his body But there are two kyndes of men whiche contende with vs in this matter The Papistes being deluded with their transsubstantiation do deny the bread to be sene because the shewe therof doth only remayne without the subiecte but S. Paule confuteth their fantasy affirming that the bread whiche we breake is the communication of Christes body Furthermore the very nature it selfe of a Sacrament dothe abhorre their fonde imaginatioÌ„ the which can not stande perfecte except the outward signe be true For whereby shall we learne that our soules are fedde with the fleshe of Christe if the true bread bee not set before our eyes but a vayne phantasy For the body of Christe is not here geuen vnto vs simplely but to eate the colour of bread doth not nourishe but the substance Moreouer what will they say as coÌ„cerning the other signe For Christ saith not This is my bloud but This cuppe Therefore according to their fantasy not only the wyne but the matter also whereof the cuppe was made must of necessitie be transsubstantiated into bloud Nowe where as our EuaÌ„geliste hathe I wyll not drynke hereafter of this frute of the vyne he plainly thereby declareth that it was wyne whiche Christe gaue to drynke and not his bloud Therefore euery waye the grose ignorance of the Papistes is confuted M. And where as they saie that they gathered this their traÌ„ssubstantiation out of the wrytinges of the fathers peraduenture it is true that they gathered it but if thei did so it was by false interpretatioÌ„ miscoÌ„struing of their works that they did it For the fathers in some of their wrytinges saye that the breade with great admiration wonder is chaunged in to the body the wyne into the bloude of Christe Now these gatherers vnderstoode theÌ„ of the mutacion chaunging of the substance whereas the fathers touched not the same but vnderstode that the terrestrial coÌ„dition vse of bread was so chauÌ„ged into a heauenly that it was now to the faithful man not terrene or earthly bread neither in that vse that earthly bread remaineth but that it passeth into the body of Christe into celestiall nourishement The which chaunge might be called conditionall not substantiall And because it is a thing wonderfull in dede they sayd truely that the bread and wyne after a woÌ„derfull manner was chauÌ„ged into the body and bloud of Christe For who would not marueile that the terrene bread shoulde be taken and chaunged into suche dignytie that it maye bee called the body of Christe Who would not meruaile that the grosse elemeÌ„t of water should be chaunged into the lauer of regeneratioÌ„ and that it is geuen in washing the body to haue the purifying of the soule the wyping away of sinne A. And this is that coÌ„secration of the which we spake before C. And there are other some whiche reiecte the figure and lyke mad men receyue the same by and by againe The bread accordinge to their iudgement is truely and properly called the body Neither do they lyke of transsubstantiatioÌ„ because it is altogether voide of reason But when they are asked if the bread and wyne he Christe they aunswere that the bread is therefore called his body because it is receiued vnder the breade and with the bread in the Supper But truely by this aunswere we maye gather that the name of body is improperly transferred to the bread whereof it is the signe And it is marueile seing that these men can say that Christe spake thus in respect of the Sacramentall vnion that they marke not what they say For what is the sacramental vnioÌ„ of the thing of the signe Is it not so called because the lord fulfilleth that which he promiseth by the secrete power of his holy spirit Wherefore these maisters of learning are no lesse ridiculous thaÌ„ the Papists Hetherto we haue expouÌ„ded the wordes of the Lorde Now let vs se how the body of Christ is geuen vnto vs Some declare that it is geueÌ„ vnto vs wheÌ„ we are made partakers of all the blessinges which Christ hath gotten vnto vs as in his body wheÌ„ by faith we imbrace Christ crucified raysed froÌ„ death for vs and that by that meanes we are made partakers effectually of all his blessinges Other some much better say that we do then receiue the blessing benefites of Christes when we obtaine Christe him selfe For we do obtaine him not onely when we beleue that he was made a sacrifice for vs but also wheÌ„ he dwelleth in vs when he is one with vs when we are his members of his fleshe of his bones when we growe if we may so speake into life substance with him Furthermore we heare what the woordes may signifie for Christe doth not only offer vnto vs the benefite of his resurrection but his very body in the whiche he suffered rose againe Therfore the body of Christ is truly geuen vnto vs in the supper that it may be the foode of life vnto our soules that is to saye our soules are fed with the substaunce of Christes body that we may truly be made one with him or els whiche is as muche in effecte the quickening force out of the flesh of Christ is powred into vs by the spirite although it be farre from vs not mixed with vs Therefore a voyde or vayne signe is not set before vs but they are truly made partakers of the fleshe bloud of the Lord whiche by faith receiue this promise For the Lorde should commaunde his disciples to eate bread in vaine affirming it to be his body except the effecte were added to the figure Neither is this questioÌ„ haÌ„dled amoÌ„g vs whether Christe doe geue vnto vs hym selfe truely or figuratiuely onely For although we beholde there nothinge but the bread yet notwithstanding he doth not frustrate or mocke vs which taketh vpon him to fede our soules with his fleshe The true eatynge therefore of the fleshe of Christ is not set forth by a signe onely but also is offered in very dede But it is good for vs here to obserue throâ—… thinges namely that the spirituall matter be not ioyned amisse with the signe SecoÌ„dly that Christe be not sought in earth or vnder earthly elemeÌ„tes Thirdly that no other eatiâ—â— be inuenâ—…ed or imagined thaÌ„ that which by the secrete power of Christe inspireth life into vs because we doe not obtaine him but by faithe only First of all as we sayde let there remayne a difference betwene the signe the thing signified except we will peruerte all thinges For there shall remaine no profite of the sacrameÌ„t except it leade vs from the beholding the earthly element to the heauenly mistery Whefore whosoeuer doth not discerne the bodye of Christe from the bread and the wyne from the bloud he shal neuer vnderstaÌ„d what the supper meaneth or wherefore the faithfull doe vse these outwarde signes Secondly let vs followe the lawefull
without it be brokē and deuided And by this meanes it answereth and is agreable to the mystery of communicatyng the body of the lorde the Apostell sayinge The breade whiche wee breake is it not the participation of the body of the lord Not that she body of Christ is therefore sayde to be broken because it hathe in it selfe some cut but because it is made communicabile that is apte and mete to be participated and receyued of many The Apostel Paule saith in an other place in the person of Christ This is my body which is broken for you In stede of the whiche S. Luke hath which is geuen for you He gaue the loaues to his disciples C. This our sauioure Chryst did to the ende the wonderfull increase and aboundance mighte growe in the handes of his disciples as they were distrybutinge the same that they therby might be the ministers of the deuine power of Christ For lest it shold séeme a smal matter to be onely eye witnesses of the myracle he made theim to feele as it were his diuine power with their handes He coulde haue shewed a great heape of breade in so much that all men mighte haue sene in a moment the greate encrease the whiche thynge hee dyd not yet notwithstandinge he would not haue the myracle hyd The lord dothe not any thinge in vayne for he wil haue his myracles knowne but soo notwythstandinge that the wicked may remayne blynd furthermore that there maye be some place lefte vnto fayth which sholde be none at all if that fayth shoulde be adioyned to sence and corporal felyng whē as the eyes shoulde be occupied in beholdinge the power of God which is perceiued and receiued chiefely by fayth And as he encreased the loaues in the handes of the disciples so he encreaseth his blessinge by the ministery of his seruantes he geueth plēty of sede to the sower and encreaseth his gyftes in our handes Whensoeuer therfore we seeke to helpe one an other let vs be well assured that God dothe blesse our labour And his disciples C. The disciples without delaye obeyed the commaundement of Christe althoughe the thinge whiche he commaunded might seme ridiculouse They might haue thought in their mindes What shall it profite to bryng fyue loaues to so many thousande men specially when Phillip had said before Two hundred peniworth of bread is not sufficient for euery man to take a lyttel And an other of the disciples saide But what are these amonge so manye Notwithstandinge they obeye and distrybute the loaues at the commaundement of Christ to the multitude beinge set downe By this exaumple let vs learne to obeye the lorde although there be no hope of good successe in those thinges that we take in hande let vs shewe oure obedience lett vs leaue the successe vnto the lorde and not take vppon vs more wysedome then becommeth vs. 20 And they did all eate and were sufficed And they gathered vp of the fragmentes that remayned twelue baskettes full And they dyd all eate M. These thynges are spoken to cōmend the power of christ and to set forth the myracle least any mā shoulde thincke that all dyd not eate of these loaues or that all which didde eate were not satisfied And they gathered vp of The Euangelist Iohn saith When they had eaten enough he sayth vnto his disciples Gather vp the broken meate whiche remaineth that nothing be lost And they gathered it together filled .xii. basketsful with the brokē meate of the fiue barly loues which broken meate remayned vnto them that hadde eaten In the which we se the rychesse of the glorye of God by the which he so fedeth those that are his that they are not onely satisfyed therwith but also haue a great ouerplus remaining vnto them We are also here taught to beware that we lose not the rēnaunte of those good thynges with the which we are fed C. When as therfore the fragmentes after the satisfying of so greate a multitude were more by twenty foulde then that which was set before them at the first the miracle must nedes seme excellent wonderfull for all men vnderstode wel perceiued that the fode which they had was not only made of nothing by the power of Christ for the present vse but also that he wold prouide it nede shoulde require for the tyme to come Now let vs gather the sum of the whole myracle In this it differeth not from other myracles namely that in it Christ declared his deuyne power to be ioyned with his beneficence or liberalitye Wée haue also by this myracle a confyrmacion of that sētence as wée should euen now by the which oure sauioure Christ exhorteth vs to seeke first the kingdome of God promisinge that all other things whereof wée haue néede shal be geuen vnto vs. For if hee haue a care of those which but at a sodain motion onely come vnto him howe should hée not haue a greate care to helpe vs if wee seeke him with a cōstant mynd Hée suffereth truly as wée sayd before those that are his sometimes to hūger notwithstandinge hée neuer leaueth them destitute of his helpe In the meane time hée hath good cause why hée shoulde not helpe vs but in matters of extremity Admyt that Christ came to bring not onlye spirituall life vnto the world but also that hee was sent of the father to nourishe and feede mens bodies for the abundāce of all good things are comitted vnto him so that hée is the lyuelye well springinge from the father of life Therefore saint Paule geueth thanckes vnto God for his grace which is giuen by Iesus Chryst And againe hée teacheth vs in all thinges to gyue thanckes vnto God by Iesus Christ Neyther is this quallity onelye proper to his eternall Diuinitye but the father also hath appointed vnto vs a stewarde or dispensator by whose hande hee voutchsafeth to feede vs For althoughe wée do not see daylye myracles with our eyes yet notwithstanding Christ doth no lesse declare his power now in feedinge vs than hee did then by myracles And trulye wée do not read that hée vsed newe meanes so often as hee wente aboute to make any feast Wherfore it shal be a preposterouse desyer for any man importunatelye to séeke to haue meate broughte vnto him by any vnlawfull and extraordinarye meane For althoughe God doth not now at this day feede fyue thousande men with fiue loaues yet notwithstanding hee ceaseth not most myraculouslye to feede all the world in the whiche there are an infinite number of thousands contayned This truly is a Paradox or sentence contrary to the opinion expectacion of diuers namely that man liueth not by bread onely but by euery woord which proceadeth out of the mouth of God. For wée are so tyed to externall meanes that nothing is more harde vnto vs then to depende vppon the prouidence of God. Hereuppon commeth suche care feare distrust when
