the rods of Aaron the enchaunters were transubstantiat into serpents nether wer the riuers of Egipt transubstantiat into bloud We doe neuer reade throughout the scriptures of any suche mutatiō in any of Gods miracles from the beginning of the worlde Therfore when Ambrose Ciprian or any other of the old fathers doe saye that the nature of bread wyne is chaunged they do not exclude their substaunces and very essence which they teach to remaine after the consecratiō as I haue proued before but thei speake of a mutation of the naturall properties of bread wyne wherby they are no longer common bread wyne but through Gods power and benediction sanctified holy sacramentes chering vs with the comfortable promyses whiche God our father hath made vnto vs for the effusion of his sonnes bloud and for the death of his body The elder fathers do acknowledge confesse and teache no other mutation of y e outward signes As for Theophilact he is not of authoritie to stablish any article for he reproueth the Latyn church for beleuing the procession of the holy spirit and he was the yeare after Christ .1058 In the tyme of Lanfranke Gerengary when the byshops of Rome toke vpon them first stoutly to maintain and to publysh the doctrine of transubstantiatiō which before time was scarfly heard of Albeit his wordes touching the sacrament doe not disagre with the doctrine of the elder fathers if they be well construed When he denieth the bread to be a figure he speaketh of a vaine bare figure for so he expoundeth himself vpō Marke denying that it is figura tantum a figure only whiche we do confesse and graunt But he saith that the bread is transelemented transformed He saith also wryting vpon the said chapter of Iohn that we are transformed transelemented in to Christ and almost all the elder fathers do say the same And yet our natures remaine we ar not transubstantiat we are not made Christes reall flesh but vndefiled and holy flesh of his flesh and suche as shall aryse and be immortal with him for he doth knit cople and incorporat vs to him selfe by his sacramentes Therfore as this word transformed doth proue no mutation of our substaūce no more doth it proue the substaunce of bread and wyne to discontinue There remaineth yet one reason with which they defend their transubstantiation vnto which I thinke necessary to make an aunswer forsomuch as it is commonly in al the mouthes both of lay and ecclesiastical persons which suppose Christes body to be eaten really naturally They say if we doe not eate Christes flesh really why doth S. Paul make such as receiue vnworthely giltie of the Lords body and bloud Why doth he teach such to eat and drinke their own damnation because they make no difference of the Lordes body These wordes do not proue y t Christes body is eaten of vs really or substantially For Paull speaketh there of vnworthy receiuers which do not eate Christes body which is the bread of lyfe but the only figure Sacrament therof and they do eate the sayd only sacrament and only figure to their iudgement and condemnation as I haue proued This is not my doctryne but the doctrine of Hierom Ambrose of S. Austin of Prosper and of Bede as is declared in the beginning of this lesson The contemp of Gods sacrament not y e contract or touching of christes reall body which is now in heauen bringeth dānation causeth this giltines For as he which violētly plucketh down the kings maiesties armes or breaketh the kinges great seale or clippeth his coyne cōmitteth an offence against the kinges owne persone so they which abuse the sacrament of Christes body and bloud presuming to come to it as to common bread not reconciling them to their brethren nor sanctifying them selues to god such presumers and vnthankefull persons do offend against Christ himselfe be giltie of his body and bloud that is of hys death and doe eate their owne damnation To come to Gods holy sacrament vnreuerently without the wedding garment without any examination of thy lyfe past without geuing thankes to God the father for the dishonour and death of his sonne this is Non diiudicare corpuus domini to make no difference of the Lordes body For Paul nameth here the sacrament the Lordes body euen as Christ did when he said of bread wine this is my body bloud For as boeth Cyprian and S. Austin and other elder fathers do teach sacramēts haue the names of y e very thinges which they do represēt signify w t certen similitudes The aforsaid word of thapostle cannot be vnderstād otherwise for he speaketh of vngodly mē which do not eat christs body but the only figure to condemnation He vseth a like phrase in the beginning of the said chapter where he saith that euery mā praying or prophecying with a couered head dishonesteth shameth his head y t is Christ referring to Christ an offence done to mans head because it is a sacrament of Christ. After a like sort necligent and dome pastors whiche doe contemne their flock and neglect the honorable office of preaching ar pronounced of y e prophet Ezechiel giltie of their bloudes which do perishe for lack of enstruction and teaching That vnworthy receiuers are giltie of Christes body and bloud through a like contemt and dissolutnes presumption and neglygence not through any naturall any corporall or real eating of his flesh S. Ambrose declareth expounding Paules aforesaide wordes as it foloweth Dabūt poenas mortis domini quia pro illis occisus est qui eius beneficium irritum ducunt they shalbe promysed for Christes death saith this holy father because he was slaine for them and they do set light by his