mercy wee shoulde so assure our selues of it as yf we eate his very flesh or drinke his natural bloud The like phrases or speaches are plaine and often in the scripture Christ is our head and we his members hee dwelleth in vs and wee in him He is the corner stone wee are the building vp Hee the vine and we the braunches His body is the meate aud wee the eaters Whose harte is so dull that is not stirred vp with these speaches or who vnderstandeth not by these speaches y t Christ would shew the aboūdance of his loue toward vs and the great boldnes that Christ will haue vs to put in his mercy As for transubstantiation it is so straunge from the sence of the scripture that yf the Pope had not bene I thinke it neuer had bene thought of And yf the Councell of Lateranne had not bene it had neuer bene named But let vs way the wordes a litle and conferre thē with these late popish follies Christ sayth take eate thys ys my bodye But the Pope sayth take not eate not site a farre of and tooke on fall downe and worship This is my body Was not this theyr manner of preaching How els could this haue bine your māner of practise when you came to the Sacrament or as you rather called it the sacringe of your Masse Christ sayth Drink you al of this this is my bloud The Pope vtterly denieth it proueth it by good reason His body sayth he cānot be with his bloud there is concomitantia the one followeth the other and therefore you shal not drinke it yet it is his bloud Christ sayth as ofte as you doe this preach forth the death of the Lorde vntill he come The Pope sayth that is not necessary If you say Masse dayly it skilleth litle though you preache not once in a yeare What maner of vicar call you this man that dispenseth his masters doctrin thus deceitfully or what hope can you haue of trāsubstātiation whē it hāgeth vpon his credit y e dealeth thus vnfaithfullie O dearely beloued be not deceiued These thinges bee to playne to be dissembled It is his owne mouth that speaketh these thinges which sayth he can not erre Wee know that there is no truth in hym and whatsoeuer hee doth it is against Christ and his eternall Gospell For the wordes thys is my body I trust I haue proued it they be not wordes of errour to make you beleeue the thing that is not the meaning is plaine The bread is a warrant pledge vnto you that as sure as you eate it which is the signe so sure your fayth feedeth on all the fruytes of his Passion and the righteousnesse and true holines of his humaine bodye couereth all your sinnes before God his Father and clotheth you roūd about with ioy and gladnes These are the riches of Gods aboundant graces which make the poore penitent sinner to seeme more glorious then all y e worldly treasure This is the secret Manna with which God fedeth his elect y t maketh the hungrie hart more glad joyfull then all the bread of Princes These riches they haue spoyled you of that haue sold vnto you so deare theyr transubstantiation This foode they haue taken from you y t haue fed you so long with a fancie of Christes naturall body For the wordes this is my body are not straunge Such phrases in y e scripture are euer vsed vpon like occasiō In y e 33 chapter of Gene. Iacob calleth his altar the mightye God of Israell yet y e altar was not God but set vp in memory howe mightely God had preserued him In the 12. of Exod. God sayd to Moses of y e Pascall Lābe This is the Lordes passouer yet it was not the passeouer but the sacrifice of the Lordes passouer when in killing the first borne in the lande of Egypte he passed ouer the houses of the children of Israell In y ◠7. chapter of Leuitieus where God geueth to Aaron y e shoulder and brest of the sacrifices for hys portion he sayth thus this is the annoynting of Aaron yet the breste and shoulder of the beastes were not the oyle wherewith Aaron was annoynted but a signe or token of his annoynting In the 6. of Numery when God setteth forth the law of the Nazarites he forbiddeth them to defile them selues at the death of theyr father mother brother sister added this clause Because the consecratiō of his God is vpon his head Yet the heare vppon his head was not his consecration but the signe of his consecration In the 5 of Numery where God setteth forth the law of gelousie the water whereby the woman is tried is called often the cursed water and yet the water was not cursed but shewed the woman to be accursed detestable In the 19. of Deuteronomye speaking of a false witnesse bothe parties are bid to stand before the Lord. Yet he meaneth before the Priest in whose brest was Urim and Thummin a liuelye representation of the Lord. In the 26. of Deuteronomye teaching what they shall doe that offer theyr first fruytes it is written Thou shalt say this before the Lord Yet he meaneth before the altar a present signe of the