fynde other than the omnipotent power of god wolde seme repugnant to of whych maner thynges other good holy do ctours haue in the mater of the blessed sacrament vsed some ensamples byfore ¶ Nowe for as myche as in these wordes I speke of the apperynge of the face in the glasse and one face in euery pyece of the glasse brokē in to twēty mayster Maskar hath caughte that glasse in hand and mocketh and moweth in that glasse and maketh as many straunge faces and as many pretye pottes therin as yt were an olde ryueled ape For these are his wordes so Then sayth he that ye wote wel that many good folke haue vsed in thys mater many good frutefull ex samples of goddes other workes not onely myra cles wryten in scrypture vnde versus where one I praye ye But also done by the comen course of na ture here in erth If they be done by the comē course of nature so be they no myracles And some thynges made also by mans hande As one face beholden in dyuerse glasses and in euery pyece of one glasse broke into twenty c. Lorde howe thys pontyfy call poete playeth hys parte Because as he sayeth we se many faces in many glasses therfore maye one bodye be in many places as though euery shadowe and symylytude representynge the bodye were a bodyly substaunce But I aske More when he seeth his owne face in so many glasses whyther all those faces that appere in the glasses be hys own very face hauynge boldely substaunce skynne fleshe and bone as hathe that face whyche hathe hys very mouth nose yien c. wherwyth he faceth vs oute the trouthe thus falsely wyth lyes and yf they be al hys very faces thā in very dede there ys one body in many places he hym selfe beareth as many faces in one hoode But accordynge to hys purpose euen as they be no very faces nor those so many voyces sownes and symylytudes multyplyed in the ayer betwene the glasse or other obiecte and the body as the phylosopher proueth by naturall reason be no very bodyes no more is yt Chrystes very bodye as they wolde make the byleue in the brede in so many places at ones ¶ Now good reders to th ende that you may se the custumable maner of mayster Maskar in rehersynge my mater to his owne aduauntage syth my wordes in my letter that touche this poynt be not very longe I shall reherse them here vnto you my self so good reders thus shal you fynd yt there in the. xxvi lefe I wote well that many good folke haue vsed in this mater many good frutefull examples of goddes other workes not onely myracles wryten in scrypture but also done by the comen course of nature here in erth and some thynges made also by mannys hand as one face byholden in dyuers glasses in euery pyece of one glasse broken into xx and the merueyle of the makynge of the glasse it selfe such mater as it is made of And of one worde comyng whole to an hundred earys at onys and the syghte of one lytell eye present and beholdynge an whole great cuntrey at onys wyth a thousande such other merueyles mo such as those that se them dayly done and therfore merueyle not at theym shall yet neuer be able no not thys yonge man hym selfe to geue suche reason by what meane they maye be done but that he maye haue such repugnaunce layed agaynste it that he shall be fayne in conclusyon for the chyefe and the moste euydent reason to say that the cause of all those thynges is bycause god that hath caused theym so to be done is almyghty of hym selfe and canne do what hym lyste ¶ Lo good Chrysten readers here you se your selse that I made none suche argument as mayster Maskar bereth me in hand Nor no man vseth vppon a symilytude to cōclude a necessarye consequence in the mater of the blessed sacrament vnto whyche we can brynge nothynge so lyke but that in dede it muste be farre vnlyke sauynge that it is as semeth me some what lyke in this that god is as able by his almyghty power to make one body be in twenty places at ones as he is by comē course of nature which hym self hath made able to make one face kepynge styll hys owne fygure in hys owne place caste yet and multyply the same fygure of yt self into xx pyeces of one broken glasse of whyche pyeces eche hathe a seuerall place And as he is able by the nature that hym selfe made to make one self worde that the speker hath brethed oute in the spekynge to be forth with in the eares of an whole hundred per sones eche of theym occupyeng a seuerall place and that a good dystaunce a sundre Of whyche two thynges as natural and as comen as they both be yet cā I neuer cease to wonder for all the reasons that euer I redde of the phylopher And lyke wyse as I veryly truste that the tyme shall come whan we shall in the clere syght of Christe godhed se this great myracle soyled and wel perceyue howe yt ys and howe yt maye be that his blessed bodye ys bothe in beuyn and in erth and in so many places at ones so thynke I veryly that in