¶ Here beginneth a song of the Lordes Supper O God who is worthy thy great loue to expresse Which y â— on vs hast showid or w t word it inlarg For wheÌ„ SathaÌ„ w t sin was like vs to oppresse Thou seÌ„dyst thinown begotteÌ„ son vs to discarg Through his godli life or the end of his viage He ordeyned a sygne for oure weke soules moost holsom Wherby we shulde thynk on the loue of his personage And remember his deathe vntyll the tyme he comme ☞ Gyue attentyue eares I hartely you desyre To heaâ—e thinges profytable leest profyt scape by Therfore diligently to harken I you requyre Ye wyll call it profyt I dare well veryfy To be inflamed with Christes loue as with fyer heuenlyâ— For with goddes grace I wyll tell you the holesom Of Christes supper assigned very necessary For vs to remember the Lordes death tyll he com ⧠Dyuers vertuous namynges hath this holy signe Callyd the Lordes supper in the pistle of saynt Paule Agayn a Communion Christes churche to conioyne In charytie by a supper vniuersall And thankes geuyng to God for his benefyttes all And a wyll of synnes forgyuenes to deaf and dom And by this text do thus me to your mynde to call I remembraunce of the Lordes death vntyll he com ⧠The Lordes supper is Christes institution pure In the which breade and wyne geuen his worde adioyned Was geuen his body and blood which dyd oure soules cure Set furth now that all they which haue a faythfull mynde In these wordes broke and shed for you with a lowe kinde Shall haue remission of there synnes most noysom pe thimbecilite and dwolnes of our flesshe So graciouse is he to condescende vnto our weaknes to make vs perfit in mynde He did miracles some tyme by bare wordes and eftsone by a sensyble instrument as when he layd claye tempered with his owne spetâ—â— vpon y e blysomes eyes to geue hym his syght Io. ix And all to feed our exteriour senses that they mought hauâ— to holde them by hygher to clyme into our vnderstanding and faith Thus therfore doth his goodnes by theis exteriour Sacraments or elements of water brede and wyne serue our senses to moue monisshe and to counforte vs inwardly So sayd he vnto the peple of Israel by Moses For this cause haue I commauÌ„ded you this ceremonye meaning the eating of y â— passh lombe that I wolde put my power and beneficence whereby I delyuered you and brought you out of bondage into your handis laye them present before your eyes that w t your handis ye might grope and feel them and with your eyesâ—se them lest at any tyme ye shuld forget my benefyts not hauing my lawe euer in mouthe and mynde But yf we were once as we shalbe al togither spirituall immortall gloriouse et cetera clogged nomore w t this carnall burden of our corruptible foryetfull flesshe then nedeth it not vs any more to be thus fed with siche sensible elements symbols rytes or Sacraments ¶ A Sacrament instituted of God what it is A Sacrament therefore is an outwarde sensible signe whereby God declareth and testifyeth vnto the worthey receyuers thereof his good mynde beneuolence and fauour vnto vs whereby also he sustayneth and helpeth y e weaknes of our faith Or a Sacrament is a testimonye of his graciouse goodnes declared vnto vs by that sensible signe Or els Sacraments are not els but visible exemples of the fauour of God of his beneuoleÌ„ce good mynde towerd vs instituted of God and of noman adsewered certayne testimonyes and holy rememberances of his promises which vnder terrene erthy sygnes represent and as it were before our eyes layeforth celestiall gyftis call awaye our mynde eueÌ„ frome the terrene sygnes elemeÌ„ts vnto heauenly thoughtes SacrameÌ„ts also there ar but two of Christis ordinaÌ„ce institucion Baptyme y â— Lordis souper euen the verye badges cognyzances of y â— ChristeÌ„ societe fraternite Ryght well therfore did Austen wryte in his c.xviiâ— pistle vnto Ianuarium That as God the father did conseigne gather vnto hym the Iewes by the badges lyueryes of circuncision eating of the passouer lombe So did Christ as it were with the newe lyueryes and cognyzances of Baptyme and the Souper gather and retayne into his seruyce the societe chirche of the newe peple euen the Christianes And the vse or action or dewe ministracioÌ„ of these sacrameÌ„ts do excercyse our faith and maketh vs the more adsewered of his good will towerd vs as dothe y â— seall added to the obligacioÌ„ adsewer vs more certaynely of the mans boÌ„de promise to be performed God promised Abraham to be his God also y â— God of his sead GenÌ„ xvij vpoÌ„ this coÌ„dicioÌ„ y t he his shuld walke innoceÌ„tly before hym which is wholly to depeÌ„de by faith hope vpoÌ„ his plesures Which promise had bene ynoughe had AbrahaÌ„ his sead ben all spirituall not forgethfull nor doutfull thereof in their teÌ„ptacioÌ„s hauing euer in mynde bothe to haue beleued the promyse of God so fauourablye