Lord. Oftentymes in the law the Arke is called the Lord God Yet the Arke was not God but a liuely representation of the Lord God In the 17. of Genesis God speaketh of circūcision this is my couenaunt Which yet God him selfe expoundeth in the verse following this is the token of my couenaunt And what can be more plaine thē this so S. Paule saith the rocke was Christ. Yet Christ was not the rocke that was in Horeb but the water of the rocke was the signe of Christes bloud which quencheth the thirst of all his elect and chosē So S. Paul calleth Baptisme Lauacrū regenerationis the washing of the new byrth yet y e water doth not regenerate but the holy Ghost An hundreth such speaches you haue in the scripture where the signe hath the name of the thyng signified And how are you so bewitched that in this one Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ you can not beare y t phrase which is so vsual in the scriptures But so it is S. Paules prayer hath taken effect in the Popish kingdome he that is ignoraunt let him be ignorant still But I hope dearly beloued better of you God I trust hath lightned you and you doe vnderstand his holy scriptures You wil come inspirite and trueth to these holy misteries and you haue forsaken your olde leauen of al Romish Idolatry Now a woord or two of the fruite of eating and drinking Christ so I will make an ende To eate and drink Christ is as I haue sayd to come vnto Christ to beleeue in Christ and the fruit of this is he that commeth vnto him he shall not hunger Againe and
thyrst I am the bread of lyfe These words they signifie thus much that in Christe alone we haue life and all confidence of saluation must bee grounded on hym on none els Christ crucifyed is a continuall sacrifice of reconciliation standyng betweene God vs so that what so euer grace mercy and peace is poured vpon vs by God the Father it commeth downe through the body of Christ vpon the crosse and what soeuer ioy or comforte we can haue in beyng vesseles of mercye thus it is made perfecte whē with a liuely fayth wee looke through Christ crucified and so go with boldnesse vnto the throne of grace Thus Christ is called the bread of lyfe the foode of our soule nourisher vp of our consciences to a perpetuall quietnes This the scriptures testyfy most plentifully in all places witnessing that when soeuer wee feele our selues hungrye that is laboring heauy lodē with the burden of our sinnes we must come vnto Christe and he will refresh vs. Frō our first father Adam vntil the last man that shal be borne vpon earth neuer was nor shall be one y t shall finde other foode of life Adam by whose sinne we were all condemned when hee was cast out of Paradise that is out of Gods fauour and the place of rest he could not feede his soule neither with the labour of hys hand nor with the sweate of his browes but the first foode of life he found in this promise that the seede of the Woman shoulde tread down the head of the serpent Abraham Isaak and Iacob in al theyr wandryng iorneyes they liued not by this that theyr posteritie should be multiplied and enioy a land that flowed with milke hony but this was the breade of lyfe that made theyr harte glad euen the sight of Christe and by thys promyse euery one of them liued In thy seede all the nations of the earth shalbe blessed The law that came after and taught vs true obedience we learned nothing by it but the knowledge of our sinne nor it wrought nothyng in vs but the multiplying of our iniquitie The lawes and ordinaunces which were in meates and drinkes aud carnall rites and ceremonies they could not feede the conscience of him that did the seruice the sacrifices and offeringes were not such y t they coulde geue vnto vs the foode of lyfe It was al together vnpossible that the bloud of Bulles and Goates shoulde take away sinnes but so farre the law did feede our soules as it shutte vs vp in the faith that should be reueled and led vs as a scholemaster vnto Christ The Prophetes that came after raysed vp of God to teach his people they shewed no other marke to looke on nor other hope to liue by but that child that shoulde bee borne vnto them and that sonne that should be geuen them whose name was wonderfull coūseler the mighty God the euerlasting Father the Prince of peace The Apostles Euangelistes now sent in these latter dayes for the worke of the ministery to gather together the saintes and buyld vp the bodye of Christ they feede vs not with the foode of our owne workes or weldoing but to make our fayth strong the promise of God sure they tell vs Christ is our peace and there is no other name vnder Heauen geuen vnto men by which wee shall liue saue onely the name of Iesus Christ. Thus Christe is our bread of lyfe and if we will builde our selues vpon Abraham Isaak or Jacob to be of theyr posterity