the syght of hys godhed than we shall also perceyue a better cause of those two other thynges than euer any phylolopher hath hytherto shewed vs yet or ellys I wene for my parte I shall neuer perceyue theym well ¶ But nowe where as mayster Maskar mocketh myne argument not whych I made but whyche hym selfe maketh in my name and maketh yt feble for the nonce that he maye whan he hathe made yt at hys owne pleasure soyle yt as chyldren make castelles of tyle shardes and than make theym theyr passe tyme in the throwynge downe agayne yet is yt not euyn so so feble as his own where he argueth in the negatyue as I saye the sample for thaffyrmatyue For as for the tone that he maketh for me though thargument be nought for sacke of forme yet holdeth it somwhat so so by the mater in that the consequent that is to wytte that god may make one body to be at ones in many places is what so euer mayster masker bable a trouth with out questyon necessary ¶ But where he argueth for hym selfe in the negatyue by that that the bodyly substaunce of the face is not in the glasse that therfore the bodyly substaunce of our sauyoure Chryste is not in the blessed sacrament that argument hath no maner holde at all For thantecedent is very trewe and excepte goddys worde be vntrewe ellys as I haue all redy by the old holy expositours of the same well and planely proued you the cōsequent is very false ¶ Now yf he wyll saye that he maketh not that argument but vseth onely the face in the glasse for a sample a symylytude than he she weth hym selfe to playe the false shrewe whan of
good readers that saynte Bede telleth you playne the same tale that I tell you that is to wytte that our sauyour in those wordes speketh of two geuynges of him selfe the tone to his dyscyples in the sacrament the tother to deth for hys dyscyples on the crosse And therfore whyle mayster Masker with his heresye doth vtterly denye the tone by his exposicioÌ„ affermeth that Crist in thys place dyd speke but of the tother saynt Bede hereth me recorde that maister Masker lyeth and hath made his exposicyon false And the ferther ye go in the wordes of thys gospell the more shall mayster Mas kers false dyceappere The. xv chapyter WHan the Iewes harde our lord saye that bysyde the spyrytuall meat of the brede of his godhed the brede that he wolde gyue theym sholde be hys owne 〈◊〉 than began they to contende and dyspute amonge them vpon that worde as one of the moste meruelouse and strauÌ„ge wordes that euer they had herde before And therfore they sayd how can this man geue vs 〈◊〉 flesshe to eate ¶ 〈◊〉 Bede sayth here and so sayth saynt Austayne both that they had conceyued a false opinyon that our lorde wold cut out hys own body in gobettes and make them eate it so in such maner of dede peces as men bye byefe or 〈◊〉 out of y e bouchers shoppys Thys thyng they thought that he neyther coulde do and also that though he could yet wolde they not eate it as a thynge fowle and lothsome ¶ We fynde good readers of one or two mo bysyde these Iewes here y e at the worde of god asked how For bothe our lady asked how and 〈◊〉 also asked how ¶ Our blessed lady whan thangell told her that she sholdÌ„ conceyue and brynge forth a chyld asked this questyon how shall that 〈◊〉 For man I know none not for that she any thing dowted of the trewth of godde word sent her by godde messenger but bycause she wold know the meanis for as mych as she had determyned her selfe vpoÌ„ perpetuall virginite and therof a promyse had passed a vow was made and Ioseph well agreed therwith as it maye welbe gathered vppon the gospell ¶ For thangell sayd not y e hast coÌ„ceyued but thou shalt coÌ„ceyue And therfore whaÌ„ she answered how shall y t be syth I know no man this answer had not ben to the purpose yf she had ment no more but y t she knewe none yet for he sayd not y t she was coÌ„ceyued yet but shold coÌ„ceiue after which she myght after do by y e knowlege of her husbaÌ„d after though she knewe no maÌ„ yet And therfore we may wel gather of his wordê hers togyther as I haue shewed in my dialoge y t whan she sayd how shall this be for I knowe no man she ment therin not onely that she knew none alredy but also that she hadde promysed and vowed that she neuer wolde knowe man afterwarde vsynge therin such a maner of spekynge as a mayed myghte saye by one whom she wold neuer haue we may well talke togyther but we wedde not togyther ¶ Now that her determinacyoÌ„ was not with her selfe onely but confermed also with y e coÌ„sent of her spouse it maye well appere For without his agrement she coulde not reken her selfe to be sure to kepe it ¶ And that her determynacyon of perpetuall vyrginite was a promyse and a vow to god it may well appere by this that els whan she had worde from god by the angell that she shold conceyue and beare a chylde she had