the vndefiled in the waye which walke in the lawe of the Lorde Blessed are they which serch his testimonies and ther shall you perceiue that the worde of God shoulde be the delyte of the life the fode of the soule the lyght â—o the foâ—e stepes the rode of the yonge man to breake his lustes the exercise of his lyfe the coÌ„forte in aduersite the bridle in prosperitie the medicine in sickenesse the onely fode in health the relefe in werinesse the banisment of vilanie sufferinge no shame to assalt the cause of reioyseinge in banisment and imprisoneinge in extreme age the releyfeinge of werinesse causeynge all quietnesse Yea in death the geuer of lyfe and in lyfe ioye euerlasteinge Is not this thinge worthie to be preached in the tyme of mattens and masse to be preached red and hearde inmattens masse and euensonge tyme to be learned of men women children plowemen yemen gentillmen fre men bound men and generally of al christen men Oh bishope recant for shame Now to discuse what place the doctrine of meÌ„ should haue in the worship of God marck that God sayeth That which I coÌ„maund the that onely do thou neither adde thou any thynge nor diminishe therfrom Marcke agayne howe Madaâ— and Abihu the chyldreÌ„ of Aaron dyd offre vnto the Lorde straunge fyre that was not commaunded them fyre came furth froÌ„ the Lorde deuoured them So straunge a thing it is to set vp a strauÌ„ge thinge of our owne braine Oze for touching the Arke of God was stryken to death notwythstandynge he dyd it of a good entent Howe thynke you then wyll God receyue your fonde doctrines and ceremonies Saule the firste kynge of the Israelites was thorowe a folishe intent of his owne put from his kyngdome Beinge commanÌ„dded to destroye the Amalechites wyth all theirs he saued the best and fayrest inteÌ„ding to do sacrifice therwyth vnto the Lorde But God asked hym by the prophet in this wise Wyl the Lorde haue holocastes offeringes and not rather obedience vnto the voice of the Lorde But thys place do you falsâ—y alledge for the obedience vnto men euen in like maner as you do wraste thys texte also In â—ayne do they worshyp me teachyng the doctrines and preceptes of men But we dare examine the maâ—tier by your owne gloses You are content to graunte that suche doctrines and preceptes of men as be taught of their owne braines wheÌ„ they were but in the state of men onely were but vayne worship And then talke you of Lycurgus and of Numa Pompilius but in the popes kyngdome al doctrine was good for he was aboue this state of a man as it should seme because you can fynde no faute wyth his doinges yea all you bishops and your priestes are more then meÌ„ also as may appeare by your boke for what so euer you saye we muste beleue you or els we dispise God Thus caÌ„ you alledge scriptures and can proue thys by a text of Paule Non spernit hominem sed Deâ—m He doeth not dispise man but God Whiche text is spoken of the precept of God wrytten in Leuiticus whiche forbyddeth the to defraude thy brother whiche Paule alledgeth a litle before and therfore warneth the Thessalonians not to set lyghte of that lawe the authour wherof was not any maÌ„ but God But you write of authoritie You may writh scriptures as ye luste As for your place to the Hebrues maketh for theÌ„ that preach the worde of God whose fayth we shoulde folowe and consider the ende of their conuersation If you wyl be tryed to be such ministers you must proue vnto vs your ministration in muche sufferaunce in afliction in necessitie in carefulnesse in strokes in imprisonment in seditioÌ„s in labours watchyng fastynges in purenesse in knowledge in gentlenesse of minde and liberalitie in the holy gost in loue not fayned and in the worde of trueth c. Dare you styll cal your selues ministers Then must you be the disposers of these misteries of God And so longe as you syt in the seate of Moyses preachyng the worde of God so far wyl we beleue you And so far as you are the folowers of Christe we wyll folowe you But if you bringe not his word we dare not saye Aâ—e vnto you nor receyue you into our â–ª houses No we do take you for the vncleane beastes that do not diuide the houffe Suche are the shepeheardes as Iheremie sayeth that are fed wyth the wynde whiche scatter the shepe caste them furth and do not visit the flocke The priest and the prophete are boeth defiled wherfore they do doeth folowe a slipperie waye in the darcke wherein they shalbe dryuen furth and fal in the same for I shall brynge the daye of their visitation vpon them sayeth the Lorde They are al like Sodomites in my sight the people lyke Gomorrha With wormewod and gaâ—â—e therfore wyll I feede theÌ„ For al pollution is coÌ„men vpon the earth sayeth the Lorde by the prophetes of Iherusalem men moste highly estemed in outwarde holinesse But thus sayth the Lorde of hostes Gyue none eare to the wordes of these prophetes that deceyue you For they speake the visioÌ„ of thir owne hertes not of the mouth of the Lorde Thus are we playnely taughte howe perilouse a thinge it is to folowe the doctrines of men be they neuer so highly aduaunced wyth titles of holynesse Yea we are by the mouth of God admonished aboue all thynges to beware of them that promise peace quietnesse folowinge but the shreudnesse of their owne hertes and folishe inuentions for it is a kynde of Idolatrie not to sticke vnto his worde as vnto the thynge onely sufficient Of suche prophetes therefore as brynge their owne inuentions doeth he saye I dyd not sende them they ranne I did not speake vnto them and they dyd prophecie If they had stande in my counsayle and published my wordes to my people they shoulde haue turned them from their wycked wayes and from their wycked inuentions I dyd heare howe they tolde lyes dreames in my name by the disceites of their herte causynge the people to forget my name for their dreames as is it come to passe thys daye Therefore sayeth the Lorde of hostes agaynst such prophetes He that hath a dreame let him tel his dreame and he that hath my worde let hym speake my worde truly What minglest thou chaffe wyth the â—heate Are not my wordes lyke fyre sayeth the Lorde and lyke the mall that breaketh the stone Therfore to you prophetes that steale my wordes euerie one froÌ„ his brother dreamynge furth your lyes deceyuyng my people wyth your lyes your miracles where as I dyd neuer sende you nor yet commaunde any suche thynge to my people as dyd not profite them You are the heauy burden that I can no loÌ„ger beare and therfore I wyl caste you awaye Agayne Ezechiell in the spirite of God doeth thus