made without any deseruing before so to haue ben euer in will to performe his parte that is to weit to walke innocently before God But because the weakenes of our faith namely in so stronge temptacioÌ„s the oblyuiouse fraylte of our flesshe requireth as god well knoweth some sensible signe or sacrameÌ„t more preseÌ„tly to certifye confirme vs to be put euer in mynde of his so ientle a promise lo therfore a none he addeth y â— sacrameÌ„t of circuÌ„cisioÌ„ vnto AbrahaÌ„ as a seall added to god his promise obligatory nowe wryteÌ„ in Abrahams his seadis flesshe Pau. thus testifying saying And Abraham receyued the signe of circuncision euen y â— seall obligatory whereby God bownde hym self to iustifye hym and all his sead for their feithes saak ¶ A declaracioÌ„ by the waye of comparison of y â— olde sacrameÌ„ts with the newe NOwe as vnder the grace of the Gospell Baptyme succeded in the stede of circuncision eueÌ„ so doth the lordis souper folowe in the place of the olde passouer as the more mylde ientle and sweter sacrameÌ„ts then were the olde blodye circuncision passe lombe which were neuer celebrated but bloude was shed bothe in the of kutting of the foreskyn of the chyldes preuey member and also in the slaying of the passh lombe with whose blode the doors and wyndows wer strykeÌ„ and crossed Also as by Baptyme we be iniciated we professe and be coÌ„seigned vnto the worship of one God into the faith of one the same Christen religion eueÌ„ so by the same faithe and loue expressed at the lordis souper we declare our selues to perseuer in our profession now incorporated into Christ as the very members of y t mystik bodye whereof Christ is onely the head By the circuncision and the passouer
flesshe drynking of his blode Io. vi he can drawe vs no nerer nor cowâ—le vs no faster to hym then hymself to be in vs vs to dwell in hym Thus ye se howe the sacraments that is to saye the faith annexed vnto gods promises ioyned to the sacrameÌ„ts getteth vs more grace fauour encreased growing out of one promyse fygure into a nother For y â— thiÌ„g signifyed by y â— sacrameÌ„t or figured by the figure hath euer y â— promise vpoÌ„ it As in baptisme y â— holy gost is promysed vs of Christ and in the souper his bodye to be brokeÌ„ and his blode to be shed for our synnes ar promysed to vs y t worthely receyue them And therfore our faith stayed vpoÌ„ theis promyses obtayneth vs grace and sorgeuenes of synne once knowne y t God of his mere mercy withoute all our desertes maketh to vs theis promyses for Christes sake onelye And here by the waye to the questioÌ„ whether childreÌ„ dying before baptisme w t water or aftyr ere they by hearing the eâ—teriour worde conceyue faith be saued or no I answere That for because they ar contayned vnder y â— promyse of God made vnto Abraham GenÌ„ xvij to be the God of hym and of his sead of whiche sead is y â— childe seing that God is nowe the God of the gentylis and of their sead whom he calleth the childern of Abraham for his eleccioÌ„s sake therfore is euery Christen mans chylde contayned vnder the same promyse and by goddis eleccion saued dye it before or aftyr baptisme in his infancye ¶ Nowe â—hall ye see what godly doctryne our externe baptisme techeth all them that ar baptyzed â— Nowe ye not saith Paule that we who so euer be baptyzed into Iesu Crist ar we not baptyzed into his dethe Dethe therfore is the significacion effecte of the vtwarde baptisme which God neuer made the popis holy water to signifye nor to put vs in mynde of this baptisme whose exteriour acte in doping into the water techeth vs to dye with Crist y t is to saye to mortifye that olde Adam of ours to represse our sensuall carnall affectes and then are we baptized into Cristis deth to dye w t hym And when we thus dye from syn then burye we our synnes in the holes of his woundes as Paule saith we ar also buryed w t hym to ryse agen eueÌ„ to be reuyued in spirit and to lede a newe lyfe in repentance nowe rysen agen with Crist. So y t baptyme bereth in it self Cristes deth his buryall his resurreccion to be practyzed in our bodyes and soules perpetually whyle we lyâ—e Which lyfe what els is it then a perpetuall crosse euen y â— same that men call penaÌ„ce but yet not it that the preist inioyneth Here ye see that repentance or changing of our lyfe is included in baptisme is all one in effecte with it hauing hir two partes Mortificacion which they call contricion out of which there foloweth viuificacioÌ„ that is to lyue aftyr the spirit ¶ Repentance what it is with hir two partes Mortificacion and Ujuificacion as Paule calleth them Ro. viij AT last ye se howe it is come vnto theffecte of baptyme the very mystery doctrine thereof which is the dethe buryall resurreccioÌ„ of Crist to be exercysed practyzed in vs which heuey lyfe is our perpetuall penance all one in