haste sayde Then Iudas vvhich M. Wee sée here the wonderfull impudency of Iudas which doth not only dissemble the wycked dede but also with a brasen face offereth himselfe and denyeth the dede Because all the reste had demaunded of Christe and sayde Is it I leastâ—… he shoulde seme to be gyltye he bursteth forth also in lyke maner saying â–ª Master is it I He doth not aske this question to knowe the truethe neither because he was soâ—…y as the reste were but leaste he should be had in suspicion of the reste if he shoulde holde his peaâ—…e C. Althoughe wee see often tymes those that are gilty in conscience to tremble for feare yet notwithstanding they are so wrapped in feare in brutishe sencelesnes and in blindenes that that they boldelye stande to the denyall but at the length they secretlye bewraye their mischiefe Euen so Iudas hauinge his owne conscience accusing him could not kepe silence so cruellye did that tormenter within his breste disquiete hym with feare and care Thou haste saide Christ by his answere crossely reprhending the boldenes of Iudas stirreth him vp to consider his wicked facte whiche he sought to hide M. As if he shoulde saye I say not that thou goest about to betray me I do not reueale thy wickednes but thou thy selfe sayst it Take hede therefore what thou doeste Beholde here the wonderful mekenes of Christe he dothe not chyde him he casteth not his benefits in his teeth he driueth him not froÌ„ the communion of the table he holdeth him contented that he hathe striken his conscience and that he hath well prouided for the faith of the reste in shewinge that these thinges happened vnto hym accordinge to the Scriptures C. But nowe the minde of Iudas beinge possessed with deuelishe madnes he coulde not conceyue any suche meaninge Moreouer let vs learne by this example that the wycked in excusing their sinne do nothing els but bring the iudgement of God more spedely vppon them selues M After these thinges Saint Luke addeth that he sayd thus I haue inwardly desiered to eate this Paseouer with you before that I suffer For I saye vnto you henceforth I wil not eate of it any more vntill it be fulfilled in the kyngedome of god And he tooke the cup and gaue thankes and sayde Take this and deuide it amonge you For I saye vnto you I will not drinke of the frute of the vyne vntill the kyngdome of God come A. The which sentence we will expouÌ„de in the .29 verse followinge M. But Mathew hitherto declareth that Christ was not ignorant of the counsell and purpose of his betrayer of the which he maketh mencion not with a disdainefull minde neither to the ende he mighte bewray the wyckednes of Iudas or contende with him but hee rather did it to fortify the reste of his Disciples Of the whiche thinge truely this is an euident argument that he leauinge the trayter commendeth and instituteth to his Disciples the proffite memory of his death by the sacrament of his body and bloud Before the whichh institution it is euident that he did and spake these things by the wordes of Luke before rehersed by the whiche he declared that the Paseouer of the Iewes was not onely a remeÌ„brance of the deliueraÌ„ce out of Egipt but also a type of the deliueraÌ„ce to come which euen nowe was ready to be fulfilled weereof he himselfe shoulde the author C. But because Luke maketh meÌ„cion that Christe tooke the cup twyse in his hande wee muste firste of all se whether it be a repetition for sometimes the Euangelist do repeate one thing twise or whether Christe after he had tasted of the cup did the lyke againe the seconde time Surelye it is like that he tasted of the cup twyse For we knowe that the solemne rite of supping in the sacrifyces was obserued of the holy fathers where uppon it is writen I will receiue the cup of saluation and will call vppon the name of the lord So that we doubt not but that Christe did syp according to the olde custome in the holy feast the which coulde not otherwise be rightlye accomplished The which thing S. Luke plainly declareth before that he cometh to the narratioÌ„ of the new mistery the order wherof was distinguished from the Paschall lambe This also was done according to the accustomed and solemne vse in that he is expresely sayde to geue thaÌ„kes wheÌ„ he tooke the cuppe For in the beginninge of Supper no doubte he prayed euen as at no time he came to the table without inuocation of God But nowe also again he vsed the same seruice least he should omitte the ceremony whiche we sayde eueen now was annexed to the holy Sypping B. For the good man of the house if he had a domestical sacrifice began firste if it were the sacrifice of the whole people or multitude the kyng began firste Christe truelye woulde not despise that commen maner or custome For there was nothing mixed in the Paseouer of superstition Thankes therefore being geuen for the solemne assemblye he set before them the cup that euerye one might taste or syppe therof in doing wherof they declared that they woulde geue thaÌ„kes with the same minde eueÌ„ as if they should haue sayde Amen This Ceremony was nothing els than a testimony of agréement Nowe let vs come vnto the Supper for that fyrste sypping was only a geuing of thankes 26. VVhen they were eating Iesus tooke bread and when he had geuen thankes he breake it and gaue it to the Disciples and sayde take eate this is my body VVhen they vvere eating C. These woordes are not so to be vnderstoode as though this newe far more excellent supper were ioyned to the Paseouer but rather that the firste supper was then ended The whiche thing also is more plainelye expressed of S. Luke when he saith that Christe after supper tooke the cupe and gaue it For it had ben an absurde thing that one the selfe same mistery shoulde be cut of by the distance of time Wherefore there is no doubte but that orderly so soone as he had geueÌ„ bread he gaue the cupe also And that whick S Luke speaketh particulerly of the cup wee extende to the bread also Therfore as they were eatinge Christ tooke bread that he might cal them to the participation of the new supper The geuing of thankes was a certaine preparation and pasing to consider the misterye Thus supper beinge ended they tasted of the holy breade and wyne because firste their security was stirred vp that they might wholely geue them selues to so hye a mistery And reason doth thus require that this euident testimony of life spiritual should haue a difference from the olde shadowe But in that Christe instituted the Sacrament of his body and bloud when supper was ended he mente not thereby to make a law that the faithfull should take their Supper before they celebrated the mistical supper how beit that was the
some very childishly and peruersely expounde it who may easely be confuted by the place of S. Paule where he teacheth the Corinthians the true vse of the supper speaking to men womē without exception to the whole body of the churche testifieth that he deliuered the same to them as he had receiued it from the lord But he distributed bread to the Apostles that all generally might eate that euery one should so take his portion that there might be an equall participation among all For hee saythe Take eate C. In that he cōmaundeth vs to take he meaneth that it belōgeth vnto vs whereas he commaundeth to eate he meaneth that it is made one substance with vs For he did so institute all these thinges that the disciples might cōmunicate this supper among them selues Whereupon it followeth that it was a deuelishe inuencion that one man seperating him selfe from the residue of the congregation shoulde priuately celebrate the supper For what is more vnsemely than to haue the bread distributed in the presence of the people then to be eatē vp in a corner of one alone Although therfore the Papistes do boaste that they haue the substāce of the lordes supper in their masses yet for al that in dede it is playne that so many priuate masses as they haue celebrated so many conquestes hath Sathan erected to ouerthrowe the supper of the lord Neither is it true whiche they saye that it is a sacrifice offered in the name of the whole churche For Christ did not cōmaūde that one mā shuld eate it in the name of all the reste but that euery one should take and eate thē selues By the same woordes we are taught what oblatiō was offered of Christ in the supper He commaundeth his disciples to take He it is therfore that offereth Where as therfore the Papistes fayne that Christ offereth him selfe in the Supper it cōmeth of the cōtrary authour namely of the deuell not of Christe And truely this is a wonderfull inuersion and preposterous dealing that a mortall man whē he is cōmaunded to take the body of Christ should take vnto him selfe his office of offering and so making him self a prieste offereth vnto God his sonne We go not about here to declare howe full of sacriledge and execrable abhomination their fayned oblation is it is sufficient for vs to proue that it hath so little affinite with the institution of Christe that it dothe rather directly impugne the same This is my body Christ calleth the bread his body For the relatiue This doth expresse the bread and not the body For by and by it followeth This cuppe is the newe testament in my bloud the which are figuratiue sayinges as we shall see anone But where as they saye that the bread was consecrated by these wordes that it might bee an outwarde signe of Christes fleshe we doe not dislike if so be that this woorde signe be rightly and truely taken Christe therefore chose the breade whiche was appointed to nourishe the body and sanctifieth it to another vse that it may now beginne to be spirituall foode And this is that conuersion whereof the aunciēt wryters of the church haue made mencion But for all this wee must note that the bread is not consecrated by whyspering and breathing ouer it but by the pure doctrine of faithe And truely it is a magicall sorcery when the consecration is directed to a dead element