god and his sonne Christ but euerlasting damnation For this is lyfe Euerlastinge to knowe the true God and whoÌ„ he hath sent Ihesu Christ TheÌ„ must it nedes be euerlasting death thus blasphemously to Iudge of them bothe He that beleuethe in me hathe Euerlastinge lyfe saithe Christ we do thus beleue on the sone of god therfore haue we this witnesse within our selues And seing we haue life euerlastynge and are made the chyldren of God by the testimony of the spirite we do seke no farther merite But this worde merite is one of our iugling termes wherewyth you blynde the people You promise merite for your matteÌ„s merite for your masse merite for your eatynge of fishe merite for al maner holines that you haunte Worshippinge of Images Creping to the crosse Setting vp of Candles and all our workes must be done for our merites so that the merites of Christe who onely hath deserued euerlasting life for vs is cleane for gotten and fordone Agayne you saye A good true christian beleuinge man knoweth this by faithe that god is inuiolable impassible incorruptible immortall and that our sauiour the seconde persone in trinitie verie god haueing the humayne nature now vnite to the godhed whiche beinge glorified can not any more suffer violence or corruptioÌ„ nor be violated or brought to mortalitie All thys is playne agaynst your owne doctrine for seinge that the bodie of bread is cleane gone and yet there remaineth a body that the mouse or ape catcheth in his mouthe or eâ—s they coulde not carie it awey What shal we conclude by your doctrine but that the mouse or ape runneth awaye wyth that bodie whiche by your enchauntment is conceiued into the place of the bread which blasphemously do name the body of Christ coÌ„secrated into the fourme of breade But you do answere that lyke as Christ wheÌ„ he was here in the fleshe dyd fyrst escape the handes of Herode when he slewe the chyldren and afterwarde the furious Iewes when they woulde haue precipitate hym transiens per medium illorum ibat Christe escapped thorowe the middest of them So doth he nowe saye you Your similitude is euyll applied For besydes that there is no comparison of Christe comynge in the fleshe for the wealth of the world vnto the bread thus altered for your pompe and pryde we knowe and Ioseph and Mary do wytnesse vnto vs that they knewe and perceyued by the benifite of theyr senses that thys same oure Sauioure Christe was in shape a very man And we knowe also by the testimonies of the scriptures that he continued here very man in fourme and shape beinge subiected vnto all our infirmities synne alwaye excepted for the space of xxx yeres and more and that then he suffered death and rose agayne his fleshe neyther being consumed nor putrified but styll remayneth fleshe incorruptible and immortal Where as in the fourme of bread wherein you say we see hym and eate him we perceyue neither incorruption nor immortalitie For it neuer continueth paste the date of one moneth if you incurre not the daunger of your fathers decrees and commonly not one quarter of an houre muche after the rate of the dayly newe created monstros of whoÌ„ Aristotle maketh meÌ„tion Who doubtles if he had harde of these monstrous gods made and marred all in an houre woulde haue wrytten wonders vnto his posteritie If the cakes were preserued from corruption and dyd continewe styl immortal as Christ his fleshe did then woulde your similitude in these two miracles serue you somewhat better But seing that your cakes do mould and corrupte and his fleshe escaped Herode and the handes of his enemies and coulde neuer see any corruption thys your similitude proueth that those cakes of yours can by no meanes be his naturall body These two miracles therfore as all his other were done to declare hym to be subiecte to no power of man but to worke all his workes so that no man can lette and hyndre ought that he hath determined to be done but you must wrest all that you can to cloke your Sophistrie wythall Nowe your affirmation of xv hundred yeres wythout any proufe but only because you say so hath ben answered by many learned men As â—adinius EcolaÌ„padius Zwin glius and other prouing by your doctours that the true fayth and spirituall vnderstandyng of thys mattier continued longe in the best sorte of them Howe be it surely I wyll graunt this much vnto you that this blinde grosse and carnall opinion of the carnall eatyng of Christe hath ben crept vp euer sence the deuyl was lowsed This thousaÌ„de yeres that thys enemy hath troubled the worlde wyth popishe pompe and pryde keepynge and lockyng vp the worde of God from vs God hath not destituted and forsaken but hath alwayes from tyme to time steared vp witnesses of his truth whom partly the popishe haue slayne but some God hath reserued and alwayes the good simple people haue had theyr eyes vnto the lyuynge God in heauen what so euer the priest dyd babble of thys his owne haÌ„dy worke Neither could those termes of your straite lawes really substaÌ„tially the chaunge of the bread so that â—here remayne onely accidentes wythout subiecte and consecration into the quantitie and qualitie of breade euer be vnderstande of the pore simple people For those termes do sprynge and haue their beginnyng of the schole learnyng and Sophistrie as all men of knowledge can testify with me and were neuer gyuen in coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to thys bloudy generation to be deliuered vnder payne of death It were but foly to striue with you concerning your doctours Howe they haue in ordre and course by litle and litle fallen from the trueth in thys and other thynges For it is no merueile though you caÌ„ expound your doctours to maynteyne your opinion seinge you dare be so bolde to cause Christes wordes to serue for your carnall purpose I entende not therfore to brynge in any proufe of doctours but only of the worde of God leauyng you to your doctours to trye them at leasure But thys one thynge I shal desire you To bringe some apparant proufe of your termes and I promise you it shall be answered Good men be neuer offended wyth the breakynge of the hoste beinge persuaded Christes body to be present in the sacrament really and materially whereunto wyth worshippinge they dyd lift vp their handes and nothinge doubted but God was impassible â—e vsed not to mistâ—uste God his immortalitie when they haue sene a sicke man receyue the sacrament a quarter of an houre before his naturall death as though in that maÌ„ the hoste consecrated wherin the body of Christ is preseÌ„t should wyth Gods iniury moulde or corrupte wast or consume Here is muche mattier offered but that I perceyue my selfe to tary somwhat to longe vpon your occasions Who shall trye theâ—e good men therfore but eueÌ„ the boke of wisedome where it is sayed Blessed be