benefit He doth interprete suche to be giltie of the Lordes body which do not eate his flesh that is the fode of life as I haue proued before but the only figure therof to the condemnation of their contempt presumption and vnkindnes Therfore no transubstantiation can be proued of this place for the defēce wherof they do most shamefully wrest and depraue not only the scriptures but also the elder fathers And to impresse thesame depely into the hartes of al men womē they haue with holden from the laytie many yeares Christes cup for feare as they say of sheading his bloud of which I will speake a few wordes in your gentil eares then I wyll conclude and finishe this matter Christ our maister commaundeth all men and women to drinke of his cup which commaundemēt the Apostles obserued as long as they liued making no prouise nor tradition to the contrary And the vniuersall church folowed and obserued religiously the said precept for the space of a thousād yeres after Christ as many be proued by plaine testimony of auncient wryters For how with such handes saith Ambrose vnto Theodosius the Emperour wilt
lābe enstructing vs that their passeouer was a figure of his death and passion And Paul confirmeth the same saying Pascha nostrum immolatus est Christus Christ our paschal lambe is offred vp for vs. Of these textes and similitudes we may gather that their passeouer was not only a figure shadowe of Christes death but also the same vnto them that our sacramentall bread and wyne is to vs. And when they did eate their lambe suche as beleued on Christ to come and were by fayth christians did eate spiritually his fleshe and drynke his bloud as truly as really and as effectually as wee doe eate it nowe which be of the new testament as shalbe proued more plainly hereafter Here is the difference diuersitie betwene their eating and ours a lambe was their sacrament and so was the rock of which they dranke in the wyldernes so was manna also for they had many sacramentes in whiche they did receiue Christes body and bloud And some of their sacramēts were continuall and other some were temporal Their easterlambe was a continuall sacrament from the tyme of their deliueraūce out of Egipt vntil Christes death Manna also and the rock were Sacramentes therof but because they continued but for a tyme and in one age they were but temporall Sacramentes We of the newe lawe haue not many Sacramentes hereof but only one Sacrament of bread and wyne in the place and steade of their Easterlambe as appeareth of the similitudes afore rehearsed and also of the institution of Christes supper For the text saith that whiles they were eating Iesus toke bread the cup that is immediatly after that he had finished the ceremony of the passeouer he ordeined his last supper enstructing vs hereby that bread wyne be vnto vs of the new testament thesame in effect in vse operation that the aforesaid lambe was to the old-christians which were before the comming of the sede promised Here percase you will reply and say If in the ceremony of the easterlambe thei of the old lawe did eat Christes flesh and drinck his bloud why is this ceremony nowe abrogated and disanulled why haue we a new sacrament of bread and wyne Is it cōuenient for the diuine maiestie which is immutable to make orders and lawes and to alter chaunge them againe as men do I aunswer they were vnder the lawe we ar vnder grace they were vnder the old testament we ar heyres of the new testamēt And bycause our law and theirs our testament and theirs our priesthod and theirs be diuers and different therfore we haue diuers sacramentes from them both of Christes body and bloud and also of other thinges they had Manna and a rock and an easterlambe we haue only bread and wyne They had circumcisiō for a continuall sacramēt the read sea and the cloud that went before them out of Egigt for temporall sacramentes we haue in stede of these one continual sacrament the lauer of regeneration Nether can any mutabilite be layd vnto God who is immutable for this mutation of orders and sacramentes no more then to the husbandman whiche commaundeth his seruauntes to apply other busines in wynter and other things in sommer or springtide This vniuersal world is Gods house Gods mancion and palaice they of the olde lawe were his seruauntes and we be his childrē sonnes thorow Christ. Now euery housholder commaundeth other thinges to his seruauntes and other thynges to his children And a king doth not gouerne his realme with one sort of lawes and statutes but maketh positiue lawes for euery time and euery purpose as occasion is ministred and so doth God S. Paul declareth this diuersitie and pollicy of almighty God very well where he sayth Lex pedagogus est ad Christum That is y e lawe was a scholemaister vnto Christ but fayth being come we are no longer vnder a scholemaister A good scholemaister doeth not vse one trade in teaching nor one boke but diuers trades diuers bokes as his schollers encrese in learning The Phisition doeth not cure all disseases with one medicine So the eternall God ordeyned diuers Sacramentes diuers rytes and ceremonies in diuers tymes and ages because of the diuers condicions and natures of men The Sacramentes of the old lawe dyd shadowe figure and preache Christe to come our Sacramentes do shewe hym as it were vpon a scaffold already come vnto our eyes Therfore it was conuenient that their orders and ours should be diuers lest if their orders did remaine styll it myght gyue some occasion to Heretikes to deny that Christe is yet come Many other causes myght be