is compared to the stocke of the vine and his disciples to the braunches ioyned to the stocke and they which are not at al graffed nor ioyned together with him are cōpared to the braunches that are cut off from the stocke And therefore that this benefit is represented and communicated vnto vs by Baptisme and howe wee doe put off the olde man and put on the newe Saint Paul saieth that by Baptisme wee are dead and buried with Iesus Christ into his death and risen againe with him and planted and graffed and incorporated into him and that all those which are baptized haue put on Iesus Christ And thus much concerning the benefite of regeneratiō and of baptisme which is the Sacrament and testimonie thereof whereby the Lorde witnesseth vnto vs howe that he doeth renewe and regenerate vs in his sonne Iesus Christe into a newe life and doth refourme vs to his image by the vertue of his holy spirite and doth adopte vs by the spirit of adoption and doth aduowe and receiue vs for his children into his house which is his Church For the which cause we are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Thus much concerning the nature and faults and very apparant to those which vnderstand what sacraments are and doe knowe the nature of them and also that of the body and of the bloud of Iesus Christ and of the vnion and the distinction of his diuine humaine natures in the person of him The first is touching the maner of expounding the sacramentall wordes of the supper The 2. concerning the signes of the same and the abolishing of them The 3. cōcerning the thinges that they signifie For the first they giue to the sacramentall woordes by Iesus Christ pronounced in the Supper an exposition altogether newe and strange which cannot in any wise agree with any kind of sacramētal speach that is in al the holy scripture like vnto that which Iesus Christ hath vsed in the Supper For first of a sacramentall proposition they wil make a natural proposition By meane whereof they haue already ouerthrowne the nature of the Sacraments For if I say of the bread of the Supper This bread is the body of Christ there is no apparance to take it naturally so as when I say Iesus Christ is man and Iesus Christ is God but this proposition must be taken sacramentally forsomuch as we must alwaies take the signification of the termes wordes which men doe vse according to the matter whereof men speake the nature of the same Wherfore if mē speake of natural things the wordes must be taken naturally but if men speake of spirituall and sacramentall thinges they must be vnderstoode spiritually and sacramentally If there be then sundry sortes of sacramental speaches in the scripture like to that which Iesus Christ did vse in the Supper there is no reason to take them in one sense in some sacraments and in an other cleane contrary in some others for so much as the matter is alwaies sacramentall and the maners of speache alwaies like And on the other side it is a great fault to take the wordes in their proper and naturall signification when they should be vnderstoode by figure and that the meaning of them cannot be true otherwise as they ought to bee vnderstoode chiefly for two causes in the speache of Iesus Christ in the Supper which woordes are at this day in controuersie The first is because that al other maners of sacramental speaches like vnto this may not be otherwise vnderstoode nor also diuers others which resemble them The other is that if they be expounded otherwise there followe infinite absurdities the which do sufficiently declare that such an exposition may not agree with the meaning of the wordes of the Lorde And that which more is on which side soeuer the transsubstantiatours their adherentes may turne them selues they can neuer in any wise expounde these woordes according to the very sense that they would giue them but that they will bee constrayned to acknowledge and receyue some figure as I haue very amply declared all these matters in diuers other bookes I say further also that they shall not bee able to finde in all the holy Scriptures any maner of speach which carieth with it transsubstanciation and conuersion of one substance into an other like to that that Iesus Christ hath vsed in his supper Wherfore is it then that they will here disguise and transsorme the language of the holy Ghost by a new exposition whereof they haue neither testimonie nor example in the whole scriptures namely in the matter of sacraments where they haue many to the contrarie For albeit they say they will take the wordes of Iesus Christe simply and according to the letter Yet for all that they doe it not when they doe expounde the meaning of them according to their doctrine For Iesus Christe hath not spoken that which they say by their exposition Chapter ii Of the abolishing of the signes of the Supper and of the things signified by them and consequently of all the sacrament by the Romaine Transsubstanciation THe other fault which is cōcerning the signes confisteth in that that by their exposition whereby they would establish transsubstanciation they doe abolish the material signes of the supper conuerting them into the thing which they signifie or at least they do confounde them both together whereas they should be distinguished the