transubstantiated into his bodie And S. Matthew in the 26. chapter 29. Iesus Christ hauing giuen the cup to his Disciples said vnto them Henceforth I will not drinke of the fruit of this vine hee drunke then the fruit of the vine and not of the bloud For although that there had beene two cups yet S. Matthew speaketh but of one and calleth not the fruit of the vine the wine of one cup he speaketh nothing of it Also wee finde the Apostle S. Paul in the 1 Cor. 2.16 saith three times We eat of this bread and drinke of this cup so we see it is still bread that they did eat The same Apostle in the same chapter and 16. verse saith The bread which we eat is the communion of the bodie of Christ he saith The bread which wee breake it is then bread when it is broken in the Sacrament yet it is not broken but after the consecration So in the 20. of the Acts 17. the Disciples are assembled to breake the bread It was bread then they broke amongst them and not flesh Iesus Christ saith in the 12. of S. Iohn 8. You shall alwayes haue the poore but you cannot haue me alwaies And in the 16. ver 18. I leaue the world and goe to my Father And in the 10. I am no more of the world This sentence should bee false if we should haue Iesus Christ shut vp within a peece of bread if hee were yet remaining in the world For he saith You shall not haue mee alwayes Now may one answer that we haue Iesus Christ no more visibly which is nothing to the purpose for to haue Iesus Christ inuisibly is alwayes to haue Iesus Christ Hee should bee a lier that should say hee had no money because his money was hid or hee that should say hee had no soule because it is inuisible And it is a strange libertie which the Doctors of the Roman Church take for to make these texts of no value they interpret them figuratiuely and for to shunne a naturall and vsuall figure in speaking of the Sacraments they introduce a dozen of vnusuall figures without example The action intirely whole of Iesus Christ and of his Disciples maketh for vs for the Apostles sate at the Table without any kinde of adoration which should haue been a very great irreuerence in them to eat Iesus Christ and to sacrifice him to God without making any adoration which is so much more remarkable because the Apostles neuer gaue assistance in such an action and also because it was the first institution of this Sacrament which is giuen for a patterne to the end to make them hereafter conformable Also we see not that Iesus Christ maketh any eleuation of the Host hee presenteth nothing to God but only to his Disciples To conclude in euery action Iesus Christ doth the contrary to that which is done in the Masse The text of the Masse maketh for vs wherin the Priest after the Consecration asketh of God that hee take this offering as acceptable as euer the Sacrifice of Abel was acceptable vnto him a prayer that was good before Transubstantiation was beleeued But in these daies is it not a great offence to God to entreat him to accept the Sacrifice of his Sonne as acceptable as a beast offered by Abel And which is more the Priest desireth of God that the Offring which he holdeth may be acceptable through Iesus Christ he beleeueth not then that hee holdeth Iesus Christ And to take away all doubt the Priest long after the Consecration looketh vpon the Hoast and the Cup standing vpon the Altar and saith that these are goods which God hath alwaies created which he viuifieth and sanctifieth through Iesus Christ All this may he say of bread and wine but not one of these words can agree with the body of Iesus Christ for can the bodie of Iesus Christ be called goods in the plurall Doth God create alwaies Iesus Christ Doth God alwaies viuifie Iesus Christ seeing that Iesus Christ himselfe saith that he himselfe is life Doth God create Iesus Christ by Iesus Christ Truly if these things should be spoken openly before the people in the vulgar tongue they would be much offended that is the reason why they say their Seruice in an vnknowne tongue against the example of Iesus Christ and against the saying of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 14. The Priest and the Reader speake to a people in a tongue they vnderstand not The sixt of Saint Iohn maketh also for the truth which wee defend for although there is nothing spoken of the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist which was not then instituted yet notwithstanding he speaketh there of the Communion of the Body of Iesus Christ wherof Iesus Christ speaketh in a manner that he manifestly sheweth he speaketh of a manducation which is not by the mouth for he speaketh of a manducation without the which no man can be saued saying If you doe not eat my flesh you shall not liue So you see hee speaketh not of a manducation by the mouth without the which so many persons are saued as the good theefe crucified with Iesus Christ holy Iohn Baptist and infinite others Also our Lord speakes of a manducation which how many soeuer participate thereof haue eternall life for he saith He that eateth his flesh hath life eternall he speaketh not then of the eating the Sacramēt with the mouth which many haue done and yet escaped not damnation witnesse Iudas and many moe Hypocrites But wee may not so conclude nor say thereupon of those that