had no cause to aske y e questyon how For if she were at lyberty to lye with a man than had that reuelacion ben a commaundement vnto her to labour for the concepcyon whyle there were vppon her part no let or impedimeÌ„t neyther of nature nor conscience ¶ And very lyke it is that yf she had ben in that poynt at her libertye than though she had mynded perpetuall virgynite yet syth she had entended it neyther for auoydyng of the bodyly payne of the vyrth nor for any abo minacyon of goddes naturall ordynaunce for procreacyon for suche respectes be bothe vnnaturall and synfull but onely for goddes pleasure of deuocyon it is well lykely that he rynge by the messenger of god what maner of chyld that was y t god wold she shold haue she wolde haue made no questyon of the mater but gladly gone about the gettynge ¶ But here may some man happely say that this reasoÌ„ by which I proue ber vow wyll serue well inough to soyle it selfe and proue that it appereth not that she had made any vow at all but had onely some mynde and desyre of perpetuall virginyre but yet styll at her lybertye without any promyse or bonde For syth she hadde now by reuelacyon from god that his pleasure was she sholde haue a chylde a bare purpose of virgynyte a vow of virginyte were all of one weyght For god was able as well to dispence with her vow as to byd her leue of her vnuowed purpose ¶ Of trouth yf our lady had wayed her vow as lyght as happely some lyght vowesse wold thys mynd she myght haue had ye some vowesses peraduenture there are which as yet neuer entend to breke theyr vow but thynke they wolde not with the brekyng of theyr vow fall in y e dyspleasure of god though they wist to wyn therwith al this hole wretched world whiche yet wold be ê‘aduenture well content y t god wold sende them word vyd them go wedde gete chyldreÌ„ ¶ And those vowesses lo that hapen to haue any suche mynde let them at the fyrste thought make a crosse on the yrb rest and blesse it a waye For though it be no breking of theyr vow yet is it a waye well to warde it and draueth yf it be not 〈◊〉 very nere the pyttys brynke of synne whaÌ„ they wolde be gladde that god wold sende theÌ„ theyr pleasure without any sinne ¶ And surely yf vpoÌ„ y e delite in such a noughty mynde god wold suffre y e deuyl to illude such a vowesse traÌ„s fygure hym self into the sykenesse of an angel of light call hym self Labuel tell her y e god greteth her well and sendeth her worde that she shall haue a chyld though he there wyth went his way neuer tolde her more whyther it shold be good or bad her secrete in ward affeccyon to ward her flesshely luste lurkynge in her harte vnknowen vnto her selfe couered hyd vnder the cloke of that mynde that she wold not for all the worlde take her own pleasure without goddes wyll wold make her vnderstaÌ„d this message for a dyspensacyon of her vow and for a commaundement to brehe it and so go forth and folow it wythout any ferther questyon and go gete a chylde and make the 〈◊〉 a prophete ¶ But 〈◊〉 blessed virgyn Wary was so surely sette vpon the kepyng of her vowed
whan my body shal be gone out of your syght ascended into be upn there syttynge on the ryght hande of my father vntyll I come agayne agayne 〈◊〉 I went ¶ There were good readers two causes for whiche those Iewes and those dyscyples were offended at the herynge of Cryste whan he sayde they shold eate his fleshe One was the straungenesse and the impossybylyte that they thought was therin y t tother was the lothsomnes that they had therto Now yf mayster Masker mene here for the impossybylyte by reason of the dyfference of his pre sence and his absence I can not se why they sholde be more offended after his ascencyon than before For yf it be possyble for hym to make his body to be in many dyuerse places at onys in erth than it is as possyble for hym to make it at onys in those two dyuerse places erth and heuyn For the meruayle standeth not in the farre dystaunce of the two places a sunder but in the dyuersyte of y e two places hauyng in them both one body be they neuer so nere togyther And as for the dyfference of his presence here in erth and his absence hense by his ascensyon into heuyn mayster Masker is more than madde to put that for a dyfference as a cause after thascensyon to make theym more offended to here of the eatynge of hys body For yf he make as he can and doth his body to be as well here in erthe as in heuyn than is hys body no more absent from hense thaÌ„ from thense as for the veryte of hys presence in the place though it be more absent in consyderacyon to vs that se not his body here but in y e forme of brede But the blessed 〈◊〉 se that one blessed body of his in heuyn and here in the blessed sacrameÌ„t both at onys And thus you se that mayster Maskers argument hathe no pyth or strenght yf he mene for impossybylyte ¶ Nowe yf mayster Masker here mene that after Chrystes ascensyon into hyuyn it sholde be a thynge that sholde of reason more offende the Iewes to eate hys flesshe than at y e tyme whyle he was here as a thyng that wolde be than a mych more loth some mete what deuyll reason hath mayster Masker to 〈◊〉 that madde mynde with all to thynke that hys gloryfyed flessh shold be more lothsome to receiue than yf it were vngloryfyed ¶ And yet either he meneth thus or els he lacketh the waye to fynde the wordes with which he wold expresse his mynde For these are the wordes that he maketh Chryste to saye If it offende you to ente my flessh whyle I am here it shall mych more offende you to eate it whan my body shal be gone out of your syghte You se now that he sayth it shal more offende you to eate it whan it is gone out of your syght into heuyn Now yf he hadde ment in the tother maner for thimpossibylyte he wolde haue sayd except he can not speke that it sholde more offende theym to here it tolde them that they sholde than eate his flessh whaÌ„ his flessh were so far absent from them than to here it told them that they sholde eate it whyle it were present wyth them and not say it sholde than more offende theym to eate it For they shall not be offended with the eatynge yf they eate it not And therfore yf he can tell how to speke and expresse his owne mynde he meneth here whyle he sayth it shal more offend you to eate it he meneth I saye that they sholde of reason thynke his flesshe than more lothely to eate after his gloriouse ascencyon than it was ere he dyed Thus it appereth that mayster Masker ment And veryly yf he so mene he hath a madde menynge And yf he mene not so than hath he a madde maner of spekynge And yet hysyde that hys menynge is as madde that waye as the tother ¶ For as I haue shewed you the thyng is no more impossible to Crist to geue them his body to eate after his ascensyon than byfore and therfore is maister Masker a fole to say that it sholde more offende them to here that they sholde eate it after his ascencyon than before For by theyr eatynge he sholde not lese it but both men may haue his body here in erth with them and y e angelys may haue it in heuyn with them and hym selfe may haue it both in erth and in heuyn with hym and all thys at onys ¶ Wherin leste mayster Masker myghte make some wene that I do as he 〈◊〉 I do and as in dede may ster Masker doth hym selfe that is to wyt mocke in this mater and lye ye shal good readers here what holy saynt Chrysostome sayth Helyas lefte vnto Heliseus his man tell as a very greate enherytaunce And in very dede a great enheritauÌ„ce it was and more precyouse than any golde And Heliseus was a dowble Hely there was than helyas aboue and helyas beneth I knowe wel that you thynke he was a iuste and a bles sed man and you wold fayne eche of you be in his case what wyll you say than yf I shew you a certayne other thynge that all we that are seasoned with the holy sacramentes haue receyued that farre excelleth helyas mantell For helias in dede lefte hys dyscyple his mantell But the sone of god ascendyng vp hath lefte vntovs hys flesshe And as for helias leuyng hys mantell to his dyscyple lefte it of from hym selfe But our sauyour Chryst hath bothe lefte it styll with vs and yet in hys ascensyon hath ta ken it wyth hym selfe to Lette neuer therfore our hartes fall for fere nor let vs not lament and by wayle nor drede the dyffycultees of the troubelouse tymes For he that neither hath refused to shede his bloud for vs all and hath also bysyde that geuen vn to vs all his fleshe to eate the same bloude agayne to drynke he wyll refuse nothynge that maye serue for our saluacyon ¶ How say you now good chrysten readers doth not saynt Chrysostom with these wordê afferme you playnely the substauÌ„ce of that that I say as playnely destroye all that mayster masker sayth in his heretycall ex posycion of these wordes of Chryst whych he constre weth so as he wold therby make a repugnaunce bytwen the beynge of Chrystes blessed body in y e blessed sacrament and the beyng of his body by his ascension in heuyn For though mayster masker saye they canne not stande together but is vtterly repugnaunt that his body sholde be here in erthe before domysdaye bycause that vntyll domysdaye it shal be styll in heuyn yet sayth saynt Chrysostome playnely that mayster Masker in his exposycyon lyeth For he sayth that Chryste blessed body is bothe in heuyn also in erth in the blessed sacrameÌ„t in dede ¶ And therfore let mayster Masker leue his iestynge with me go ieste and rayle agaynste saynte Chrysostome