one from the other For euen as a sacrament cannot be a true sacrament without the woord of God no more can it be without material signes which are ioyned to that word as seales thereof Now if the substance of bread and wine were transsubstanciate and conuerted into that of the body and of the bloud of Iesus Christ there should be there no more bread nor wine by consequent there should be no more materiall signes forasmuch as there is none other but the bread and the wine From whence it should also folowe that there should be at all no sacrament And so willing to conuert the signes into the thing which they signifie they haue neyther the one nor the other For in abolishing the signes they abolish also the thyng which should be signified by them For it can not bee there offered nor communicated sacramentally as it ought to be set foorth and communicated if the meanes be taken awaye which the Lord hath ordayned to make vs partakers thereof And for to alleadge that the signes doe alwaies remayne signes albeit that they be conuerted into the thing which they should signifie because that their accidents do alwayes remaine whole the which do there remayne for signes that is not to satisfie the question and the difficultie but to make it yet greater For as the accidents may not be without substaunce no more may they be accidentes of substances if they be not agreeable to their
no more then they can of their fayth onely God excepted which knoweth the heartes Wherefore either they put them selues in daunger to bee idolaters according to their owne very doctrine worshipping the bread and the wyne in steade of the body and of the blood of Iesus Christe or els they must needes worship them with condition the which can not bee voyde of doubt From whence it followeth that it can not bee in fayth but onely in opinion and by consequence it is sinne seeing that whatsoeuer is not of fayth and without the same can not please God but is sinne Chapter viii Of the diuision of the signes of the Supper and of the Sursum corda of the Masse and of the signification of the same and whereunto it serueth at this present ANd on the other side seing that the Lord hath ordeined 2. signes in this sacramēt the one may not be separated from the other but that his ordinance is there violated and ouerthrowen contrary to his intent and his expressed commandement Now so it is that the wine appointed to be that signe of the bloud is separated from the bread which is appointed to be the signe of the body not onely when the bread is reserued in their pixtes boxes all alone without the wine but also in their supper which they administer beside their masse to them whome they call the Lay people From whence it foloweth that this bread is not at all the sacrament of the supper for so much as it is not applied to his true vse according to the intent and expresse commandement of Iesus Christ but cleane contrary And if it be not a sacrament of the supper it can not be an other sacrament For Iesus Christ hath not instituted any other to that which he hath appointed the bread for a signe but only this And if it be not at all a sacrament how may it be the body of Iesus Christ Iesus Christ him selfe God and man yea in so many places at one instant as there be boxes pixtes cupbordes and caskets in the which this bread is reserued and kept as a relique Therefore I would gladly that the transsubstantiators and Romaine doctors should well consider in all their worshippings that they doe to this bread bee it in their masses or in their pixtes cupbordes and boxes or in their processions to what purpose a litle before they do lift it vp in their masse to cause it to be worshipped they say and sing Lift vp your heartes which is as much to say Sursum corda For it is an exhortation to the Christian people taken of the true ancient Churche whereby the ministers did admonishe them which should cōmunicate at the supper not to stay them selues and rest vpon the visible signes of the same but that they should lifte vp their heartes and their mindes on high to heauenly and diuine things represented by them and to the Lorde which only can communicate those things and will bee serued and worshipped in spirit and truth as he him selfe witnesseth and not in visible and corruptible things nor in things base and earthly For if the time be come that he will not be any more worshipped either in Ierusalem or in the mountaine no more will hee be worshipped betweene the handes of the Romaine priestes nor in their masses and boxes cupbordes pixtes and caskets For that cause after that this exhortation Sursum corda was giuen to all the assistantes they answered Habemus ad dominum which is to saye we haue them vp to the Lorde to witte the heartes the which they were exhorted to lift vp on high Note For the same was spoken in a tongue vnderstoode of al. But to what purpose serueth it now to sing in the masse Sursum corda before the poore people and the ignorant which knowe not what men saye vnto thē neither do they vnderstand at al the exhortation which is giuen vnto them for so much as it is deliuered in Latin and not in their owne language And although that it were deliuered vnto them in their owne language saying Lift vp your heartes on high it coulde not serue