eat the flesh of Iesus Christ worthily For wee finde in S. Paul 1 Cor. 2. that some eat the bread vnworthily but we shall not finde that the flesh of Iesus Christ can be eaten vnworthily and indeed seeing that to eat the flesh of Iesus Christ to drinke his bloud is to beleeue in his incarnation and in his death who knowes not that one cannot possibly beleeue in Iesus Christ vnworthily seeing in the beleefe of Iesus Christ consisteth our dignitie But to eat and drinke is to be vnderstood to beleeue the Doctors and Canons of the Church of Rome say with vs and the holy Scripture is full of such manner of speaking and Iesus Christ in the same place saith That whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall neuer thirst to the end we may know that this Thirst is quenched in beleeuing and not in drinking with the mouth And a little after hauing said Who beleeueth in me shall haue eternal life thence he inferreth that he is the bread of life and aduertiseth vs that these words of eating and drinking are spirit and life for if they bee not taken spiritually they cannot viuifie Thereupon wee ought not to feare if Transubstantiation be taken away the Sacrament should become contemptible For Baptisme is not become contemptible but is more honoured in the Church of Rome than the Eucharist and is esteemed a thousand thousand times more albeit the water be
lesse for without repentance hee will be confessed to our wofull condemnation that he forgetteth nothing and therefore in all feare let vs apply our members to righteousnesse and with S. Paul Rom. 12.1 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Psal 13.4 Let vs offer our bodies as a liuing sacrifice holy pleasing to God which is our reasonable seruice Let vs sleepe no longer in our vaine conuersation from whence we are redeemed neither with gold nor siluer but with the precious bloud of the Sonne of God And now let vs awake let vs awake I say to sanctification and newnesse of life lest that it should proue the fearefull slumber of eternall death Let not the world nor the things of the world any longer hinder our affections to constraine our continuance in this horrible hypocrisie being content with the condition which it hath pleased the Lord to call vs vnto Rom. 3. seeing that all things turne to good to those that feare God So that pouerty when it findeth vs may not affright vs nor persecution astonish vs when wee must beare it for the name of the Eternall but let vs suffer with Christ cheerefully to the end to reigne with him eternally And let not the workes of the worldly which are seruile euer trouble vs nor any thing no not the very losse of life may make vs decline from the way of the Lord for S. Paul saith Rom. 8.18 The sufferings of the time present are not worthy to be compared to those blessings which are to come which are reserued for vs in Christ which S. Paul Philip. 1.21 saith It is not only gaine for vs to liue but to die and hereafter let vs not run to any vnlawfull meanes but only to God Eccles 11.14 who giueth blessings and curses life and death pouerty and riches and who I say hath so loued vs that he hath giuen his only Sonne to die for vs Rom. 8.3 will he suffer vs to want those things that are infinitely lesse No he will let vs want nothing that is fitting for our good his eye watcheth ouer them alwayes that feare him and trust in him for he is our strength our hope and our sure fortresse and let vs chase away all vanitie and cast away the foolish cursed confidence which wee ordinarily haue in the arme of man and in riches and from henceforth let vs not looke for any other thing in all the rest of our pilgrimage but to glorifie God and to edifie our neighbours putting our whole trust in him as Dauid did Psalme 40.4 Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust and respecteth not the proud nor such as turne aside to lies Let vs renounce our owne wisdome which is but follie for so the Spirit of God calleth it Isaiah 5.2 Woe vnto them that are wise in their owne eies and prudent in their owne sight and let vs no longer thinke our felicitie dependeth in the desires of the flesh which is the all in all of bruit beasts who die together both in soule and body but that there is a soueraigne and eternall good for those that walke in the feare of the Lord let vs esteeme this aboue all other things knowing that the world and the desires of it vanish away and that all the glory of man is like the flower of the grasse which is fallen but the word of God remaineth for euer and therefore let vs say with Dauid Psal 62. That our soule only reposeth in God for from him only is our saluation euery day remembring this prayer Psalme 90. O Lord teach vs to number our daies that we may apply our hearts vnto wisdome waiting for the full enioying of all the benefits which are purchased for vs by the Death and Resurrection of Iesus Christ to the participation of this eternall beatitude and of the vnion which we haue by him in God to whom only wise only powerfull infinite and our only Creator be all honor and glory world without end through Iesus Christ his only Sonne and our only Sauiour who in the vnitie of the Holy Ghost liueth and reigneth with him eternally Amen The Almighty power of God and his will Wherein is