scribes and phariseis and the fleashly minded bothe priestes and people did knowe non other holmesse by the circumcision of the fleshe and the bodily sacrifices where contrary wife Moyses and Dauid and the little chosen flocke led bi thâ— spirite of god did knowe circumcision of the fleashe to be nothingâ— wythout the circumcision of the hert and the sacrifices to be but shadowes of our Christe vpon whom all waies they did feade and sâ—tt their delyght knowyng him to be the vnspoted lambe and red heyfer offred for the finnes of the people euen so the hole popeyshe churche cleane coÌ„trarie to the doctrine of the spirite hathe fol lowed fleashely Imaginations of their own brayne in all their doctrine and sete up their own workes and sacrisices to take awai sinnes as did the old phariseis wherby it commethe to passe that al Idolatrie iâ—… stablished their own doctours and decres stroÌ„gly mainteined and the word of god â—…alli regarded The pore shepe of Christe fisshers and shepherdes plowemen and all vnder the degre of gentilmen are by your decrees banished froÌ„ the swete pastours and fode of theyâ— soules And yf it chaunce any of theÌ„ to break in to the pleasaunt bankes of Christe his doe trin and fead on the hilles of saluatioÌ„ the popysh bishops can smel hym xl myles froÌ„ theÌ„ and then shall the innocent lambe be burned and suffer death for the reding of this word for the whiche Christe his shepeherde and heade died for the establisheynge therof by the shâ—adynge of hys herte bloude Iudge nowe who is the true churche for Christe did not cheuse the wise nor the men of powre nor many menne of noble birth But the eternall wisdome of god chose that whiche was foleishe before the worlde that he might shame the wise And those that are weake in the worlde did he cheuse to shame the mighty and stroÌ„g powrs And those that are vile and dispised and of no reputacion ⧠The vtteringe of the popeyshe Sophismes BVt to returne to your wordes and to coÌ„sider how you of this popeish churche wolde captiue our wittes aboute this sacrameÌ„t thus you say and writ Ther is in the sacrament of the aulter non other substaunce but the substaunce of the bodie and bloude of our sauiour Christ and yet remaynethe the forme and accidentes of breade and wyne not altered by this miracle from knowelege of the senses wherewithe they were before knowne and also by god his sufferaunce subiectes to the passibilitie that they were in before Oh when will you waxâ— ashamed The mouse may eate yt as you say your selfe 〈◊〉 yet it must be the self same substaâ—nce of the body of Christ wer it not for shame to bable longe in this matter I wolde bringe in the scriptures that proue all them to haue euerlastinge lyfe that eate his fleshe and drincke his bloud But go to I wil stope your monthe withe your owne madnes Pope Victor the thyrd was poysoned in this sacrament and yet must it be the bodie of Christ which can bringe nothinge but helthe and life The Emperour HeÌ„ry the seuenth was poysoned by a Dominik frier named Barnardinus de monte policiano in receyuinge the sacrameÌ„t and yet may it be non other substaunce but the bodie and bloâ—de of our sauiour Christe God and man wher yf he had ben man they had poysoned hym firste but yf he had bene God he woulde first haue espied theyr poyson by cause he can not be deceyued and bycause he can not deceyue he would not haue poisoned the Emperour who mistrustid no thinge But let them passe they be the learnynge and practises of your churche You goo on still with the same Sophistrie of the forme and accidentes of bread and wyne Alwaye synginge one songe that with often rehersall you maye bringe it into credence If you preache this forme these accidentes 〈◊〉 this passibilitie to the pore people they may wel wonder at your high learnyng but thei can knowe litle what you meane These thinges I haue somwhat touchide and shall dâ— more here after You say that these accideÌ„tes are not altered vnto the senses but are subiect to the same passibilitie I pray you what sophistrie hath taught you that accidentes are become subiectes of passibilitie If euer you learned Logike or philosophi you know that the subiect to passibilitie must neades bee a substauÌ„ce Wherfor seyng you wil haue such passibilitie suche chaunges both corruptioÌ„ of the cake and generation oâ— anewe bodie you must coÌ„fesse some other substaÌ„ce in thes chauÌ„ges that sustaynethe the accidentes after the chaÌ„ge for the infallible rule of Logike is this Ther is no accident without his subiect periculiar substance And coÌ„sequeÌ„tly if you wil wade in these dark termes of sophistrie â–ª you shalbe coÌ„pelled to graunt an other substance which sustayneth the accideÌ„tes bysides the bodie and bloude of Christ And seyng that Godhath created none other substaÌ„ce which hath these peculiar qualities that we feele smel se and tast stil to remain but onli bread and wyne we must nedes by the properties bi god onli attributed to these creatures conclud against you that here be the two substaÌ„tes and creatures of breade and wyne vnto whome God did in theyr creation attribute and gyue these qualities these accidentes these selfe same properties the selfe same forme and shape that we se doth stil remayne vuchainged vnder your fingers and in your mouthes As for your holi entralies I know not what passibilitie thei suffer there In this place of your booke I muste pas ouer with scilence certayne of your wordes as are these The creatour of al
is preseÌ„t the substauÌ„ce of the bodie and bloude is receyued vnder accidentes and the true feaste and feadinge is in the masse For this your assersion I demaunde some scripture wherbi you may declare it to be of Christe And for the later parte therof I vtterly denie that in your masse is any â—uche feast or feading for it is but a gaping vpon shadowes and dombe cerimoneis Agayne wher the Apostles cal it the breking of bread you cal it the breaking of accidentes or of the hoste for you ar faâ—… to sheft your termis for shame bycause neuer man yet coulde handle an accedent nor breake it handsomly excepte it had a bodi or a subiect As for you I trow you be Iuglars for you will haue the bodie of Christ ther preseÌ„t you wil handle it make it hop aboute your chalice teare it in ij or iii. pieces but yet you wil not breake it for you say it is impassible and can not be broken nor can suffer any violence But I shall tell you If you were not playne Iuglars and coniurers we would swere so many of vs as staÌ„d by you that you do breake the same thinge that you handle â—ou swere nay by the holie masse for you break you saie but a few accidentes vnder whiche the bodie lurke the and that the same precious bodi is after in eche of the partes wholy and whole Christ in the peces broken withoute encrease of nombre you will not gyue an aâ—â—e leaue to tel one two thre as Inglers wyll I am ashamed that I haue occasion thus to wrâ—â— But â—alde propositions must haue balde solutions ¶ And now say you men ash how a mouse can eate God And how can God corrupt waxe moulde howe can god be broken in pieces We demaunde the same questions still warne you that geue the occasiion of suche questions to repent you For as Bell in Babilon and all the other Idoles were by the wrathe of God destroyed so shall you with your false god be consumed excuse the mattier wythe accidentes as longe as you liste And this causeth vs to speake of your Idole as Baruche the prophet did But you make a godly answere or twayne Beleue saye you that a mouse can not deuour god beleue that god can not corrupt Beleue that god can not be broken Al this do we beleue and therfore â–ª we coÌ„clâ—… that this your cake is no God And where you adde yet one other precepte and bed vs belieue that Christ god and maÌ„ is naturally present in the sacrameÌ„t of the aultare if you were a right bishop of Christ you would be ashamed to belie your maister for he saith in no place of the scripture that he is naturally present Be ware therfore for you maye not adde vnto the wordes of Christ lest he do ad and encrease your plages Liars worshy ppars of Idoles sleiars of meÌ„ sorcerers and dogges are iudged without the gates of the newe IerusaleÌ„ But you haue a coÌ„mone refuge the church you saie saith it And when you wil bite vs thaÌ„ the deuil saieth it But it is no newe or straing thinge to heare this of your mouth seing that the sam your mother holie churche multiplieth lyke language against â—ure maister Christ He is mad saied the phariseis he hath the greate diuel Belzebub And by the prince of diuels casteth he forth deuels saide the Scribes Iufine they al agred that he had a wicked spirite Thus can you not gofroÌ„ your nature and we must nedes be like oure maister in sufferinge your reproch Then vpoÌ„ other meÌ„s reasoÌ„ing with you you procede thus ¶ If heare be nothing but this bodie theÌ„ either it corrupteth or else wheÌ„ goeth it awaie or wher haue you scripture to declare the going away of Christ frome thys hoste This caÌ„ you not answer and therfore are you faine to dalâ—ie in wordes But I shal answere for you He renneth awaie wheÌ„ he spieth the mouse coÌ„ming and al the strength of your God is loste whaÌ„ he once begineth to mould for it is no more able marchaunte or mans meat after it is mouled and corrupted Than speake you grauely acknowledginge your ignoraunce sayeinge Shal the true faith perish because I or such other can not answer thi sophistical reasone We answere that you blynde bishoppes ought to thruste nothing with so greate violence of sworde and fire into your churches but that you can fulli geue answere vnto by the word of God For if you do not bringe this doctrine in all your lessones we are coÌ„mauÌ„ded not to receiue theÌ„ nor to saie aâ—e vnto theÌ„ lest we be partetakers of your il workes For the