because the bread is not made a signe of the body of Christe for it selfe but for vs To be shorte Consecration is nothing els than a solēne testimony by the whiche the Lorde dothe geue vnto vs a terrestriall and corruptible signe to a spirituall vse The whiche thing cannot be done excepte the cōmaundement promise do plainly sounde forth to the building of faith Whereby it is euident againe that the Papistes do wickedly prophane the holy mistery with their obscure muttering and breathing But it Christe do cōsecrate the bread when he testifieth vnto vs that it is his body we must not imagin the alteration of the substāce but we must marke the newnes of the vse And except the craftines of the deuel had so bewitched the worlde that being once caried by the vayne imaginatiō of transsubstantiation it will at this daye admit no true interpretatiō in these words it should be superfluous in vayne to spend any long time in sekinge out the sence and meaning Christ pronoūceth that the bread is his body and he intreateth of the sacrament And we must nedes cōfesse that a sacrament dothe consiste of a visible signe to the whiche the thinge signified is ioyned whiche is his truthe This also hath bene euer a general rule that the name of the thing signified is trāsferred to the signe Wherefore no man that hath but indifferently traueled in the scriptures wyll deny but that a sacramentall speache must be taken denominatiuely We let passe generall tropes figures which are in diuers places of the scripture This onely we saye that so often as the externall signe is sayd to be that which it signifieth all men wyll confesse that it is done by a figure called Metonymia or Denomination If Baptisme be called the lauer of regeneration if Christe bee called the Rocke from whiche water flowed to the peopled that were in the deserte If the holy ghoste be called a doue no man nede to doubte but that the name of those thynges is attributed to signes whiche they figure Howe commeth it to passe then that they whiche so muche reuerence the woordes of the Lord cannot abide to haue that ioyned to the supper whiche is cōmon to all sacramentes The simple litterall sence doth please thē why then shal not the same rule preuayle in al other sacraments Truly vnles they graunt the Christe was a rocke substantially the reproche with the which thei oppresse vs is vnsauery stinketh If we expounde the bread to be called the body of Christ because it was a signe outwarde token of his body they pretēde falsely alleage by by that the whole doctrine of the scripture is ouerthrowen and made frustrate For wee haue not of late tyme inuented this rule of speakyng but all men haue receiued the same beinge set downe to vs by S. Augustine out of the authoritie of the auncient fathers that the names of spirituall thinges are improperly ascribed vnto signes and that all places of Scripture ought so to be expounded whē mencion is made of Sacramentes But to what purpose do we take an Axioma and sentence alwayes receiued and approued to moue great cries and shoutes as it were in a new and vnwonted thing But let mad men crye whyle them liste this shall preuayle with modest men and suche as are in their wyttes that there is in these woordes of Christe a sacramentall manner of speache Whereupon it followeth that the breade because it is a signe of Christes body is called
that at night they may easely go to bed without a supper Are these lyke vnto the sonne of God Are these immitators of hym The faste of our fathers was farre greater yet it was in no point to be compared to Christes faste Moreouer neyther Christe nor Moyses did obserue this solemne faste euery yeare but both of thē fasted but once in their whole lyfe But I would they had bene contented with apyshe toyes onely and not to haue attempted to fashion them selues to his rule with their fayned fastinge whiche was a wicked and moste detestable deriding of Christe for because they perswaded them selues that it was a meritorious worke a worshiping of God it was a wicked superstition But this cōtumely towardes God is not to be suffered because they obscure and darken his singuler myracle Then they are iniurious to Christe because they detracte from him excelency decke them selues with his spoyles Thirdly they are enemies to the Gospell from the which they take no small authoritie except this faste of Christ be knowem to be his seale God did shewe a wonderfull myracle when that he exempted his sonne from the necessitie of eating do they not with mad rashenes immitate God and seke to be lyke vnto hym whē that they thinke they are able by their owne power and strengthe to do the lyke Christ was marked to be knowen with deuine glory by his fasting Do they not he being robbed of his glory take away his excellency when as they ioyne them selues being mortall mē to be fellowes and companiōs with him God apointed to the faste of Christ this ende that he might seale the Gospell nowe they whiche brought the same to an other vse did they not take awaye the dignitie of the Gospell Away therefore with this Cacozelia or false peruerse apishe immitation which both doth peruerte the councell and purpose of God and also the order of his workes But let the Reader note here that we speake not generally of fastinges the vse whereof I would to God were oftner among vs So that it were pure holy as it ought to be but our purpose and intent is to shewe for what ende Christe fasted He vvas at last a hongered M. As if the Euāgeliste should haue sayd he hongered not before For Christe fasted as we haue shewed already not as we faste whiche somewhile leaue our ordinary and accustomed diet or fare somwhyle lesse somwhyle more we take as occasion and custome shall serue but farre exceding the custome and manner of men he fasted abstaining wonderfully altogether both from breade and drinke finally from all kynde of foode to sustaine humane nature for he liued that tyme amonge the beastes wher was nothing to be gotten It was necessary therfore that the humane body should be preserued by his deuine power that he should lyue not only without meate but also that he shoulde not be a hongred so longe as the appointed tyme of temptation endured 3 And when the tempter came vnto him he sayde if thou be the sonne of God commaunde that these stones be made bread And vvhen the tempter M. Nowe Mathew beginneth to describe the order of the tēptatiōs of Sathā And first he called him the tempter whome before he called the deuell whereby he admonisheth the faithfull to take hede of him as doth also the apostle Paule saying Least peraduenture the tempter tempte you and in an other place Least Sathan tempt you He is iustly called by the name of Sathā since the tyme in the whiche he with a wyly and subtill temptation caused all mankinde in our first parētes to be subiecte to death C. Whereby also we may gather that those temptations whiche stirre our myndes to euill do only come from him For where it is sayde that God doth tempte that is done to an other end namely to trie the faith of his seruaūtes or els to punishe the vnbeleuing or at least to make their hipocrisie which loue not the truthe to be openly knowen P. But craftely the deuel bryngeth men to mischiefe or calamitie that he may leade them to desperatiō and blasphemy These craftes and wyles of Sathan let vs learne to knowe that we may flie to our captayne Christe the sonne of God whiche fighteth against the deuell as it is written in Genesis This seade shall treade towne the head of the Serpente which agreeth with this saying of Iohn The sonne of God came to destroye the workes of the deuell He said if thou Be thou sonne of God. M. This is the first temptation of Sathan whiche is here described with the whiche by occasion of honger he setteth vpon Christe Comaunde that these stones be made bread C. Here some auncient writers with slender reasons dallied For they sayde that the first temptation was of Glottony The seconde of ambition and the thirde of couetousnes But very ridiculous it is to referre that to the intemperancy of glottony when a man that is very hongry doth desire to haue meate whereby he might sustaine nature Moreouer what delicates or dainties do they sayne in breade that he may be thoughe so be very delicious and daintie whiche was contēted as we saye with drie bread But the only aunswere of Christe doth sufficiently declare that the purpose of Sathan was otherwyse For certainly the sonne of God was no rude or inexperte wrastler which knewe not to shonne the trips of his aduersary which being offered the foyle on the right syde would not defend him selfe on the lefte Therefore if Sathan went about to deceiue hym with pleasures of Glottony he had in a readines the testimonies of scripture with the which he mighte repelle him and put him to flight But yet he propoundeth no sache thing but taketh this sentence that man shall not lyue by bread only but by the secrete benediction of God. Whereby we may gather that Sathan began directly with the saythe of Christe that the same being extinguyshed he might constrayne Christ to seke his liuing by peruerse and vnlawefull meanes And truly then he followeth vs at an inche as we saye when he assayeth to brynge this to passe that we distrusting God may helpe our selues otherwyse then Gods worde doth allowe Therefore the effecte and sence of the wordes is this Seing thou seest thy selfe to be forsaken of God it is tyme to loke to thy selfe Therefore make thy selfe meate whiche God refuseth to helpe thée with For although he pretende the deuine power of Christ by the whiche the stones might be tourned into breade yet notwithstanding this only he hunteth after that Christe departing frō the worde of God whatsoeuer he should haue sayde should haue bene discredited To the purpose therefore Christ maketh aunswere that man shall not lyue by bread only as if he should haue said thou beddest me seke some remedy wherby I may helpe my selfe otherwyse then God doth allowe And this were distruste whereof there is no nede so long