rehearsed of this mutation of Sacramentes whiche be not so necessary now to be spoken of therfore I wyll omitte them and procede to other matters Albeit the Easter lambe of the Iewes which yearly was slaine and eaten in remembraunce of their deliueraunce from Egipt in hope of the coming of Christ whom S. Iohn Paul do name our easter lambe albeit I say their sacrament were a figure of our bread and wine yet we may not gather hereof that the holy communiō of Christes honorable body bloud is to be resorted vnto but once a yeare because thei had but a yearly lābe and an annuall remembraunce that always at the feast of Easter as some byshops of Rome haue taught in tymes past which would haue the layte of euery realme to haue but an annuall cōmunion that is but once a yeare as many apere to be perswaded yet but vaynly wickedly For this is the commō fashiō of the most part of men and women all the yeare long they absent them selues from gods table And why because they are loth to be pained with the remembraunce of their sinnes with the consideration of their offences The remembraunce of our offences maketh vs heuy and sorowfull depriueth vs of all mirrh bringeth vs into sadnes and maketh vs tremble for fear of Gods displeasure Therfore Iesus the son of Sirach saith Dentes leonis dentes eius sinne hath teeth like vnto a Lion And the Prophet Zachary compareth it to lead Dauid he nameth it a burthen saying Mine iniquite is ouer my head doth presse me downe with a greuous burden Because I say they wil not fele this burthen because they desire to liue merely in the pleasurs of the flesh in dronkennes in hordom in glotony in feasting and banketting in oppression of their neighbours in couetousnes in vnrightuous dealing al y e year long therfore they will take no remorse no penaunce no remembraunce of their sinnes but once a yeare What nede I sayth the carnall man to his own heart within him selfe what nede I to trouble my self with feare of Gods displeasure with the memory of my sinnes with the remembraunce of hel of death of the deuil euery weke or euery month How can a man be mery and thinke always of death and hel no I wil
death of the body And Paull from the death of the soull before they were with any minister He receyued also Abraham into his fauour before he was circumcised Not withstanding we haue commaundemēt to repaire to the minister for absolution for to them belongeth to loose and to bynde to blesse and to curse as appeareth of y e foresayd ensamples For Paul after that he was lyghtened from aboue was directed vnto Ananias to receyue imposition of handes The Leper also was commaunded to shew himself to the priest for a witnes to the congregation And Lazarus after his vprysing was deliuered to Christes disciples which were priestes to be losed stripped of his graue bondes And the patriark Abraham after that he was iustified and accepted into Gods fauour he receiued the sacramēt of circumcisiō as a seale of the rightuousnes which is by faith So albeit Christes body be receiued in faith many tymes without the sacrament yet thou must come vnto his borde because of his commaundement because of his promises and also to receiue spirituall comfort and encrease of fayth Otherwyse thou doest nether eat his body nor drinke his bloud nether shalt thou be partaker of the fruites of his passion whiche appertaine to those only which by receiuing the memorial of his death do shewe them selues not to be vnkinde or forgetfull but obedient thankefull It is not ynough to receiue it spiritually we must receiue it also sacramentally for both receits be required commaunded and Christ him self with his Apostles vsed both for our eruditiō ensample and enstruction Here a question may be demaunded no lesse necessary to be knowen then hard to dissolue and aunswere If Christes be eate only by fayth how is that true which I rehersed out of Chrisostom that we are transformed into Christ and made his body non solum per fidem not only by faith sed reipsa but also really truly and effectually You shall vnderstande welbeloued in the Lord that when we receiue Christ in faith that this receit ioyneth and coupleth vs effectually really vnto Christ. Not only our hearts and mindes but also our bodies and fleshe be purified be washed and clensed by this receit so that Christ our head and Lord dwelleth and abideth in vs hereby and norisheth and fedeth vs continually with faith in his bloud and with the comfort of his holy spirit making vs liuely holy and very membres of his misticall body This is the affect and meaning of Chrisostoms wordes in which he affirmeth that we ar made the body of Christ really truly and affectually Hetherto I haue declared vnto you two matters what it is to eate Christes body and that thre similitudes or properties be necessarely required in this sacrament as I haue proued aswell by euident textes of the Gospell as with the authoritie of many of the elder and best learned fathers of Christes church whose doctrine interpretatiōs I exhort al men to folow Of these similitudes or properties we may gather y t the matter natures of bread wyne do remaine that Christes words This is my body be asmuch to say as this is a sacrament of my body For these similitudes properties must be in the bread wyne in that they be sacramentes after the consecration els they ar no sacramentes For take away the substaunce matter nature of them and what similitude or propertie remayneth ether of nutrition or of vnitie or of conuertion Ergo the assence nature matter and substaunce of bread wyne is not altered not