if we will be led by the lawe and the Prophetes by the Apostles Euangelistes to finde the foode of life if we heare Christ himselfe or wilbe his disciples thē this is our Religion Christ is the bread of life to to wretched haue the preachers bene y t haue called you from this bread to feed you with theyr corrupt leauen from this fountayne and welspring to theyr owne puddles that can hold no water Thus they haue all done that haue ledde you any whether sauing to Christe alone y t haue taught you to praye vnto sayntes aungels or archangeles to be your mediatours that haue tolde you of iustification in your owne workes that haue sold vnto you their Masses as sacrifices propitiatory for the quicke and dead that haue bid you truste in pardons and indulgences for remission of sinnes y t haue broughte you vnto the Pope a sicke head of an ill disposed sinagoge to hange your fayth vppon his sleaue that hath told you of generall Coūcels they coulde not erre but what so euer they shoulde decree you shoulde so receaue it as the holy Euāgelists Thus haue these mōsters spoken and thus they haue deluded you and yet they say still wherein haue we offended but the Lord be praysed that hath deliuered vs out of the kingdome of such darknesse and brought vs againe into the light of hys Gospel Let vs nowe walke in it accordingly and confesse Christe alone to be the bread of lyfe The second thing that I noted vnto you in this aunsweare of our Sauyour Christ is how we do eate of this bread that I said was shewed in these wordes he that commeth vnto me he that beleeueth in mee To come vnto Christ to beleue in Christ this is to eat Christ so that we may wel say as S. August said Quid paras dentes aut ventrem crede manducasti It is no neede to prepare tooth or belly beleue and thou hast eaten But here dearlye beloued I must first admonish you that thys place nor this vi Chapter of John is not ment of the Sacrament as some popish interpreters haue ignorātly told you The Sacramēt was not yet instituted nor any nowe present knewe whether hee would euer ordaine any such Sacramēt of his body bloud or no So that yf he had spoken thereof he had tolde them that whiche they coulde not vnderstand But this Christ doth without all consideration eyther of Sacrament or no Sacramēt He telleth them how and by what meanes his body can be eaten whether it be in your inward fayth when secretly and with your selfe you feede vppon his body or whether it be in outward signe or Sacramente which is a helpe of our infirmity the more liuelye to tast of his mercies There is but one the same way neyther to eate his flesh nor to drinke his bloude the whiche way playnely expressely here is deliuered vs by Christe that wee neede not to erre except wee will And this was Christs great mercy to prepare the harts of his children that they shoulde not bee offended with any manner of vnderstandyng when they should heare in the institution of the sacrament take eate this is my body They are before well instructed and they knowe what to beleeue The grosse and carnall fancyes of transubstantiation coulde not disquiete them They knew there was no way to eate
Christe but to come vnto hym nor to drinke his bloud but to beleeue in him And thus fayth was y e more precyous the further of his bodely presence was remoued from them They knew faith was the taking hold and substaunce of things we hoped for and the sure apprehension profe of thinges that were not seene So that they knewe howe to feede of hys bodye with great boldnesse to lift vp theyr soule and take holde of his mercy that sitteth in heauen at the right hande of hys Father Whence vndoubtedly all the merites of his passion doe presentlye flow vpon hys poore children His conflictes and agonies with sinne and condemnation to set vs free from Gods wrath displeasure and all his obedience shewed here in flesh from his corporall reall and substantiall bodye commeth downe vpon vs to cloth vs wyth righteousnesse that wee may bee found vnblamable before hys father Thns much y ◠disciples well vnderstoode and they murmured not at these wordes this is my body Thus muche let vs learne out of this place against we come vnto the sacrament that to come vnto Christ to beleeue in Christ that is truely to eate Christ. Thys beyng proued true vnto you you well soone set your selues free frō all popish idolatry And how true it is marke well I beseech you what are the wordes I am sayth Christ the bread of lyfe He that cōmeth vnto me shall not hunger Yf Christe had spoken still properly accordyng to y e metaphore he had sayd thus I am the bread of lyfe he that eateth me shall not hunger Now he himself hath said he that commeth in stead of this he that eateth if you will beleue him you must needes confesse it To eate Christe is to come vnto him So in this