passouer In the passeouer they gaue thankes for theyr deliueraunce wheÌ„ the EgyptiaÌ„s and the kinges seede were slayne In this sacrameÌ„t thaÌ„kes are gyueÌ„ that the sonne of the high king is slayn for the saluatioÌ„ of the worlde The lambe and the feast itselfe are called the passeouer The one was but a signe the other was but the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the passing angell So lykewise this breade or sacrameÌ„t is callyd the bodie of Christ when it is but the remeÌ„braunce and thankes geuynge for the death which Christ suffered in hys bodie The cupe also he calleth the newe testameÌ„t in his bloude where the bloud of the lambe sprynkled vpoÌ„ the postes was but a shadow of the old testameÌ„t and a token to the angell of godes fauour And thys bloude of our sauiour Christ is a coÌ„firmacioÌ„ and establishemeÌ„t of his testameÌ„t as both the epistle to the galathians and the Hebrues do witnesse and the testameÌ„t so loÌ„g before promised was this I wylbe theyr God and they shall be my people Agayne In the boke of Exodi he coÌ„maundeth them to tel theyr chyldren of that greate benifite So now when they shal no leuger speake of theyr delyuerauÌ„ce forth of Egypt but of a far greater deliueraunce from all the infernall powres by hys death He coÌ„maundeth them to do thys in the remeÌ„braunce of hym Thus he goynge from the olde testameÌ„t to the newe from the olde passeouer in shadow to the bodie whyche is Christ our passeouer offâ—ed for vs as Paul sayeth vseth the same phrase in speakynge And after that he had eaten thys passeouer whiche he desiered so greatly he preached of hys betrayeing and departeynge saiynge The sonne of man must go as it it wryteÌ„ But woe vnto that man by whoÌ„ he is betrayed It had beÌ„ better for hym that he had neuer ben borne This text may somwhat make for the declaracion that Iudas though he were par takare of the same breade and cupe yet he did not eate the fleashe and bloude of Iesus Christ which he must neades haue done if the thynges had ben chaunged and therfore haue had euerlasteynge lyfe as it is sayd in Iohn the vi cha Who so eateth my fleash c so that he had ben happye that euer he was borne The most parte of the longâ— sermone that Iohn reherseth is concernynge hys departyng from his disciples where as after your doctryne he mygh haue coÌ„forted them wyth one worde sayeinge I wyl not depart froÌ„ you but wilbe inuiseble wyth you vnto the worldes ende in a litle cake But he sayth plainely that he must go from theÌ„ and that he will no more drincke of that fruite of the vine vnto he dryncke it newe agayne in the kingdome of his father wher he manifestly calleth it the fruite of the vine euen after the coÌ„secrasion as you cal it and that the verye same thing that you cal the bloude the bodi the fleshe and altogether Christ saieth thys is my bodie You marke no circuÌ„stauÌ„ces but adde her unto realli naturallie carnalli christ sayeth do thys in the remembraunce of me You saye Naie we will make a litle cake to be Christ God and man Christ saieth thys is the cup of the newe testament in â—…bloud You saye Naye we wil make ii sponeful of wyne whole Christ bodie bloud and bones Loke your Estatute of vi Articles Christe saith my litle children yet a litle while am I with you The papistes do saie we haue him heare stil Christ saieth you shal seke me but you can not come to me The papistes dâ— saye thei make hym and haue hym in there haÌ„ds ther maist thou seke him But I beleue thou canst not find him there for Christ did geue warneinge alitle before hys death that ther should arise false Christs and false prophetes to deceiue the elect if it wer possible with false miracles and wonders Thei shal 〈◊〉 â—o hear is Christ and ther is Christ But beleue them not saith Christ for lyke as the lightning cometh froÌ„ the east and appeareth vnto the weste so shal the comeinge agayne of the sonne of man Let not your herte be troubled beleue in God and beleue in me I go to prepare you a place and thoughe I go yet I wyll come agayne and take you vnto me The papistes saye beleue in the breade that we haue coÌ„scerated for it is boeth God and maÌ„ Christ shal not go awaye We wyl haue it so that euerie shauelinge shall maâ—e him a place in a rounde cake and breake one pice of him into the chalice and drinke it and rate the residue drie I am the waie the truth the life saieth Christ no man cometh to the father but bi me Yes marie â—aith the bishop of Winchester bringeing in the blind lessoÌ„s of Damascen concerninge the worshipeinge of Imageâ— by the intercessione of saintes come we to God And by the sacrament of the aâ—â—tare are we made partetakers of the god heade of Iesu Christe Christ goinge froÌ„ the erth saith for the câ—…forte of his disciples what soeuer ye aske in my name I wil do it But the papistes wyll haue vs asâ—e in the name of other and by the praier of saintes do they promise many verâ—… â–ª but wythout any worde of scripture and therfore ought we not to beleue them Christ promiseth none other coÌ„forter but the spirite of trueth whiche shall dwell with vs for euer The papistes promise comfortin al deade creatures Again Let not your hert be troubled sayth Christ nor be ye afraied thoughe I go I do leane my pease wyth you I geue you my peace Not as the world geueth do I geue it vnto you Well saye the papistes If thou saye that Christ is gone thou shalt haue little peace among us kepe the peace of Christ as wel as thou canst For we haue him wheÌ„ we luste bodielie reallie naturallye carnally present But O you papistes all your wordes ende in a lie For Christe saieth You haue hearde that I haue said vnto you I goe and come agayne to you And if you loued me suerli you woulde reioyce that I sayed I goe vnto my father You papistes I saye do ye not beleue that Christe died did ryse agayne ascended into heauen and ther sitteth at the ryght hand of the father bodilie really naturally carually that is to saye in plaine euglishe in bodye in substance as he was a natural man and verie flesh taken of the virgyne Marie If you did beleiue this thynge you woulde reioice that man is so highly exalted that oure kinde is so far aboue the angelles auaunced that we haue our bishoppe not in the erth but in the heaueÌ„s not offering ofte tymes for our sinnes which were imperfection but once for al makinge perfecte for euer so many as by hym wyll go vnto the father Agayne Christe sayeth I am the verie vyne and my father is the housbande man â–ª I am the vyne and