transformed not transubstantiat but do remayne and continewe as before for these properties and similitudes be in the very substaunce inward nature of bread and wyne The scholemen and Papistes to defend and mainteyne their transubstantiation which is the bishop of Romes kingdom the fortresse and castell of all superstition idolatry they make the accidentes of bread and wyne the sensible outward signe the visible earthly terrenal nature of thys sacrament When thou metest with such a scholemaister that teacheth this doctrine and that the bread is not bread stil ▪ aunswer hym thus Sir there must be thre similitudes and properties in the sacrament a similitude of norishyng a similitude of vnitie another of conuersiō But these thre properties and similitudes can not be in the outward shewe of accidentes that is in the color in the fasion in the breadth and roundnes in the quantitie of bread wyne for these thinges nor no other accidentes do not norishe and fede vs be not conuerted into vs nether haue they any propertie or similitude of any vnitie But the bread wyne haue al these similitudes they doe norysh they be turned into our nature and they doe conteyne a similitude of vnitie Therfor bread and wine is the outward and sensible signe the terrenall nature of this sacramēt and the bread is bread styll and the wyne is wyne styll ▪ aswell after the consecration as afore or els they be no sacramentes and yet not withstanding they be named the body bloud of Christ not because of any mutation chaunge or alteration of their natures and substaūces but because of the thre similitudes properties aforsaid Aunswere papisticall teachers on this wyse and with this reason and thei shal not be able to gainsay thee Now let vs enter somwhat further into the text and in into other matters Christ speaking of the cup saith Hic est sanguis noui testamēti This is my bloud of the newe testament or of the new couenaunt What meane these wordes the new testament and what is a new testament Verely a testament is as much to say as a legacy or behest of goodes So S. Austin defineth it Testimentum est quo defertur bono rum hereditas a testament saith S. Austin is a behest legacy of goods And there is an old testament and a new testamēt as Christ teacheth vs here The old testament is a bequest and legacy of temporall goodes and earthly commodities vnto the sinagoge of the Iewes The new testament is a bequest of eternall heauenly enheritaunce through Christ vnto all men both Iewes and Gentils Or otherwyse The old testament is the axe set to the roote of the trees the lawe whiche causeth anger that is the preaching of the lawe against wicked men for lex iusto non est posita the lawe sayth Paul was not ordeined for good men but for euyl and therfore he defineth it in another place to be ministratiō of death and damnation But the new testament is a sermon of Gods mercy and clemēcy of saluation of redemption and rightuousnes through the effusion of Christes bloud who calleth all men and women from superstition to true holynes from shadowes to light from the letter to the spirit and from the workes to the flesh to labour and worke in his vineyard y t is to honor
honor it nor he doth not giue vs any precept so to do nether in the old nor newe testament Therfore I say vnto you that it is syn to worship the sacrameÌ„t to hold vp thy handes or to bowe thy body and knele to it For to worship God otherwyse then he hath taught vs in his holy boke which is the Byble is mere idolatry Be not disceiued good people nor bewitched with superstition and false holines for the Apostle S. Paul sayth quic quid non est ex fide peccatum est whatsoeuer is not of faith whiche commeth as Paul saith also by hearing Gods word is syn If thou wilt honor the sacrament I aske the whether thou do it with faith or without faith If thou do it through faith shew me som text som testimony some authoritie of Gods word or some example in Gods boke for fides exauditu faith saith Paul coÌ„meth by hering gods word If thou worship it without Gods word without faith which cometh only by Gods word hear what Paul saith to the It is impossible to please God with out faith For to worship god otherwise then he hath taught vs is heresy is idolatry is disworship dishonor of the diuine maiestie Socrates a Heithen no christen man yet a learned a great famous clerk he in his life time helde this assertion that euery God is to be honored worshiped after such maner with such ceremonies rites as he himself teacheth commaundeth He did attribute more wisdome more authorite to false gods theÌ„ we do to the God of heauen earth who is the fountain of al wisdom power authorite It is to be feared y t he at the last day shal arise to the condempnation of many whiche professe Christ. But here some reply that S. Austin writing vpon these wordes Adorate scabellum pedum eius worship the fotestole of my fete that he maketh Christes flesh which is earth y e fotestole of Gods fete and that he affirmeth proueth of this text that Christes flesh is to be honored For his wordes be Nemo illam carnem manducat nisi prius adorauerit Et non solum non peccatur adorando verum peccatur non adorando that is to say no man may eate that flesh before he first do honor it and it is not only sinne to honor it but it is syn not to honor it I doe not deny y â— Christes flesh is to be honored worshiped God forbid for it is promoted to y e feloship of y e deitie ioyned in vnitie of person to y â— diuine nature But I denie y t the sacrameÌ„t is to be worshiped y e bread wine ar not to be honored for