scripture of god is able to teach to reproue to correcte and enstructe in rightuousnes that the maÌ„ of god maie be perfect redi to eueri good worke And you bishops are coÌ„mauÌ„ded whaÌ„ you teach that you teach the word of god â–ª yea christwold saie nothing but that which he had hard of his father Some scripture in dede you bring for your purpose and you haue it in Paule that mens wordes do not perswade our fayeth Whyche sayinge maketh so cleare against you that nothing can be more euideÌ„t For you go about to establishe a fayeth with naturall reall accidentes quantities qualities and such philosophie termes takeÌ„ forth of the wysdome of the subtile boke of the greke sophistes whiche had much disputed wyth Paule and were highly estemed in Corhinth And therefore sayeth he â–ª I do not come in such high and darcke termes of wisdome No I do iudge my selfe to knowe nothinge but Iesu Christ and hym crucified You might and wold haue answred I dout not that you dyd knowe him naturallye in the bread and the chaliceâ—… if your generacion had theÌ„ ben spronge vp And thinke you this gear had not ben â—…ete for Paul to preach if it had ben so necessarie as you make it But Paull preached such wisdome as none of the wise of thys world knoweth For if they had they woulde neuer haue crucified the Lorde of glorie neither woulde you persecute hym still in hys meÌ„bres He spake wordes that he learned not of mans wisedome but suche as the holie spirit teacheth so that he coÌ„pareth spiritual thinges vnto spiritual thinges not 〈…〉 you do heape vp flesh and carnal doctrin â—nto the spirite makinge the bodilie eatinge and the spirituall to be all one thynge heare you accuse vs of our beliefe to bringe vs into slaunder as though we were warueringe and vnstable But what our beliefe is in god we haue alredie shewed And whether our religioÌ„ be wauering or no God shal iudge Our religion is grounded on the worde of God that can not stacker nor chaunge And wherther bishopes or else wee pore abiectes do liue as ther were no God whiche thinge you laie to our charge all the worlde maye iudge As for
Augustine and Solomone for sercheinge the maiestie of God are nothing for your purpose For we seke out your vile Idole as the prophetes haue done in their time And to that thinge whiche is more vile theÌ„ maÌ„ we maye not loute vnto because god hath set vs in erth to beare hys seÌ„blauce and â—o be maisters and Lordes ouer al his creatures and obeie him and his coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes Shoulde Moises haue suffered the calfe to haue remayned styll because Israell called it theyre God that brought them out of Egypt as you call thys your maker whych was made but the laste daye Was it not lawfull for Daniel to breake bell in pieces because the Babilonians 〈…〉 led it a God and to destroie the dragoÌ„ wâ—… they compted the liueing God Thus maye the Idolatrouse priestes of all ages stoppe the mouthes of the prophetes saying as you done Beware that ye searche nothinge of God least thou be oppressed with his glorie But alwayes at hys tyme appointed by the spirite that can not be resisted God stereth vp his vesselles who knowe that the Idoles whom you call goddes are nothinge and that ther is but one euer liueinge God by whome we liue and are moued and haue our being without the knowledge of whom we can not liue vnlesse we wil be worsse theÌ„ beastes altogether carelesse of his benifitesso plentuouselye set forth in the wonderfull workemanshippe and creacion of the worlde wherin his euerlastinge powre and godhead is so plaine that all men are wythout excuse as Paule faieth that wil not se it be thanke full for it and glorifie him as God but deceiued by their own thoughtes sticking to their owne wysdome whyche is uerie foleishe do chaunge the glorie â–ª of the immortal God to the mortall and corruptible creature And though Augustine speakeinge of the trinite do did vs remeÌ„bre our owne weaknesse and though Solomon saie that who so shercheth the maiestie shal bee oppressed of the gloryâ— yet ought we not therby to be driuen to the duluesse of asses and daweishe doteage of Idiotes so that if any profitable thing be propouned we should not regard it if any holie thing be reueiled and disclosed we should dispise it If the father of life do coÌ„municat and shewe any thing that we shoulde rather ren to the darckenesse then to the light which he publisheth at his time appointed You are verie fond therfore if you reasone thus Thou maist not serch suche thinges as passe mans capacitie therfore thou mayste not meddle with the sacrameÌ„tes that we priestes do minister You must first proue that the sacrameÌ„tes which were instituted for the knowledge of maÌ„ to enstructe hym in high mysteries be impossible for maÌ„ to coÌ„prehende wherin you shal adioyne and coÌ„pel to gether ii coÌ„traries that is to saye to make that impossible to be knowne which Christ coÌ„maunded al meÌ„ not onely to know but also to do the same â–ª in his remeÌ„braunce But this is the iugling of theÌ„ that wil blinde their scholars to binde theÌ„ to be beliue whatsoeuer thei shal heare theÌ„ babble And if any maÌ„ aske theÌ„ a reasone of their saieinges thei will stop their mouthes with so it is thus it is but we know not howe These are high misteries they are not to be serched but it is ynough for the to beleue as our holy father of Rome and mother holiâ—… church hath beleued these thousandes yerâ—… If thou aske stil howe can this be â–ª thou shalâ— be called an heretik a Caparnaite yet doth Christe oure sauiour and good schole mayster byd vs searche the scriptures for they beare witnesse of hym and hys doctrine By searcheinge the scriptures oure faith is estashed and oure knoweledge encreased in all such sacrameÌ„ts as are geuen for the exercise of our â—ayeth and coÌ„fession of the same For thys were to open a lye to report any man to â—…fect in the christian faith yet the same â—…weth not what is done in the chiefe sacrameÌ„tâ—s and ceremonies of Christes religion For seing that the sacramentes are set vp for our learning as thinges wherby we may be led as it wer by â—he hand and sensibly from thinges sensible vnto thinges that are insensible can not be comprehended by the powr of the senses How can our mindes be stirred vp by such thinges as ar and must be hid and vnknowne vnto vs Yea howe can it be vnknowne that is done in the sacramentes seinge that we our selues bring the substaunce of the sacramentes We make the prayers in the sacramentes Christ the authour of the sacramentes hath taught vs what they do meane and signifie Agayne you bringe for your purposse against vs â–ª the sayng of Ecclesiasticus Serch not thinges that thou canste not reache and suche as be aboue thy strength But what so euer God coÌ„maundeth to do thynke on theÌ„ euer and in many of God hys worckes be not ouer curious Verily we knowe not that your Idole hath any worcke of God in it as Baruch sayeth As for our strength and capacitie firste the spirite and the spiritual coÌ„pareinge of the scriptures and spiritual thynges do teach vs that your cake is not God Then the mouse and muldynge do testifie vnto reasone and senses euen the same thinge So that nowe our talke is about avile creature whom you cal the creatoure of al the most weake Idole that euer was named in the worlde whome you call God and man In comparison ther fore of our liueing God and sauiour Christ Iesu we abhorre and deteste what so euer you name God vpon earth And therein do we folowe the first commaundemeÌ„t which is that we shall haue none other God vpon erth but the Lorde that liueinge God whoe appeared neuer in any similitude or Image because the fonde Braine of maÌ„ should worship him in no such Image so deceiued be driuen froÌ„ the true worshiping in the spirite And for that cause doeth he in the second coÌ„maundement geue greate charge that man make no maner of Image similitude or likenesse of any thinge in heauen erth or the seas and that in no wyse he fall downe and worshipe them beinge deceiued by the vanitie of hys mynde Than if this beare any similitude or likenesse of anye earthly thinge how dareste thou worship it seing that thou art coÌ„maâ—ded by the mouth of god the lord thi god that thou worship serue him oneli As for captiueing our seÌ„ses which you labour so sore about knowe it for certeÌ„tie that we knowe our selues to haue ben far to long captiues vnder the whore of Babilon your mother of Rome the heade spring of Idolatri And now we thanke our almightie euer liueing God for our deliueraunce wil no longer be led with tradicioÌ„s and doctrines of â—…eÌ„ which haue the outward similitud of wisdome by supersticious humblinges our selues to theÌ„ that cause vs to shote at a wronge marke by an humblenes holines as it