For he confuteth you mayster Masker you se well a lytell more clerer than I. And than whyther of them twayne ye shal byleue and take for the more credyble man mayster Masker or holy saynt Chrysostom euery mannye owne wytte that any wyt hath wyll well serue hym to se. The. iiii chapyter BUt mayster Masker to shewe you a ferther declaracyon of his wytte forth with vpon his wyse and wurshypfull exposycyon of those wordes of Chryst he repeteth that fonde argument agayne that Chryst ment not of eatynge his flesshe in the sacrament bycause that yf he hadde ment it he coulde and wolde haue de clared his menynge more playnely And in that mater thus maister Mas ker sayth Here myght Chryste haue 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 the trouth of the eatynge of hys fieshe in forme of brede had thys ben his menynge For he 〈◊〉 them neuer in any perplexite or dowt but sought all the wayes by symylytudes and famylyare examples to teche them playnely he neuer spake them so harde a parable but where he perceyued theyr feble ignoraunce anone he helpt them and declared it them ye and somtymes he preuented theyr askynge wyth his owne declaracyon And thynke ye not that he dyd not so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 veryly For he came to teache vs and not to leue vs in any dowt and ignoraunce especyally the chyefe poynt of our saluacyon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 standeth in the bylyefe in hys deth for our synnys Wherfore to put them out of all dowt as concernyng this eatyng of his flessh and drynkyng of his bloud that sholde geue euerlastynge lyfe where they 〈◊〉 it for his very body to be eaten with theyr tethe he sayed It is the 〈◊〉 that geueth this lyfe My flesshe profyteth nothynge at all to be eaten as 〈◊〉 meane so 〈◊〉 It is spyrytuall meate that I here speke of It is my spyryt that draweth the har tes of men to me by fayth and so refresheth them gostesy ye be therfore carnal to thynke that I speke of my flesshe to be eaten bodyly For so it profyteth yow nothynge at all How longe wyll you be wyth out vnderstandyng It is my spyryte I tell you that geueth lyfe My flesshe profyteth you nothynge to eate it but to byleue that it shal be crucyfyed suffre for the redempcyon of the worlde it profyteth And when ye thus byleue than eate 〈◊〉 my flesshe and drynke my bloude that is ye byleue in me to suffre for your synnes The veryte hath spoken these wor des My flesshe profyteth nothyng at all it canne not therfore be false For bothe the Iewes and hys dyscyples murmured and dysputed of his flessh how it sholde be eaten and not of the offerynge therof for our synnes as Chryst ment Thys therfore is the fure anker to holde vs by agaynst all the obieccions of the 〈◊〉 for the eatynge of Chrystes body as they say in forme of brede Chryst sayd My flesh profyteth nothyng menyng to eate it bodely Thys is the key that solueth all theyr argumentes openeth the waye to shew 〈◊〉 all theyr false and abomy nable 〈◊〉 lyes vppon Chrystes wordes and vttereth theyr sleyght ingesynge ouer the brede to mayntayne 〈◊〉 kyngdome therwyth And thus when Chryste had declared it and taught them that it was not the bodyly eatynge of hys materyall body but the eatynge wyth the spyryte of faythe he added sayenge The wordes whyche I here speke vnto you 〈◊〉 spyryte and lyfe that is to saye thys mater that I here haue spoken of with so many wordes must be spyrytually vnderstanden to geue ye this lyfe euerlastynge wherfore the cause why ye vnderstand me not is that ye byleue not Here is lo the conclusyon of all hys sermon ¶ Many a fonde processe haue I redde good chrysten readers but neuer redde I neyther a more folysshe nor a more false than this is For the effecte and the purpose of al this pro cesse is that Chryst in all his wordes spoken in thys syxte chapiter of saint IohnÌ„ ment nothynge of the eatyng of his blessed body in the blessed sacrament but onely of an alle gorycal eatynge of his body by whyche he ment onely that they sholde byleue that he sholde be crucyfyed 〈◊〉 shedde his bloude and dye for redempcyon of the worlde ¶ Now that our saniour bysyde al such allegories other spirituall vnderstaÌ„dings playnely ment of y e very eatyng of his blessed body in the bles sed sacrament you haue good reders all redy sene by so many holy doctours and sayntes whose playn wor des I haue rehersed you that no maÌ„ can dowte but that in the whole conclusyon of his argument and his exposycyon mayster 〈◊〉 hath a shamefull fall except any maÌ„ dowt whyther mayster Masker be better to be byleued alone or those holy doc tours amonge them all ¶ But now thys false conclusyon of hys how febly and how folyshely he defendeth y t is euyn a very great pleasure to se. ¶ In this processe hath he ii poynts The fyrste is that Chryste coulde wolde haue made it open and playne in thys place by clere and euydent worde yf he had ment of the eatynge of his flesshe in the sacrament The second is that by these wordê It is the spyryte that geueth lyfe my fleshe profyteth nothynge at all