thei ar not his flesh really corporally but a certificat a seale a patent or lease therof as I haue proued How is Christs flesh to be honored Verely Christes flesh is to be honored in heaueÌ„ not in y e form of bread wine in glory at y e righthaÌ„d of God y e father not in y e sacrameÌ„t It is honored by coÌ„ming to his supper by obeying his precept take eat drink of this al bi receiuing of y e sacrameÌ„t not w t eleuatioÌ„ of haÌ„ds to bread wine or w t knocking or with kneling before bread wyne His bloud and body are honored euen as they are dronke and eaten that is by faith in theÌ„ and by geuing of thankes to him for his dishonor and death and by confessing hym to be without a father very natural man of his mother after y e fulnes of time for our redemption and very God begotten by his father without a mother before all tyme. So the wyse men which came from the east partes by the leading of a star worshipped hym at his birth are therfore commended and preserued from kyng Herodes crueltie They kneled downe saith the text and worshiped hym and opened their treasures and offered giftes gold frankynsence mirre By gold they confessed him to be a king by frankynsence they acknowledge him to be God for all nations do offer that only to such which thei take to be gods and by myr with which suche as dye be annointed they coÌ„fessed him to be a mortall and natural man So do thou knele to Christ and worship his body bloud not in the east partes but in the heauenly Ierusalem and at the trone of Gods maiestie not in the sacrament but in heauen where he is now at the right hande of his father Offer vnto him their frankynsence and myr that is confesse hym to be very God and very naturall man â–ª confesse him froÌ„ the bottom of thy heart to be thy Lord and thy sauiour and render vnto him many thankes due prayses for humbling himself to maÌ„s nature for thy redemption and honor This is the true and right honor with which he would haue his body worshiped Hold vp thy handes to Christes body in heauen and spare not knele to it knock on thy breast If thou wilt knele and worship it in the sacrament thou doest lyke as if the aforesaid wysemen had in the east partes worshiped him in y e star had kneled to him in the star offered their giftes to the same which had bene idolatry and so is this Thou must go to Bethleem that is to the house of spiritual bread which bread is Christ in the glory of God the father and there thou must worship his body not in the forme of bread and wyne For Bethleem is an Hebrue worde and in Latin and English it is asmuch to say as â—omus panis y e house of bread You haue heard one way how Christes body may be honored Chrisostom a learned and a holy father of Christes churche teacheth vs another way in a certayne Homily which he writeth to the people of Antioche De sumentibus indigne diuina est sancta misteria of such which vnworthely and vnreuerently presume to come to Gods holy misteries He there speaking of the worshiping of Christes body doth not teache them to knele or to holde vp their handes to the sacrameÌ„t but a clene other way Because you shal not thinke this to be newe doctrine whiche is the faith and doctrine of all the elder fathers I wyll reherse vnto you his wordes Vis christi corpus honorare wilt thou honor Christes body saith Chrisostom and he aunwereth Ne nudum cum despicias c. then clothe him and haue pitie on hym when thou seest him naked And he addeth a reason Qui namque dixit hoc est corpus meum verbo factum confirmauit ideÌ„ dixit esurieÌ„tem me vidistis non pauistis me quod non fecistis vni ex his minimis neque mihi fecistis that is to saye for he that said this is my body and performed his word said also you sawe me hongry and fed me not
lyuely holy and very members of thy mistical body Abide alwayes in vs and norishe vs cōtinually with the grace of thy almighty spirit with the fode of thy eternal word with faith in thy holy bloud with the death of thy precious and natural body which thy body is the bread of lyfe to vs the bread of redemption and rightuousnes not really eaten but in y t it was cruelly beatē slain for vs. Teach vs the right vse of this thy sacrament deliuer vs from superstition idolatry ignorauncie with whiche both we our forefathers haue bene snared and fettered in times past Fulfyll these our desyres and petitiōs of thy voluntary goodnes and fre mercy who lyuest and reignest in one glory and equal maiestie with the father and the holy spirit worlde without end So be it ⸫ THE THIRD SERMON vpon the Lordes Supper HEtherto christē hearers I haue furnished Christs supper with two sermōs as it were with two disshes Ther remaineth yet apercel vnspokē of which now I entend to finish I haue declared the meaning theffect the vnderstāding of these wordes of Christ our lord Hoc est corpus meum c. This is my body this is my bloud of the new testament And I haue shewed aswel out of the scripturs as also by the authoritie of the elder and learned fathers of gods church that they are thus much to say This is a sacrament of my body bloud this is a certificat of my fauor a testimony as it wer a broad seal and patent that God my father is recōciled vnto you that he doth embrace that he doth loue you and dwel in you by the grace of his holy spirit for theffusion of my bloud death of my body I tolde you also what it is to eate Christes body that it is not eatē really or corporally for asmuch as it is the meat and sustenaunce not of our bodies and fleshe but of our spirit and inward man which are not fed or norished with any corporal nature