this is meÌ„t by the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in diuers places of Deutronomie The wordes are these Thou shalte come to the priest that shall be in those daies and say vnto hym I acknowledge this day before the Lorde my god that I am entred into the lande for the whiche he sweare to our fathers that he woulde giue it vnto vs. Here is a like memorie of God commaunded by Moyses Whereby as in thys sacrament is ment a reuerent thankes gyuyng and acknowledgyng for sâ— is the Hebrue word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 traÌ„slated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudicum iâ— Whereby we may perceyue the worde blessing to agree with the other greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus we therfore haue by the healpe of the Hebrue tonge and the olde testament furth of the whiche two all rites and ceremonies and the trueth of al the principal places of the newe testament haue both their coÌ„firmation and declaration and by the circumstaÌ„ces of the places proued vnto you first that in this sacrament there muste be a general profession of oure sayth in the death of Christ outwardly and theÌ„ priuately euery one must in hert acknowledge giue thaÌ„kes And if the profite of his brethren do so require it or the ordre of the coÌ„gregaâ—ioÌ„ permit they muste with mouth celebrate and prayse this great benifite to the glorie of God and the conforte of the congregation Your first declaration that we must haue Christ present in this memorie by fayth maketh nothinge agaynst vs. For this is it that we do beleue and teach that vnto the eyes of our faith there is preseÌ„t in the sacrament the natural body of our sauiour Christ the same body that suffered And your similitude of the maried womaÌ„ that wyl make an Image of her husbaÌ„de for a remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of him maketh much against you For this I dare saye that al the eloqueÌ„ce you haue â—aÌ„ not proue vn to a righte selêder witted woman that the Image thus made for a memorial is hir owne natural housbaÌ„de and so make hir do honor and reuerence vnto him at bed and at bourd as you woulde haue vs to do to this very Image as you cal it of Christ beinge departed in body froÌ„ his churche and leauing this most perfect Image of him selfe and as you say him selfe for a memorie Furthermore If you coulde proue vnto this womaÌ„ that this image were the natural body â—lesh bloud and bones of hir husband what neede she to loke for hym in any other place abseÌ„t whoÌ„ she hath thus really present at all tymes What shal we say Is hir husbande gone Nay verely hir husbande lyeth hid in and vnder the Image Lo whither your blynde similitudes do leade you But to proue his body to be in diuers places wythout any chaunge of place you had neede to aske better counsayle of your sophisters and then we shal answere you agayne For the texte folowinge Non dâ—…dicans corpus domini makynge no difference of the Lordes body which wordes be so translated in the Bible that you haue allowed by Act of parliament For the scriptures suche is oure miserie can be no farther good and profitable for vs but as yon wyll allowe it That is to saye the laste yere good for all men but thys yere good for gentlemen onely In the last proclamation you condemned three translations and saued one But in thys your boke you seme to be wery of that one for you fynde fautes therein and wyll not haue at reade at suche tymes as men meete together in the churche But God is the Iudge of your doinges You do not Iudge and knowe that God is as presently in his wordes and scriptures whiche you do burne as he is in the Sacramentes whiche are made and take theyr strength of the same worde Oh byshoppes If thys thynge that you do be for the pure â—eale of Goddes worde then take so muche paynes amongest you al as to set furth one traÌ„slatioÌ„ so true â–ª that no man may fynde any faut therwyth But you caÌ„ not heare on that side You haue burned fiue thousande but of your translation we fynde not one It is easy therefore to iudge what your purpose hath bene But to returne to the wordes Non diiudi caÌ„s etc. Your english text is making no differeÌ„ce of the Lordes body But your owne interpretation is not vnderstanding not coÌ„side ring But if you wyl adde thereunto the signification of the greke worde not iudging I wyl say al is true and agreeth very wel For who so euer doeth eate this bread and drinke this cup vnworthily eateth his owne iudgemeÌ„t making no differeÌ„ce not vnderstanding consideringe or iudgynge the Lordes body Where he that doeth eate it worthily doeth by his faith eate the very body of the Lorde so ofte as he eateth of this bread and drinketh of this cup and fedeth his soule by the reioycing in the death of the lorde For who soeuer seketh the spirituall fode he regardeth nothinge but the body of Christ offered for his sinnes though with his mouth bodily he receiue the bread the figure of the same If any haue â—…scoÌ„strued this texte do not charge vs therewyth But if we do take it wronge reproue vs by scripture No man doubteth but that he is giltie of the bloud of Christ which taketh Baptisme vnreuerently Yet dare we not saye that in the water is really presente the body and bloud of Christe He despiceth me saith Christ that despiceth you speaking of his Apostles Yet is it no good argument to say therefore that Christe is corporally in his Apostles But spiritually we must boeth beholde most thaÌ„kefully receiue our Christ in al his sacramentes in al his messengers The third text Spiritus viuificat caro noÌ„ prodest quicquaÌ„ In english the spirite giueth life the flesh profiteth nothyng maketh much agaynste you Yea thoughe you take it after your owne glose which is that this text is a general lesson for the true vnderstandyng of oure whole religion But thys glose shall we touche hereafter This texte The spirit gyueth lyfe the fleshe profiteth nothynge is boeth proued true and manifestly declared in the. xvi chapter folowinge where Christe sayeth I tel you truth that it is profitable for you that I departe for if I do not go awaye that confortynge spirite shall not come vnto you But if I go I wyll sende hym vnto you etc. Whereby it appeareth playnely agaynste your wordes that the presence of the bodie carnally is not profitable vnto vs nowe after his ascendynge into heauen because Christe sayeth it is profitable that in bodie he shoulde departe but you saye it is profitable to haue hym here in a cake notwythstandyng that he sayeth that onlesse he go his waye the spirite of conforte can not come The exemple of Peter and all the Apostles who were stronger by the confort of the spirite then by the presence
