was stoleÌ awaye by hys discyples in thee night but bicause they were vnable to proue hys body to be in theyr possessioÌ therfore they fyed theÌ with largition to bleare the peoples eyes that they myght neuer se but styl staÌd in vnbeliefe EueÌ so you with might mayn haue endeuoured to saue theyr eyes from the lighte of goddes worde leste paraduenture they myght happely see condeÌpne your heresy for this ye thinke it no shame to set thys detestable errour as a curtayn betwen the peoples eyes the spiritual eating of this bodye wherfore vnderstand you al that labour of this phrenesy so that ye waxe wroth with the sperit of the moste hyest for speakinge truthe vnderstand I say what is meante by the eating of this spirituall bodye verely not thee tearynge wythe the teth nor dysmeÌbring of Christes body but only that we shulde assuredlye trust that by hys owne bloude he entered ones for all into the holy place hath found eternal redeÌption also being perfect became the cause of euerlastiÌg saluatioÌ vnto al theÌ that obeye him by the sacrifice of hys precious bloud thorow the sperite offered without spot vnto god he hath geuen remissyon of al our synnes yf we repent hatyng vngodlynes holy trust vnto this anker of our soule sure sted fast by hoope whyche leadeth vs to take thys holde that where as our vnperfecte fleshe was vnable to do or satysfie the wyll of god the father he hathe by hys precious death crosse not only fulfylled the wyl of god appeased hys wrath and become lyfe euerlastiÌg to theÌ that trust in hym but also is become the entrye of the eternal kyngdom of endles tranquillitie the place dayly receaued of theÌ that ar santified in him for here on staÌdeth the lawe thee prophetes Wherfore whaÌ soeuer ye breake thys bread eate it wherwyth ye assure your coÌsciens the being turned into your substaunce it norysheth your bodye so at the breaking hereof ye must assure your conscience that yf ye forsake synne vnfaynedly beleue that thee breakynge of hys body hath pourged away our syn by the whych we haue possessed all the merytes of his precious bodye namely remyssyon of al our synnes and life euerlastiÌg He is turned into the immortal incorruptyble and impassyble substaunce of soche a faythfull soule and wythout dout continually norysheth it QuicuÌque ergo paneÌ hunc coÌmederit ex nouo testamento in sanguine suo saÌctificatio hoc exhanserit morte noÌ morietur sed viuent in aeternum That is to saye Who soeuer therfore shal eate thys bread shal drynke of thys newe testameÌt sanctifyed in hys bloud yâ same shal not dye the death but shal lyue for euer For whan he sayth whoso eateth my flesshe drinke my bloud hath life euerlasting And whoso beleueth in me hath lyfe euerlastiÌg What dullard is ther that perteyneth not the eatyng of thys bodye fayth in hys bloud shediÌg to be both one except he wold moost wickedly appoynt vs. ii wayes vnto saluacyon one by eatyng of the Sacramente another by fayth but yf by eatynge alone the dyscyples shulde haue had lyfe euerlasting assone as they hadde receaued thys body at yâ supper what hadde the crosse and death of Christe auayled But god forbyd that the myndes of godly men shuld at any tyme be entankeled wyth soche strauÌge lerninge comberous doctryne which I feare me wolde sone come to passe yf yâ wordes of our redemer shulde carnally according to the letter be vnderstand but Christ calleth hym selfe both helth lyfe to al theÌ that trust in the coÌsummate sacrifice of hys body ones offered for al synne vnto them wil Hebre. ix apeare agayn without syn vnto saluation sendinge vnto theÌ by hys bouÌtuous grace the only most beautiful ambacetor of peace the importible crowne of euerlasting glory which with a sure hope dylygentely loke for the aperaunce of hys most gloryous face Who wil drawe vs with him to the immutable kyngdoÌ of hys father wyth whoÌ we shal with ioye inexplicable liue eternally