or bodely substāce Or to expresse this thing more plainly Christes flesh is panis vitae the bread of life in that it was beaten not in that it is eaten It is the bread of saluatiō of redētion of sanctificatō of rightuousnes of iustification in y t it was cruelly scouged and slayne for vs and not through any corporall any reall or naturall receit As he teacheth vs hymselfe Iohn vi reprouing those whiche vnderstode that he would geue his body to be really and substancially eaten saying Caro non prodest quicunque c. The flesh profiteth nothing it is the spirit that quickeneth that is to say the spirituall receit and eating doeth profite and sanctify you the bodely and corporall eatyng is vnprofitable To eate Christes fleshe and to drinke his bloud is to beleue that the sonne of God concerning his humanitie fleshe was nailed on the crosse that his bloud was let furth for y e expiatiō of our sins for our redemption and rightuousnes to repose vs againe into Gods fauour And this spirituall receit whiche is by faith is so effectuall and of so mighty so vehement an operation that as matrimony maketh man and wife one flesh according as it is written Erunt duo in carne vna So it ioyneth vs vnto Christ re ipsa that is really truly and effectually making vs flesh of his flesh bones of his bones as Paul witnesseth That is liuely holy and very members of his mistical body For Paul doth not speak there only of natural flesh but also of holy flesh and cleane from syn whiche shall arise and be immortall not by the course of nature nor by Adam but through Christ who doth knit and couple and in corporat his chosen to himself by his sacramentes and faith so that they may truly thenceforth say with Paul Viuo iam non ego sed viuit in me Christus I liue yet now not I but Christ liueth in me Gods holy word knoweth no other receit of Christes very body and naturall flesh nether in the Sacrament nor without it Nether any of y e elder fathers of christes church doe acknowledge or teache any other eating Because it is to long a matter to alledge them all I wyll alledge two or thre of the chief and principall and best learned of which y e aduersaries of the truth do brag not a litle S. Austin a famous Godly and learned father of Christes church wryting vpō S. Iohns gospel affirmeth this eating most plainsaying Credere in eū hoc est māducare panē vinū c. To beleue vpō Christ saith this holi father is to eat the bread of life And again qui credit manducat inuisibiliter signa He that beleueth eateth and is fed inuisibly Here percase thou wylt say as Christ spiritually and worthely is receiued by faith of good mē vnto saluation so euil men doe in the sacrament eate his flesh vnworthely and without faith and vnto condemnation By what testimony of the scripture can this be proued that Christes flesh is eaten vnworthely and vnto dampnation Paul sayth quicunque manducauerit panem hunc c. He that eateth of this bread drinketh of this cup of the Lorde vnworthely He doth not say he that eateth Christes body vnworthely or drinketh his bloud vnworthely which alwaies be receiued to sanctification to life saluation but he that eateth this bread that is not common bread not daily bread but sacramētal bread that is ment by the word this Throughout the scriptures this worde vnworthely is neuer ioined with Christes body neuer with his bloud for they do sanctifie their receiuers S. Austin also denieth this destinction Sermone circa sacra feria paschoe wryting thus Qui non manet in Christo in quo non manet Christus proculdubio non manducat eius carnem nec bibit sanguinem etiam si tante rei sacramentum ad iudicium sibi manducet bibit That is to say he that abideth not in Christ and in whome Christ abideth not without doubt he eateth not Christes fleshe nor drynketh not his bloud although he eate and drynke the sacrament of so great a thyng vnto his dampnation This holy father doth teache and confesse here thre things which thynges he teacheth lykewyse in many other places of his bokes One is that euell men do not eate Christes flesh for it is the bread of lyfe and ryghtuousnes Another is that they doe eate the sacrament and the only figure therof Thirdly that they eate the saide only sacrament and the only figure vnto condemnation making them selues as Paul saith gilte of Christes body and bloud whiche they do not receiue because they wyll not beleue These thre most true and Godly lessons of this elder and learned father be a manifest deniall of the transubstantiation and of all corporall reall and naturall receit Let vs
learne hereof that there is a difference betwene Christes honorable body and bloud and the visible sacrament and figure therof such a diuersitie and difference as is betwene thy house and thy seale and lease therof S. Ambrose also his maister and the great clerk prosper doe teache vs the very same doctrine For Ambrose in his boke whiche he wryteth of Sacramentes sayth Qui discordat a Christo non manducat carnem eius c. He that discordeth from Christ doth not eate his fleshe nor drynke his bloud although he receiue the Sacrament of so great a thyng vnto his damnation and destruction And Prosper in his boke of sentences saieth of suche vnworthy receiuers that though euery day indifferently they doe receiue that they eat the sacrament and figure of so great a thing vnto the condēnation of their presumption and not Christes body Bede also hath the very same wordes And the famous and learned father S. Hierō doth confirme this to be a true doctrine writing vpō the ·66 Chapter of the Prophet Esay saying