them but onely to make them lift them vp to the handes of the priestes which holde and lift vp their hostie and their cuppe euen as hye as their pixtes boxes wherin they holde their holy hostie inclosed no hygher at all For seeing that they doe teache them there to seeke God Iesus Christe our Lorde they neede not to lift their heartes more high to worshyppe him in spirit and trueth but rather that they doe abase them to the earth where they shewe them their visible god whereupon they thinke and rest Wherefore they may very wel boaste thē selues that they haue a god which they see and hee seeth not them But as for vs we knowe no God created nor visible but onely hee which hath created all things and is not him selfe created and which is eternall and inuisible the which doeth very well see vs albeit that we see not him at all for so much as his diuine nature can not bee seene And albeit that hee made him selfe visible in his Sonne Iesus Christe in whome hee hath declared him selfe yet for all that Iesus Christ would withdrawe his bodily presence from this visible worlde to the ende that wee shoulde not seeke him any more in this base territorie nor in corruptible things but that wee shoulde seeke him in the heauens where hee is at the right hande of the Father to worshippe him there in spirit and trueth For hee will not bee worshipped with any other worshippe then that wherewith hee hath taught vs that God must bee worshipped seeing that hee is the cause for the which hee is worshipped for otherwyse it should not be lawfull to worship him seeing that that honour apperteineth to none but to God onely Chapter ix Of the auncientie of transsubstantiation and of the worshipping and keeping of the holy Romaine hostie and of the feast and procession which is dedicated vnto it LEt them not then finde it straunge if we doe not beleeue thē at all when they say vnto vs Lo here is Christ yea there is Christ behold he is in the wildernesse or in the closets For Iesus Christ doth not giue vs testimonie of such a presence of him in his Churche neither of any such comming of his from heauen but in deede giueth vnto vs one cleane contrary No more may they also alleage vnto vs in this behalf the authoritie of the auncient Church nor of the ancient doctours nor the auncientie of their religion touching such worshipping reseruation and keeping of the bread of their holy hostie For the auncient Church hath at the least continued vpon the point of a thousand and three score yeeres before that the doctrine of transsubstantiation was brought into it receiued and approued by the councel in
of God froÌ„ his people which is so holy sacred a â—hing Wherfore they may be wel placed amoÌ„g â—he false prophets whom the Lorde accuseth by â—eremie to haue stolen his word froÌ„ his people They are in like forte very open rebels to Iesus Christ For seeing that they ought to reprâ—sent his person in the administration of the siâ—per and of al sacramentes it must in any wise bâ— that they do that which he commandeth them tâ— do and that they follow his example For if the do otherwise and contrary thereunto they maâ— not be called the ministers of Iesus Christe buâ— onely by a wrong title Nowe it is certaine thaâ— he commanded them to do in his remembrance the very same which he then did And what is 〈◊〉 that he then did Note he as minister addressed hiâ— worde to his disciples to whom he administreâ—â— his supper and forthwith distributed vnto then the signes thereof which he commandeth theâ— to take Wherefore if the priests do not the likâ— in their masse in their supper wherein they saâ— they do represent as ministers the person of Iâ—sus Christ they do mocke both Iesus Christ anâ— his poore people Nowe it is plaine that in the 〈◊〉 masse they do neither the one ne yet the other From whence it followeth very well that thâ— same can not be the supper of Iesus Christ foâ— so much as they do so great a wrong therein aâ— well to him as to all Christian people For in hâ—â—ding and stealing the worde which ought to bâ— declared vnto them and in not distributing at aâ— that which is commaÌ„ded them to distribute vnto them they do dishonour Iesus Christe in diâ—obeying him also do great wrong to his peoâ—le in not administring vnto them that which â—hey ought to administer vnto theÌ„ And as they â—aile in this behalfe euen so the people doe not â—heir dutie if they wil not receiue the word nor â—he signes when they are duely and sincerely â—dministred vnto them For therein they shew â—hem selues rebels against God. Note And if neither â—he one nor the other be presented and adminiâ—tred vnto them and that they care not at al but â—re contented to be depriued eyther in part or in â—ll they yeeld them selues then without excuse â—â—asmuch as they declare thereby that they doe â—ot greatly care for the glory of god nor for his â—â—luation and chiefely when they may haue the â—â—eane to haue the right and full administration â—f the sacraments Chapter xvi Of the differeÌ„ce and distinction that the Romaine doctors do make in thapplicatioÌ„ of the sacramental wordes of the sacrameÌ„ts aswel concerning the signes of them as the persons which are capable thereof and of the foundation of their transsubstanciation which they ground vpon