for he hath sayd thys worde whyche retourneth not vnto hym emptye Vbi ego sum ibi erit minister meus That is to saye Where I am there shall my mynister be for he enioyeth glory and lyueth for euer and so shall we do that trust in hym for thys is the wyl of God As Iohan sayth Vt qui vidit filium et credit în eum habeat vitam aeternam Christes resuscitabit euÌ in nouissimo die That is to say That he that seeth the sonne beleueth in hym maye haue eternall lyfe and christ shal rayse hym in the last day Christes flesshe therfore that it was deliuered vnto death for oure fredom is called the meat of oure soule hys bloud forasmoche as it was shedde vpoÌ the crosse is called therfore thee dryncke most helthful and necessarie of our soule wtout whoÌ our soule could not haue bene saued but in this doctryne of the sperit of truth is fouÌd no traÌsubstaÌciation into bread nor wyne nether yet a personal body therfore ye must nedes graÌt al though it before agaiÌst your wylles that your Imaginacion cometh of your selues and not of god therfore it must be vntrue NaÌ oiÌs homo mendax deus verus est in cuius labiis nuÌcquaÌ inventus erat dolus That is to say For euery man is a lyar but God is true in whose lippes was neuer found deceit Good brethreÌ yet ones agayn pacieÌtly suffer me to aske you a litle questioÌ yâ knowlege of whoÌ caÌ by no meanes hinder you êffer you it may to discerne your grief be healed by the gospel Haue ye forgotteÌ good brethreÌ how that our sauiour christe in his perigrinacioÌ in yâ erth to certify his faithful disciples of yâ wil of his father of his fauour towardes theÌ in that he had sent yâ êmised saluacioÌ to al theÌ yâ wold receaue hiÌ beleue iÌ his name left if sacrameÌtes to preache his pÌcious deth yâ lauacre of our soules by whoÌ alone we were purged froÌ syns nameli baptyme yâ sacrameÌt of his body for this case only yâ we alwayes shuld haue before our eyes and firmely print in our hartes his deth passioÌ by whom we were sealed into redeÌption noo more vnder the daÌger of yâ law whych offered vnto our coÌscieÌs for traÌsgressioÌ nothing but daÌpnatyoÌ but vnder libertie grace leste paradueÌture yâ raÌping lyoÌ whiche buseli seketh our destructioÌ shuld at any tyme snatche this christ out of our remeÌbrauÌce as he is alwaies redi by sondry inchynes that he leyeth to snare oure myndes wherebye they myghte forget theyr saluacion therfore of ii necessarie thiÌges he made theÌ of whoÌ we haue in this our mortal lyfe soch necessarie vse yâ wtout theÌ we cannot susteyne our mortal bodies nameli water bread whereby he shewed vs that as oft as we soughte by this outward
same body which was crucified dead is rysen agayn according as yâ apostels haue witnessed of hym yf you diligeÌtely atteÌd awake out of your slepe he wyll also reueyle vnto you what bodi this was after his resurrectioÌ what became therof so euideÌtly that except thou repeÌt turne froÌ your wycked Imaginacion all other of your faction of the clergye whych thus spurneth agaynste gods truth it wil plucke a hoode ouer your heades furred with fearful iudgemente vnquencheable fyer Wherfore geue eare vnto thee Euangelist whych more playne lyer expresseth thys bodye than ye haue cause to doubte After these womeÌ had thus talked amoÌg the disciples that at theyr commyng his body was absent out of yâ monumeÌt ther arose amoÌg theÌ a sodayne wonderyng how thys myght be behold ii of yâ coÌpany that thus talked of Iesus went from Ierusalem vntyl a certayn vyllage called Emaus vnto whoÌ Christ apered beyng euen the last maÌ they talked of asking theÌ what communication this was c as followeth in the text Reade iudge In conclusion nyght drewe on they compelling hym to tarrye wyth them And it came to passe as he sate at thee table wyth theÌ personally he toke bread brake it and gaue it them wher vpon they knew hym and so he vanisshed away here note good frendes that the