is declared and opened vnto vs and that in it no les theÌ„ in the other we do receiue the promises of God and his holie spirite to the confirmation of our faith and sure trust in him Moreouer oure Sauiour Christe sayeth thus of Baptisme Iohn baptised you in water but I wyl baptise you in the name of the holie goste And for a playne euidence and tokeÌ„ of the same he sent downe the holie gost in a visible fourme both vpon the Apostles and them that they baptised in his name If you had so muche in the scripture for the diuinitie of the other Sacramente I woulde not so greatly wonder if your fleshly iudgement did take it for a verie God But seinge that wyth these scriptures you esteme the one litle or nothinge at al and yet wythout these or any other lyke scriptures you maynteyne and defende yea and that with sworde fyre and faggot that the other is God and worthy of all godly honoure I can not but merueile and that greatly Yea and muche the more for that you hauynge the experience of the feyned miracles that haue bene wroughte for the establishynge of the fleshly presence of Christe in this Sacrament as I am sure you had by one Nicholas Geruis priest who pricked his fingar in the tyme of his masse that the bloude might seme to fall from the breade vpon the corpresse and aultare cloth as appeared at Paules crosse wythin the. v. yeres laste paste shoulde yet so blindly and tiraÌ„nously maynteine this deuelishe and most wicked errour I meane the deitie and godly honoure that you attribute to this signe or Sacrament If the whole course of your tale whiche I haue rehearsed be not altogether Sophistrie surely I neuer learned Sophistrie For when you come to tell vs what is broken what is moulded and what the mise do eate then say you that the Sacrament is the host the fourme of breade and wyne and the vtwarde accidentes as the qualities and dimeÌ„sions And this fourme these outwarde accidentes these qualities these dimensions are broken are moulded are altered and muste no more be God Thus you woulde blynde vs wyth your Sophistrie and make vs to beleue that it is God when you call it so and no God but accidentes qualities and dementions when you wyll haue it so Agayne notwythstandyng you do eate the same thynge that you do breake and breake the same thynge that you do eate yet when you eate it it muste be God and when you breake it it must be but accideÌ„tes no God Moreouer if it chaunce you to touche it wyth your teeth and swalowe it downe your throte make it suffre heate in your stomake and become passible otherwayes then is it onely the fourme the outwarde accidentes the qualities and dimeÌ„sioÌ„s and no God But you deceyue your selues with vayne wordes and therfore like as you do breake the outwarde thynges so do you eate and are fed with the same sophistical ware where of ye dreame Thys is muche like a man that dreameth aâ— the night longe that he hath eateÌ„ quaile raile and cur lewe and that he hath drokeÌ„ pleasaÌ„t wine his fyll and yet in the mornynge he is neuer the lesse huÌ„gery and thurstie because he had nothing but the fourmes shadowes outwarde accidences and qualities But the litle mouse is muche wyser then you make your selues For she can knowe the fourme of your cake from the cake it selfe Paynt it in fourme and qualities as craftelie as you can she neither wyl nor caÌ„ feede vpon any suche qualities or fourmes Neither is she so folishe to be mocked with any suche dreames I speake playne englishe nowe yea I can not nor wyl not vse any sophistrie And we al that be englishe men do earnestly desire you to tell vs in englishe what you do meane by those termes accidentes qualities and demensions which I do know you caÌ„ neuer do onles you do reigne in the bowelles of sophistrie For thei are the peculiar termes of that deuelishe arte Yet amongest so many your subtlie termes you haue one good sentence howe it escaped you I can not tell Wyth the eye of the soule you say in faith we see the presence of the moste precious bodie of our Sauiour Christ These your wordes are eueÌ„ the very words of our beliefe This is the thing only wholy that caÌ„ worke in this sacrameÌ„t For if it be the fode of the soule only as doubtles if is theÌ„ caÌ„ not the bodilie instrumeÌ„t meddle therwith It must be receiued by the powers of the soule only which are spiritual But no bodilie carnal thing caÌ„ be eateÌ„ of the spirite for the spirite must be borne nourrished of the spirite likeas the flesh is borne norished of bodilie thinges I coÌ„clude therfore that in the sacrameÌ„t we do not eate bodilie carnally really the bodi of christ but onli spiritually as you haue in this place said ful wel wyth the eies of our soul in faith for the soule hath none other instrument wherby it maye take fode of life but fayth the knoledge of god whiche fedeth euerlastingly as Christ saith This is the wil of him that sent me that euery one that seeth the son beleueth in hym shal haue euerlasting lyfe And I shall repsâ— hym at the laste daye God sende vs soule priestes that wyll teache vs this fode of the soule more diligeÌ„tly theÌ„ you bishoppes haue done For you haue alwaies tolde vs a craftie tale sayinge that Christe remayneth so longe vnder the accidentes as the fourme of breade and wyne doth remayne Lo this is it that you doubt vpon fearing to make such playâ—e answer wheÌ„ you bringe in these doubtes in the sixtene leafe of your boke If there remayne no substaunce but the substaunce of the body and bloud of Christ it muste needes be then that the same corrupteth or elles when goeth it awaye or where haue you scripture to declare the goinge awaye of Christ from the hoste Before you answere subtilly like a Sophister sayinge What if I and suche other prelates can not tell deludynge one question wyth an other as the maister of Sopistrie Iohannes de lapide teacheth to delude argumentes but nowe boldly like a bishop with out'any scripture onely because your father and mother churche of Rome doeth saye the same you affirme that Christe remayneth so longe as the fourme of the bread remaineth that is from the tyme it is made to the tyme it is deuoured ether by man or mouse or els â—oth by other misse fortuue or by mouleyng miscarie Oh foleishe blind guides To what filthy absurdities must ye of necessitie be driueÌ„ by this fond opinion that here is no substaÌ„ce but the substance of Christ and that this substance remayneth so longe onely as the forme of breade remayneth For this forme remaynethe euen when the mouse rennethe awaye withe it The forme of breade remayneth when it
of the bodie doeth declare the same thynge This thynge maye be made euident also to hym that with a cleare conscience marketh the same considerynge that thereof chiefely and onely we haue cause to reioyce that Christe beinge verie man vpon earth hath for our sakes ouercomâ—n all helly and earthly powers and nowe sitteth at the righte hande of God our perpetuall aduocate Thys is the spirituall feedynge and not the fleshly whiche who so feeleth he wyll neuer route vpon the earth for fleshe any more Of the profite of the spirite and the departyng of the fleshe reade Iohn the. xiiij Thou mayst also marke in all the scripture howe the fleshe is smally regarded As to be mother and brother after the flesh Mathew xij Marke iii. and Luke viii Agayne Christe hymselfe doth attribute the true blisse and in fallible felicitie nether carnally to beare hym 〈◊〉 the wombe nor yet to gyue him sucke of â—…e brestes whiche are the greatest thynges â—…at can be touchynge the fleshe but to heare the worde of God and to do the same Thys thynge because it is of the spirite onely profiteth and maketh a man blessed You do well that you couple these two textes Caro non prodest quicquam et quod natum est ex carne caro est spoken to Nicodemus For in verie deede they teache boeth one thynge and are a generall rule of the true vnderstandynge of oure whole religion as you do saye Whiche is that all godly lyfe and holynesse is borne in vs not of the fleshe neither visibly nor inuisibly but of the inuisible power of the spirite whereof we muste be borne a newe if euer we entre into the kyngdome of God as oure sauioure Christ taught Nicodemus The which wordes if any man should so grossely interprete as to expounde it thus sayinge that by the power of God inuisible a man myght enter his mothers wombe and so this fleshe borne inuisibly shoulde be profitable euery man woulde laugh at his foliyshnesse And thys is eueÌ„ muche lyke your gloses coÌ„trary to the which we haue proued by the scriptures that it is profitable that the fleshe do depart that the spirite may come vnto vs that the flesh which in this humilitie hath once suffered 〈…〉 the crosse and done the wyll of the father is no longer profitable vnto vs vpon the earth â–ª but nowe we muste be borne of the spirite â–ª al our conforte al our hope muste be of the spirite For what so euer is borne of the fleshe is fleshe and therefore carnall and no parte of our spiritual religion and spiritual byrth You adde these gloses that inuisibly we muste haue this fleshe present in the fourmes of breade and wine and so muste we eate the fleshe of Christe really but yet inuisibly you saye And shall we by inuisible fleshe but yet very fleshe brynge lyfe vnto oureselues and be borne a newe agaynste the lessons of the spirite If the presence of the fleshe in the bread be so profitable whiche you can proue by no worde of scripture and therefore we neede not beleue you excepte we lust wherfore thynke you woulde Christe rather hide him selfe in bread then shewe hym selfe opeÌ„ly seinge boeth are lyke possible vnto hym He sayeth that thys is the wyll of the father that sent hym that whosoeuer seeth the sonne and beleueth in hym hath euerlastyng lyfe Now for this doubt that you do moue whether his fleshe be caro viuifica that is fleshe giuing life that it is so is the very fouÌ„dacion of our faith and we both agree in this point â–ª But here ariseth the doubte howe this fleshe geueth lyfe You saye by eateinge the same reallye and naturally in the breade wythout any scripture But we taught by the whole course of the scriptures that the spirite onely is profiteable do vnderstand a spiritual eateinge of thys flesh whiche is taught in the. vi â–ª of Iohn to be by the beliefein this flesh offered for the lyfe of the worlde as it is taught at length before And where as you saye that Christe dyd by these words rebuke the grosse and earnal Caparnaites it is verye true an serueth styl agaynste all them that saye Christe must be carnallie eaten be it in loÌ„pes as you speake or the whole bodie swalowed downe al togither as you defende your selfe If you saye as you do againe in thys place that Caro fleshe is taken for the carnall parte of man then do you nothinge coÌ„sider the circumstaÌ„ce howe Christe laboreth in this place to teach the people