as God doth promyse to nourishe me Thou Sathan doste bynde his grace vnto breade but he on the contrary parte witnesseth that his grace is sufficient to nourishe and succoure vs Nowe let vs consyder what kynde of temptation this was surely suche a one with the which Sathan dayly fighteth against vs For the sonne of God would not suffer any vnwonted temptation but would fight in the same battaile that we fight in to the ende that we being fournished with the same armoure wherewith he was armed nede not doubt of the victory but that already we haue the palme in our handes 4 But he aunswered and said It is wrytten man shal not lyue by bread only but by euery woorde that proceadeth out of the mouthe of God. And he aunsvvered and. C. First this is here worthy to be noted that Christe taketh the scripture for his buckler for this is the true kynde of fight if we couet to haue the victory Neyther in vayne doth Paull call the woorde of God the sworde of the spirite M. Christe coulde by his deuine power haue caste Sathan into the bottomles pit but for our sake he would ouercome his temptations that his deceites should not only be frustrate but also we that shoulde followe thereby might learne howe to fight A. That we being well appointed with the armoure of the woorde of God might bouldely resiste our enemy the deuell C. Whereby also we may gather that the Papistes hauing made a league and agremente with Sathan as it were to caste out the soules of men to th ende they may cruely of hym be destroyed they suppressing the scripture do despoyle the people of God of their armoure with the whiche they might only defend them selues For they whiche caste from them this armour and exercise not thē selues daily in the schole of God are worthy euery houre to be in daunger of the deuell to whome they do betraye them selues Neyther is there any other reason why Sathan should so spoyle and ouercomme so many were it not that God would be reuēged on their negligence and contempt of his woorde Now we must consider the testimony of Moyses whiche Christe citeth Man shall not liue by bread M. By this word bread he vnderstandeth all maner of foode what soeuer we vse to the sustentation of our body Loke in the sixt chap. folowing Some very falsely wreste this testimony of Moyses as if it had bene saide that the liues of mē were not nourished with visible breade but with the worde of god In some respect this is true but Moyses respected another thing For when they had no other breade at hande he sheweth that Manna was an extraordinary foode to the people that by this document it might be witnessed for euer that the life of men is not included in bread but to depend at the wil and pleasure of god The woorde therefore in this place is not takē for doctrine but for the decrée which god published to the defending of the order of nature to the nourishing of his creatures Neither doth he reiecte men which are the workemanship of his handes but for this cause he powreth life into them that once being geuen he may daily sustaine the same The woorde is the vertue and power of God by the whiche we be sustained as well without meate as with meate whether he place any other thinge in steade of meate as Manna which he gaue to our forefathers or nothing as he kept and preserued Moyses Helias and Christe so many dayes C. So saythe the Apostle he ruleth all thinges with the woorde of his power That is al the worlde is preserued all the partes thereof abide in their proper state at his becke and decrée by whom al thinges are gouerned Therefore although we be fed by breade yet we must not attribute our lyfe to the vertue of the same but to the secrete power of his grace whiche God inspireth in the bread to feede vs. Whervpon also it followeth that God whiche vseth the ordinary meane of bread to our sustentatiō will otherwise whē it pleaseth him fede vs that we may liue B. Therfore the aunswere of Christe is in effecte thus Although I honger yet God by his power can preserue me still as he hathe done hitherto without meate that I shal not nede to make these stones breade A. Neyther is the power of my father tyed vnto breade By this sentence of Moyses therefore their wickednes is condemned wiche counte that their lyfe and felicitie to haue aboundace and superfluitie of all thynges pertayning to the body Here also is reproued the distruste wicked carefulnes whiche causeth vs to seke after vnlawfull thinges And to this point the aunswere of Christ is properly directed that we must so trust to receiue our foode and other thinges necessary to our life that we passe not the boundes limited vnto vs. For if Christe thought it not lawfull and mete to make breade of stones contrary to his fathers commaundement muche lesse it is lefull to get our liuinge by rapine violence murther bribery extortion vsury and suche lyke We knowe it was sayde to Adam in the beginning Thou shalt get thy liuing in the sweate of thy browes And Paule He whiche laboureth not let hym not eate And againe if any prouide not for his housholde he hath denied the fayth and is worse then an infidele And these places are wrytten leaste that any man should take occasion to lyue idely refuse the labour of his handes whiche God hath appoynted to get our liuing by 5 Then the Deuell toke hym into the holy cittie and set hym on a pinnacle of the temple Then the deuell toke him M. This is the other temptation of Sathan by the which what he wente aboute we may gather by the aunswere of Christe Luke resiteth this in the second place but the Euangelistes ment not so to order the history that they would obserue and kepe alwayes exactly the order of tyme but rather to gather the speciall thynges that they might set forthe as it were in a glasse or table those thynges whiche were moste proffitable to bee knowen as concernyng Christe This therefore shall be sufficient for vs to knowe that Christe was tempted thrée manner of wayes But whiche was the fyrste seconde or thyrde it maketh no matter vnto vs. A. Here Mathew declareth that Christ was taken of the deuell and set vppon the Pinacle of the temple E. But howe he was taken and caried whether by force or by his own free wyll following the Deuell C. Or whether he were caried through the aire or whether it were done by a vysion it is not for the godly to searche It may be that there was no small tyme betwene the first and seconde temptation and betwene the seconde and the thyrde but that there was some distaunce whiche is moste lykely although by the wordes of Luke it is gathered
ende For it is not mete that we should be so greedy desirous of our own profite that we should preferre the same before the glory of god Therefore so often as we pray it is not meete that we forget that Notwithstandinge there is this differēce betwen these twoo kindes of praier which we haue rehersed that whā we pray as cōcerning the kingdom of god the hallowing of his name we must eleuate our minde and sences wholly vp to heauen that the regarde of our self being set aparte our praier may assende vnto God onely after that wée may descend to our selues and we maye ioyne the care of our health profyte to the first petitions whiche only parteine to god And although remission of sinnes ought to be preferred before our fode so far as the soule excelleth the body Christ notwithstanding made his beginning of breade the staies helpes of an earthly life that by such a rudiment enterance he might leade vs farther ▪ we do not aske therefore our dayly breade before we be reconciled vnto God as though we estemed our earthly body more then the health of our sowle but our mindes must assēde to heauen from the earth as it were by steppes and degrees For when as God dothe humble hym selfe to norysshe oure bodies no doubte there is then a greatter will in him to norysshe our spirituall life The greatnesse therfore of his mercy in this poynt dothe erecte our truste a greate deale hyer M. But where as we call it our breade we may not so vnderstande it as though it were oures by right and due vnto vs as debte but that it is necessary for vs and appoynted vnto vs by that prouidence of our lyfe by the whiche he feedeth all thynges of his goodnesse And geueth it vnto vs freely because wee shoulde not wante The fieldes are to be tylled and plowed wee muste sweate also in gatherynge in the fruytes of the earthe and euerye man muste laboure accordynge to his callynge and yet this letteth not but that wee are fedde by the free lyberalitie and gifte of God without the whiche man dothe but drawe water in a syue yea his laboure is in vayne But wee are taughte that what so euer semeth to be gotten of vs by oure owne laboure and industry is acceptable to hym Some wil haue this bread to be supersubstācial or superessētial as though Chryste spake not of corporall foode but theyr reason is vayne and repugnaunte to godlynes For who knoweth not that it is the order of the Scripture in many places by the taste of earthly thynges to brynge vs to the knowledge of heauenly thinges So that where as Chryste here speaketh of corporall foode we may therby gather that elles his talke were mutilate and not parfecte for in many places we are commaunded to caste all our cares vpon God and he most lyberally promiseth on the other part that we shal wante no maner of thynge Therefore in the exacte rule of prayinge it is necessary that somewhat be commaunded as concernynge the innumerable necessyties of this present lyfe This daye By this it should apere that he woulde haue vs care but from daye to daye And in dede there is no doubt but that he woulde by these wordes restrain and moderate the desire care of earthly foode with the which we are many times without al measure brought to distrust M. In this name of breade the Hebricians comprehend all kinde of foode As we may reade in the wordes of Elizeus Set breade water before thē that they may eate and drink go to their maister And he prepared a great refection for thē that is to say greate aboundaunce of meate C. But here in this place it is takē more amplely For we desire not onely foode to be geuen vnto vs by the hande of God but also what soeuer is necessary for our life So that now the sēce meaning of this praier is plaine First we are cōmanded to pray that god wil defend sustein this life which he hath geuē vs in this world and because it wanteth many aydes and helpes that he wold minister vnto vs what so euer he knoweth to be necessary Geue vs. M. When we say geue vs we cōfesse chiefely that all the sustentation of our lif cōmeth of god that it is he alone which fedeth al thinges thē we acknowledge it to be the fre gift of god in somuch that except he geue the same al the labour industry of mā is but vaine This day C. This aduerbe as we said before was added to bridell restraine the excedinge care of men because his beneficence euery moment depēdeth ouer vs So that we ought to be cōtent that he wil fede vs from one daye to a nother Notwithstanding here a questiō may be demāded Question for so muche as it is certayne that Chryste gaue this rule of praier generally in cōmon to al the godly among the whiche nomber some are very riche which haue abondance store of vittailes now howe doth Christ cōmaunde them to aske their dayly bread when they haue in store plēty of vittailes for a whole yere The answere to this obiection is easie For wee are taught by these words that except the lord do dayly fede vs the store of vittails is nothing Admit that corne wine other necessaries do abound yet except they be protected with the benediction blessyng of God sodeinely they cōsume away or at least the vse of them is taken frō vs or els the naturall force strength of noryshing is taken frō them that in the middest of our store plenty we are in miserable penury wherfore it is no meruaile if Christ cōmaunded the poore the riche alike to seke for their dayly breade norishement at the handes of god C. But no man can pray hartely but he whiche hath learned with S. Paule to be content in euery estate to below to excede to be hungrye and to haue plenty and not to deceiue hym selfe with the false truste of his aboundaunce and plenty 12 And forgeue vs our dettes as we forgeue our detters And forgeue vs. C. Here we must call to mynde that which we spake euen now that Christ in directing the praiers of his seruantes had not regarde to the order therof For when as it is writtē that our sinnes ar like vnto a stained cloth which seperate vs frō god as a cloude by the reason wherof he seeth vs not it is necessary that we begin our praiers of remission of sins because that being graūted we haue hope to procede farther But in twoo petitiōs Christ comprehended all those thynges whiche parteine to the healthe of the sowle to the spiritual life euen as these twoo are the speciall pillers of the couenaunte of God by the whiche our whole saluation doth stand that he doth offer vnto vs frée reconciliation not imputing our sinnes