killed grat Goliath it is easilie perceiued by coÌ„paring of his bokes with EcolaÌ„padius zwin glius how far vnable he was to defeÌ„de thys cause What mildenes of spirit ouer much care of christian quietnesse caused Bucere in wordes so far as the trueth could any thing yelde to agre with you al men that read his bokes with iudgement may iudge Zwinglius workes who so readeth theÌ„ as he was a man of in comparable eloquence and lerneing are able to coÌ„found all the rabble of the papistes and al his aduersaries that speake againste him But nowe come you into your ruffe againe with your doctours of thousaÌ„d yeres yet maie we proue some of theÌ„ to haue ben scarselie v. hundred yeres other some of small Authoritie and the best smally serueing for your purpose AmoÌ„gest theÌ„ all the most auncieÌ„t is S. Andrewe the apostle you saie whom you alledge not out of the scripture for we haue nothinge of his writeinge there but out of your holy legeÌ„da auria as I suppose or else I praie you whens shall this thing haue his authoritie of the porteous perchanÌ„ce which techeth vs to locke for saluacioÌ„ by the merites of Thomas Beket by setting vp a caÌ„dle or building a chapel in the name of S. Margarete It appeareth that you would faine haue the mattier good wheÌ„ you flie to your popeish portous Thus woulde you craftilie deceine the people Let Paul answere your porteouse maÌ„ which saieth he doth dailie sacrifice Christ on the aulâ—…re of the crosse We lerne in the Epistle of Paule to the Heb. that it is the propre peculiar office of Christ to offer him selfe that with his owne offering he hath made his holy for euer by his own offering once don therfore was he made prieste after the order of Melchisedech without successour Wher for they that go about to sacrifice Christe do rob him of his priesthod For Christ onely was called vnto that office for he ouelie was called as Aaron was and no maÌ„ maye take vnto him that office vnlesse he be caled as Aaron was Not with standinge that we maie please al and offeÌ„d no maÌ„ if it be so possible take the wordes of S. Andre spirituallie as no doubt he was spiritual would speake theÌ„ none otherwaies but spiritually and thaÌ„ make thei nothing against vs. He sacrificed not on the aultare of stone but vpoÌ„ the aultare of the crosse And for the maintenaunce of thys sacrifice he hym selfe was also sacrificed on the crosse What dyd he sacrifice The vnspotted lambe Where he alludeth to the olde figure as is saied whose flesh and bloud beinge spiritually receyued feadeth al the faythfull people Thus maist thou answere gentle reader euen vnto the best of the doctours vnderstandeinge them spirituallye And that they shoulde be so vnderstanded appeareth by the firste wordes that you bring out of Chrisostome we offer sayeth he but for the remembraunce of hys death Again this sacrifice is a resemblanÌ„ce of the other Agayne alludeinge to the olde figure he sayeth We do offer one lambe or else should ther be many Christes Then sheweth he who is the byshop that offereth the sacrifice Not Chrisostom nor Andrewe â–ª but Christe And thys whiche they do is the remembraunce of that whiche is done alredie These olde writtes had muche more libertie to speake such wordes because at that tyme ther wer no suche errours hard of as you do defend nowe by your popeishe prerogatiue But whan you answere that Christe bydeâ—h you pristes sacrifice him because he sayeth Hoc facite I dare saye you finne in wylfull blindenesse And that boeth for that you leaâ—e out thefâ—â—t and principall parte of the sentence whiche moste declareth the purpose of Christ in the remembraunce of me and also because you knowe well inowghe what significacion Hoc facite muste haue boeth in thys place and all other I knowe well that you english bishopes be not so sleÌ„derly learned as the Sorbouistes or doctors of Parise whiche in their determinations do bringe incum faciam vitulam Take the whole seÌ„teÌ„ce together therfore and make of it what you can Hoc facite in mei memoriam do thys in the remembraunce of me Donec veniat tyll he come maketh cleare against you that saye he is heare al redie let Damascene dote as longe as he lusteth If you wreast this playne text do this in the remembraunce of me vntill I come what scripture can be salfe from your gloses Yet by your doctoures by whom you caÌ„ glose forth al thinges I wyl not greatly contende with you as I dyd proteste in the begining First and principally because our fayeth maye be grounded vpon no maÌ„s saings but vpon the worde of God onely whiche is able to teach to reproue and to enstructe a man to euery good worcke Secondly because this contencion shal neuer haue an ende so long as you maye haue authoritie to glose euerie worde of the doctours accordinge to your owne pleasure Thirdely because ther hath ben no â—…ning so lewed but it hath ben proued and is at this daye allowed by the authorite of the doctours Fourthli because the scripture must be the toâ—chston and iâ—dge of all other thynges wordes sayinges and writeynges and may be Iudged by non other Sixtli because we our selues shalbe Iudged and examined whether we haue kept that whyche Christe coÌ„maunded vs and not that which doctours haue written Seuenthly and finally because in the worde of god lyeth al truth and we haue an especiall commaundement frome the father to here Christe the authoure therof the spirite comeynge down from heauen with his open testimonie Thys is my dearly beloued soÌ„ne in whom I delyte heare hym where the doctours contrarie wyfe as they are men and this scripture must nedes be true Omnis homo mendax euerie man is a lyar so do they trie them selues as men contendeynge one with an other eche one coÌ„trarie to his felowe Yea and the selfe same man retracteynge and recanteynge that that he had wrytten before that we may learne to trust in no man nor to put fleshe our arme for feare of the great curse but to stycke vnto the euerlastinge worde of God as a lantern vnto our fete wherof ther shall not one Iote or tytle perishe though the heauen and the earth do melt awaye In thys we shall finde sufficient fode for our soules if we can paciently rest and fead therin Wherfore for this tyme all your doctours set aparte and your dyuell sayeth neglected because your hope is so muche in man and you are not ashamed so often to brinde in the deuil sayeth I praye you here the complaynt of God by his prophetes vpoÌ„ the Idolatours of al ages and do not thinke much to herkeÌ„ what God sayeth of you of this time which caÌ„ non other wayes mayntain your pompe but with the coÌ„tumely of your creatour the plain denial of the only sacrifice of his son