effecte w t baptyme as ye se Ro. vi Repentance therfore is the perpetual mortifiying of our flesshe of our oldeman whiche the very syncere fere and loue of God worketh in vs at the syght of our synnes seen and knowne by faith in Cristes dethe to bring for the hir worthey frutes that is to saye to lead siche a lyfe as correspondeth declareth a repentant coÌ„uerted herte Penance therfore is the repentaÌ„ce of our synnes with a chaÌ„ging of our former lyfe into a newe and beter lyuing Which beginneth of faith in Cristes dethe whereinto we ar baptized by the spirit of faith knowledging our synnes beholden in Christes woundes For many as Cayn Saule Iudas did see their synnes in the stonney tables throne agenst the grownde broken of Moses were heuye with vnfrutefull repentance in so miche that fore heuynes and shame they destroyd themselues Which declareth it playnely that they did not see their synnes in Cristes dethe y â— promysed sead to come which had dyed for them in deed had they so beleued in hym But we that se them in his dethe knowe and fele them by our faithe forgeueÌ„ whiche faithfull knowledg effectâ—ouse by loue Galat .v. dryueth vs to repentance to lament y â— euer we shuld coÌ„mitte that thing which as it displeaseth our so louing mercifull father so did it bring his onely so derely beloued sonne that innocent lombe gyltlesse vnto the moste paynfull passion dethe Here here this corrasye freateth vs with fere shame trowblously grating vpon our consciences syghing and crying for mercye forgeuenes y â— euer we shuld do that thing whiche can not be forgeuen with oute the preciouse bloude of the sonne of God Crist God man Aftyr this mortificacion detesting of our former lyfe our faith setting hyr sewer holde vpon this promyse of our fathers voyce oute of heueÌ„ adsewering vs that this is his derely beloued sone for whose sake he is apeaced well pleased w t vs nowe receyued into grace we ar counfortably reuyued feling certifyed for our faithes saak in Crist y â— our synnes shall not be imputed to vs nor we neuer more obbroyded of them before God When Crist therfore is puerly preched our synnes shewd vs in his dethe there verely and faithfully knowne there foloweth in all the faithfull hertes Repentance w t hir two partes as ye se Actes .ij. when Peter had preched Cristes deth resurrecioÌ„ and remission of synnes in them then were y â— peple pricked heuey in mynde crying vnto Peter and to the other disciples ye men our brethern what shal we do Repente ye sayd they and be baptized euery one of you into y â— name of Iesu Crist into y â— remissioÌ„ of your synnes ¶ Baptisme compared with the Lordis souper â—Hus passe we from baptisme vnto the passouer of y â— Lorde compared togither That as the vtwarde baptyme dothe signifye the inwarde purging of the soule by y â— holy gost thorow our faith beleuing y â— wordis of promise for by faith hertis ar purifyed Act. xv Euen so doth the vtwarde breking of the brede powering forth of the wyne geuen vs eaten dronkeÌ„ signifye put vs in mynde of the brekinge crucifying of Cristis bodye sheding of his blode geueÌ„ for our synnes eateÌ„ dronken by faith not w t our bodely tethe flesshely mouthes Also as y â— visible water signifyeth the inuisible grace so doth the visible brede brokeÌ„ wyne
nother so encreaseth our faithe lyke the musterde sead aftyr many ioyfull coÌ„fortable promyses in Crist he promiseth to geue vs his own body to be crucifyed and his bloude to be forthe drawne into the forgeuenes of our synnes When our faith therfore appreheÌ„deth this promise stedfastly then may not syn nor deth fere vs nomore for dethe is swallowed vp into victory the sting of dethe is blonted y â— power strength of syn euen the lawe is enerued one ioynte shakeÌ„ from a nother all by the victory of Cristes deth resurreccion whiche victorye is geuen to vs by Iesu Crist. To confirme this conflicte and progresse of maÌ„ from vnder the lawe vnto grace haue here playne examples of y â— storye of the childern of Israel whiche so long as they sawe Pharao his hoste at their tayles they were afrayed and ded baptyzed in the red sea which was a shadewe and fygure of our baptisme but when thei sawe their goyde Moses before them hearing this coÌ„fortable gospell y t is to weit Be not afrayd be you still The Lorde will fyght for you and so sawe y â— waters smyten with Aarons staffe diuyded before their eyes the staffe of y â— worde of God diuideth from vs the waters of adfliccion they went thorow gladly sewerly with grete glory and triumphe synging on the tother syde when they loking bak sawe their enymyes drowned with the same waters that were their saluacion Many siche passages had they those .xl. yeres so often tempted eftsone conforted agene Siche dayly passages we feel in our selues syn dethe hell assaughting vs to dryue vs vnder