deathe Marke addeth and for the Gospels sake Shall fynde it Marke Luke haue Shall saue it This is a singuler comforte and consolation that he whiche loseth his life for Christes sake doth coÌ„mende the same into the handes of Christe where it shal fynde euerlasting reste and felicitie A. Let vs beware therefore that none of vs be punyshed as a murtherer as a thiefe as a backbyter or as a busy bodye in other mens matters But let vs suffer afflictioÌ„ according to the wyll of God committing oure soules to hym by well doynge as vnto a faythfull creditour 40 He that receiueth you receiueth me and he that receiueth me receiueth him that sent me M. This also is a great consolation against the trouble of excommunication and persecution whiche they should suffer of the whiche we haue spoken before Nowe being not content in tellynge the punyshementes that they should suffer which reiected the Apostels he proceadeth farther and sheweth what proffite the worthy receiuers of the Apostels haue namely suche proffite that he whiche receiueth them receyueth Christe hym selfe and his heauenly father also whiche sente hym that men myghte hereby knowe howe dere they were both to hym and to his father also C. Finally he speaketh not so much of the receiuing of the doctrine as he doth of the receiuing of the men We muste note therefore the purpose of Christe who testified that whiche he sawe was fitte to helpe their infirmities Namely that if any man receyued them frendly and gently that then it was as acceptable vnto hym as if they had liberally intreated and intertained him in their person and not only this but also that they do offer to God the sacrifice of a swete sauour C. But we muste note here to whome Christe speaketh these woordes surely to his Apostels disciples Therefore he speaketh to them that do his will not to seducers whiche preache not the worde of the lorde but their own fancies and dreames abusing these woordes of the lorde as if they were true ministers when as in dede they be false Prophetes In Iohn the lorde very plainely saythe Verely verely I saye vnto you he that receiueth whomesoeuer I sende receyueth me But these false Prophetes roÌ„ne before they be sent they speake but not of the Lordes mouthe 41 He that receiueth a Prophete in the name of a Prophete shall receiue a Prophetes rewarde And he that receiueth a iuste man in the name of a iuste man shall receiue a iuste mans rewarde Bu. Nowe he sheweth at large the rewarde whiche he wyll bestowe vpon those that receyue his messengers to this ende no doubte that his ministers might haue the more sauoure among men C. He beginneth truely with the Prophetes but at lengthe descending to the lowest degree he comprehendeth all those that are his disciples Therefore without exception he coÌ„mendeth the true worshippers of God and the louers of the Gospell But to receyue in the name of a Prophete and of a iust maÌ„ is as muche as to do them good for the honour of the doctrine and in respecte of pietie and godlines For although God hath commaunded vs generally to loue al men by the bonde of charitie notwithstanding worthely he bryngeth his to a hier degree that men might haue special care and consideration of them aboue others According to the saying of saynt Paule Let vs do good vnto all men but specially to theÌ„ of the housholde of faithe Shall receiue a Prophetes revvarde C. Diuers interpretours expounde this diuersly It semeth to some that a mutuall recoÌ„pence or satisfaction is noted here because the Prophetes of God geue againe spiritual benefites for earthly thinges But it this exposition be allowed what shal be the rewarde of the iuste Other some vnderstande it that they shall be fellowes and companions of the same rewarde whiche is layde vp for the Prophetes and the iuste because they were benefitial toward them Many referre it to the communion of Sainctes because as we by our beneficence and liberalitie do testifie that we are one body with the seruauÌ„tes of Christe euen so by this meanes we are made partakers of al good thinges which Christe doth communicate and bestowe vpon the members of his body But it rather semeth to be vnderstoode symplely the rewarde of a Prophete that is a rewarde that may aunswere the dignitie of the persone to whome the office shall be committed 42 And whosoeuer shall geue to one of these litle ones to drinke a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple verely I saye vnto you he shall not lose his rewarde And vvhosoeuer shall geue C. To amplifie this he promiseth a rewarde to euery one that dothe the leaste parte of the dutie of charitie namely to geue a cup of colde water He calleth them lytle ones not only whiche are lowest in degree and basest in the churche but all his disciples also whiche are disdained of the worlde So in an other place he saythe feare not littell flocke A cup of colde vvater A. By this the lorde declareth that he doth not so muche regarde the gifte as he doth respecte the mynde of the geuer neither the worke so muche as he dothe the wyll of the worker As we may reade of the wydowe who castyng twoo mytes into the treasurie is sayde of Christe to caste in more then all the reste Verely verely I saye vnto you M. Because it semeth incredible to man that he hathe done any suche excellent thing in geuing a cup of colde water he affirmeth it with an othe saying Verely verely I saye vnto you he shall not lose his rewarde Where we muste note that he sayth not he shall receyue his rewarde but he shall not lose his rewarde to preuent our cogitation by the which we perswade oure selues that we shall receiue no rewarde for so smal benefites For so saithe the Apostell God is not vnrighteous that he should forget your worke labour the proceadeth of loue which loue ye shewe in his name which haue ministred vnto the sainctes and yet minister The .xi. Chapter AND it came to passe that wheÌ„ Iesus had made an end of coÌ„maunding his twelue disciples he departed theÌ„ce to teache and to preache in their citties And it came to passe B. Luke saith that they departed wente through the townes â—…reaching the Gospell healing euery where And Marke hath the same wordes in effect Notwithstanding Christe him selfe woulde not geue ouer his dutie as many slowe bellies and idell prelates do in these dayes which neither preache theÌ„ selues to the people nor yet prouide that others may do it for them C. So sone therefore as the lord had sent his disciples to preache in Iury he hym selfe went to preache in Galilae Of commaunding the tvvelue C. There is great force in this word of coÌ„maunding because Mathewe declareth that they had not frée liberty in their Embassage but it was prescribed
faythe and so more apte and mete to euery worke pertayninge to the kingedome of God. Our sauiour Christ therfore spake these thynges to his disciples to trye them as more plainely appereth by the wordes of S. Iohn A. But Marke saith that the disciples made aunswere to this cōmandement of Christe sayinge Shall we go and bie two hundred penyworth of bred and geeue them to eate To the whiche saying agreeth the aunswere of Phillip two hundred peniworth of bread are not sufficiente that euery man mighte take a lyttell As if he shoulde haue sayde If we should bestow all the money that we haue whiche is but two hundred pence yet would it not be sufficient for so great a multitude Twoo hundred pence were worthe twenty of our frenche crownes as affyrmeth Budeus And in the tyme of Budeus a French crowne was worth fyue and thirty of our frenche shyllinges whiche we call twopeny peces Here is to be noted the redines of the Apostelles whiche were ready and wyllynge to bestowe so great a somme of money being as it is lykely all that they had for the vse of the people 17 They saide vnto hym we haue here but fyue loaues and twoo fysshes A. The lyk wordes hath the Euangelist Luke But Marke hath these words He sayd vnto them Howe many loues haue ye go and loke And when they had searched they said fiue and two fishes They seeme thus to aunswere because a boye which was among them had those loues the whiche boye whether hee pertayned to any of the disciples or whether hee brought those loaues to sell as commonly where multitudes are they doo it is vncertaine The woordes of the Euangelist Iohn ar these One of his disciples Andrew Symon Peters brother saith vnto him Here is a lad which hath fiue barley loaues and two fisshes but what are these amonge so many 28 He sayde brynge them hither to me Our sauiour Christe here presently goeth aboute to confyrme that whiche hee had saide before namely that to the sekers of the kyngedome of God and the ryghteousenesse thereof all thynges necessary shoulde be at hande C. But we muste not looke that Christe should alwaies after this manner feede the hungerye and those that faste Notwithstandynge it is moste certayne and sure that hee wyll neuer suffer those that are his to wante the necessarye foode of lyfe but wyll reache out his hande from heauen to helpe theyr necessitie at suche tyme as it shall seeme vnto hym profytable But they whiche desyre to haue Chryst theyr nourisher must here learn not to seeke for exquisyte and dayntie delycates but must holde them selues contented with the barley loafe Moreouer Christ did not fede this people miraculously but in the tyme of greate necessitie neither did he feede them by by so sone as they hungred Therfore we learne here not to appoint him the tyme and houre to fede vs when we are hungery but to wayte his leysure tyll such tyme as he shall thincke it conueniente to helpe oure nede 19 And he cōmaunded the people to syt downe on the grasse and he toke the fyue loues and the two fysshes lift vp his eies toward heauē and blessed And when he had broken thē he gaue the loues to his disciples and his disciples gaue them to the people And he commaunded the people to syt M. The Euangelist Luke sayth that Christ commaunded the disciples to cause the people to sit down by fifties in a cōpany C. The which he did chiefely to this ende first that the people being so placed in order might the more plainly beholde the myracle secondly that the men might the more easely be nombred so beholding thē selues might be witnesses of this heauēly grace and diuine power thirdly he did it he seinge his disciples careful to proue their obedience cōmaundinge them to do that which at the first might seme ridiculous a iest for it might seme wonderfull to what end Christ would go about to make a feaste hauinge no store or prouision of meate On the grasse A. There was saith S. Iohn muche grasse in the place M. Let vs therfore note how great and wonderful thinges God worketh bringeth to passe in grosse matter in thynges to our iudgemente very base this barly bread feast whiche was made vpon the grasse had a greater shewe of the dyuine maiestie and power of God then all the kinges tables feastes in the world And lift vp his eies tovvards heauen B. The custome of Christ in praying was to lifte vp his eies as apereth in the xi and xvii chapters of Iohn By the which external gesture hee declared that hee receiued all thinges of the father and that thanckes for al thinges ought to be rendered vnto hym And blessed C. Blessynge in this place as in other places is oftentymes taken for geuing of thanckes A. as appereth by the woordes of Iohn who instede of that which the other three Euangelistes saye he blessed hath When he had geuen thanckes But Luke addethe the pronoune saying he blessed them insteede of he gaue thankes to God for the loues fisshes which he gaue vnto hym in a moment to fede the multitude C. By the whiche exaumple Christ teacheth vs that we can not in a pure holy and Godly maner eate our meate vnles we geue thanckes vnto God at whose handes we receyue the same Therefore sayncte Paule saythe that what so euer meates are geuen vnto vs are sanctified by the worde and by praier By the whiche hee declareth that brutishe beastelye men which neyther by fayth blesse God nor celebrate the same by geuynge thankes do by theyr infidelitie pollute and defyle that whiche by nature is pure and cleane and moreouer that they theym selues by the meate whiche they stuffe and thruste into their bellies are defyled and corrupted because nothynge to the vnfaythfull is holye or cleane Chryste therefore prescrybed vnto those that are his a trew and godly manner of eating leaste they shoulde by wycked sacriledge profane them selues and the benefytes of God also And trewely this admonition is so muche the more to be noted because we se at this day the greatest part of men to fede them selues after the maner of brute beastes And vvhen he had broken them M. The breakynge of breade was so common and vsuall with Chryste that by the same hee was knowne to the two disciples as they were goinge to Emaus This maner of breakynge of breade was verye fatherlyke and commendable amonge the elders of olde time as it is hytherto in many places and after the same sorte best beseminge and belonginge vnto Christ by whom wee are all fed Furthermore this breakynge of breade hath in it selfe a signe or token of communication or participation so that the woorde breaking dothe often sygnifye to deuyde as appereth by this place of the Prophete Breke thye loafe to the hungerye For a loafe can not refreshe many