declared how the Almightie power of God and of his will ought to rule our faith in the receiuing of the holy Sacrament TO binde vs to beleeue the Transubstantiation of bread with the bodie of Iesus Christ our aduersaries set before vs the Almightie power of God who they say hath wrought as great miracles whereupon wee say That vse wee ought to make of the Almightie power of God is to beleeue that hee will doe all which hee hath promised in his word but not to beleeue all that wee would imagine By that way one may defend the most false and absurd things in the world in saying that God is powerfull enough to doe it The power of God is not the rule of our religion but his will For to know if the bread of the Eucharist becommeth flesh and transubstantiateth it selfe into the bodie of Iesus Christ one must not begin with the consideration of the Almightie power of God but wee must first informe our selues of his will in his word And if wee finde that God will haue it so we must beleeue it without all difficultie First we learne in the Gospell that Iesus Christ hauing taken the bread gaue it He gaue bread then But it is not giuen vntill after the Consecration Also we finde that Iesus Christ giuing this bread said This is my bodie And to shew that that which he gaue was his bodie hee addeth that it is done in remembrance of him For ordinarily the Scripture calleth the remembrance or representatiue signe of any thing of name with that it signifieth and representeth in the same manner as when we say This is the King when wee see but the portrait If then this Sacrament be the commemoration of Iesus Christ it is not Iesus Christ himselfe for a man cannot bee the remembrance of himselfe This appeareth cleerely by that which is added For Iesus Christ giuing the cup said This cap is the new Testament in my bloud From whence it appeareth that this cup is not the bloud of Iesus Christ for the bloud of Iesus Christ is not in the bloud of Iesus Christ and so cannot hee bloud of his bloud If I say that Baptisme is the new Testament in the bloud of Iesus Christ by consequence I say that Baptisme is not the bloud of Iesus Christ So Iesus Christ saying that the cup is the Testament in his bloud also verie cleerely saith that the cup is not his bloud And euen as a man doth not find it strange that Iesus said that the cup is an alliance although the cup nor that which is within is not transubstantiated into an alliance but only is the Sacrament of the alliance of Iesus Christ so we may not finde it strange if Iesus Christ giuing the bread hath said that it was his bodie although it bee not
which promiseth afflictions to those that follow them as if it had beene to chase away the Hearer found it strange that Iesus Christ had sent Disciples that were Idiots to confound Philosophers poore Fishers for to establish him throughout a Kingdome also that the Gospell is hidden in tearmes very simple and without eloquence in a world where humane knowledges were in their height and humane eloquence was come vp to the top of perfection these things which seemed to be of so hard digestion to humane sence neuerthelesse being more carefully considered they are agreeable to wisedome and the power of God For to speake of the humilitie of the Incarnation of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God we need not thinke it strange although he were so humbled because he was come to satisfie for our pride seeing that man had so farre precipitated himselfe in desiring to make himselfe like vnto God it was needefull that God should make himselfe like vnto man for to saue him it was needfull that he should become man to dye and God for to vanquish and that hee might be infinite in riches because he was to pay an infinite debt As for the rest be not ye scandalized for the humilitie of his Birth but behold the star that then appeared the Angels that sung and Herode who was afraide If you thinke it strange that he was hungry of the other part behold how he fed fiue thousand people with a few loaues if it be a thing vnworthy for the King of Kings to pay Tribute to Cesar consider how he caused it to be paid with Fish Briefly saith the Apostle in the same Chapter and the fourth Verse Hee is dead but hee hath declared himselfe to be the Sonne of God c. And his diuine vertue appeared more euidently in his infirmitie euen as the splendor of a lightening appeareth better during the Night then at Noone-day We haue no cause to be offended that he would haue vs take vp his Crosse after him and prepare our selues for sufferings For what is there more iust then to be partaker of the afflictions of Christ seeing we desire to be partakers of his glory These are faire spots and an honourable opprobrie for to carry in his Body the wounds of our Lord Iesus Is it so great a matter to loose our goods for him that hath lost his life for our saluation to let fall our teares for him that hath lost his bloud to suffer corporall death for him that hath purchased eternall life for vs What matter is it to the faithfull whether hee loose his life by the mouth or by a wound if he dye of a Sword or a Feauer seeing he dyeth the death of the iust and that his soul enters into the promised repose with the Children of God Concerning the condition of the Apostles