the same â—Eing theÌ„ that it is so it is easie to iudge howe foolish and ful of filthie ignorance the distinction and the difference that the Romaine doâ—tors doe make betwene Baptisme and the suâ—per and their other sacraments is touching tâ— applying of the wordes and of the signes 〈◊〉 them For they say that in baptisme the sacrâ—mentall wordes are addressed to the persoâ— which they baptize Note and not at al to the mattâ—â— of baptisme to wit to the water which is thâ— signe thereof but it is contrary in the suppeâ— forsomuch as the sacramentall wordes are adressed to the matter thereof to wit to the breaâ—â— and to the wine which are the signes and nâ— at all to the persons from whence they do coclude the conuersion of the bread and of thâ— wine into the bodie and bloud of Iesus Chriâ—â— according to their doctrine of transsubstanciâ—tion By meane whereof they doe affirme thaâ— for that cause the bread and the wine consecrâ—ted after their maner are no more bread anâ— wine but are the very body and bloud of Iâ—sus Christe and the holy Sacrament of thâ— altar and of the supper of the Lorde yea eueâ—â— out of the accion and vse of the sacrament Thâ— which thing they dare not affirme of the wâ—ter of the baptisme For albeit that they hauâ— blessed and consecrated it after their maner anâ— that they doe reserue it in their fonts for thâ— vse of baptisme and that they doe pronounce thâ— sacramental words thereof in thadministration yet for al that they hold it neither for sacrament nor for signe of baptisme but in the very accion and vse thereof to witte when it is applied to the persons that men doe baptize But if they graunt vs this point concerning baptisme why make they so great difficultie to graunt vs the same concerning the supper For haue they more expresse commandement of Iesus Christ to administer the water in Baptisme then the bread and the wine in the supper which are the signes I say yet further that it is so that they haue a more expresse commandement to distribute the bread and the wine of the supper then to administer the water of the Baptisme For where is it that they shal be able to find that Iesus Christ hath said so expressely of the water of Baptisme Take ye baptize ye and be ye baptized as he hath plainely spoken of the bread of the wine of the supper Take ye eate ye Take ye drinke ye yea euery one of you And to whoÌ„ did he speake these woordes following to wit This same is my bodie this same is my bloud but euen to those very men to whom he spake the wordes going before as I haue alreadie declared to whom he gaue commandement to eate the bread and to drinke the wine which he brake distributed vnto them for signes of his body and of his bloud Chapter xvii Of thapplying of the sacramentall wordes tâ— the signes of the sacraments and of the coÌ„secration of them THey may not then at all alledge that they dâ—â— better agree with the matter of the bread and 〈◊〉 the wine in the supper then with that of the wâ—ter in Baptisme and that it hath not equal respeâ—â— to the persons aswell in the one sacrament as 〈◊〉 the other Wherefore to speake properly theâ— must be referred in both the sacrameÌ„ts aswel 〈◊〉 the signes as to the persoÌ„s to whom they ought 〈◊〉 be administred but it is euer in the respect of thâ— persoÌ„s For it should be to no purpose that theâ— were pronounced in secret and in their absencâ— For that should be more like to a charme aâ— enchantment then to a sacrameÌ„t For the maâ—ter which is taken for the signes in all sacrâ—ments cannot be the signes if the same be nâ—â— dedicated and consecrated thereunto by tâ—â— worde of God by the which they are made hâ—ly and sacred signes where as before they weâ—â— but simple and common matter And therefoâ—â— there is so great difference betweene that thâ—â— it was and that that it is after that the word 〈◊〉 added vnto it as there is betwene a piece of
1415. there was neuer any ordinance made in the Church whereby it was forbidden to administer the cuppe to al the people as the Romaine doctours them selues are enforced to confesse This notwithstanding the corrupted and abastardised Romaine church which hath made this ordinance cleane contrary to the expresse coÌ„mandement of Iesus Christ and to the obseruatioÌ„ of the true ancieÌ„t church as well the Romaine as of all the true vniuersall churche is that true ancient Romaine Church and the true catholique Churche which did immediatly succeede the Apostles if we will beleeue the Romaine doctors albeit that shee be apparantly cleane contrary to it Chapter ii Whether the Supper of the Lord may be a true supper if any of the signes of the same be cut off and whether Iesus Christ did ordayne any thing superfluous in the same whether he did ordeine one sort of supper for one sort of men and an other for the others BVt they will yet replie that as the bloud is contayned vnder the body and that the lay people in receiuing the body receiue also the bloud albeit that they doe receiue but the signe of the body and not that of the bloud euen so when the priest communicateth alone in the masse he communicateth for al the rest and all the rest do communicate also in the person of him Behold a very faire starting hole and a reason very wel grounded Whereupon I aske them