and truth wil I be worshiped And suche worshipers do I seke as with pure mindes flye vp aboue the heauens and wishe that myne impere and kingdome maye be delated and my name helowed and renowâ—â—ed celebrated and prased in al though al creatures Such worshipers I saie do I seke as can coÌ„prehend and perceiue Christ sitting â–ª at my right hand and wyll seke hym without the helpe of any creature These worshipar wyll I regarde and to their sacrifices wil I haue respect For their high bishop hath an euerlasting priesthod wherbi he may fully saue al theÌ„ that wil com vnto me by him whom I haue made the gouernour of holy thynges and of the true ta bernacle which I my selfe and not man haue made which must therfore be coÌ„prehended receiued without the help of any creature vpon earth neither must these worshipers seke Christe here nor ther nor renne after him in anie places vpon earth where any man shall name him to be Muche lesse shall these true worshipers seke me the incomprehensible God tyed to any one place or creature for heauen is mi seate and thearth my fotestole euen as my prophete Esaie dyd witnesse vnto you when he demaunded what house you wold build vnto me or what place I woulde reste in seinge that my hande hath made all My seruaunt Paule also hath sayed vnto you that I the Lorde God haue made the worlde and al that is therin yea the heauens also haue I made howe shoulde it be theÌ„ that I might dwell in temples made with mans hande who is one of the creatures that I my selfe haue made And eueÌ„ as I dwell not in the temples made with mans hand so am I not worshiped wyth the workes of mans haÌ„d as once standing nede of any thinge For I the Lord geue breath to al liuing thynges and haue of one bloude made al the kinde of man and haue caused hym to spread ouer the whole face of earth appointinge prescript tymes and limeting the borders of their dwellynges that they maye seeke me theyr God and trye whether they can by gropeing find me Yet not withstandeinge I am not far froÌ„ euerye one of you For through me you are do lyue and are moued So that ther is no ignoraunce canne excuse you because you nede not â—o secke my kyngedome farther then in your selues And to ressemble my Godly powre and worshippe wyth golde siluer stone or ani other creatture named and coÌ„uerted into the stead of me the onelie and almightie your god you shall not be excused â—i any ignoraunce for by my workes you maie knowe me from my worckes and much more from your owne worckes If you therfore can not be able resemble my godlie powre by any of your Imaginacions howe muche lesse able shal you be to shet vp me the immortal immensurable and incomprehensible God whom the heauen of heauens is not able to conteine in a little box of golde siluer or any other meatall in breade wine or any other creature setteinge vp a newe and strainge I dole of the whiche neyther you nor your fathers haue hearde one worde of my mouth imagineinge a strange worship of your own Idle braines not withstandeinge that my sonne Christe doeth crie agaynst you sayeinge In vaine do you worshipe me teacheinge the doctrines and preceptes of men His most fayethful seruauntes also ceased not to threaten sharpe plages vnto all them that shoulde adde to or take fro chaunge or alter any one worde of all that theye had receiued of their Lorde the father of spirites Wherfore because your fathers haue for saken me and folowed strange gods serued them and worshiped them they haue forsaken me â–ª and my lawe haue they not kept And you haue done worsse theÌ„ your fathers For euery one of you walketh after the wickednes of his owne herte striuinge alwaies howe you maye stop your eares agaynste my wordes and admonicions Loo therfore I wyl fyll all the inhabitauntes of the earth and the kynges which sit in their hygh thrones the preistes and the Prophetes together with drunkennes And I wyl scatter theym one brother from another and the father froÌ„ the chylde I wil not spare them nor haue pitie on them but wil vtterly destroy them Harken and geue eare and beware you do not rage for the Lord hath spokeÌ„ it Geue glory vnto the Lord your God before it wax darke and before your fete do stumble in the darke hilles when you shal loke for lyghte and lo ther is nothynge but the shadowe of death and deepe darkenesse Oh Popes and Princes and glorious Prelates high couÌ„terfait names called byshops to you al I saye whych holde the worlde in darkenes If the Morian can chaunge his skinne or the Leoparde her spottes then can you also do well suckyng wickednes with the mylke of your mothers This shalbe your charge therfore and the portion prepared for you Because you forget me and trust vnto lyes I wil disclose your thoughtes and your shame shall appeare Your lustes your lechery your wiked fornication shall I disolose Let no man praye for thys sorte of people They synne vnto death and their plages are vncurable If you faste I wyll not heare your prayers If you offre offerynges I wyll not receyue them For when you were corrected with famine you dyd not regarde it WheÌ„ you were chastened whyth the pestilence and diseases you refused al discipline Stormes teÌ„pestes and earthquakes floâ—des and breaches of the sea you count not to be sent by my haÌ„de One of you therefore shal dygge in the bealy of an other and you shall be consumed with the sworde of my furie Lo I wyll sende fishers whiche shall fâ—she after you by the sea and hunters whiche shall hunte you in euery hyll mountayne and cragy rocke For myne eyes are vpon your wayes and shortly I wyll sende my spirites whiche I haue created for a vengeaunce the fyre the stormy hayle famyne death the teeth of beastes serpentes and the sworde whiche beinge readie in my wrathfull displeasure do torment all thynges at my commaundemente and especially death bloude debate oppression tiranny and the sworde are create for the wicked and therwyth I beate downe myne enemies be they neuer so proude I the Lorde do create all these thynges that my name maye be terrible vnto the heathen and my power knowne thorowout the earth I demaunde of you O Byshoppes of my flocke I wyll aske you stande vp and gyue me answere of your wayes Is there any of your newe founde Goddes that can gyue you rayne or that can saue them selues from the tiranny if neede require Is there any of these Goddes that can saue hym selfe and his worshyppers furth of my hande when I sende fyre and the sworde vpon them Yea tell me thys rather Hath either you or your parentes founde any wyckednesse in me that you are departed from me and folowe vanities