howe his owne fleshe is profitable vnto them Thys doctrine of yours therfore is confused to gether makeinge the spirituall eateing carnal and the verie fesh and bodie to be the spirite For in your chaunge howe can this be his verie bodie which you cause to go and come no man knoweth howâ—â—einge he hym selfe saieth vnto Didimus his bodie hath verie fleshe and verie bones and is not lyke the spirite You make him lyke a spirite to come and go into thousand milioÌ„s of cakes and aultares insensibly You make him geue life also which is the chiefe and only propertie of the spirite And wher you woulde cloke the firste mattier sayeinge that his bodie maye be in so many places and be insensible because it is adioyned to the God heade you must learne to be ware that in no wise you confounde the natures as I haue spoken before And likewise whan you saye that this fleshe geueth life alwaies because it is inseparably adioyned to the spirite you must acknowledge the proprieties of these ii in sunder grauntinge it to be the properietie of the spirite onely to geue life according to thys text spiritus est qui viuificat though it do by the flesh and dodie of Christe as the onely instrumeÌ„t and peculiar sacrifice wherwith the wrath of God myght be pacified worke in vs that be faythfull the same lyfe And this same fleshe of Christe is a stumbling stone in Zyon to the wicked as the prophet wittnesseth and is set vp to the rniue and resurrection of many It was vnto the Phariseis a blindyng and liuely to them onlie that were ordeined to life Vnto the Iewes whiche handled it and to Iudas which kyssed it and as you would haue it did eate it it was death beynge of it selfe the sauiour frome deathe So that we maye verie well conclude that the spirite onely geueth lyffe and to them onely that haue thys spirite in their hertes to theÌ„ I say the fleshe of Christ is profitable and to them hys fleash is verie meate and hys bloude verie drynke for they onely can feade spiritually of Christe God and man For it is the breade that commeth froÌ„ heaueÌ„ saieth Iohn that geueth lyfe vnto the worlde And thys heauenly breade of the spirite doeth fede vnto lyfe euerlastynge so that who so euer doth once taste therof shall no more be hongrye nor thyrstie after the carnall fode And as for
your opinioÌ„ coÌ„cernynge that the fleash carnally eaten should be lyuely and confortable you are not able to iustifi by any scripturs And therfore beware how you establishe it wyth your tyranny wee haue learnyd thys gospell that Chryst was crucified to saue synners and to gyue lyfe vnto the worlde But that he must be eaten bodylye to gyue lyfe is a newe gospell For Iohn in hys syxte chapiter doeth wholly declare and set forth the spirituall eateynge of the fleash of Christe by fayth as is before declarede contrarie to your carnall writynges WheÌ„ you saye that we make the scripture like a coÌ„fuse sonne of belles I do take all meÌ„ to witnesse yea I dare appeale your owne conscience whether of vs hath the scriptures in more estimacion You and your doctours which do accostomably preach and writ that the scriptures are like a nose of wax easie to be tuurned to al purposes or we that compt no lerneing of maÌ„ nor yet ani doctrine taugh by the apearans of Angelles to be sure and stable vnlesse it be confirmed by the word of God and his infallible scriptures A gayne how lightly and vnreuerently you iudge of the authority of the scriptures of God your â—larckelye cloked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall testifye to the whole worlde wherin you are nothinge ashamed to recite how that openlye in the greate cownsaile lyke A byshope streightwayes at your beginning to be sure to folowe the foundacion of your Romeish church you compted the authoritie of scriptures vnprofitable for your purpose because the sense therof as you say maie be drawne at pleasure to both partes You cloke the matter with cleÌ„lier termes O bishop as you do al your mattiers but in effect this is al one with the nose of waxe coÌ„fused soune of belles Your words be these Prefatus sum inutiliter me verba effusurum si ad fraÌ„gendam hominum pertinaciam scripture authoritati vt nunc sunt hominum ingenia inniterer cuius seÌ„sus pro arbitrio vtrinque distahatur Iudge O you that do syte haue not your consciences all readie marked boeth of these wordes and of the brennyng of the scripturs for loe here may you se the cause why the bishope wyll neither meddle wyth them hym selfe in hys disputacions nor suffer them that woulde so much as in hym selfe lyeth but burne them and banysh the diligent interpretatours of them because he and hys felowes do thinke that they may so easilie be wrasted to the madnesse of man Oh what shall we say or thinke of suche bishopes It is no maruaile though you haue your brethern in smal reputacion and rayle vpon them at your pleasure seynge the worde of God is so smally regarded with you Yea how can you loue God whom you see not when you hate your brethern wyth whom you lyue conuersant derydeyng despiseing and brenninge al that you can haue of God in thys worlde his holie word and scriptures we take God to our Iudge that to our knowledge we do not abuse the scriptures neither write we any thinge but wyth suche mindes hertes conscience as we are redi to stand before hym and make answer at the greate day when he shall appere And because we do knowe the scriptures inspired aboue from God hym selfe to be profitable to teache to improue to amende to enstructe in ryghtuousenese that the man of God may be perfecte and prepared vnto all good workes therfore haue we it in suche estimacion that we can counte no learning good but that is hereby confirmed and establysshed But let vs â–ª returne to your fyrst expositioÌ„ of these wordes Caro non prodest quicquaÌ„ spiritus est qui vinificat and Quod natum est ex carne caro est That is The fleash profiteth nothynge it is the spirite that geueth lyfe that which is borne of the fleash is flesh Thys you say is the true rule of our whole religion The fleashe when it is carnallye eaten as you wil haue it engendreth nought els but fleash Then if it be but fleash that it engendreth then haue we no profit therbi for the fleash doeth nothynge profit Contrary wyse the spirituall eatinge geueth life and engendrethe the spirite whiche onely feadeth the soule therfore we nede nothing to regard the carnall eatinge whyche neither feadeth the soule nor bodie for no bodily thyng can enter the soule nor no spirituall thynge can feade the bodie Now where you would myxte the fleashe and the spirite to gether by this solusioÌ„ that the fleash of Christ can not be wythout the spirite marke what we do answere If we haue lyfe by the spirituall eatynge of Christ once offered for vs as thepistle to the Hebrues doeth witnes if we haue al one spiritual fode with the fathers if we haue lif so many of vs as do thus beleue in hym by the benefite of the spirite as the. vi of Iohn doeth tell at larg if the rightuous liue by the fayth and not by bodily eatynge if that whiche cometh from the herte do make the man holye or prophaâ—e and not that which goeth into the mouth if he that beleueth in Christe shall not be condemned but haue euerlasting lyfe if God haue graunted to all them that receyue Christ that they shalbe the chyldren of God that is to saye as many as beleue in hys name as Iohn doeth interprete hym selfe if he that drinketh of the fountayn of life by faieth shall neuer be thyrsty but be refresshed into euerlastynge lyfe if he that heareth the worde of God and beleueth haue euerlastinge life what auayleth the fleashly eatynge or what can you wyn therby As doctour Ciprian callynge the breade of thys sacrament Sacramentalem panem that is to say bread signifiyng by sacrameÌ„t farther thynge than breade it is a mattier so euideÌ„t that we nede not to striue for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 panis breade in all languages haue al one propre signification of the bread made of graine An other significatioÌ„ they haue by translacioÌ„ wherby they signifie al maner of fode but your doctour must haue a loÌ„g glose of your bishoplyke brayne wherby you are so wyttie you can depraue euery thing For you are not content to haue glosed your doctour but you must forbyd Paul to cal it ani lenger bread bicause that you bishopes haue espied that panis may signifie fode But I prei you good bishop leaue your daliing and tel vs what christ did take in hys haÌ„des as he sate at supper It was not a pece of the lambe to haue a similitude of fleash but it was bread the general substaunce of mans bodily lyfe euen lyke as Christ is the onely breade of lyfe and spiritual fode of the soule Bread I saye it was to declare that lyke as breade is made of many graynes whych all to gether do make but one bodie so lykewise we beynge many beleueynge in Christ are all one bodie in Christ We are one breade and one