grace vnto the whiche we ar come so sone as we heare Crist saying Take herte coÌ„fidence to you for I haue ouercomen syn deth hell The waters of trowble must nedis be deuyded and geue place to as many as aspyre vnto the grace of the gospell What els was fygured by the turning of their eyes from the fyery stinging serpentes vnto the brasone serpeÌ„t exalted in the wyldernes There was a grete wrestling all the night betwixt Iacob the aungell whiche fygured our state vnder the .ij. degre of the lawe whom Iacob wold not let go tyll in the morning the aungell had blessed hym and tolde hym his name also changed Iacobs name for Israell whylis we therfore se our synnes in our selues in the lawe whiche worketh wrathe Ro. iiij maketh synne to abownde and encrease Ro. vij we ar Iacobites wresteling in derkenes with an vnknowne messagere working a strange worke to do his owne in making vs Israelites that is trewe faithfull beholding and acknowleging God to be our God forgeuing vs our synnes in Crist This aungell of God yf we perseuer in this derke and perellouse batayle with hym vnder the lawe wyll gladly geue vs y â— victory vnder the bryght morning of the grace of the gospell at last aftir grete longe affliccion coÌ„fort vs with his name tolde vs to be our almighty one alone for all sufficient sauiour As did Ioseph aftyr long trowbling fering molesting his brethreÌ„ father to at last with teares wepiÌ„g shewed hymself to be their owne brother Ioseph whom god had sent thither before for their grete counfort Let vs therfore fyght coÌ„stantly contende in this mightly batail to excercyse our faithe that we might be enstructe armed with pacience peace of conscience vntyll the morning of Cristis counfort helpe be sprongen ouer vs albeit yet we halt withe Israell one the one foot that is to saye we feele our flesshe alto weak to walke vpright in Cristes precepts our affects strogling yet agenst his spirit This miche be sayd for the feling trying of our selues to be prepared vnto the worthey receyuing of the Lordis souper ¶ The institucion of the souper of the Lorde UUhen Crist sate at his last souper w t his disciples he toke the brede in his handes gaue thankes to his father and broke it gaue to euery one of his disciples thereof saying Take it eat it this is my bodye which is broken for you And lyke wyse of the cuppe saying This cuppe is the newe testament or couenant in my blode Se that ye do this as oft as ye shal do it do it into the remembrance of me Let vs now beholde obserue diligently for our doctryne the accion with all the circunstances of this souper we shall sâ—â—with y â— eye of our faith meruellouse present consolacioÌ„ â–ª Wherfore this holy souper ought hyghly with all reuerence to be eaten treated Here we se with our bodely eyes the holy brede brokeÌ„ the holy wyne powerdforth for holy it is nowe coÌ„secrated into so holy an vse but with y â— eye of our faith we se presently Cristis body broken this bloude forthâ— powerd into the remissioÌ„ of our synnes Agene we see with our exterior eyes y â— brede wyne geuen to vs but with the eye of our faith we se as presently his body crucifyed his blode shede geuen vs Now is his body thus broken and his blode thus shed all togither ours foreuer Now is Crist thus once suffering rysen sitting on the right hand of his father all ours w t is perpetuall prayer For what thing is more frely ours then that whiche is geuen vs with his owne mouthe delyuered vs with his owne handis into our haÌ„dis mouthes yea but wherefore is he thus geuen vs verely to eate and to drinke hym That at we eate drinke bodely is receyued into our bodyes conuerted into our substance made all one flesshe blode with ours we all one with it And her must we ascende into that spirituall eating drinking by faith whereof Crist spoke Io. vi saying My wordis ar spirit and lyfe the flesshe profiteth not It is the spirit y t geueth this lyfe wherof y e iuste lyueth It is the soule that eateth lyueth by this bread not our bodyes of the which eting saith Io. Who so eteth my flesshe drinketh my blode he dwelleth in me I in hym Nowe therefore our soules thus eating hym by faith haue Crist present he is in vs by grace gouerning vs with his holy goste And he y t gaue vs hymself it cannot be other wyse but with hym is geueÌ„ vs also all y t is his ether done or suffred of hym in his bodye Then ar we sewer by our faith in this worde Dedit dicens accipite he gaue it vs saying take it that he is ours w t all his He was borne therfore for vs of his mother y t we shuld be borne agene by baptim of the holy goste He was borne for vs the sonne of man y t we thorow hym might be the sonnes of God he was tempted for vs and bore awaye the victory