Dum non sunt sancti corpore spiritu nec comedunt carnem Iesu nec bibunt sanguinē eius as long saith this elder and Godly father of Christes church as long as thei be not holy and cleane in body and in spirit they do not eate the flesh of Iesu nor tast of his bloud Of these it is euidēt that as the sensible sacrament is receiued vnworthely of vngodly men vnto condemnation so the body of Christ which is the bread of life is only receiued worthely and of good men always vnto saluation expiation and rightuousnes and of no man vnto destruction death dānation whosoeuer is partaker of it as S. Austin saith in his sermon of the holy feast of passeouer Therfore if we say y t vngodly men do eate Christes flesh we deny the doctrine of al the elder fathers we deny Christ to be the bread of life we deny him to be our rightuousnes our sauing health our expiatiō our raunsome our sanctification and holines who will not faile to deny vs likewyse before his father onles we renounce this diuelysh errour Notwithstanding both S. Austin and other of the fathers do affirme otherwhiles that Iudas and other vngodly persons did eate Christes body meaning by Christes body the Sacrament therof and geuing the name of the thing to the figure and signe For sacramentes be called by the very names of those thinges whiche they doe represent and signifie and wherof they are Sacramentes as both S. Austin teacheth in his Epistle whiche he writeth to Boniface and also the holy martir famous clerke S. Ciprian in a sermon which he maket de chrismate of anointinting For this cause Christes flesh hath two significations both in the scripturs and elder fathers For as properly and in his naturall and chefe acception is that substaunce and humanitie which was born of the virgin Mary and suffered on the crosse for the expiation of our synnes so sometyme it is token also for sacramentall bread and wyne In which signification when the elder father doe affirme vngodly men to eate Christes flesh the papistes wold make vs to beleue y t they teache Christes flesh which is the bread of life to be eaten vnworthely vnto damnation not vnderstanding the doctors and yet great braggers of knowledge learning or rather deprauing and corrupting the doctors to mainteine their transubstantiation which is the castel of all supersticion and Popery leadyng vs vnder the names of fathers and antiquitie from our father which is in heauen vnto whom that I may declare the remnaunt of Christes supper to your edifying and enstructiō which be come together to serue God in praier hearing his word let vs make hūble supplicatiō c. It foloweth in the text I wil not drink henceforth of this fruite of the vine vntyll that day when I shall drynke it newe with you in my fathers kyngdom Christ our maister welbeloued in god nameth here the sacramentall wyne the frute of the vyne that after the consecration If the nature and substaunce of wine wer disanulled turned into Christes flesh he wold not so name it for christes flesh is the frute of Mary the frute of Dauid others not y e fruite of y e vine And as the wyne is the fruit of the vine and therfore it is not altered into the substaunce of Christes body whiche is the fruit of those fathers frō which Math. 1 Luk. 3. do fetch his stok generatiō so vndoubtly the sacramental bread is the fruit of wheat after the consecration in that it is a sacrament of Christes honorable flesh For vnto this fruit he himselfe compareth likeneth his body saying nisi granū frumenti c. Onles the corne which is sowen in the groūd do first die it doth not encrease If it die it bringeth furth much fruit And theuangelistes do testifie w t one voice y t Christ both toke gaue also that he brake this fruit to his disciples What toke he bread what gaue he to his disciples thesame y t he toke And what did he breake Verely euen y t which he gaue them Ergo he gaue them not his reall body and naturall fleshe which was borne of the blessed virgyn for though he died for vs concernynge his body yet the sayd body was not thē broken when he ordeined his holy supper Moreouer almighty God many years before in the mistery of the easter lambe forbad the breaking therof by the mouth of his holy Prophet Moises saying os non comminueti◠ex eo ye shall not breake a bone of it whiche wordes the Euāgelist S. Iohn doth refer to Christs body The primatiue churche folowed this example of their high bishop in breaking the sacramental bread as Paul witnesseth Panis quem frangimus c. is not the bread which we breake saith Paul a communion or partaking of Christes body ▪ And the vniuersal church through out all Realmes and dominions from y e Apostles tyme haue religiously obserued this ceremony Seing then the sacramentall bread that is after that it is a sacrament must be broken to be distributed to such as come to Gods table how is it dayly turned into the substaunce of Christes honorable body which now is impassible and in eternall glory Howe can it be his real and natural flesh which was not then broken when he brake the the bread It was brokē afterward whē his handes were nayled to the crosse when his bloud by the cruel Iewes was let furth out of his side with a spear for our redemptiō in remēbraunce of which benefit the sacrament of bread is broken cōtinually without any alteratiō chaūge or transmutation of his nature For the Apostle S. Paul speaking hereof doeth always name it bread as in the aforsayd text Is not y e bread which we breake c. And againe we