The wordes that I haue spoken to you be spyryte and lyfe Chryste doth playn and clerely declare both that he ment not the eatynge of his flesshe in the sa crament and also that he ment onely the bylyefe that he sholde dye for the synne of the worlde ¶ Now touchynge his fyrste folysh poynt I haue confuted it all redy shewed you some samples where Chryste coulde at some tyme haue declared the mater mych more openly than he dyd and that in great maters of our fayth For I thynke the sacrament of baptysme is a pryncypall poynt of our fayth And yet Chryste taught not Nichodemus all that he coulde haue tolde hym therin as I sayd before ¶ And longeth it nothyng to y e fayth to byleue the remyssyon of mortall sinnes I suppose yes And yet could Chryste yf he had wolde haue decla red more clerely those worde of his who so blaspheme the sone of man it shal be forgeuen hym But he that blasphemeth the holy gooste it shall neyther be forgeueÌ„ him in this world nor in the world to come ¶ No good chrysten man thynketh other but that it is a pryncypall artycle of the chrysten fayth to byleue y t Chryst is one equale god with his father And yet Chryste albe it that by all places sette togyther he hath declared it clere inough in conclusion to them that wyll not be wylfull contencyouse yet dyd he not in euery place where he spake therof declare the mater so clerely as he could haue done yf he than hadde wolde whiche appereth by that that in some other places he declared it more clerely af ter And yet in all the places of the
dye for your synnys And syth he sayd not thus mayster Maskers own argument hath cutte of his cable rope lost his anchore runne his shyppe hym self agaynst a rocke For he sayth that yf he had ment it he wold haue tolde them playne the tale to put them out of all dowte ¶ And here you se now good reders by mo meanys than one as wel by y e exposycyons of olde holy doctours sayntes as by the wyse argument of mayster masker hym self to what wyse wurshypfull ende thys ryall brage of his is come to passe in whiche he triumpheth ouer the catholike chyrch the blessed sacramēt where he bosteth thus Thys therfore is the sure anker to holde vs by agaynst all the obieccions of the papystes for the eatynge of Chrystes body as they say in forme of brede Chryst sayd My flesh profyteth nothyng menyng to eate it bodely Thys is the key that solueth all theyr argumentes openeth the waye to shew vs all theyr false and abomynable blasphemouse lyes vppon Chrystes wordes and vttereth theyr sleyght ingelynge ouer the brede to mayntayne Antichrystes kyngdome therwyth And thus when Chryste had declared it and taught them that it was not the bodyly eatynge of hys materyall body but the eatynge wyth the spyryte of faythe he added sayenge The wordes whyche I here speke vnto you are spyryte and lyfe that is to saye thys mater that I here haue spoken of with so many wordes must be spyrytually vnderstanden to geue ye this lyfe euerlastynge wherfore the cause why ye vnderstand me not is that ye byleue me not Here is lo the conclusyon of all hys sermon ¶ Syth your selfe haue sene good readers that in this mater and in this whole exposycyon there are agaynst mayster masker not onely the catholyke chyrche of our tyme but also all the olde holy doctours and sayntes which with one voyce expoune these wordes of Chryste to be spoken and ment of that eatynge of Chrystes flesshe by whyche it is eaten in the blessed sacrament agaynste whiche poynt mayster masker here rageth in this his furyouse boste raylynge vp pon them all that so teche or byleue vnder his spygstuff name of papystes I wold wytte of mayster masker whyther saynt 〈◊〉 saynt Austayn and saynt Ambrose saynt 〈◊〉 and saint 〈◊〉 Theophilactus saynt Cyrill and saynt Chry sostome were all papystes or not If he answere ye and saye the were than shall he make no man that wise is asshamed of the name of papyste as odyouse as he wolde make it yf he graunte vs that suche good godly men such holy doctours sayntes were papystes ¶ Now yf he answere me nay and say that they were no papystes than he maketh it playne and open vnto you good reders that he playeth but the part of a folyssh rayler aiester and doth but deceyue and mocke all his owne fratexnyte whan by raylynge agaynste papystes whom he wold haue taken for folke of a false fayth he dyssembleth the trouth that his here sye is not onely dampned by them that he calleth papystes but by them also whom he cōfesscth for no papistes and whom he cannot but cō fesse for old holy doctours saintes nor cannot so blynd you but that you playnely perceyue by theyr own wor des which I haue rehersed you and yet shal hereafter more playnely per ceyue by mo holy doctours saynts of the same sort by mo playne wor des also of y e same y t they do all with one voyce expoune these wordes of