y t his victory might be ours he fulfilled the lawe was the most rightwyse that his rightwysenes might be ours his wysedom kouereth our folisshnies his holynes correcketh our vnbeleif his innoceÌ„cye swaloweth vp our wykednes his redempcion setteth vs in a spirituall libertye he was made weake to make vs strong mortal to make vs immortal He descended into the erth that we shuld asceÌ„de into heuen his deth is our lyfe taketh awaye our synnes for deth worthy dampnacion he geueth vs hymself in this present souper our euerlasting lyfe saluacion he is made for vs of the father our rightwysenes our redemptioÌ„ satisfaccion c. And as Isay saith he was wouÌ„ded for our transgressions so smyten for our vngodlynes for the punisshmeÌ„t for our correccioÌ„ and peace making was layd vpon hym and by his strypes and his hurt we ar healed the Lorde layd all our wykednes vpon hym to pardon vs These therfore his present gyftis wordis cannot deceyue vs Take it eat it this is my bodye which is for you broken for in that he biddeth vs take it he certifyeth vs that he is all ours And in that he biddeth vs eat it he adsewerthe vs hymself to be all one substance with vs God and man deifying our souls sanctifying our bodyes to be glorifyed w t his in the resurreccion of our flesshe We muste therfore obserue diligently these wordes he gaue it vs bidding vs take it eat it and drink it and especially these wordis added which is for you broken which is for you geueÌ„ which for your synnes is shed For herein consisteth the peathey waight our present counforte here is that heueÌ„ly spirituall fode of our soules wherewith we ar refresshed dayly counforted confirmed for euer So oft therfore as we do celebrate this holy souper we must do it into y â— remembrance of his dethe for this incomparable benefit loue vnable to be expressed rendering to hym prayse glory thankes immortal which lyueth and raigneth with the father and holy goste for euer Amen Moreouer ye shal diligently obserue That in the scriptures where .ij. or .iij. thinges be so inseperably knit togither that ether one of them may not be diuyded from another or els one muste nedis folowe the tother It is attributed to the one that at verely pertayneth to the tother and one name serueth them bothe or all thre As forbecause at the preching of the gospell there foloweth some Cristen congregacion gathered togither in the beleif thereof at last thei possede y â— kingdome of heuen therfore is the gospell or the remission of synnes which foloweth the preching thereof called the kyngdom of heuen as in Mat. iij. Repent ye for nighe is the kyngdom of heuen sayd Io. bap where the kyngdom of heuen is taken for the remission of synnes or for the gospell And in the xviij who is gretest in the kyngdom of heuen there is it taken for the congregacion of the faithfull And forbecause meat is not eaten without brede therfore is brede takeÌ„ for meat and for almaner bodely sustinance In the persone of Crist where the godhed is inseperably knit to his manhed it is attributed to the manhed that whiche verely pertayneth to the godhed as in Io. iij. Noman ascendeth into heuen but he that is descended the sonne of man which is in heuen here the sonne of man is taken for thegod hed for as yet when he spake these wordis his manhed was not ascended The scripture saith Crist dyed when it was his manhed onely that suffered Now to my purpose In the signes or sacraments ther ar many thingis inseperably ioyned togither yf thei be of Cristis ordinaÌ„ce as ye se in this diuisioÌ„ order folowing wherfore euery one is called by the same name y t the tother is called which sodeÌ„ sondrely attributing of the same name subsultatory speche not knowne nor obserued make men to apere to speke strangely yea erroneously to some meÌ„ when thei bothe beleue and speke trwly and godlye ¶ In Baptime 1 The Element is water 2 The worde of institution is Go your wayes and teche all nacions baptizing them into y â— name of the father the sone and holy goste Mat. xxviij which wordes with the Element make the Sacrament 3 The worde of promyse is Mar. the last ca. Whoso beleueth and is baptized shalbe saued Faith in this promise maketh present the holy gost in y e beleuers hert now borne a newe 4 The thing is the holy gost making holy purifying renewing y e soule ¶ In the Souper of the Lorde 1 The ElemeÌ„ts ar Brede wyne 2 The wordis of institucion ar these When Iesus had soupt he toke y â— brede in his handis c. which wordis dewly spoken it is the Sacrament 3 The wordis of promyse ar these Whoso eteth my flessh and drinketh my blode dwelleth in me and I in hym Io. vi The beleif in this promyse bringeth the thing present into the herte of the faithfull receyuer of the sacrament 4 The thing is the bodye of Crist crucifyed and his bloude shed into the remission of thy synnes Nowe ar these speches trewe The sacrament of baptime is the regeneracion and the renouacioÌ„ of the holygost purifying and