thou of euerlasteinge lyfe as thou haste of the knoweledge and fealeinge of my grace and goodnesse why che chiefely and principally was openned vnto the worlde in the sendeinge of my sonne into the worlde to be made fleshe leste al flesh should haue perished for wickednesse Thys is the breade then that comethe from heauen wherof who so eateth shal not perishe but lyue for euer And thys breade is the flesh of my sonne as it was geuen for the lyfe of the worlde for so was it a verye heauenly gifte and heauely breade comeinge frome heauen Other wayes was it but an erthly thynge and nothinge profitable For the phariseis and all the wicked that do not compt thys onely thynge to knowe me the father and my onely sonne Christe geuen for the lyfe of the worlde to be the onely saluacion therof but secke more helpe of saluacion at any creature in heauen or earth be it man saincte or Angell be it workes sacramētes or any other thynge that man can imagyne as they can not vnlesse they compt some insufficiencie and lacke in me shall not haue any parte in my sonne Christe whome they haue in so small estimacion howe grossely so euer they imagine to eate hym No to them that this slenderly and vilely esteme the hilpeinge and saueing that I haue geuen him he is the sauour of death vnto death and the stumblynge stone But vnto them that wholely and onely do cleaue vnto him feadeinge on hys bodye thus offered for the life of the worlde and drinckeinge of his bloude geuen for the remission of synnes he is the breade of lyfe hys fleshe is verie meate and hys bloude verie drinke so that you haue alwayes in mynde that it is the spirite that geueth lyfe and that the fleshe profiteth nothynge And take it for a generall lesson to vnder stande the worde of godly doctrine that the wordes which I and my sonne do teache you are spirite and lyfe And to beleue them is to eate the meate of the soule to worcke the worcke of God and therfore to haue lyfe For the ryghtuouse lyueth by hys belyefe ▪ And Abraham dyd beliue wherfore it was compted vnto hym as ryghtuousenesse before circumsicion or any other out warde sacrament was geuen hym Yea thys Abrahame maye teache you that without the regarde of any creature yea contrarye to the workeinge of all creatures thou muste belieue and be made sure of my goodnesse that thou mayeste wyth ▪ an vpryght face vp towordes the heauens saie O Lorde I haue belieued in the I shall neuer be ashamed For thys is the nature of fayth to loke strayght vp vnto me your heauenly father and to receyue at my hande by the merite of my sonne all grace fauour and goodnes Wher if you declyne asyd and appoynt your selfe meanes aydes and helpes of any creature otherwise thē I haue cōmaunded you must be compted miscreāts mistrustinge my goodnes Here falleth the Iustice that you seke for by your workes and sacramentes and here ariseth the Iustice of fayeth which is onely acceptable in my sight For Israell in the olde tyme folow ynge theyr lawes of righteousnes by their workes sacramentes and ceremoneis coulde not come to ryghteousnesse And wherfore I praye you Because they did not followe ther vpon by faieth but onelie by workes of the lawe They stombled at the stomblinge stone as it is written Lo I will put in Sion a stombling stone and a stone to fall vpō who so beleueth in him shal not be ashamed Because they haue beleued they haue attained this righteousnes which is of faieth of whiche if they will follow and not forsake they shall neuer suffer shame This faith one lie in the seede promised and no signe or sacrament was it that refreshed your first father Adain Neither was ther any other signe geuen vnto Achas but that a virgine shoulde cōceiue a child whiche by an holy and pure byrth of the holy gofle myght take awaye and purifie the corrupt byrth of the olde Adaine and deliuer the house of Iuda from the bloudie Sennacherib Vnto the whyche signe you must alwayes loke for you shall haue none other signe of saluacion but the signe of Ionas the prophete All the Israelites drinckeinge of the same spirituall drincke and eateinge of the same spirituall meate that you do for it is all one fayeth that saueth you boeth euen as I am all one God and no chauncelinge dyd in their lambe vnspotted feade and take comfort of no signe or sacramēt but onely of the bloude of our vnspotted lambe whyche I had promised to sende into the worlde For by the strayght commaundementes and son drye charges whyche my seruant Moyses dyd geue them for the choseynge and eateynge of thys lambe they dyd perceiue a thynge far more spirituall then coulde be finished in so grosse a banket Much more thē the Apostles of my sonne beynge vsed to suche spirituall feadeinges myght perceiue what my sonne ment in abolisheinge of the olde ceremonies of the lambe and cōmaundynge a newe memorie to be made of hys bodie geuen for them and hys bloude shed for the remission of synnes and for to delyuer vs frome the helly Pharao They dyd knowe that thys worde of the promise whiche is geuen for you shoulde be fulfylled vpon the crosse and therfore ought not to be applyed vnto any sacramēt It is not the offering of ani signe or sacramēt that I regarde but the osferinge of my sonne vpon the crosse whiche you muste by your sacramentes shewe your selues to haue in perpetuall memorie as the onely lyfe whereby your soules can liue Lyke as they also had learned before of the Prophetes that the Messias whome I shoulde sende shoulde be striken for the synnes of the people and then shoulde be exalted and sende hys gyftes plentuouslye from aboue spoyleinge all hys enimies wyth triumphe Thys dyd my sonne beate in theyr eares But he neuer tolde them of any such chaunges of bread into his flesh such carnall consecracions as you do teach wherin you wyll haue that without any profite my son christ shold come downe frō my bosome into your breade and Chalice blowen and blessed by your inuencion and worke so great a miracle without eyther necessitie or profite Haue you not inough that you haue euerlastinge life by hym ▪ hathe not he humbled him selfe lowe inough that he hath become manne for your sakes and died for your sinnes What woulde you haue more of him would you that he shoulde take the forme of breade for your sakes what are you the better if he so did Yea how much the worse should you be This is one thinge you shoulde brynge the veritie of his bodie into suspicion for that it should go and come so like a spirite which is no small hinderaunce to the perfection of your kinde For mine intēt was whē I made my sonne man to haue iust occasiō therby to
with your deceiueable Hypocrisie I desire all good hertes therfore to marke the mattier as it is howe you labour to stir coÌ„teÌ„cioÌ„ how we in no case would enter therinto vnlesse we were prouoked Right sorie that we haue so great occasion First through your gros blindnes which being the eies seing nothing the salt become vnsaneourie and the doumbe dogges that can not barke haue brought the worlde into the pyte of blindnesse And agayne because you lyke swyne wil not onely wallowe in your mire stil but also like wild boares labour to destroie the vineâ—ard to roote forth al the swete rotes of the choseÌ„ vine crashe the braunches with your teth Settinge vp your bristles sharpeing your teeth against al theÌ„ that wold driue your wicked gardiuars out of the lordes viniyard We are therfore coÌ„pelled to shap you some answer least you glorie stil in your wickednes coÌ„tinewe so terrible that no maÌ„ dare resist you For fasting prayeing therfore read the. vi and. vii of Math. where you maye learne of Christes owne mouth the true praier fasting much better theÌ„ by the bishopes bablinge For they teach the matteÌ„s masse muÌ„bled in a toÌ„ge that the people do not vnderstaÌ„d to be the prayer vnto the which the holie word of god the preaching of his glad tidinges of y e gospel must giue place And for this the bishop alledgeth this saieing of Gregorie The preachinge of the gospel is not good when it occupieth the tyme of praier And therfore on Christemas day wheÌ„ the church hath iij. masses he sayed he could not speÌ„d so much time with his audience that daye as he was woâ—t to do And by theyr often mumbling of matteÌ„s and masse patched togither by popes Pretates and seldome or neuer preaching of the pure word of God it maie appeare that they prefer the inuencions of man before God his gospel But if thou marke the. xiiii to the Cor. thou shalt perceiue these to be madnes And to vnderstande what faste God requireth reade Esai the. lviii Chap and Zacharie the. vii For the reproufe of theire fishe fast marke that Christ sayeth That thynge whiche goeth into the mouth defileth not a maÌ„ And Paule saieth The kingdom of god coÌ„sisteth not in meate drincke and that nothinge is prophane or vnholi of it selfe Also that the meaâ—e coÌ„meÌ„deth no maÌ„ vnto god for then should the monkes of the charterhouse haue bene more coÌ„meÌ„dable And cormoraÌ„tes in their kynd were moste to be praised But Paule sayth that if we do eate we gayne no thynge therby if we do not eate we shall lose nothinge at all This doctrine that teacheth vs to abstaine froÌ„ flesh or any other creture that God hath created to be taken wyth thaÌ„kes geueing is called the doctrine of diuil les because butter egges flesh are as well saÌ„â—ified in the creatioÌ„ as other creatures and were created of God to be takeÌ„ with thaÌ„kes geuing at the wil pleasure coÌ„mandemeÌ„t of man whome he made Lorde ouer them to vse them for hys necessitie Paule therfore commaundeth that no maÌ„ iudge vs in our meate and drinke or parte of the holye daye whyche were but shadowes before the comeinge of Christe who was the bodie Aâ—d seynge we haue hym alredie and yet gape after shaowes maye not Paulle saye as he dyd to the Galathians You obserue dayes monethes tymes and yeres I feare me leste I haue laboured in vayne amongeste you For the chasteinge forth of deueles by fastinge and prayer fyrste marcke what Christ answereth He saieth that the Apostles could not because of their incredulitie and weakenesse of fayeth And afterwarde he addeh these two fasteinge and prayer as weapons and worckes of fayeth whiche can not be separated from sayeth â—either can be founde in the olde bottelles of the hypocrites Thys praier when it striueth agaynst the deuell it surmounteth all worldely thynges and pleasures And the same is also the onely true faste To neglect for the tyme al worldly things to neglect meate drinke aâ—d what so euer bodili pleasure or desire maie be imagined that in prayer the mynde maye be lifted aboue the heaueÌ„ vnto the throne of God But than saye you your good Hipocrites and popeish votaries haue experince of thys But Christ shal