for the first whether Iesus Christ did ordaine any thing superfluous and in vaine in his holy supper and that was not very necessary I do not thinke at all that they dare gainesay this If there be theÌ„ nothing superfluous neyther that is ordayned in vayne and without great and necessary cause in this sacrameÌ„t and mysteries which it containeth wherefore is it that they dare to cut off any thing froÌ„ thence And if there be any thing superfluous and not necessary Note wherefore doe they not as wel cut off in their masse that whiâ—â— they do cut off in the supper of the people forse much as it must needes be that there be equaltie among al in the supper of the Lorde For hâ— ordained none other for the ministers then hâ— did for the people nor for the pastours then fâ—â— the sheepe nor for the clerkes then for the layâ— And what reason haue they to cut off rather thâ— wine Demaund then the bread They wil answere that 〈◊〉 is because that there is greater daunger in repect of the wine Answere by meane of the shedding thaâ— may happen and consequently of the bloud intâ— that which it is conuerted by meane of their transsubstanciation Wherfore is it then that the auncâ—ent Church did not aswel feare this daunger before the time of the Councel of Constaunce a did that Church which hath bin since There 〈◊〉 no doubt at al but that the errour of transsubstanciation hath brought foorth this also For thâ— Church which hath counterfaited it hath haâ— since greater feare to shed the bloud into thâ— which the wine is conuerted according to theâ—â— doctrine then the true auncient Church haâ—â— which did not know any such transsubstanciatâ—on Wherefore she did not also feare any suâ—shedding of the bloud of Iesus Christ Note And fâ—â— that also that she did not vse to keepe the breâ—â— and the wine to make them to be worshippeâ— as they do at this day in the Romaine Church in like sort she did not feare that the body and the bloud of the Lord should corrupt in the vessels wherein they were kept Beholde then one reason that the most moderne Romaine Church hath had more then the true auncient Church concerning this point And on the other side euen as the priestes of the same haue magnified their dignitie by meane of their transsubstanciation not onely aboue all other men but also aboue the virgine Mary and the Angels euen so haue they done in the communion of their masse and of their Supper For it is no small dignitie to be able to cause Iesus Christe to come and to be betwene their handes euery day and when it pleaseth them to make gods and to be the creatours of the creatour as they haue named them selues heretofore in their owne very bookes Therefore it is very reasonable also that they haue their communion apart separated from others which are not of such dignitie and that it be different from that which is common to al persons Chapter iii. Whether the Priestes may receiue the Supper for the people and what communion and excommunication is FUrther I aske them if they would be conteÌ„ted that an other man should dine for them or else that he should receyue the reuenewes of their benefices and that he should keepe the same for him selfe and in the meane time should say that he had receyued it for them I do beleeue that they would not haue such vicars nor such receiuers for them neither at the table nor iâ— their recepts but would doe both the one and y other in their owne person This notwithstanding they will needes be vicars of their Parochians in such matters in receyuing alone for them al that which belongeth generally to euery of them And the Parochians are very weâ— contented to haue such vicars and receiuers which do ordinarily receiue the Supper for theÌ„ because that they knowe not what the Supper of the Lorde is nor what profit or hurt they maâ— receiué by the administration or priuation of same wherefore they cannot knowe nor consâ—der the wrong which they do to them in so dâ—priuing them be it in all or in parte For who 〈◊〉 shal wel consider the communion which is inâ— masse and shall iudge thereof according to thâ— truth may of right call it no communion at all but excommunication For as communicatiâ—â— signifieth the partaking of many in one thing which is common to them al so on the contraâ— excommunication signifieth the depriuation 〈◊〉 such a partaking and communication as also to excommunicate signifieth asmuch as to be put out of the communion comminalty Now it is so that the Church as I haue already declared is the communion of Saints the comminalty of the faithfull And forsomuch as the sacraments being administred according to the pure ordinance of the Lorde are of the principal outward markes of the true Church and of the communion comminaltie she is also signified and represented by them For that cause they do receiue those the which they do esteeme for true members of that whole body and of all that coÌ„minaltie which we doe call the Church and the communion of Saints acknowledging theÌ„ as true Burgesses and Citizens of the kingdome of heauen and of the holy Citie of god And by that meane they do communicate vnto them the Sacraments which are vnto them as markes and tokens which Princes Lordes and Captames doe giue to their seruants and souldiours the which they doe aduow