â—euing saluation so that it be attributed vnto the cheif thing in the sacrament which is the holy gost Lykewyse yf it be asked whether in the sacrament of the souper of y â— Lorde there be the very naturall and reall bodye of Crist thou seest it the fowerth in order and is so called for the inseperable vnion of it with y â— sacrameÌ„t wordis and element so that the brede is so called the worde is so called and y â— thing it self must nedis be called the same that it is The brede and the worde ar so called sacrameÌ„tally but the thing is so called verely really and naturallye And here is offered the questioÌ„ whether an infidele or an vnworthey wyked persone eteth the body drinketh the bloud of Crist at the souper Unto the whiche Austen answereth very wel in his .xxi. boke of the cetye of God putting difference betwixt the sacrament which standeth vpoÌ„ the Elements and wordis of institucioÌ„ betwixt y e thing which stoÌ„deth in the wordis of promyse and faith ther to ioyned And agene in a sermone of the sacrameÌ„ts of the faithfull These ar his wordis He that dwelleth not in Crist nor Crist in hym dowtlesse he nether eteth his flesshe nor drinketh his blode albeit vnto his own condemnacion he eteth and drinketh the sacrament of so grete a thinge Here ye se that one maye receyue the elements as the brede and wyne not the thing As was Symon Magus baptyzed in water receyuing the sacrament yet not the holygost renewing hym And Iudas sitting at this souper did eat the sacrament of the brede wyne but not y â— thing for
their abhominable prodigiouse beastely lyuing But in what place of the vnworthey receyuers these men ought to be put which not onely by their abhominable abuse haue changed altered this most holy souper by their own newe straÌ„ge decreed vayne rytes vngodly tradicions haue so violated and brokeÌ„ Cristes first institucioÌ„ y t of the same souper that Crist celebrated coÌ„firmed by his inuiolable ordinance there is nothing not so miche as the name or very litle lefte of what vnworthey sorte ar these men God se to it be iuge Cypriane in his pistle vnto Cecilium warneth ernestely sharpely y t in the administracioÌ„ of the sacraments we shuld not in any wyse nor in nothing swarue from y â— precepts of the gospel But the disciples shuld obserue that at their master Crist taught did it And he denyeth also those men worthey to be called ether the frends or disciples of Crist whiche violate or breke their masters commandemeÌ„t or altere his ordinaÌ„ce as did certayn men in his tyme put onely water into the cuppe when Crist coÌ„secrated wyne no water of whom Crist testifyeth in his gospell saying ye ipocrytes ye cast away my coÌ„mandements to setfast your owne tradicioÌ„s I wylnot here tell y t at euery man knoweth euen the licenciouse fraude of them which to nourissh theirown priuate filthy lucre filthyer idyl bellyes haue turned this holy souper not without a grete mystery celebrated in the euening which tyme the apostles euer aftir obserued this comon communion for many togither to receyue into a priuate I wilnot saye chorlissh breakfast selling it vnder y â— cloke of their owne merits And somiche the more gilty of the lordis body blode ar they for that they entreate handle behaue themselues so filthely so cruelly that y â— scripture in euery place cryeth so out agenst them y t their indignite lothely vnworthenes nether may nor ought no lenger to be suffred Also Chrysostom saith y t they ar not only gyitye of the blode of Crist whiche in teÌ„ples by the abuse of holy sacrameÌ„ts seke folowe terrene vnlawfull lucre coÌ„uerting y e honorable religioÌ„ into thoccasion of vngodly merchandise but also thei that bye sell y e giftis of god when thei shuld know it writeÌ„ That thiÌ„g frely to be geueÌ„ which thei frely receyued wherfore nedis must thei be giltye of y e body of the Lorde which inuyte compell men for their giftis in bying selling to do that thing which violateth subuerteth y â— doctrine tradicioÌ„ of crist And sewerly Ambrose speking of the vnworthey eaters saith Those men to be vnworthy of y â— Lorde aftir thapostles mynde which wotherwise celebrate this mystery then it was delyuered of the Lorde for he may not be deuoute godly which presumeth and taketh it otherwyse then it was geueÌ„ of the firste autour It wolde gladly be knowne what shuld be answerde vnto theis holy fathers which all with one voice deteste dampne this violated ryte abuse of the sacrameÌ„t thus deformed so prophanely abused popisshly celebrated as ye se it this daye which also vtterly denye it y t it is lawfull Cristis coÌ„mandement institucioÌ„ abrogated despysed to be turned into y â— doctrynes decrees of meÌ„ And that thiÌ„ge which was once done iustly according to the scriptures in all chirches so manye yeres we may not suffer it to be altered of men by no autorite