that all such be put out from amonge my people And who so euer wilnot repēt this grosse errour beinge admonished be it knowen vnto them that they are not of my shepe For my shepe do heare my voice And being once raysed wyth my voice they wyll folowe no straunger but wil with open voice crie vnto the straunger and say Oh Idole shepeherde Al this haue I spokē because I your god am so opēly cōtemned and a weaks Idol embraced Gyue eare nowe and herken what I shal saye for my sonne whō I sent to be your sauiour and the onely sacrifice that can take awaye synne in my sight You make hym of none effect that so you maye establishe your owne glorious workes and sacrifices I was and am fully cōtented and satisfied wyth the offering of his body once done What neede is there then of your lyeinge sacrifice If his onely sacrifice be ynough as it is ynough more then ynough to satisfie for al what nedeth you to sacrifice and offer him vp again Wyl you or cā you kyl him againe For that which is sacrificed must needs be slayne and wythout bloude can there be no remission of sinnes I know your hertes bloudy bishops by the betrayinge of him whē he was in the earth amonge you nowe by the brennyng of his worde by the tirānous destroyinge of his flocke which wolde cal againe the memorie of his passiō which you haue extinguished wyth your sacrifice for the quycke the dead making it a cloke for your couetousnes and a buckler for the pompe and rigorous authoritie you chalendge ouer my litle flocke I appointed him priest according to the ordre of Melchisedech without successoure or felow I anointed him with the spiritual oile of my spirite that I mighte haue a bishop to offre vnto me sacrifice which should be pure and without spot whiche shoulde not neede many times to offer or to be offered but makinge al thynges perfecte by one onely offeringe of him selfe vnto me his father and by his bloude which all other sacrifices so oft iterated and repeted as thinges vnperfect dyd onelie signifie In this my dearly beloued sonne is my delyte He is the greate bishop whiche once for all hath entered into the place most holie And beinge founde lyke one of you in althings sinne only excepted he hath now penetrated and passed throughe into the heauens there to be your bishop for euer to offer hym selfe alwayes for you in my syghte by whom you maye come to the throne of my grace to haue healpe by tyme. If you wyl seeke any other bishoppe to offre for yo◠I tell you he is poluted and muste firste offre for hym selfe And because of the imperfection that is in hym he can not please me nor pacifie forhim selfe Yea you may also perceiue that his offeryng is vnperfecte or els should he not neede to reiterate it so oftē If you wil not be deceiued therfore sticke fast vnto the offering ofmy sōne once for all made for you And as I haue giuē him to the deth for your sakes so wyll I deny you nothinge that you aske in his name be you sure Hōse comethit that you be called christiās that Christ my sonne was for your sakes manifestly made man in the flesh was iustly declarede God by the spirite and shewed vnto the Angels and after receyued into glorie This must you beleue if you wyl be partakers of the same glorie That he was verie man as one of you are synne onely excepted conuersant vpon the earth in all humilitie care and miserie at my cōmaundemēt wherby for his obedience toward me he deserued to be ▪ crowned wyth a crown of glorie wherfore I sendynge the holye gost vnto you at his desyre whyche may teach you how you are become my chyldren by hym dyd take him vnto my selfe and raised him aboue al the heauēs euen to sitte at my ryght hand for euer Wher you shal seke him if you intende to find hime But neither here nor ther in ani corner of the earth He tolde you that he must departe from you And if you loke for my fauoure you muste not compt him a liar But wylt thou seke my sonne Lo he hath offered one offerynge for sinne and sytteth for euer at the ryght hande of me hys father lokynge for that whiche remayneth That is that hys enemies be made his fote stole And thus doeth my spirite witnes vnto you that in this my newe testamēt established in hys death your sinnes shoulde be done awaye so that I woulde no more remembre them Then if you beleue them to be forgyuen how can you offer for them any more It is a manifest token therfore that all you which wilbe styll sacrificeynge for your synnes do not beleue that they beforgeuē by the death of my sonne Christe You also whych wyll carnally and grosely eate hym and feade vpon hym as chaungeynge breade into hys fleshe can not worthly beleue vpon hym For he departeyngefrō the earth dyd cōmaund you to eate the bread of this supper which he louyngly called hys bodye for your weake remēbraunce and for the declaracion of the benefite which he then shewed vnto all the faythful beleuers in hys death and bloud shedeynge For the declaracion and remēbraunce I saye of this benefite he cōmaunded all his faythful folowers brotherly to deuide amonge them the bread and wyne so ofte as they woulde eate or drynke in the remembraunce of hym whom they shoulde not haue any longer presently conuersant amonge them For he was then commynge vnto me his father for your profyte And therfore byddeth he you do this thynge in the remēbraunce of hym wyll you then know what it is to do the worke that he commaundeth you or to worke the meate that ne neuer perisheth whiche meate he promised to geue vnto you and I haue sēt him downe and appointed hym for the same purpose If you wil knowe this worcke reade in the. vi of Iohn wher you shal learne that the worke of God is to belieue in hym whome he hath sent This is al that you can geue me This is all that I require at your handes I geue you therfore the breade of life if you can receiue it by faieth vnfainedlie That is to say trusteinge to my promise onely in the death of my sonne and to none other creature Yea my sonne is this breade of lyfe and he that cometh vnto hym shall not be hongry he that beleueth in hym shal not be thirsty And thys he tolde you was my wyll and pleasure that who so euer doeth see him and beliue in hym hath euerlasteynge lyfe For thys is the lyfe euerlasteynge to knowe me and to knowe my sonne whome I haue sent Iesu Christe By thys knoweledg do the Angelles and blessed spirites lyue reioyce and take their comfort Thys is the heauenlye fode Thys is the Manna that comethe frome heauen Therfore so muche haste