scripture speaketh as yet of no transubstantiation For the body that brake thys bread was a personal body hauing flesshe and bones the sences of a naturall bodye As you shal manyfeste perceaue hereafter appoynted wythout any alteration to enter into glory They here vpon callyng to mynde thys sygne wherein before his deth he vouchsaued to preache his precious death the delyueraunce of our soules from eternal captiuitie strayte forth they knewe hym sayinge Dyd not our hartes burne wtin vs whaÌ he thus talked wyth vs of the scripture Now good brethreÌ because the subtyle serpent shal not by errour deceaue youre wyttes to surmyce that whych is not bryngynge vpon your selues swyfte dampnatioÌ it hath to confyrme you in thys truth made playne what bodye thys was farre otherwyse thaÌ ye dreame noo soche body that was willing to traÌsubstancy at it selfe into a dead thyng whyche could nether fele tast se go nor speake in whom ther is nether lyfe nor soule marke therfore how the holy ghost handeleth thys matter by hys holye Euangely on After these twoo meÌ that were at Emaus knew hym by the breakyng of bread they returned vnto Ierusalem froÌ wheÌse they came where ther were gathered together of the disciples aleuen in nomber coÌming talkinge of theyr Mayster christe lately rysed froÌ the dead and seyn of Peter whose talke to coÌfirme these two begaÌ to declare what hadde be fallen them in theyr iorney to Emaus as touchinge hys resurrection And whyle they thus talked of him he apered agayne amoÌgest theÌ saying Peace be with you But thei somwhat fearful with thys straunge syghte supposed hym to be some sperit whom to put oute of doubte he spake in thys wyse sayinge Why are ye thus troubled or what moueth your hartes thus foundly to Imagyne fantasyes be holde my handes my feate am I not eueÌ he that hath cast your accompt dischardged youre det betwene my father you as my sperit at the houre of my most bytter affliction vttered sayinge CoÌsummatuÌ est c. MaÌ thy matter is at issue thy saluacion is made perfecte yf thou abyde in me Yf you mystruste me proue handell me and ye shall no lesse doo but confesse my body far to dissent froÌ a sperite whych hath neyther flesshe and bones as ye se me haue whan he hadde thus destorbed hys natural body vnto them to confyrme theyr faith he shewed theÌ both feate handes Yet not wythstanding this manyfest demonstratyon some of them doubted partly for ioy and partly for the strauÌge sight whom to set fre wythout suspytion he demaunded of them we ther they had any meat to eate vnto whom sone after hys demaunde they offered parte of a broyled fysshe and an honycombe and in presens before theyr eyes he eate it Thus you see that he hadde not onelye fleshe bones and a personall bodye lyke vnto them but also all the sences of a naturall bodye namely felyng seyng hearyng tastynge goyinge Et hec omnia que scripta sunt ad nostraÌ doctrinam fo 15 scripta sunt vt per patientiam scripturarum spem habeamus that is to say Al these thynges that are wrytten are wrytteÌ for our learnyng that through the pacience of thee scriptures we shulde haue hope Whyche alwaye wylbe of force stronge ynough to confute thys errour whych by enchauntement wold haue ther a phantastical body yâ is a bodye by coniecture whoÌ ye saye can nether be felt wyth hand neyther seyn with eyes of the body but only wyth yâ eyes of your faythe O good brethreÌ how longe wyl ye play the part of Iamnes and Iambres whiche wyth moost disceatful sorcerye haue resysted the wil of god thynke you that the wrathfull vengeaunce of god whych fell vpon them can mysse you playinge the same part no truly for agaynst soch thar stouburnely wythstande the truth wythout repentaunce god sharpeth his sworde and bendeth his lawe shal loke narowly with hys eyes that he mysse not hys marke but that he may hit theÌ a ryght for I am sure that ye ar not ignoraunt How that moyses