of scriptures by no example of the olde holy doctours by no iuste cause but onely for the filthy lucre vnreasonable giftis of a fewe hyerlings to stond still thus violated deformed and prophaned Thei therfore vnworthely eat his flessh drink his blode whiche thirsting the innocent blode of Cristes pore chirche persecute sley those good men that speke or write agenst their blody actes deadis of whoÌ„ the prophete I say saith Swift ar their feet to shede blode Nether take they the wordis of the apostle any lesse flesshly then did the blody caparnaites take Cristis when they sayd How may this man geue vs his flesshe to eate It is therfore manifest that theise blodye flesshly eaters driÌ„kers receyue Crist w t as vnpure hertis as filthy mouthes as did thei that nayled him to the crosse wouÌ„ded his body gaue hym gall to drinke Also it is manifest that the gylte syn coÌ„sist not nor is not coÌ„mitted in the bodely â—owching of his naturall bodye but by the contempt abuse of so holy a sacrameÌ„t As contrary wyse the frute therof stondeth not in the â—owching vse of his corporall present bodye but in the spiritual enbrasing therof by faith wherby the spirit of faith eâ—eth verely the flessh of crist and verely drinketh his blode Aftir this maner somtyme meÌ„ were called gilty of the maiestye or traytours which contumeliously despysed the glorye or dignite of the RomaÌ„s And they called iniurioâ—se vnto y â— emprowr that threwdown his image or rased his picture or any letters from hym which thiÌ„g was as haynously takeÌ„ as though thei had layd violent haÌ„dis vpon themprowr himself And eueÌ„ so ar thei verely gilty goddis maiesty and traytours to hym whiche violate coÌ„tempne the institucion lawe of hym do contrarye to y t thing which he coÌ„maÌ„ded ordened So ar thei gilty y e bodye blode of crist which coming to his table nether w t the dewe honour vnto the lorde nor w t that discipline that the souper requireth nor w t the same mynde faithe y t the body blode is receyued prosecute not this mystery instituted of y â— lorde but ether negligeÌ„tly litle regarde it or vtterly coÌ„tempne it as thei were wonte whiche as the Apostle writethe Crucifye Crist a fresshe in themselues set forthe the blode of the couenaÌ„t for a laughing â—tok trediÌ„g it vnder fote by which they were sanctifyed for it is sayd That y â— greter the maiestye is y â— greuouser is the syn the more is the indignite vnworthines committed agenst it Also these Iewes geÌ„tyles ar giltye of the mistik bodye of Crist which draw forth and shed the blode of his chirche which is eueÌ„ y â— very blode of Crist And thus ar the wyked couetuouse curates called in scripture giltye the blode of Crist which fede not their flok with the fode of goddis worde but famisshe them for hunger And thei ar innocent of the blode which w t all diligence fede Cristis chirch redemed with his blode with the worde of God And thei ar giltye of the body bloud y â— beleue not for so is eting takeÌ„ Ezech .iij. where he is coÌ„manded to eate the bok And they ar vngilty aftir Austen y â— eat the flesshe drinke y â— blode of the Lorde according to Cristis saying I
satan saith Io. xiij entred into hym aftir Crist had raught hym the morsell of brede ¶ What it is worthely or onworthely to receyue the sacrament FIrst ye shal knowe that there cometh no frute vnto any receyuers of any sacrament but onely vnto them that call into mynde the deth of Crist with holy deuoute remembrance y t he was crucifyed for their synnes wassheth them awaye w t his blode geuing hym thaÌ„kis immortal hygh prayse glorye in this sweet remembrance and faith Onely vnto siche men Crist commendeth and hathe committed his body Onely vnto these meÌ„ he draweth forth his blode For these meÌ„ onely was he offred vp on the altar of y â— crosse So that they doutelesse slip from y â— trwth that beleue Iudas to haue had receyued the same thing that the other apostles receyued For they eat not verely y â— flesshe of the Lorde which in hym dwel not nor he in them for Io. euangelist euen the next gest at Cristis elbowe sitting at his messe testifyeth that assone as Iudas had receyued y e soppe the deuill entred into hym for his gest into his soule Item yong infantes and men bestraught albeit they be the membres of Crist yet may they not w t frute receyue it for these persones may not rightly remember the mystery of their redeÌ„ption nor dewly examyn proue themselues before nor geue thaÌ„kis therfore which thinges ar cheifely required at the cebracion of this holy feaâ—te Paule biddeth euery maÌ„ proue trye inserche and examyn hym self before he eateth of this brede and drinke of this cuppe for yf we had trwly examined our selues we shuld not haue had ben so punisshed of the Lorde Whose mynde is that they ar with out perell that descende into their owne selues and