thou of euerlasteinge lyfe as thou haste of the knoweledge and fealeinge of my grace and goodnesse why che chiefely and principally was openned vnto the worlde in the sendeinge of my sonne into the worlde to be made fleshe leste al flesh should haue perished for wickednesse Thys is the breade then that comethe from heauen wherof who so eateth shal not perishe but lyue for euer And thys breade is the flesh of my sonne as it was geuen for the lyfe of the worlde for so was it a verye heauenly gifte and heauely breade comeinge frome heauen Other wayes was it but an erthly thynge and nothinge profitable For the phariseis and all the wicked that do not compt thys onely thynge to knowe me the father and my onely sonne Christe geuen for the lyfe of the worlde to be the onely saluacion therof but secke more helpe of saluacion at any creature in heauen or earth be it man saincte or Angell be it workes sacramētes or any other thynge that man can imagyne as they can not vnlesse they compt some insufficiencie and lacke in me shall not haue any parte in my sonne Christe whome they haue in so small estimacion howe grossely so euer they imagine to eate hym No to them that this slenderly and vilely esteme the hilpeinge and saueing that I haue geuen him he is the sauour of death vnto death and the stumblynge stone But vnto them that wholely and onely do cleaue vnto him feadeinge on hys bodye thus offered for the life of the worlde and drinckeinge of his bloude geuen for the remission of synnes he is the breade of lyfe hys fleshe is verie meate and hys bloude verie drinke so that you haue alwayes in mynde that it is the spirite that geueth lyfe and that the fleshe profiteth nothynge And take it for a generall lesson to vnder stande the worde of godly doctrine that the wordes which I and my sonne do teache you are spirite and lyfe And to beleue them is to eate the meate of the soule to worcke the worcke of God and therfore to haue lyfe For the ryghtuouse lyueth by hys belyefe ▪ And Abraham dyd beliue wherfore it was compted vnto hym as ryghtuousenesse before circumsicion or any other out warde sacrament was geuen hym Yea thys Abrahame maye teache you that without the regarde of any creature yea contrarye to the workeinge of all creatures thou muste belieue and be made sure of my goodnesse that thou mayeste wyth ▪ an vpryght face vp towordes the heauens saie O Lorde I haue belieued in the I shall neuer be ashamed For thys is the nature of fayth to loke strayght vp vnto me your heauenly father and to receyue at my hande by the merite of my sonne all grace fauour and goodnes Wher if you declyne asyd and appoynt your selfe meanes aydes and helpes of any creature otherwise thē I haue cōmaunded you must be compted miscreāts mistrustinge my goodnes Here falleth the Iustice that you seke for by your workes and sacramentes and here ariseth the Iustice of fayeth which is onely acceptable in my sight For Israell in the olde tyme folow ynge theyr lawes of righteousnes by their workes sacramentes and ceremoneis coulde not come to ryghteousnesse And wherfore I praye you Because they did not followe ther vpon by faieth but onelie by workes of the lawe They stombled at the stomblinge stone as it is written Lo I will put in Sion a stombling stone and a stone to fall vpō who so beleueth in him shal not be ashamed Because they haue beleued they haue attained this righteousnes which is of faieth of whiche if they will follow and not forsake they shall neuer suffer shame This faith one lie in the seede promised and no signe or sacrament was it that refreshed your first father Adain Neither was ther any other signe geuen vnto Achas but that a virgine shoulde cōceiue a child whiche by an holy and pure byrth of the holy gofle myght take awaye and purifie the corrupt byrth of the olde Adaine and deliuer the house of Iuda from the bloudie Sennacherib Vnto the whyche signe you must alwayes loke for you shall haue none other signe of saluacion but the signe of Ionas the prophete All the Israelites drinckeinge of the same spirituall drincke and eateinge of the same spirituall meate that you do for it is all one fayeth that saueth you boeth euen as I am all one God and no chauncelinge dyd in their lambe vnspotted feade and take comfort of no signe or sacramēt but onely of the bloude of our vnspotted lambe whyche I had promised to sende into the worlde For by the strayght commaundementes and son drye charges whyche my seruant Moyses dyd geue them for the choseynge and eateynge of thys lambe they dyd perceiue a thynge far more spirituall then coulde be finished in so grosse a banket Much more thē the Apostles of my sonne beynge vsed to suche spirituall feadeinges myght perceiue what my sonne ment in abolisheinge of the olde ceremonies of the lambe and cōmaundynge a newe memorie to be made of hys bodie geuen for them and hys bloude shed for the remission of synnes and for to delyuer vs frome the helly Pharao They dyd knowe that thys worde of the promise whiche is geuen for you shoulde be fulfylled vpon the crosse and therfore ought not to be applyed vnto any sacramēt It is not the offering of ani signe or sacramēt that I regarde but the osferinge of my sonne vpon the crosse whiche you muste by your sacramentes shewe your selues to haue in perpetuall memorie as the onely lyfe whereby your soules can liue Lyke as they also had learned before of the Prophetes that the Messias whome I shoulde sende shoulde be striken for the synnes of the people and then shoulde be exalted and sende hys gyftes plentuouslye from aboue spoyleinge all hys enimies wyth triumphe Thys dyd my sonne beate in theyr eares But he neuer tolde them of any such chaunges of bread into his flesh such carnall consecracions as you do teach wherin you wyll haue that without any profite my son christ shold come downe frō my bosome into your breade and Chalice blowen and blessed by your inuencion and worke so great a miracle without eyther necessitie or profite Haue you not inough that you haue euerlastinge life by hym ▪ hathe not he humbled him selfe lowe inough that he hath become manne for your sakes and died for your sinnes What woulde you haue more of him would you that he shoulde take the forme of breade for your sakes what are you the better if he so did Yea how much the worse should you be This is one thinge you shoulde brynge the veritie of his bodie into suspicion for that it should go and come so like a spirite which is no small hinderaunce to the perfection of your kinde For mine intēt was whē I made my sonne man to haue iust occasiō therby to