Psalmes wher it is mencioned howe the Isralites went backe froÌ„ God but speciallye in the thréescore eyghtene Psalme wher it is sayd They kept not the couenaunt of God and woulde not walke in his Lawe but forgat what hée had done and the wonderfull workes that hee had shewed for them And oure sauioure Christ at his last supper when he sought to kepe and confirme his Dysciples in a sure truste and true loue towardes him hée instituted and ordayned for a remembrauÌ„ce the Communion of his bodye and bloude in the breaking of the bread and in the communicatinge of the cuppe 10. Neyther the seuen loaues when there were fower thousand men and howe many baskets toke ye vppe A This Historye is declared at large in the fyftene Chapter goyng before 11. How happeneth it that ye do not vnderstand that I spake it not to you coÌ„cerning bread that yee should beware of the leuen of the Phariseys and of the Saduces A. The fault of so grosse ignorance hée layeth vpon his Disciples As if hée shoulde haue sayd these thinges were not so lately done before your eyes you had euen of late sufficient proofe and experience of my power how coÌ„meth it to passe then that so soone ye forget the thinge which should be alwayes in your mindes Surely the onely cause is the grosse blindnes of your hartes 12. Then vnderstode they how that hee bade not them beware of the leuen of bread but of the doctrine of the Phariseis and of the Saduces Then vnderstoode they C. Oure sauioure Christe toke this name of leuen in good part when hée sayd that the Gospell was like vnto leuen But the Scripture very often by this name meaneth euery corrupte fayned inuention by the which the naturall purity of euery thing is defyled In this place there is no agrement betwene these two namely betweene the simple veritye and truth of God and the fayned inuencions which men bring in vppon theyr owne brayne Neyther is there any cause why any sophister or subtill fellowe should deny this to be vnderstoode of euerye corrupte doctrine seinge that there can no other doctrine be found which can sustayne the name of pure vnleuened doctrine but that onely which is come from god Whereuppon it followeth that that is called leuen which is mingled or mixste with any other thing then that which doth pertayne to it selfe accordinge to the sayinge of S. Paule namely that the fayth of Christ is falsifyed so soone as wée are ledde from the simple truth of Christ But of the doctrine of the Pha. C. At that time the ordinary auctority of the Church did belonge to the Scribes Priestes amonge whom the Phariseys were chiefe When as Christ therefore by name commaundeth his Dysciples to beware of their Doctrine it followeth that all they are to be shonned and auoyded which ioyne and tye their owne inuencions to the word of God how honourable and mighty soeuer they séeme to be Wherefore that subiection of those men is abhomible and accursed which of their owne frée will submit themselues to the lawes and inuentions of the Pope 13. VVhen Iesus came into the coastes of the Cittye which is called Caesaria Philippi he asked his Disciples saying whom do men say that I the sonne of man am VVhen Iesus came Bu. In this presente Historye the Euangelist in a short compendium shéeweth the whole summe of our Religion namelye what the truâ—…e perfecte Catholike faith is what force and efficacy it hath wherof it commeth howe the confession thereof is requyred to be in euerye one of vs and laste of all what the foundacion of the Churche is and by what keyes the kingdome of heauen is opened C. Marke sayth that Christ had this communication with his Dysciples as they were in their iorneye And Luke sayth hée had it when hée was praying had no bodye with him sauing his Disciples But our Euangelist Mathew doth not so curiously note the time yet notwithstanding it is moste certayne that they thrée haue wryten this History and it maye he that Christ in that perigrination after hee had prayed a whyle demaunded this of his Disciples Into the partes of Casaria Philippi B. This Caesarca is at the ryuer of Iordan and was called at the first Panneas but afterward it was called Caesaria Philippi by Philip the sonne of Herode the great and the brother of the Tetrarche which beheadded Iohn The which Cesarea also after that for the honour of Nero was called by Agryppa Neronia as apereth by Iosephus in his eightene booke of the antiquities of the Iewes the thyrd chapter But the boundes or borders of this Cesarea Philippi was the region of the Iewes wherupon it was inhabited both by the Syrians and Iewes together Of this Cittie there is often mention made by Luke in the Actes of the Apostels C. There is also an other Cesarea namely that ancient and noble Cesarea whiche at the firste was called the tower of Strato M. This Cittie Herode the greate builded betwene Dora and Ioppa and for the loue of Augustus Caesar he called it Caesarea Of the first Caesarea our Euangeliste maketh mention and because he woulde make a difference he calleth it Cesarea Philippi VVhom do men say that I the sonne of man am E. Our Sauiour Christ demanded this question to make him self better known vnto his Disciples and to confirme theÌ„ for in the knowledge of him onely there is saluation and euerlastinge life Hee knewe that the iudgement of the coÌ„mon sorte of people as concernyng him selfe was diuerse He knewe also the simplycitie of his disciples whereby it myghte haue ben that they had ben hyndered and let from the knowledge of the trueth by the errours of the common people C. Vppon this consideration therefore to confirme them he dothe not onely demaunde what they but first of all what the people thought of him His question myghte seeme to be to knowe what the common fame as concerninge the redemer which was the sonne of man was Notwithstandinge his question is other wise namelye to enquire what menne thought of Iesu the sonne of Mary But he accordinge to his maner taketh vnto hym the name of the sonne of man as if he should say Nowe so longe as I am in my fleshe vppon the earthe as one of the common sorte of men what do men iudge of me M. Christ doth wyllyngly confesse the humilitie of his humanytie so often as he calleth him self the son of man for that also was ordayned to the glory of god This humble base forme of the sonne of man was an impedimeÌ„t and let to the Iewes to beholde the glory of Christe The sonne of man is nothinge elles but man accordynge to the phrase of the Scripture as in this place What is man that thou arte myndefull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him And in an other place what art thou
God hym selfe speakynge there but whether of the partes thou chose it maketh lyttell to the purpose in this place because it was sufficiente in this place to alleage the oracle and word of God althoughe it was pronounced by the mouthe of Adam If Adam speake it he hath respecte vnto that whiche God had commaunded and done and Adam in this place is a Prophete shewynge the worke of God loking also vnto the ende Man shall forsake father and mother C. In this place he that maryeth a wyfe is not simplely cōmaunded to leaue his father and mother for thē shold God be contrary vnto him selfe if by matrimony he shoulde abolishe the dewety whiche hee chargeth children to shewe towardes their parentes but when the comparison betwene the dueties is made the wyfe is preferred before father and mother But if any man should relinquishe or forsake his father and shake of the yoke to the which he is tyed no man myghte abyde suche a monster Muche lesse therefore there is lybertie graunted to breake wedlocke C. B. Therefore trewely the naturall and mutuall affynite of the father mother with the chyldren is holye but the loue of the husband and the wyfe is more holy Wherefore if time and occasion so require the societie of the father muste rather be forsaken then the fellowship of the wyfe And shal be ioyned to his vvyfe E. The Metaphor is taken of those thinges that are so set together with glewe that you wolde thinke them to be but one thynge By this word Christ excludeth all causes for the whiche the wyues among the Iewes were rashly put away And they tvvo shall be one fleshe C By this sayinge the hauinge of many wyues is no lesse condempned than the lybertie of diuorcynge wyues For if the mutuall coniunction betwene two was hallowed of the lorde then the mynglinge of three or fower is adultery But Christ as we saide before doth applie it otherwise vnto his purpose that is that whosoeuer is diuorced from his wyfe teareth and renteth him selfe because suche is the force of holy matrymonye that the husbande and the wyfe shoulde growe together as one man Neyther was it the meaning of Christ to bringe in the impure and filthy speculation of Plato but did reuerētly intreate of the order appointed by God sayinge 6 Therfore nowe they are not two but one fleshe Let no man therfore put asonder that whiche God hath coupled together Therefore novve they are not tvvo B. Or hereafter they are not twoo that is after they are coupled together or maryed They were created twoo and not one that is to wit man and woman and agayne by the copulation of matrimony of twoo hée made them one Therfore it should be as muche against nature to pull the wyfe from her husband as to cut of any member of the body Furthermore in Genesis from whence this place was taken this woorde twoo is not red but onely on this wise And they shal be one flesh But the Euangelist Matthew addeth this worde twoo to make the matter more playne euen as the Apostell Paule hath done in the sixte chapter of the first epistell to the Corinthians or els both of them dyd follow the threscore and ten interpretours That therefore vvhiche God hath coupled E. Or ioyned yoked in one yoke This phrase and manner of speeche is taken from the Oxen which carrie together one yooke Let not man seperate C. By this sentence Christe dothe brydell the lustes of men leaste they shoulde breake the holy knot by putinge away their wiues And as he denieth that it is in the husebandes wyll to dissolue wedlocke so also he pronounceth a lawe to all other