rodde Psal viii hath deuoured theyr feyned serpent and that dangerles eueÌ so shal truth vaunquishe your errour and condeÌpne your folly in that ye loue youre wyttes so wel that shameles ye wythstande the glorious gospel and opeÌly accuse truth of a lie hath not Christ euen wyth his owne mouth lynyally descrybed hys body to be fleshe bloud also to possesse al the sences of a natural body that to the eyes of hys disciples yet contrarye to thys truth say you that his body is in forme of bread whyche is dead and vade of sences also he shewed hym selfe after his resurrectioÌ in the shape stature of a maÌ and yet agaynst hys own wyl ye wyl compel hym to transubstanciat him self into a new shape brynging a maÌ with all hys meÌbers into the strayte roume of a pece of bread or synging cake as ye better allow it Iudge you now how your Sophistrie and the sperite of truth agreeth ⪠But with your pacieÌs suffer me I pray you to reasoÌ wyth your faÌtacye that ye may perceaue the buylding of youre opinioÌ vnable to staÌd in trial with the scripture because it lacketh a groundfyll Answere me therfore Luther your adherentes wold ye that Christes naturall body borne of the vyrgyn Mary very fleshe bloud shuld be traÌsubstanciate into thys bread or no yf ye so wold manifest vnto me I pray you the tyme of this alteracioÌ for asmoch as nothiÌg can be wtout instaÌce of time Yf ye saye it was done
thiÌges to coÌfort our body to maynteyn life yâ vital sperites therof eueÌ sowe ought by seing of this to preche vnto our soules the most glorious deth passioÌ of christ our sauiour which susteyneth coÌforteth coÌtinualli causeth it to lyue Wherfore for asmoch as he before his deth istituted thes ii sacrameÌts I demaÌd of you whiche of theÌ ye thiÌke most honorable or metest to be preferred before thother paraduenture ye wold saye the sacrameÌt of the bodye is moost hiest to be estemed but yf ye stand to that ye ar lyke to haue a sodayn fall for the scripture affyrmeth theÌ to be equall in this wise saying theyr endes are one and the promes annexed vnto them bothe is one and therfore the sacramentes ar of equall forse that they ar of one strenght the scripture proueth in thys wyse saying Quicunâ credit baptizatus fuerit saluus erit That is to saye He that beleued and shal be baptised shal be Iohan. 6 safe Agayn Qui manducauerit carnem meam bibit meum sanguinem habebit vitam eternaÌ That is to saye He that shall eate my flesshe and drynke my bloud shall haue euerlastynge lyfe Now ye see yâ lyfe euerlastyng is the ende of them bothe therfore they are of one strength and differ no iote as touching theyr end Yf ye graÌt them both to geue one gyfte to preache one thyng whereby accordyng to the doctryne of yâ scripture to be equal thaÌ I demauÌde of you why bit staÌdeth not wyth truth to cal the water bloud aswell as the bread thee bodye but that ye iudge to be farre out of frame and very absurde to be spoken and no meruel at al though ye so iudge forasmoche as ye vnderstande the one and not the other for yf ye vnderstode yâ breaking of bread to be thee sygne that preacheth to our conscience the breakyng of hys body as ye vnderstand the water to be a sygne that we ar washed in christes bloud then wold ye not thus ymagine but because ye wil not admyt the sacrament of yâ body to be a signe or tokeÌ of the crucified body of christ but rather the very body it self makyng the signe to be yâ thing signified therfore yâ mysvnderstaÌding of thys word sacrameÌt is yâ cause of this youre forged lesynge fauoure not so moch your enemy whyche more deliteth at your death thaÌ to so you lyue enioye good dayes suffer him not thus to corrupte both your grouÌd yâ good sede offered thervnto with his most pestileÌt infectuous tares of vnbeliefe his treasure that furnissheth the stynkiÌg gulffe of hel hys inheritaunce lest ye at the coming of the husbandmaÌ whose enteÌt is to purge hys