who were Fishers and Idiots it serueth to make Gods worke more admirable then did the vertue of the Lord appeare better when humane helpe failed To vanquish ignorance by knowledge is no admirable thing but to conuince the knowledge of wise men with the simplicitie of Idiots is a worke which none but God could doe who in an instant gaue to ignorant men the knowledge of all Tongues who changed the Barke of the Apostles into the Church their Fishes into Men their Nets into Sermons and of Saint Paul who was a Wolfe in an instant made him a Lambe and of a Lambe an excellent Shepheard to the end he should know that his vocation came not from Men but God Concerning scandale taken at the rudenesse and simplicity of the stile of the Gospell this simple stile is the stile of the Lawes which should loose their force if they were written with the flowers of Rhetoricke because that Kings will not shew their eloquence but their authoritie Also it is not reasonable to apparell a chaste Virgine in the fashion of a Strumpet nor to clothe heauenly wisedome in fantasticall and humane knowledge It may be you thinke that all this that is spoken is not spoken but against Persecutors and Tyrants or against Pagans and Infidels who striue to defame the Doctrine of the Gospell Let vs not abuse our selues for euen amongst our selues there are many to bee found that are ashamed of the Gospell of Christ How few are there amongst vs that reioyce in the Crosse of Iesus Christ who lay all their greatnesse at the feete of his Crosse and glorifie themselues in his approbic hold it for certaine that whosoeuer reioyceth more in his riches or in his noblenesse or in his honours then in the alliance of Iesus Christ not esteeming his true greatnesse to be one of the children of God through Iesus Christ such an one is ashamed of the Gospell of Christ Is it not too true that in Company and amongst our pleasures wee are ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for at any of these meetings who is he at any time that preferreth any speach of Religion tending to edification but if so happen hee haue any thought thereof feare presently conuerteth him least he should be thought to bring in an impertinent kinde of wisedome where men loue better to speake vnciuilly or filthily or any euill of his friend or Neighbour which truely declareth them to be ashamed of the Gospell of Christ But if these people should dwell in a Countrey where they should suffer persecution for the cause of the Gospell how quickely would they turne their backs on Christ For he that is ashamed of Iesus Christ amongst his friends how will he acknowledge him amongst his enemies Hee that in a garden or in company at Table dare not speake of Iesus Christ how dare he defend him being tortured or in the fire how can he sustaine aduersitie that is thus corrupt in prosperitie In like sort when a stormy winde bloweth vpon a Tree that is laden with fruits and rotten at the heart it presently falleth So when the winde of persecution getteth vp we see presently those which haue their hearts thus corrupted with hypocrisy or which hold not of Iesus Christ but by custome or for humane consideration how can they stand And thereupon when I read the History of Martyrs the vertue of whom euen at this day sustaineth our vices who in our Ancestors times haue beene so liberall of their bloud and so thirsty for Gods glory I finde that they dyed more willingly then wee now speake of the Gospell and that they powred out their bloud more willingly for the glory of God then we at this day spend our money for his seruice In such sort that if any one of those good seruants of God which haue planted the Church during persecution should now come againe he could not know his flocke but would be astonished how in so short a time they are so much degenerated He should finde riches encreased and zeale diminished more repose but much lesse vertue From whence it commeth that the Gospell is become odious and Popery insensibly
not transubstantiated into bloud For they hold Baptisme is necessary to saluation but not the Eucharist They hold that by Baptisme euery kinde of sinne is wholly forgiuen but the Eucharist taketh away but veniall sinnes and those which they haue freed their consciences of before The Sacraments ought not to be honored but for IESVS CHRISTS sake which when you shall adore in heauen whitherto hee is mounted to returne againe at the last day and shall serue him according to his word we need not feare that the memorials which hee hath left in the Church and by the which he worketh in our hearts with efficacie should euer become contemptible We must honour the Sacraments but wee may not put them in the place of things signified All this abouesaid serueth to shew that for to know the truth in Religion wee must not beginne with the consideration of the Almighty power of God but first of all enquire after his will which when it is learned then the Almighty power of God that can doe all assureth vs that being able to doe all hee will doe that which hee willed and that which hee teacheth in his holy word I will say more It is the Doctours of the Church of Rome that dishonour and disgrace the power of the Almighty God and of Iesus Christ our Lord. For first of all they make