with grete detestacion of their synnes desyer to be the same that they heare that is to saye the meÌ„bers of y e bodye of Crist. Nether vnaptely is this probacion of our selues called the parte of the commemoracion when there can be no commemoracion with out the iuste probacion of our selues First therfore let vs examyn our selues by y â— twyche stone squyer of goddis commandements which as a glasse shall shewe vs to our selues to be nothing els in all our dedis lyfe wordis thoughtes but greuouse sinners Then let vs trye our selues whether for our synnes we be sory in herte vnfaynedly repentaÌ„t ful minded to practize our baptyme in mortifying our affectes changing our lyfe by faith burying our synnes in Cristes woundis with hym to ryse agene into a new state of lyuing Let vs trye our selues to knowe vnder what degre of y â— lawe we be as it is before expressed Serche whether y u beist as glad to forgeue all y â— haue hurte the euen as thou woldist be forgeueÌ„ of god Loke whether y u canst espye thy nowne secrete birthe poyson and loue to thy self sought in all thy dedis thoughtes aâ—d wordis rather then the glory of God profyt or edifying of thy neighbour And nowe se whether thou haste or desyerst to haue that faith and loue which God commandeth the to haue to hym and to thy neighbour be heuye that thou hast them not in y t perfeccioÌ„ wherein thou arte bownde to haue them that pacience confidence constancye humilite temperance chastite and a wyll in all thingis coÌ„formable vnto goddis wil. and yf y u aknowlegest theis thy nowne synnes imperfeccion vnfaynedly yet art thou a membyr of the body of Crist as writeth Paule and mayst sit downe with fere and reuerence geuing thaÌ„kis to God for this inestimable benefyt of our redempcion But this iuste probacion as our papistis neuer practyzed it in themselues so neuer yet taught it they their flockes Whylis we therfore thus expende proue our selues consydering who we were by Adams fall from what perellis and euillis we ar by Crist delyuered vndeserued of vs what gyftis ar geueÌ„ vs vnloked fore agene what we professed at our baptisme into whose disciplyne we entred what bataile we toke in haÌ„de vnto what a capitayne heerd man by it we were conseigned anoynted called CristiaÌ„s of the name of Crist vnto whom we were professed and our selues yielded and yet in all this probacion and rememberance of our selues of our benefitis by Crist we must apere to our selues insufficient vnworthely with condigne thankis to haue remembred and beleued all these benefyts and we therfore in our selues euer to confesse vs vnworthy w t the Centurion that Crist shuld entre into our houses But be it in case we might w t any vtwarde fayned probacioÌ„ deceyue all men before whom we testifye our indignite and declare our faith yet caÌ„not he be deceyued which onely sercheth inseeth hertes and raynes whiche also is the mynde and spirit of that bodye which is compacte and framed of the congregacioÌ„ of all faithfull men Also as the Apostle warneth vs to mortifye our bodyes to be buryed and to ryse with Crist so exhorteth he vs to not suffer synne to raigne in vs. He commandeth vs to purge and to make vs clene from that olde leuayne and to be purifyed by faith But verely full colde and vngodly is the probacioÌ„ that dependeth of mennis lawes and decrees â—ith he saith They ought not to be rekened well proued which coÌ„mende and prayse themselues but thei whom the lorde coÌ„meÌ„deth which coÌ„mendeth non but siche as allowe approue his will known by y â— scriptures Let not therfore this saying of Dauid neuer go from thy mynde Blessed is y â— maÌ„ whom y u techest o Lorde oute of thy lawe enstructest hym And yet albeit y t in these men whiche thus proue themselues so eat worthely there is coÌ„tinual batail w t syn which they here aboute in their bosoms yet eteth he not vnworthely which takeÌ„ holden with the spirit of penance endeuowreth aspyreth vnto this one thiÌ„g That as he is dede with Crist from syn euen so as I sayd before he stryueth to aryse agene with hym into a newe lyfe not yielding hymself to syn any more to haue dominion ouer hym but ouercometh thinfirmite of his flessh with the vertewe power of the spirituall lawe that mortifyeth affectes For a CristiaÌ„s lyfe is a continuall bataile And as it is a gloriouse thiÌ„g to fight haue victory eueÌ„ so to be ouercome it is not onely shame in the tentes of the Cristen felde but also dethe and dampnacion Wherfore the flesshe and bloude of Crist eueÌ„ for this cause specially ar asked at the Lordis table of them that ar faithfull that as waryers and soldiers ar fed and anoynted with oyle euen so ar Cristis waryers fed strengthened with the excellent vertewe of the sacraments that they might continewe and be strong in batail and resist the engins of temptacions so that ther