that by their authoritie they should not confirme vnlawful diuorses For the maiestrate abuseth his aucthoritie which graunteth fauoure vnto the husbande to cast of his wyfe Yet notwithstandinge Christ hath a due respecte vnto this that euerye man for hym selfe shoulde deuoutelye reuerence his promyse made and those whom eyther lust or concupiscence shoulde moue to diuorce shoulde haue a consideration of this What arte thou that wouldeste make the breache of this holy coniunctyon free vnto thy selfe B. Christ truely in this place accuseth that mind to be giltie of Adultery whiche contrary to the lawes of matrimony is so frowarde towarde his wyfe that it were better for her to be free from him than to be ioyned vnto him C. Moreouer this doctryne may farther be extended The Papistes propoundinge and settinge before vs the Churche pulled and torne from her head do leaue vs a blockish and maimed body In the holy Supper Christ hauing ioyned breade vnto wyne they are bolde to take away the vse of the cup from all the people to this diuelishe corruption and adhominable aduoutry we maye boldely obiecte this place of our sauiour Chryste and say That whiche God hath coupled together let no man put a sunder 7 They saye vnto hym why therefore did Moyses commaunde to geeue a testimoniall of diuorsemente and to sende her awaye They say vnto hym M. By the woordes of our sauiour Christ they dyd well vnderstande his meanynge namely that it was not lawefull to sende awaye a wyfe for euery cause And here they obiect vnto hym the authoritie of Moyses whiche authoritie no doubte came from God as if they shoulde haue sayde Hath Moyses commaunded that whiche is vnlawful Thou saiest it is vnlawfull but Moyses commaunded it to be done therefore it shoulde seme by thy wordes that Moyses hath offended and sedused vs Therfore thou woldeste haue vs to credyte thee more thē Moyses who receiued this lawe all others at the mouth of god Therefore thou resistest the doctrine of God. 8 He saith vnto them Moyses because of the hardnes of your hartes suffered you to put away your wiues but frō the beginning it was not so Moyses because of the hardenes of your heartes C. The Phariseis had inuēted that crafty Cauill whiche I haue aboue noted to intrap Christ if he as they thoughte he wolde and as it was lykely had shutt out the lawefull cause of diuorses For that whiche God by his lawe permitteth whatsoeuer it be semeth lawfull whose onely wil appoynteth a difference of good and euyll But Christe by an apte aunswere putteth awaye their false mallice because Moyses granted to this their peruersnesse frowardnes not as thoughe he did approue it to be good and laweful M. He dothe not therfore deny but that Moyses gaue commaundement as concerninge the geuing of a byll of diuorcemente but he denieth that he commanded to put away their wyues onely grāting that he suffered it adding the cause namely for the hardenes of their hartes which hardnes of hart Moyses oftētimes castethe in the Israelites tethe as apperethe in the ninthe sixte and thirtenthe chapter of Deutronomy As if he should say He dyd suffer you to do this because by nature it was righte but knowynge the
custome among them of olde time that they shoulde celebrate the Lordes supper froÌ„ yere to yere after meate beinge begon by superstition and inuented by the subtilty of Sathan Iesus tooke breade B. It was the maner in time past amoÌ„g the religiouse and Godlye Iewes that when they sat down at the table the good man of the house or some other whiche sate vpermost at the table shoulde take take bread in his hande and geue the Lord thankes and after that breaking the same in péeces shoulde distribute it vnto the ghestes as out of the hande of the Lord before they had tasted of any other meate At the ende of the feaste they caried about the cup after the same maner This institution was coÌ„mitted vnto the Iewes by the holy fathers before the incarnatioÌ„ of Christe that they might alwayes take meate and drinke before the Lorde euen as it were out of his hande and mighte thereuppon be prouoked to liue wholly vnto God of whome they acknowledged themselues to be so louingly fed nourished As concernynge this institution certeyne men called Thalmudici do dispute vppon this place of Moses When thou haste eaten and filled thy selfe thou shalte blesse the Lorde C. But because this is a humane traditioÌ„ grounded vppon no commaundement of God it nedeth not that we shoulde curiously labor in searchinge out the originall of it But if this ceremony were in vse at that tyme amonge the Iewes Christe did so followe the vsuall maner that he mighte beinge notwithstandinge the mindes of his Disciples to an other thinge in chaunging the vse of the breade to an other ende This truely oughte to stande fyrme withoute controuersy that the figures of the lawe beinge abolished this newe Sacramente was set foorthe of Christe Breade B. It is a solemne and vsual maner amonge al men in matters of greate waight which they finishe and dispatche amonge them selues to deale not by woordes onely but also to ioyne to their woordes externall signes of those matters with which they haue to doe that by those signes they may deliuer that with the hande whiche they offer with their minde speciallye when eyther spiritual thinges muste be deliuered or els those carnall thinges which either are not presente or if they were could not be geuen with the haÌ„de They which geue their faith â—…o deliuer the same not only by wordes but also with the hande euen as we are wonte to doe wheÌ„ we promise effectually to performe the thinge whiche is required of vs Of them which are appointed to sweare not only wordes but also the lifting vp of the handes towarde heauen and the kissing of a booke is required They whiche receiue a kingdome are coÌ„secrated not only by wordes but also by reaching forthe of the Scepter other ceremonis They which sell houses or laÌ„des do deliuer the possessioÌ„ therof either by writing or som other external matter to the byar This custome also is obserued kepte in spirituall exhibitions and deliueris Far as God speaketh and talketh with vs accordinge to oure capascity euen so also hee worketh by external matters deliuering vnto vs inuisible spiritual things by visible and corporal signes visiblely and corporally so much as pertaineth to signes So he confirmeth the couenant and promise made vnto Noe with the signe of the Raynebowe in the cloudes To Abraham hee confirmed his promise by carnall circoncision Afterwarde to the Israelites in the deserte by sprinkeling the bloud of a bullocke Also he offered his presence by the mercy seate of the Arke He appointed the coÌ„secration of priestes and kings by pouring oyle on the heade And our sauior Christ himself gaue inuisible grace by the visible laying one of handes both to childreÌ„ sicke folkes Also he gaue the gyfte of the holy ghost by breathing on his Disciples After this maner therefore the Lord thought good to coÌ„mende vnto vs this his oblatioÌ„ exhibitioÌ„ the suÌ„me of our whole saluatioÌ„ not only by worde neither by baptisme only being the signe of the washing away of our sinnes by him but also added signes of meate drinke that is to say him self whiche is the true heauenly and liuing bread the sustentation foode of eternall life whiche he geueth vnto vs so long as he is liueth in vs But in the institution he chose these twoo signes namely bread wyne whiche were moste coÌ„mon vsuall in the ceremonies of all nations and appointed them to be distributed according to the coÌ„mon solemne order alredy receiued vsed amoÌ„g the people of God because he would both haue religion published and declared to all men also the fulnes amplenes of the spirite to be geuen that it might be mete to take suche signes as should bee bothe fewe and also common and symple For so Baptisme is a signe by the whiche an inuitation and calling to religion and to all religious action was made both amoÌ„g the Iewes also amoÌ„g the GeÌ„tiles Therfore because the tasting of bread and wyne was vsed in sacrifices among all nations also because they were thinges simple and easy to be gotten the Lord did sanctifie theÌ„ and make them a sacrament of his church that thereby he might geue the trewe communion of his body and bloud to those that are his And vvhen hee had geuen thankes C. The Euangelistes Marke Mathewe according to the Lattin translation haue And when he had blessed But seinge in stede thereof we reade in Luke the Greeke woorde Eucharistesai there is no ambiguitie at all in sence And seing they saye that he gaue thankes when he toke the cup they do sufficieÌ„tly interprete the former saying Ridiculous and grosse therfore is the ignoraunce of the Papistes whiche expresse this blessing with the signe of the crosse as though Christe had vsed exorcisme or coniuration But we must kepe that in memory whiche we touched eueÌ„ now namely that this geuing of thankes was ioyned to a spirituall mistery For Christe had not respecte to the common kynde of foode only that the faithfull might be thankefull to God because he susteineth them in this traÌ„sitory life but he had also respecte to the holy action that he might geue thankes vnto God for the eternall redemption of mankinde For if the norishementes whiche go into the bellye ought to moue vs and geue vs occasion to prayse the fatherly goodnes of God howe muche more ought we to be stirred vp and inflamed to this deuty and godly seruice seing that he fedeth our soules spiritually He brake it B. The loaues are thought to be of that forme that they might be conueniently broken as cakes or suche lyke And gaue to his disciples Here by the name of Disciples all godly Christians are vnderstode to whome Christe geueth his body as to his disciples so ofteÌ„ as thei celebrate this holy supper among them selues in the congregation of the faithfull For the priestes only are not vnderstoode by them as