corne gather it together into the garnard be with chaffe weed burned in vnqueÌcheable fyer Receyue the lyghte that ye maye walke therein for he that walkethe in darkenes knoweth not wyther to goo S. Austyne hath geuen you thys glasse to plucke oute yâ moote out of youre eyes thaâ causeth you to wynke at truth thus craftely to shut it vppe in hoodymocke because the perel shuld not so ouergrow your eyes that whan shame compelleth you to see ye cannot see so moch is thys godly father and auncieÌt wryter your frend saying SacrameÌtuÌ est visibile sign um inuisibilis gratiae That is to say A sacrameÌt is a vilible signe of an inuisible grace that is a sacrameÌt is visyble a signe of an inuisible grace in another place he calleth it SignuÌ sancti rei That is to saye A sygne of an holy thyng the sygne of an holy thyng As for an example water is a visible thyng subiected to the senses of man to see fele and taste whose propertie is to mundify and scoure the corruption and froth that hangeth vpon our visyble fleshe to make pure oure outward maÌ so yâ our eye beyng iudge thereof is certifyed that it is cleane with oute spotte which water for these natiue qualities being a thing sene with our eye is instituted of god to be a sacrament or sygne to preach an inuisible grace not sene with our bodely eyes nameli yâ propertie of christes precious bloudshed for our redeÌption saluacioÌ yâ only lauacre of our soule by whoÌ it is escoured froÌ syn that so hath festered it to deth our only hyloe which hath clensed our leprosy that had so enfebled our weake sperit so yâ we ar now regenerate into the lyuely hope of lyfe euerlastyng by the bloud of this vndefiled laÌbe in soch sort now that yf the deuyl wold lay assault vnto our coÌscieÌce with his instrumeÌtes of disperacion to make oure hope faynte yâ we haue brokeÌ the lawe therfore must of force be coÌdeÌpned or that god is vnable to remyt our iniquities yf we repeÌt neuer so sore we haue to vaÌquishe hys tyrannous persuacioÌs this êmyses annexed vnto these visyble sygnes or sacrameÌtes which ar only sene with yâ eyes of our faith tasted with soule nameli that Roma x ⪠christ is yâ fulfilling of yâ law to iustify al yâ beleue agayn christ hath put out yâ handwryting yâ was agaynst vs coÌceaued in yâ lawe writteÌ that hath he takeÌ out of the way hath fastened it to yâ crosse hath spoyled rule Câlâ ii power hathe triuÌphed ouer theÌ in his own person And last of al paul sayth that we ar Roma vi not now vnder the law but vnder grace for it is wrytteÌ to the only consolatioÌ comfort of al afflicted coÌscieÌces that willingly repeÌt theÌ of theyr wickednes That christ for no other purpose i Timo. i came into thys world but to saue synners For he hath coÌfessed hym self to be soch a god so mercyful so kynd louinge to theÌ that repent theyr wickednes that he wyl not remeÌbre theyr iniquities which they haue wroughte but they shal lyue because of yâ ryghtuousnesse that he hathe wroughte And therfore thus wryteth Ezechiel the prophet of of him euen in hys own person speaking As truly as I liue I Ezech 33 haue no pleasure in the deth of a synner but moch rather yâ yâ wicked turne froÌ his way lyue to declare his mercy how it lusteth to see al meÌ saued beholde how frendely he speaketh vnto Ierem. â Israel saying Returne o thou rebel froÌ syn I wyl not turne my face from the for I wyl not theÌ be angry wyth the for euer Thus ye se good brethreÌ howe mercifully yâ almyghtyest hath wrought wyth vs mortal creatures ⪠beyng but dust asshes that it hath pleased his diuyne maiestie so moch to teÌder oure weake sperites coÌpassed about wythe the pryson infectuous dongion of flesshe and bloude that in the receyte of thys vysyble sygnes we haue wherwyth to comfort strengtheÌ augmeÌt augmeÌt our hope to saluacion namely yâ promises of his most sacred worde which neuer fayleth yâ faythful yâ assuredly trusteth therin for