Chryst mencyoned in the syxte chapi ter of saynt Iohn to be spokē ment of y t eatyng of his flesh by which we eate it in the blessed sacrament ¶ And thus haue I good reders answered you all mayster Maskers ar gumentes by whych he reproueth in generall vnder the name of papyste all those that is to wytte all the olde holy doctours and sayntes that contrary to hys heresye expowne the sayde wordes of Chryste to be ment of the very eatynge of hys flesshe and not onely of the byleuynge of his deth for our synne And now wyll I come to his subtyll dysputacyōs that he maketh against me by name in specyall to soyle such thynges as I in my letter wrote agaynst Iohn Fryth Here endeth the thyrde booke The fourth boke IN the syxte lefe thus he sayth Here maketh M. More this argumēt agaynst the 〈◊〉 man Bycause the Iewes merueyled at this 〈◊〉 my fleshe is very meate my bloude drynke and not at this I am the dore and the very vyne therfore this text sayth he my flesshe 〈◊〉 must be vnderstanden after the lytterall sence that is to wyt euen as the carnall Iewes vnderstode it murmurynge at it veynge offended goynge theyr wayes from Cryst for theyr so carnal vnderstandynge therof and the tother textes I am the dore c. must be vnderstanden in an allegorye a spyrytual sence bycause his hearers merueyled no thynge at the maner of speche ¶ I haue good readers byfore this argument that he speketh of another argument in that pystle of myne agaynst fryth whyche all though it went before and was redde before this yet bycause it wolde not well be soyled maister Masker was content to dyssemble it But I shall afterward anone lay it afore hym agayne and sette hym to it with a festue that he shall not saye but he sawe it ¶ But now as for this argument of myne that he maketh the fyrste I mysse fortuned to make so feble that he taketh euyn a pleasure to playe with it and therfore he soyleth it and soyleth it agayne that 〈◊〉 wysely ye may be faste and sure and so shall you saye your selfe whan you se all But yet though he wynne hym selfe worshyp in the soylynge yt was no great wysedome to lese his worshyp in the rehersynge wyth false beryng in hande that I saye that those wordes of Cryste muste be vnderstanden after that lyterall sense that the carnall Iewys toke therin that mur mured and went theyr way therfore For they toke yt of hys fseshe to be eaten in the self same fleshely forme and as holy saynte Austayne sayeth that they shold haue eaten his fleshe deade withoute lyfe or spyryte as befe or motten is cutte out in bochers shoppys And I am very sure that mayster Maskar hathe no such word in my letter wherof he maye take hold to say that I say that Chrystes worde shold be taken so But this is no newe fashyon of these folkes to reherse other mennes argumentes in suche maner as theym selfe lyste to make them and thē they make them such as them selfe may most easely soyle theym whych whyle mayster Masker hathe done wyth myne yet hath he lytle auauntage therby But to th entent that all thynge shall be the more open byfore your yien I shall reherse you fyrste the thynge that he wolde be content you sawe not ytis to wit myne own worde as I wrote theym whyche
〈◊〉 in that poynt coulde not saye y e saynt IohnÌ„ spake any thyng therof Which was ynough for my purpose whyle Tyndale was the man agaynste whome I wrote though my selfe wolde for myne owne parte saye the coÌ„trary For yt is y t hyude of argumteÌ„ that is in the scoles called argumentuÌ„ adhomineÌ„ And thus you se good re ders mayster Maskar in this thyng eyther shamefully false or very shamefully folish shamefully false if he perceyued vnderstode my wor des and than for al that thus 〈◊〉 me shamefully foly she yf the thyng beynge spoken by me so playne his wyt wold not serue hym to ê‘ceyue it ¶ But now as clere as ye se the ma ter all redy by this to th eÌ„tent yet that mayster Maskar shal haue no mater left hym in all this word to make any argument of for hys excuse therin rede my wordes agayn good reders and byd maister Maskar marke wel my wordes therin where I saye expressely that saynte IohnÌ„ spake expressely therof in the 〈◊〉 chapyter of his gospel For these wordes are as you se there the very last worde of 〈◊〉 Nor Tyndale can not say that saynt JohnÌ„ speketh any thyng of the sacra ment at all syth that his sect expresse ly denyeth that saynt JohnÌ„ ment the sacrament in his wordes where he speketh expressely therof in the. vi chapyter of his gospell ¶ whose wordes are these where he speketh expressely therof Are not these wordes myne And do I not in these wordes expressely say y t saynte IohnÌ„ expressely speketh of the blessed sacrament in the syxt chapiter of his gospel in whych place Tindals secte saith expressely that he nothyng spake therof And now sath M. mas kar that I sayde there that saynte IohnÌ„ spake