witnesse against you wher he teacheth that these are the workes of the newe man and can not be receiued in the patched clokes of hipocrisie You haue experience you saye of driueinge awaye Diuelles by praier and fasteing But what diuell it is you dare not tell leste we shoulde take you wyth a lie For if you do meane the deuill of lecherie I haue hearde Phisians saye that your fyshe faste stireth hym vp and we se euerie where that he reigneth amongeste you for all your fastinge and coniuring of holy water for the same purpose But we wyl let passe thys lieinge doteage As for the diligent preachinge of Christes worde and hys glade tydynges it shoulde not nede to coÌ„tend with you if you were christeÌ„ byshopes For Christ admonisheth hys Apostle Peter to feede hys shepe his lambes Paule sayth he is seÌ„t to preach and not to baptise Muche lesse to mumble a paier of mumbling mattens ful of blasphemouse collectes He sayth againe Wo be vn tome if I do not preach He admouisheth Timotheus yea he obtesteth him before God and the lord Iesu Christ which shal iudge the quicke the deade whaÌ„ he shal appeare in his kingdoÌ„ to preach the word to be instaÌ„t ther 〈…〉 in lyme and out of tyme. Naie say our byshopes not in â—â—atens tyme nor in the fore â—one because the worde 〈…〉 muste geue place to our popeishe matens and masse Yea some of theÌ„ can preach openly at Paules crosse that we haue little neede of the worde eyther written or preached because oure hertes maye teache vs what is good or badde A they haue all agreed wyth one accorde that the worde of God is il for pore men vnder the degre of gentell men But remembre O bishopes that Moises hath taught vs that the herte of man wyth all hys inuencions is and hath bene nought else but euyll euen frome the cradle And therfore the same Moyses by the spirite of God geueth warneinge vnto all men boeth gentle men and yeomeÌ„ to haue the word of his doctrine in their hertes and ther soules and to hang them for a signe in theyr haÌ„des though you deride them that carie it at their girdles he commaundeth also that it be continually before theyr eies and wrytten in the gates the dores and the postes of oure houses He commaundethe to teache it oure Children that they maie continually occupie theyr mindes therin He commandeth farther that whan we sit in the house whan we walke in the waie when we lye downe aryse againe we shoulde be therin occupied Read the psalm Blessed are
the popeish religion standeth the byshop calleth nothynge and yet lyke Farthynge they all ioyned togither make vp the heape THerfore maye we speake generally of your tradicious and ceremoneis whiche you cal farthynges that fyl vp the heape of your fonde religiou if euerye one of theÌ„â—eperate alone be nothynge as you do playnely graunt surelye it is a goodly masse and heape that ariseth of so manye nothinges Consider your owne exemple doeth a shauen crowne make a priest you answere naye it is nothynge And you saye the dwell calâ—eth it a fleshe marke But I cal it the marcke of the beaste because the popeâ— no doubte is that cruell beaste and Antichriste paynted in the prophetes and Apocalipses whose marck you muste nedes graunte it to be that you maye vse hys marchaundise For God the father commaunded hys priestes that in no case they shoulde be shauen rounde on their heades neither by shaueinge deforme theyr bearders And Christ hys sonne which came to appoynte a more spirituall priestehode woulde not commaunde any suche grosse carnal and fleshelye ceremonie but left suche thynges to oure libertie Nowe be cause you would declare your selues whoÌ„ you woulde folowe you wylbe shauen rounde in your heades and for to kisse women more swetelie your beardes shall no soner waxe sharp but you wyl shaue theÌ„ smothe agayne You wilbe like the Idolatrouse priestes of Isis boeth in your shauinge and your womanlyke wearinge of lyuen and syde garmentes that lyke maye fauour like But to procede wyth your popeishâ— priesthod Doeth a longe gowne make aprieste Naye it is nothynge For thaÌ„ the phariseies who loued to walke in longe robes and made wyde the skyrtes of theyr gownes as ours doe had bene priestes good â—…outh Doeth the name make a priest As maister persone sir Iohn or my Lorde byshope Naye sayeth our maister Christe wo vnto you phariseis that wilbe called maisters and haue the vayne title of Rabby he that exalteth hym selfe shalbe brought lowe Doeth the anoynteinge make a prieste Naye Christe the chiefe priest yea the firste and onely prieste of the newe testament because he onely coulde offer vnto hys father a sacrifice pleasant and acceptable in whome all the ceremoniall priestehode ceased being nowe a ppoynted to an euerlasteinge priesthode not standeinge in Ceremonies as dyd the Leuites but after the order of Melchisedech was not anointed wyth bodilye oyle in to hys pristehode Peter Paule Iames Iohn and all the other Apostles and disciples the ministers and disposers of the treasurs of God and his misteries were not anointed wyth outwarde oile but wyth the in warde oyle of the spirite They hadde the thynge it selfe and we haue the shadowes onely and the outwarde ceremoneis whyche are nothynge in verie dede seyng that they be voide of the bodye and thynges that they signifie and are become lyeynge signes Thus is your anoynteinge in verie dede nothynge Or else to speake in playne Englyshe it is a lyeynge signe and deceyuable shadowe Doeth the powre that you byshopes geue to sacrifice Christe agayne for the quike and the deade make a priest Naye surelye For you haue no powre tobe come newe priestes and so to sacrifice Christe agayne as the Epistle to the Hebrues doeth teache you we haue spokeÌ„ herof at the beginning Wherfor thys is a lye intollerable and lesse theÌ„ nothynge to grounde the true priesthode vpon If you blowe vpon your consecrate creature that you call prieste and saye Accipe spiritum sanctum Doeth that make hym a prieste You dare not saye thys were nothing for then were it some what that you vse in Christenynge of children wherin you make miracles euen after the same sorte It muste â—eades be some what therfore and surelye it is somewhat Yea it is agreate deale to muche that you shoulde take vpon you to geue that you neuer hadde and mocke the geuer therof wyth your massinge gestures and mumblinges euen as you do in your masse when you breath out the wordes of Christe ouer the breade and wyne to the intent to worcke the straungeste miracle by them that euer was wrought But as all your whole heape is but a multitude of nothinges so are you your selfe nothynge yea and that lesse is the shodowe of no thynge And all your creatures that you haue coniured vp of nothyng shal shortly be dissolued againe into nothinge When Christ onelye and his priesthode shalbe some thing as he him selfe is al in al thinges coÌ„tinueth our one oneli Bishop hight priest for euer who hath satisfied for the sinnes of al by ffering him selfe once for al a liuely sacrifice vnto god his father at whose right haÌ„d be sitteth as it is writteÌ„ Hebrues the tenth Thys high priest or bishop offering one oblacioÌ„ for siâ—e sitieth at the right hande of god for euer Truely the priestes of the olde lawe were manye because death dyd take them awaye But Christ because he remayneth for euer hath an euerlastinge priesthode And because theyr priesthode was vnperfect therfore was Christ appoynted to be a priest after the order of Melchisedech without any suche successioÌ„ of other priestes to folow in his steade and therfore sayed the prophete Thou art a prieste for euermore after the order of Melchisedeche The lawe of Moyses made men priestes but the worde of the oth whiche was aboue the lawe did ordein the sonne a prieste made perfect for euermore He made this presthode perfect and fulfilled all his sacrifices at once when he offered him selfe Thus do we perceiue it to be a lyeynge powre that bishopes do chalenge in makyng theyr priestes To take a priest therfore as you do for a sacrifier for synne is iniuriouse vnto Christ and we knowe none such in the newe testament for that presthode must neades ende with the lawe of sacrifice But to take a priest as Malachie doeth the lyppes of the prieste shall kepe knoweledge and they require the lawe at his mouthe for he is the angell and minister of the Lorde of hostes Here fynde we a better marke then the beastes marke or the fleshe marke that is to saye knowledge whereby onely he doeth the message of his Lorde and maister and instructeth his shepe in the lawe of God By this marke are true priestes tried and knowne Wherefore sayeth God by his prophete Osee Because thou hast refused knowledge I wyll put the backe that thou shalte be no priest before me This knowledge is the anointing of the spirite without the whiche the bodily anoyntinge is playne derision of the spirite and hypocrisie and without this the syde gowne and wyde skyrtes serue to nothinge but to make them to be magnified before men Suche therefore as haue the anointinge of the spirite maye you bishoppes anoynt if you please and appoint to be ministers of Christes flocke to distribute his worde and sacramentes Nowe maye we marke by thys we haue heard whether we may styâ— cal your disguised priesthode wâ—â—che