other sentence He that beleueth in me shall not thyrst If he had kepte y e property of speach he had sayd thus he that drinketh of me shall not thyrst In stead of drinketh he sayth beleeueth and therefore it is moste certayne to drinke of Christe is to beleeue in Christe So that this is now an vndoubted truth to eate Christe to drinke Christe to come vnto Christe to beleue in Christ these are all one And who hath eares to heare and heareth not this or whose iudgement is so blind that he can not perceyue it Compare the sayings of Christ in this chapter you can not if you wil not be deceyued He that beleeueth in mee hath euerlasting life And after He that eateth of this bread hath euerlasting life Exceptye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud you haue no lyfe in you He that beleueth on him that sent mee hath lyfe euerlasting You will not come vnto me that you may lyue Who seeth it not here to eate to come to beleeue is all one Againe He that beleeueth in me I will rayse him at the last day And he that eateth my flesh drinketh my bloud I will rayse him vp at the last day After all those sayinges of eating his flesh in deede and drinking his bloud in deede at which the Capharnaites were offended diuerse of his disciples forsooke him Christe sayth then vnto hys Apostles will you also go away As if he should haue sayde are these wordes so strange that you also will be driuen a way Unto which Peter aunswered Lorde to whom shall we go thou hast the wordes of eternall lyfe we beleue and know that thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing Lord. Loe here how Saint Peter himselfe of whose name the Pope braggeth so much and yet vtterly renounceth hys fayth S. Peter I say vnderstandeth all these wordes of life of the eating and drinking of Christes flesh and hys bloud he expoundeth them thus to beleue in Christe and to knowe him to bee the sonne of the liuing God euen as Christ hym selfe had before taught hym The wordes that I speake are spirite aad life it is the spirite that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothyng If all this be not playne enough looke yet let S. John expound hym selfe Here Christ sayth he that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in hym The same S. John that wrote this sayth thus agayne Who so confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God God dwelleth in him and hee in God Wherby it is playne he that confesseth thus of Christ he eateth his fleshe and drinketh hys bloud This dearely beloued is no newe doctrine but taught by Christe receiued by his Apostles written for all ages by hys holy Euangelistes now preached to y e comfort of all true Christiās and in the primitiue Church beleeued of all the holy Fathers I would alledge you theyr owne sayinges but that the tyme passeth you haue thē plentifully set out vnto you you may reade them when you will These places alledged out of the Scriptures one expoūdyng an other they are the surest witnesses to know the meaning of the holy Ghost And what if here I should reason out of our Christes owne wordes to proue there can bee no transubstantiation He sayth for proofe that hys naturall body is rysen See my handes and my feete touch me and handle me it is euen I. Seyng Christe will haue our senses to iudg of his body let vs do so See feele touch tast is it ought but bread this argumēt me thinketh is good and well warranted by Christ him selfe and it semeth not so onely to me but S. Augustine thought so nowe eleuen hundred yeare agon See De doctrina Christian lib. 3. cap. 16. there yon shall finde it But the tyme passeth and I will come vnto that that I thynke you looke for and whych the Pope hath made the substance of all his masses Christ saith thus Take eate this is my body And what then is there any obscuritye in these wordes Is it not often and playnely spoken what it is to eate is body are not his disciples well taught knew they it not lōg before As it is playnely said this is my body so is it not playnely expounded these wordes are spirite and lyfe No man can here be offended but he that is dull of hearyng and hath not harkened before to the wholesome doctrine of truth But you will say why could not Christ as well haue sayd this is a figure or signe or token of my body I aunswere Fyrste these wordes are without daūger that his disciples should dream of trāsubstātiation they are so assuredly taught before how they should eate or drinke Christ. Then I say thys our sauiour Christ did choose to speake to shew his great and aboundaut loue to warde vs that wee should be so fully perswaded that he were our head wee his members as if hys naturall and reall body were substantiallye within vs that we should know what so euer we could wish from his mercy to comfort vs by this Sacrament or couenaunte of his