nothynge therof at all And layeth it ' for a foule repugnauÌ„ce in me that in my letter agaynst Fryth I saye therof the contrary ¶ But how 〈◊〉 we mayster maskar What haue you nowe to saye wyth 〈◊〉 shameful shyft wyl your sham lesse face face vs oute this folyshe lye of yours that you make vppon me here If you lyed so loude wyttyngly howe can you loke that any man shold trust your worde If for lacke of vnderstandynge howe can you lake than for shame that any man sholde truste your wyt Why sholde we thynke that your wyt wyll perse into the perceyuynge of harde worde in the holy scripture of god whan yt wyll not serue you to perceyue suche pore playne wordes of myne ¶ Ye wryte that the younge man 〈◊〉 here made me done on my spectacles and loke more wyshly on the mater to fynde now writen therin the thyng that I sayde byfore was not wryten therin But nowe muste you loke more wyshely vppon my wordes on whych you make here so loude a lye and pore better on theym wyth your spectacles vppon your Maskars nose ¶ I wyste ones a good felow whyche whyle he daunsed in a maske vppon boldenesse that no man coulde haue knowen hym whan he perceyued that he was well espyed by hys euyll fauored daunsynge he waxed so ashamed sodaynly y e he softly said vnto his felowe I pray you tell me doth not my visour blosh rede Now surely good reders M. maskar here yf he were not vtterly paste shame hathe cause ynough to be in 〈◊〉 poynt so sore ashamed that he myght wene y e glowyng of his vysage shold euyn perse thorow his visor make it rede for shame ¶ Thus haue I now good christen readers answe red at the full in these fyue bokes of my fyrst parte the fyrst part of mays ter maskars worke and taken vp the fyrst course of mayster maskars souper whych he falsely calleth the last souper of the lorde whyle he hathe with his own poysened cokery made yt the souper of the deuyl And yet wold the deuyl I wene dysdayne to haue his souperdressed of such a rude ruffyn suche a scald Colyn coke as vnder the name of a clerke so rybaldyousely rayleth agaynst the blessed bodye of Chryste in the blessed sacra ment of thauter The. iii. chapyter BUt one thynge wyll I yet reherse you that I haue hytherto dyfferred that is to wytte my fyrste argument agaynst fryth whiche as I shewed you before mayster Masker lette go by as he hath done many thynges mo and made as though he saw them not That argument good readers was thys In this heresye besyde the comon fayth of all catholyke chrysten regyons the exposycyoÌ„s of al the old holy doctours sayntes be clere agaynste Fryth as whole as agaynste any heretike that euer was hitherto herd of For as for the wordes of Chryste of whyche we speke touchynge the blessed sacrament though he maye fynd some olde holy men that bysyde the lytteral sence doth expowne theÌ„ in an allegorye yet he shal neuer fynde any of them that dyd as he doth now after wicliffe Ecolampadius Tyndale Sutnglius denye the lyterall sence and say that Chryste ment not that it was his very body hys very bloud in dede but the olde holy doctours exposytours bysyde all suche allegoryes do playnely declare expoune that in those wordes our sauyour as he expressely spake so dyd also well and playnely mene that the thynge whych he there gaue to his discyples in the sacrament was in very dede hys very flesh and bloud And so dyd neuer any of the olde exposytours of scrypture expowne any of those other places in whyche Chryste is called a vyne or a dore And therfore it appereth well that the maner of spekynge was not lyke For yf it had thaÌ„ wold not the olde exposytours haue vsed suche so farre vnlyke 〈◊〉 in the expownynge of them ¶ Thys was lo good readers the fyrste argumeÌ„t of myne that maister Masker mette with and whiche he sholde fyrste therfore haue soyled But it is suche as he lysted lytle to loke vppon For where as he maketh mych a do to haue it seme that bothe these wordes of our sauyour at hys laste souper thys is my body and his wordes of eatynge of his fleshe and drynkynge of his bloude wryten in the syxte chapyter of saynte IohuÌ„ sholde be spoken in a lyke phrase and maner of spekyng as were his other wordes I am the dore and I am the very vyne I shewed there vnto Fryth whome mayster masker maketh as though he wolde defende y t by thexposycyoÌ„s of all the olde holy doctours saynte y t haue expowned all those iiii place before y e differeÌ„ce well appereth syth none of them declare hym to be a very material dore nor a naturall very vine This saith no man not so myche as a very naturall fole But that in the sacrament is his very naturall body his very flesshe and his bloude this declare clerely all the olde holy exposytours of the scrypture whiche were good men and gracyouse wysw and well lerned bothe And therfore as I sayd the differeÌ„ce may sone be perceyued but yf mayster