manner of seking Christe that is let not our myndes reste in the earthe but let them ascende vpwarde to the heauenly glory in the which he dwelleth For the body of Christe doth not put on an incorruptible life that it might laye asyde his proper nature Whereupon it followeth that it is ended But nowe he is ascendeth aboue the heauens least any grosse imaginatiō should tie vs to the earth And certainly if this mistery be heauēly there is nothing more out of order than to bring downe Christe into the earth whiche doth rather call vs vp vnto him If a man aske a Papiste whether he worship the bread or the shewe and colour of bread he wyll strongly deny that he doth not worship the bread but notwithstāding when they go about to worship Christ they tourne them selues to the bread thei tourne them selues I saye vnto it not with the eies only and the whole body but with the cogitation of the mynde also But what other thinges in this than mere Idolatry For truly this partaking of the body of the Lorde whiche is offered vnto vs in the supper doth require neither the locall presēce neither the cōming down of Christ neither his infinite being in euery place neither any such thing For seing the supper is a heauēly actiō it is no absurditie to say the Christ abiding in heauē is receiued of vs Because in that he geueth him self vnto vs it is done by the secrete power of the holy ghoste the which power cannot only gather together thinges far a sonder by distance of places but also brynge them into one The bunde therefore of this coniunctions is the spirite of the Lorde by the knitting together wherof we are coupled is as it were a conducte pype by the which whatsoeuer Christe hath is deriued and brought vnto vs For if we see that the Sunne shining with his beames vpon the earth doth strike and pearce through the same and after a sorte cōneieth his substāce vnto it to bring forth to nourishe quickē the creatures therof why should the shining beames of the spirit of Christe be inferior to conueye the communion of his fleshe and bloud into vs Wherefore the Scripture speaking of our participation with Christe dothe referre the whole force thereof vnto the spirit notwithstanding let this place of S. Paule among many suffice to proue that Christe dwelleth no otherwyse in vs than by his spirite when he saith But ye are not in the fleshe but in the spirite if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you By the which notwithstanding he doth not take awaye that communion of the bodye and bloud of the which mencion is now made but teacheth that it commeth by the spirit only that we possesse and haue Christe within vs. To the ende therefore we may be capeable of this communiō we must lifte vp our myndes to heauen Here therefore he helpeth our faithe after that all our fleshly sences fayle When mencion is here made of faythe we must not vnderstande it to be euery opinion grounded vpon the inuenciōs of men as many very fondly doe What thē Thou seest bread but nothing els but thou hearest that it is a token pledge of the body of Christe doubt not but that the same whiche the wordes do sounde shal be fulfilled of the Lorde namely that the body whiche thou seest not shal be vnto thee spirituall nourishement Thirdly as we said before we must note the kinde of eating for we must not dreame or immagin that there is a naturall passing made of his substance into our soules but his fleshe is eaten of vs when we receaue life of him For we muste note the analogy or similitude of the bread with the fleshe by the which we are taught that our soules are no lesse fed with the very fleshe of Christ than our bodies are nourished with the vigore and strēgth of bread Therefore the fleshe of Christ is a spirituall foode because it quickeneth vs And it doth therefore quicken because the holy ghoste doth power the lyfe into vs whiche resteth in the same And although it be one thinge to eate the fleshe of Christe and an other thing to beleue in him yet notwithstāding we must knowe that we can eate Christe no otherwyse than by fayth because the very eating is the effecte of faythe M. This semeth incredible that we should be fed with the fleshe of Christe which is so farre from vs But let vs remember that the woorke of the holy ghoste is secrete and wonderful in so muche that the capacitie and vnderstanding of man is not able to measure or comprehende the same and in the meane tyme let vs put away al grosse immaginations whiche staye vs in the bread Leaue vnto Christe the true nature of his fleshe neither extende thou his body by false imagination through heauen and earthe as though it were infinite racke him not with thy fained inuēcions neither worship thou him in this or that place accordinge to thy carnall vnderstanding suffer his glory to abyde in heauen and ascende thou thyther that thereby he may participate hym selfe vnto thee These fewe wordes will satisfie the discrete and modest as for the curious let them seke els where to fulfill their gredy desier S. Luke S. Paule adde these wordes VVhiche is geuen for you Doe this in remembraunce of me C. But Mathewe and Marke omitte it which not withstāding was not superfluous For therfore the fleshe of Christe is nowe bread vnto vs because in it saluation was once gotten for vs And as the crucified fleshe of Christe doth profite no man but suche as eate the same by faithe euen so in lyke manner the eating should be colde of no waighte but only in respect of the sacrifice once offered Therefore whosoeuer desireth to haue the the fleshe of Christ nourishemēt vnto him let him consider the same offered vppon the crosse howe that it was the price of our reconciliation payde vnto god For the Supper is a glasse whiche setteth Christe crucified before our eyes in so muche that no mā can receiue the supper profitably with frute but he which imbraceth Christe crucified But the saying before mencioned Do this in remembraunce of me doth pertayne to both partes that is to say to the bread and to the cup. For he woulde haue the whole action of the Supper to be a remembraūce of hym to helpe our infirmitie Otherwyse if we coulde remember sufficiently the death of Christe sacramentes were to no purpose for they are helpes of our infirmitie But what remēbrāce Christ would haue celebrated in his supper wee may reade in the foremencioned S. Paule And whereas many doe gather hereupon that Christe is therfore absent from the supper because it is onely a memory of one that is absent they do very well gather rightly For Christe is not sene visibly with the eyes as the signe is whiche in figuring him stirreth vp our
remembraunce to thinke vppon him But although he be absent yet in power he is present and will be to the ende of the worlde 27 And he toke the cup and thāked and gaue it to them saying Drinke ye all of this And he toke the cup. E. The Euangelist Luke addeth so doth Paule saying when he had supped because he gaue the cup twyse firste according to the auncient custome and supper being ended he is nowe sayd to geue it againe that wee might knowe the matters to bee dyuers Drinke ye all of this C. Because it was the purpose of Christ to direct our whole faith to him selfe least we should seke any thinge without him he testified that our lyfe was included in him by two signes This body standeth in nede of meate and drinke to susteine it and kepe it aliue Therefore Christ seking to teache vs that he only is sufficient for vs to geue vnto vs all thinges necessary for health geueth or attributeth the course of meate and drinke to him self By the which his wonderfull sufferaunce appeareth because he seking to helpe our faythe doth in this wyse frame hym selfe to the rudenes of our fleshe Whereby it appeareth the more howe detestable the wycked bouldenes of the Pope is by the whiche he is not afraide to breake this holy knot We heare that the sonne of God wytnessed and declared by twoo signes at once the fulnes of lyfe whiche he geueth to those that are his By what righte is it lawefull for a mortall man to pull a sonder those thynges whiche God hath ioyned together We must alwayes remember this that Christe doth first commaunde vs what wee shall do and then addeth a promyse if wee fulfill not his commaundement we loke for the promise in vayne For he beginneth with a commaundement and commaundeth all of them to drinke of this cup. Therfore if the enemies of the Gospell do boaste that thei haue the bloud of Christe without the communiō let vs assure our selues that it is moste false For the promise is awaye where the cōmaundemēt is not kept Why Christ doth rather here than in that which went before adde this generall word All this semeth to be the reason namely that he might preuēt the deuelishe inuentiō which afterward crept into the church the which because he foresawe he thought good opēly to condemne As concerning the bread we reade that he willed them simpely to take but why doth he expressely commaunde all to drinke and why doth Marke saye playnly that all dranke but onely because the faithful should learne to beware of new inuencion And yet for all this seuere prohibition the Pope was not one whit afrayd but durste take vppon hym to chaunge and violate the lawe whiche the Lorde so firmely made For he kept al the people from the vse of the cuppe and to excuse hym selfe he saith that one kinde is sufficient because the bloud is included in the fleshe As though truely the whole Sacrament might not be abbolished by that pretence because Christ can if it pleased him make vs partakers of him selfe as well without either of bothe signes Furthermore the Papistes say that it was daungerous least the bloud shoulde be shed For they thought that it was wyne no more but pure and true bloud and they woulde be wyser than the sonne of God to auoyde that daunger whereof he tooke no hede But their impietie is nothing at all furthered by these chyldishe cauils because there is nothing more absurde than to depriue the faythfull wyllingly of those helpes whiche the Lorde hath geuen vnto them and therefore nothing is lesse tollerable than this wicked tearing of the mistery Seing therefore one error bringeth forthe an other the institution of Christe whiche is the wysdome of his father must be kepte sounde and perfect and he only ought to be preferred before all men and forsaking all other we ought to cleaue to his authoritie 28 For this is my bloud whiche is of the newe Testament that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes For this is my bloud Saint Luke describeth these wordes thus This cup is the newe Testament in my bloude And S. Paule hath the like wordes No man truly neede to doubt but that Luke and Paule keping the same sence and meaninge altered the wordes which Mathewe and Marke haue sayinge This is my bloude of the newe Testament In eyther forme of words this is most euident that the Lorde by this Cup doth offer and set forth two thinges namely his bloud and the newe Testament For the newe Testament is the fruite of Christes bloude whiche was shed on the Crosse and abydeth in vs and for that cause the ende summe in this misticall exhibition Herevppon S. Luke and the Apostle Paule expressed that in the former place but because wee haue a couenaunte and league by the bloud of Christ they added sayinge In my bloude The sence and meaninge therefore of the wordes of the Lorde is as Luke and Paule expressed them Take and vnderstande by this Cuppe the newe couenaunt of grace beinge confirmed vnto you by this my bloude which take ye also here of mee and drincke Although this exhibition of the bloud of Christ to be dronke be not so plainlye expressed in the wordes of the Lorde by Luke and Paule yet notwithstanding it is most euidently gathered by the woordes of Mathewe and Marke which say Take ye and drinke ye all of this And he saide vnto them this is my bloude of the newe Testamente Which wordes what do they signifye els than this Take ye with this Cuppe and drincke my bloud by the which my newe couenant is confirmed and geuen vnto you C. For this couenaunt is sealed by nothinge els than by the spirituall drinking of the bloud of Christ that it maye be strong and of efficacy But hereby we may gather how folishly the Papistes and suche others are superstitious whiche byte and choppe the wordes For although they make a noyse and talke yet for all that this exposition of the holy ghost cannot be reiected that the Cuppe is called bloud because it is the Testament in bloude And trulye the like consideration is to be had of the bread whervppon it followeth that it is called the body because it is a Testamente in the bodye There is now no cause whye they shoulde contende and saye that wee muste beleeue the simple wordes of Christ and that we muste shut our eares to al other forreine interpretacions It is Christ himselfe whiche speaketh whom they wil not deny to be a meete interpreter of his owne woordes But truly hee manifestly declareth that hee called the bread his body vppon no other consideration but because hee made his euerlastinge couenaunt with vs that the sacrifyce beinge offered wee mighte eate and drincke spiritually Of the nevve Testament B. The Epistle to the Hebrewes intreatinge of the newe Testamente alludeth to the order of Testamentes which are made onely for