it serue to doe things more miraculous than the creation of the world and yet notwithstanding no profit commeth by it For they hold that Iesus Christ hath eaten himselfe for hee hath participated in the holy Sacrament with his disciples and yet notwithstanding they cannot declare vnto vs to what end such a prodigious and incomprehensible thing serueth for that a man hath his head and his body in his mouth and that Iesus Christ is entred into the stomacke of IESVS CHRIST Also they hold that Mise can eat the Body of the Lord. What a horrible shame and reproch doe they make the Sonne of God to be to the Church of God! For although that Iesus Chirst doe not suffer yet hee is mightily dishonoured Also they put Iesus Christ vpon the Hoast whereupon they say that hee can neither open his eies nor remoue the hands nor breath and therefore he hath not the power which other men haue Is this to magnifie the power of the Sonne of God or is it to diminish it to the end to lift vp the power of Priests who haue the power giuen them as they teach to make Iesus Christ which is a thing that the blessed Virgin Mary and all the Angels and Saints together could neuer doe What serueth it for to the Church of God that Iesus Christ in the Hoast hath two eies and that he is wholly intire in euery crum of the Hoast and his Body intire in euery drop of the Cup And that in the Hoast it hath the length and yet nothing long as the Doctors of the Romane Church doe teach We ought neuer to exalt the Almighty power of God in the employment of vnprofitable things And indeed the examples which they bring to hold vp Transubstantiation are examples of the workes of God which haue beene profitable and the vse whereof is apparent As when God created the world and brought forth the light and changed the rod into a Serpent and conuerted water into wine It is needfull to consider that in these miracles of Transubstantiation God hath conuerted one substance into another which was not before the changing of it For the rod of Moses was changed into a Serpent which was not so before the changing and at the mariage in Cana in Galilee the Lord conuerted water into wine which was not so before the conuersion But they would that God should heere conuert the bread into a body which is already As if a man should beget a man that is already borne or should turne money into gold which is already gold Or who would goe about to make the Moone vnlesse it were vnmade Besides the word of God expresly saith that the water was conuerted into wine but it saith not that the bread was conuerted into flesh In giuing the bread Iesus Christ saith That it is his body in such sort as it was needfull it should be bread and also that it should bee the body of Christ For bread cannot be in substance the body of Christ but it may well bee in the Sacrament and according as the signes and memorials take the name of that which they signifie and represent We exalt the almighty power of the Sonne of God in this that without descending from heauen he communicateth himselfe vnto vs but the Church of Rome disableth this power in subiecting it to the will of a man which diuers times happening is found no good man who maketh Iesus Christ when he will and afterwards eateth it whereupon it happeneth that Iesus Christ is sometimes eaten by his enemies and also as they say euen by beasts if the Hoast be stollen if it fall vpon the ground if wormes and corruption get into it if a lew strike it with a knife and maketh it bleed as it is painted in the Billettes of Paris if as the cautions of the Messe and the penitentiall Canons say the Priest or the sicke man reuomit vp the Hoast through infirmity All which redoundeth to the misprise and dishonour of Iesus Christ which is the eternall Sonne of God They say for excuse that the dogs licked vp some of the bloud of Christ Iesus but all that is nothing to the purpose for Iesus Christ was expresly heere in this world to suffer ignominie and to be subiect to infirmities but now he is exempt from all opprobriousnesse and infirmitie And moreouer all that hee then suffered was for our saluation But one may well say vnto me To what end serueth it that Iesus Christ should still be subiect to so many indignities aboue spoken of If a Mouse hath carried away the Hoast or the Cup bee spilt what serueth that to our saluation And if our Aduersaries were asked what becommeth of the Bodie of Iesus Christ receiued into the stomacke whether it goe out or remaine alwaies there or nothing commeth of it also how Iesus Christ hath one body like vnto ours and of like nature seeing it is in an hundred thousand places at one time and hee is wholly entire in euery part of the Hoast hauing the feete thorowout the Hoast and the head thorowout the Hoast and head and feet vnder one point and by consequence hauing a humane body without extension and a length vnder one point and a continuance without extension where the Body which was at the Table a little after in the Garden was afflicted and sweat drops of Bloud and he who in the same time was in the mouthes and stomacks of the Apostles suffred nothing and was impassible and yet neuerthelesse was but one body I beleeue that they found themselues much troubled where since that Iudas hath eaten Iesus Christ