vp the great heape of your baggage which you cal the substaunce of your religion And therfore do you nowe fyght wyth fyre faggot for the conseruation of the same that it maye conserue you in your lordly dignities Thus hath your worldly witted fathers euen from the begynnynge fought wyth the sayntes of God whose bloud cryeth froÌ„ vnder the aultare and asketh vengeaunce shal be hearde ryght spedily Marke good bishops whom â–ª you haue alwaye murthered euen froÌ„ the begynnyng Whiche of the Prophetes of the olde testament did escape chiefe priestes and byshops And syth the comyng of Christ your murthers are innumerable I wyll not nor caÌ„ not recken them Dyd not Christe hym selfe dye by the conspiracie of Annas Cayphas and other bishops because he rebuked the worlde of blyndenes Al such as you haue murtherd sence that tyme haue cleare testimonies of theyr innocencie by some of your owne scribes and wryters Had not Husse whoÌ„ yon accompt the Arche heretike foure seales of the noble men of Morania to wytnesse his innocent lyfe and godly learnynge to your cursed cruel counsayle at coÌ„staunce Doeth not Pope Piê° otherwyse called Eneas Silnius Pogius the Florentyne Platina Sabellicus and other your owne men reporte well of hym But to come home boeth to your owne tyme countrey Who doth not bewaile the tiranny that you shewed vnto that innocent lambe Bylnaye who beinge demaunded in derision by a proude papist when he went to his death why he wroughte no miracles beinge so holy as he was accompted answered wyth mylde voice countenaunce God onely sayed he worketh miracles and wonders and he it is that hath wrought thys one wonder in our eyes that I being wrongfully accused falsly belyed opprobriously and spytefully haÌ„dled imprisoned buffetted and condempned to the fyre yet hitherto haue I not once opened my mouth with one euyl worde agaynst any of you This passeth the worke of nature is therefore the manifest miracle of god who wyl by my suffering death be glorified and haue his trueth enhaunced What report haue you gotteÌ„ for the murthering of Hunne in the lowlars towre You had neither felonie nor treason to laye to his charge yet most vilanously dyd the chauncelour of London murther that honest man for his owne childes crisome I wyl say nothing of the priest that was found hanging in your porters warde And fiue hundreth mo wherof some haue by your tirannouse handlyng for sworne the truth forsakeÌ„ theyr maisters Some for feare of your tiraÌ„ny haue renne out of their wittes some haue forsaken their couÌ„treis chosyng rather to â—…ue like banished men then to suffre your cruell and babilonical bondage I coulde reken many whose life is yet in the eyes of the worlde and the cause of their death vtterly vnknowne vnlesse it were for speakynge agaynste your popishe madnesse Wherfore dyed Barnes Therome Garret in the late storme of your capitayne of Norfolke steared for his kinswoman They were neither declared felons nor â—…aytours They dyd not stryue wyth you agaynst the god of bread But this was their death so far as I could learne because they preached man to be iustified by fayth in the bloud of Christ onely by none of your popishe inuentions OhtiraÌ„ny intollerable You haue to long blynded our gouernours made them your butchars and tormentours What should I speake of the last persecution wheÌ„ you caused to be proclamed that no boke of christian religion should be brought into this Realme froÌ„ beyonde the sea Howe many dyd you then murther woulde haue done mo had not the Kinge by his power plucked out of your clawes one whom you had with small equitie examined and wyth lesse iustice coÌ„demned What iustice did you shewe in that you dyd so shamefully racke Anne Askue after she was condemned But she shewinge more constancie then hath bene communely seene in a woman shal nowe after the death of hir body worke you shame to all your posteritie Was Lassels wyth the other his felowes martyrs coÌ„fessinge the liuinge God and his sonne Christ the only sauiour worthily burned with fire as you did rashly determine and iudge condemned and destroied in body and soule What were they whoremongers Idolatours adulterers theues extorsiouers or maÌ„quellers Vpon suche cometh the wrath of God suche haue no parte in the kingdome of God But you suffre to lyue you shewe no power agaynst them No you are not any thynge terrible vnto suche for they dwell at your noses they eate at your tables and are your darlinges But who that speaketh any thinge agaynste your popishe Idols brainsicke inuentions haue he neuer so faythful an hert to God and be he neuer so trustie to his prince yet must he be an heretike a traytour a lowlar and all together This doeth the worlde espie at the length talketh of you I woulde this talke mighte make you leaue your euyll doinges and to learne at the least to do some parte of your dutie before the wrath of God fal vpon you But I do feare me al wordes are but wynde with you Onely vexation and chastisement wyll giue you vnderstandinge For lo here you saye ful finely and like a popishe prelate that woulde haue all thinge broughte to the olde blyndenes and ignoraunce and to suche captiuitie and bondage that no man shoulde talke of his fayeth but vnder my Lordes licence though Peter commaunded the contrary You saye that of fayth there is so muche talke tattelinge to vse your owne termes that true beliefe is gone Surely if you call thys true beliefe the Romishe beliefe of pardones pilgrimages when we myght haue no talke of â—ure fayth but were coÌ„maunded in payne of cursinge and burninge to beleueâ—… as the churche of Rome beleueth like as you can knowe none other true churche nor none other good men but suche as folowe that church I graunt your beliefe is fore wasted I trust shall right shortly coÌ„sume like stubble with the fyre of Goddes worde and true workes of mercie peace and louing kindneâ—… shall springe furth wheÌ„ men knowynge thaâ— your Pope holy workes are but the madnes of idle braynes shal worship the liuing God in spirite and trueth But lo you wyll haue here the carte to go before the horsse and wyl haue vs to do these workes before we knowe them saying that doing is the way to knowledge where coÌ„trary wise al wel doing must needes springe of knowledge as the onely thinge that maketh our deedes good And because you bishops are so slowe in preaching good workes that God requireth the people muste needes be stacke in doinge them For you should be the salt of the earth But seinge that you be become vnsauourie howe caÌ„ you season other You preach your owne inuentions the preceptes and coÌ„maundementes of men and them must we needes knowe and confesse or els must we be brent But it is
of the fleshe nor by the wyll of man but are borne of God as Peter sayeth Borne againe not of mortall seede but by the worde of the lyuinge God This is the milke not of the bodie saieth Peter but it is the meate and milke of the soule that knoweth no gile Thus renneth all the scripture by metaphors and borowed speache from bodilie meate to spirituall meate from the bodilie teeth and eatinge to the spirituall eatinge by the soule whiche can be done by faith onely So that he whiche is not borne from aboue of the spirite can neither see the kingdome of God nor come vnto Christe let him eate the breade wherein you saye is really the fleshe so longe as you luste For this muste needes be true That whiche is borne of the fleshe is fleshe and that whiche is borne of the spirite is spirite Euen like as Moyses set vp the serpent in the wildernesse that so many as woulde come vnto it mighte be saued from the firie serpentes so likewise was the sonne of man exalted that al that do beleue in him shoulde not perishe but haue euerlasting life Againe So hath God loued the worlde that he hath giuen his onely sonne that who so beleueth in him shall not perishe but haue life euerlastinge Againe He that beleueth in him shall not be condemned And he that beleueth not in him is condemned all readie because he beleued not in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God Thus may we see that fayth and not eaâ—…inge of Christ really in the sacrament doeth â—…aue and bringe life euerlasting And not to â—…eleue in the onely begotteÌ„ sonne of God is â—…amnation of bodie and soule So is it not to â—…enie your gloses really present and bodilie â—…aten Yea mainteininge this grosse opinion â—…ou can not esteme him to be the sonne of the â—…uinge God nor beleue the worke that his â—…ather hath wronght in his death For God the father dyd not sende hys â—…ne in the fourme of breade or any other creature but onely in the fourme of man to the entent to exalt man therby to make man of his householde to giue life vnto man by his sonne Christe to raise him againe wyth Christe and cause him to sit together wyth Christ amonge the heauenly spirites And to shewe furth in the worlde to come the passing richesse of his grace in his godnesse towardes vs by Christe Iesu We beleue in the onely begotten sonne whiche was made man to saue the worlde â–ª wherefore we can not be condemned though we do seeke none other straunge beliefe of really present and bodisie eaten to feede the bodies whiche thinges are not taught in the scriptures You do not beleue in the onely begotten sonne made man but made breade to take awaye sinnes wherfore vnlesse you do repent your daÌ„natioÌ„ is at hande because you beleue not in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God whiche is the onely begotten sonne as he is man coÌ„ceiued by the holie goste and borne of the virgin Mary not as he is bread blowen with your stinkinge breathes Neither is he the onely begotteÌ„ sonne of God as he is wine whispered into your chalice Howe do you beleue in this name the only begotten sonne of God wheÌ„ the scripturâ—… teacheth you that there is none other name vnder heauen wherby men should be saued and yon do saye that there is an other thinge whiche some name the Masse and some the sacrament of the aultare that saueth from sinnes and is a sacrifice boeth for the quicke and the deade and as your man Damascen wryteth it purgeth all diseases and incommodities Furthermore We do beleue that Iesu Christe is the Christ that is the anoynted of God to offre the sacrifice wherewyth onely the father coulde be pleased and therefore are we borne of God You do say that you are the Christes and anointed priestes to offer styll for the sinnes of the people Who is your father but he that woulde darken the sacrifice of the onely begotten sonne of God and sit in the temple of God boasting him selfe for God being in deede the aduersarie and is lifted vp agaynst euerie thinge that is God or godly the wycked man the cursed childe Againe God the father sayed this is my dearly besoued sonne in whoÌ„ I am pleased and pacified heare you him We beleue this worde and wyll seeke no further but to thys onely begotten dearly beloued sonne of God Neither to pacifie the wrath of God for oure trespasses nor yet to seeke any other teacher of his wyll then the sonne of God whom we are commaunded to heare You wyll sette vp the Masse your owne worke to pacifie the father for the sinnes of the quicke the deade You wyll haue your owne doctours to descant newe gloses and these must the pore flocke of Christ heare beleue and confesse or els they shall be brent But to heare Christe the onely begotten sonne of god speake in the scriptures is poyson to al men vnder the degree of gentlemen and punishable by your lawes as in the cases of heresie What call you this but to make the onely begotten sonne of God an hereticke Call you thys the beleuynge in his name Thus maye we proue that you beleue in the Popes name whose lawes and wrytynges are reserued of certeyue men for certeyue purposes and are as muche practised and more stoutely defended then any thynge that Christ coÌ„maundeth Yea howe can we thinke but that you beleue more in the Pope when you defende his Actes more styfly then the lawes of the lyuynge God What if it shoulde be proclamed that no maner boke concernynge any parte of the Popes reâ—igion shoulde be broughte into the Realme and that al those which are brought in alreadie shoulde be brent coulde you byshopnes beare this thynge so guietly as you dyd diligently laboure to haue all sâ—che bokes of christen religion brent and banished But to make an ende where we beganne Iohn sayeth that euerie spirite that contelleth Christe to be comen in the fleshe is borne of God Thys do we conâ—esse that denie him to be come in breade wherefore we be borne of God And thus beleâ—ing in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oâ—ten sonne of God we can not be condemned But that spirite whiche doeth not confesse Christe to be comen in the fleshe is not of God And thys is the spirite of Antichriste of whom you haue hearde that he shal come and he is in the worlde alreadie Nowe seinge that we so many of vs as confesse Christe to be come in the fleshe be borne of God why shoulde nor we for the glorie of oure heauenly father aâ—d for oure saluation be so readie to laye downe oure soules in the faythfull handes of his câ—…todie as the spirite of Antichriste and the chyldren of this worlde are to speake 〈◊〉 â—or the mainteinaunce of Ido atric â—he kingdom of Antichrist to their owne 〈◊〉 â—amnation Worldly Pompe and
weake Christes coÌ„myng is at hande i. Corh xi Byshoppes haue ben and be the defenders of all wyckednes i. Chrin xi Exod. xii Pas Cxrxiiii and. Cxlv. Psa Cxlviii Math. xxiii 〈◊〉 Corint xiiii We must coÌ„firme our lyues to the bishoppes lyfe The prelates discourage vs froÌ„ preaching the Lordes death Doctoure Buttes Deut. xxvi Iud. ix An Image caÌ„ not be a womannes husbande My lorde woulde haue no translatioÌ„ by his wyll Fayth is the mouth that receyueth Christes bodie Iohn vi The Apostles were stroÌ„ger in Christes absence theÌ„ in his preâ—ence The true blisse is to hear theword of God and folowe it If we wilenter into Christes kyngdoÌ„e we muste bec borne a newe Christes fleshe giueth lyfe Iohn vi My Lorde myght haue ben ashamed to make thys boaste Iohn vi Hebr. x. i. Corhi x. Note the cause why this sacrameÌ„t was instituted in breade Wiuchesters wordes The answer So much differeÌ„ce is betwene the signe and the thing sngnified as is betwen the maister and seruant vii viii ix x. My â—ord sinneth iâ— wylful blindnes Ro. x. Onely God is true and al men are lyars Gene eare for God sayth it The ruine of the gentiles is at hande Noman ameÌ„deth his maners The worlde doeth alwaies striue against the spirite your Idoles shalbe brâ—…t The newe found god is â—ccursed of God The whole worlde foloweth Idoleâ— Man hath made him gods of the â—â—est creatures At his departing Christe commaunded his remembraÌ„ce to be celebrated A vaine â—â—uÌ„lâ—uge called the masse A double câ—…sion God recordeth theÌ„ that worship him in spirite Esai lxvi Act. xvii God is meri to euerie one of vs God is the father of spirites The Lorde speaketh to the prelates The obstinate muste not be prayed for God hath his ministers of vengeaunce The bishoppes are commaunded to stande vp and answere The Lorde plageth the tyrannouse rulers Idols be thaÌ„ked for the benifites that God gyueth God giueth â—…eth â—…geâ—… God is far in dept to his makers This almoÌ„de is wel blanched God is not chaungeable The feare of a mouse causeth al this defence Ferae not the bread God The suppression of Abbayes was for Idolatrie The breade God is thrise miserable Because all thinges are possible to God he can escape the prieâ—â—es iuglyng That whiche is sacrificed must nedes be slaine Christ onely must be oure bishoppe He that wyll finde Christe muste seke hym at the right hande of the father They that will sede carnally vpon Christ can not beleue in hym The cause why Christ caâ—…ed the bread hys bodye The lyfe that is in all blessed spirits is the knoweledge of christ In that the flesh of Christ was giueÌ„ for the life of the world it was heueÌ„ly bread other wyse not AbrahaÌ„ waâ—… accompted iust before 〈…〉 was certuâ—… sised God accepâ—eth none oâ—her iustice out onelye that whyche â—s by fayeth The Israelites fed not on a signe or sacrament God regardeth not the offring of signes or sacramentes Christ neuer preached traÌ„s substaÌ„ciacioÌ„ God intended to haue iust occasion â–ª to exaltvs wheÌ„ he made his son man Ephe. i. These flesly sacramentaries are eaters mans fleshe as the Sithians are Psa xvii The spirite beareth witnesse that we are sonnes by adoption God regardeth none of oure inuencions The doctours are to be suspected because they please the papestes so wel These doctoure that be called S. sit highly in tht consciences of men Fryth is nat yet confuted Wicklifes wicket openeth the waie God is pacient and of loÌ„g suffering More maye be an exemple to mockars Rom. iii. To the god all thinges are good and to the wicked contrarie It is more easie to lyue well then yll If thyâ—ges of auncient tyme be to be receiued theÌ„ is ther no vice to be refused Tyme vtterreth al thynges Two against â—wâ— The definicion of a sacrament A broade shaueÌ„ crowne is the signe of folishuesse Two things are to be considered in asacrament One thynge can not be boeth visible and inuisible 〈◊〉 Corh xxi Math. xvii Marke xiiii Luc. xxii i. Corh x. Wynchester would haue vs saye our lorde and not the Lorde Luc. xxiiii Act. ii Nothing like Exod. iiii Gens xxxii The etimologie of this worde Israel Theyr owne testimonie is inought to declare them to be woulfes If the prelates had had the true vnderstandinge of scriptures they woulde not haue maintained errours From the elders haue we receiued al wickednesse Ther is no faute in the Romeish church Wynchester preached opeÌ„ly agaynst gods worde Luk. x. Math. x. It is for the papistes profite to keepe the worlde in blyndnesse Mich. iii. Zach. i. Iherem xxiii Let them that doubt aske of God The knowledge of the â—onges is profitable to the studie of scripture Sathan beginneth to roare The bishops open the waie for the turkes to enter Winchesters wordes The answere The papistes busy mennes myndes wyth straunge names i. Corh xi Polidore de inuentoribus â—erum Winchesters wordes The answer Who be the theues that steale awaye the fode of the soule Winchesters wordes The answere Learne to auoied offence in eatinge of meates i. Cor. x. Galath ii Learne at the byshoppes to faste The father geuethe the true breade from heauen The masse is not the memorie of Christe That which the prieste eateth doeth vs no good The vertue of the masse of the fiue woundes Malach. i. Act. x. â—… â–ª vii Gregorie Nazianzene for fasteynge The cause whie Christe fasted Lerne where in to folow Christe Hidra the monster the hercules slewe My Lordes answere in priuate communicacion Stephane Gardinar Gods wrod must gene place to mattens â–ª i Corch xiiii Mat. xv Rom. xiiii 〈◊〉 Timoth. iii. Coloss ii How fasteynge driueth forth diuilles Fishe prouoâ— Doctrine preached at Poules crosse Psalm cxviii My lorde recant for shame Exemples of mens inuentions i. Reg. xv i. Thess iiii Leuite xix xxv Hebr. xiii ii Corh iiii i. Corh xi Iherou xxii xxiii Geue no eare to the prophetes that deceyue you Ezechi xxxiii Ezech xxxiiij The true de scription of our prelates Math. vii Math. xvi Marke vii Math. vi Math. xxiii Mat. v. The phariseis and byshops al one Superstition maketh all thinges euyll Iohn iiii Math. vi Math. xv Esai xxix Math. v. Math. vi Math. xv Math. xxiii Math. vi The morian and leopardâ—… Toutch not Coloâ—â— ii Wyl holines The kentishe man Beware of my Lordes lyes Some drinke no wyne Luke xxiiil Aâ—tâ— ii The prelateâ— consideracion i. Corh x. The cup of brotherli loue Winchesters wordes The answer Tradicions and churche An apt similitude In the. cxxvi â—eafe of my lordes boke the. xvii liue A shauen crowne is no thynge Leuit. xix A loÌ„g gowne is nothynge The Apostles werenot aâ—ointed withoutward oyles Learne to knowe a true prieste Osee iiii The anoynting of the spirite Holy water The perfecâ— on of the bishops faste Husse Bylnay Hunne Barnes Norfolke Anne Askue Iohn Lassels The bishops darlinges The salt is â—â—sauourie Cato An Englishe bishoppe Fyll the bealie to come to Christe 1. Pet. i. i. Pet. ii Ephe. ii Math. v.