this doctrine .xii. hundred yeares agone and more and yet the Papistes name it new learnyng Moreouer Chrisostom who florished foure hundred years fiue after Christ and for his great knowledge and eloquencie was made byshop of Constantinople and is famous at these dayes throughout the whole world for his vertues and learning he in a certen letter whiche he wrote against the Apolinaristes to Cesarius a Monke in the tyme of his second banishment sayth of the sacramental bread in Christes supper that after the consecration Liberatus est quidem ab appellatione panis dignus autem habitus est dominici corporis appellatione etiā si natura panis in ipso permansit that is to say ▪ The Sacrament after the consecration was no more named bread but it was called by the name of Christes body notwithstanding the nature of bread remayned and continued styll What can be more playnly and directly spoken against the transubstantiation whiche was not heard tel of vntyll fyue hundred yeares after the incarnation of our Lord Iesus Christ Of these it is euident that by the iudgementes of the elder fathers the sacramentes be named bread and wyne not of that they were before the consecratiō but of that they are styll so afterwarde as well as before For they did preache and teache with one voyce and assent in diuers regions and countries and in diuers tymes and ages a thousand yeares agone that bread and wyne are a sacrament of Christes honorable body and bloud without any transubstantiation that is transmutation chaunge or alteration of their substaunces and natures And Christ our maister confirmeth this to be a moste true doctrine affirming w t an othe Amen dico vobis c. The wyne after the consecration to be the fruit of y e vine not the fruit of Mary or the fruite of Dauid and so doeth Paul fiue times naming the other sensible part of this mystery bread as Christ before hym named it Granum frumenti a wheat corne or the fruite of wheat Here againe they reply that the fathers doe say that the natures of bread and wyne are altered are turned and chaunged into Christes nature For S. Ambrose in his boke whiche he writeth De ijs qui mitiantur mysterijs Cap. 9. speaking of this sacrament sayth Benedictione etiam ipsa natura mutatur that after the consecration the nature of bread and wyne is chaunged And for a probation hereof he reherseth many thinges whose natures GOD chaunged with his worde and benediction He telleth howe GOD chaunged the nature of Moises rod turning it into a serpent that he chaunged the nature of water diuersly turning the riuers of Egipt into bloud compassing the Israelites with y ◠read sead as with a wall causyng Iordā to run backward and making the bitter floud Marath swete and delectable to drynke He chaunged also the nature of the rock which poured furth water Heliseus chaūged the nature of Iron causing it to swime aboue the water Helias chaunged the nature of fire when at his prayer it came down from heauen whose nature is to go vpward These examples saith the Papist S. Ambrose allegeth to proue that the nature of bread is turned is chaunged and altered Ergo it doth not remaine and continue Ciprian also in his sermō of Christes supper saith Panis non effigit sed natura mutatus ▪ c. That this bread is chaūged not in shape but in his nature And Theophilact writing vpon Iohn 6. saith panis quem ego dabo non est figura carnis sed caro mea est trāselemētatur enim panis etc. that is the bread whiche I will giue is not a figur of my flesh but it is my flesh ▪ for the bread is transformed I aunswer Nether do we deny the natures of bread and wyne to be chaunged and altered yet their substaunces must continue for this mistery as Ireneus teacheth vs must haue an earthli nature after the consecration aswell as before for so muche as this sacrament is made of two natures Then howe are the natures of bread and wyne chaunged Verely euen as Ambrose sayth that the nature of water was chaunged when the reed sea stode about the Israelites like a wall and gaue them passage as the nature of water was chaunged when Iordan ran bakward and when the sower Riuer Marath was seasoned and made swete and delectable as he saith that the nature of the rock was chaunged when it pored fourth waters as he saith that Heliseus chaunged the nature of Iron when he made it swym aboue Iordan as Helias chaunged the nature of fier causing it to descend dounward whiche naturally ascendeth vpward After this sort the natures of bread wyne ar chaūged and altered in Christes holy supper that is the naturall propertie of them For before the consecration they do only norish the body after the consecratiō they doe feede our soules with Christes swete flesh with his comfortable bloud and with a deuout remēbraunce of his death passion In this signification Ambrose affirmeth the natures of bread and wine to be altred trāsformed in christs supper meaning I say not their substāces very essence which is the proper acceptation of y e word nature but the natural propertie of them as appereth of his own forsaid exāples For the substance very essēce of fier was not altred though it descended downward against his natural propertie nether was y e very essēce of the read sea chaunged though for a time it stode like a wall about Gods people Iordā was a riuer stil though he ran bakwards the stream of Marath was water stil notw tstanding his nature was chaunged that is his naturall propertie which was sowernes into swetnes The rock which powred furth abundaūce of water remaineth a rock still Nether did Heliseus alter chaunge y e very substāce inward essence of iron when he caused it being heauy to houe aboue y e waters in al these miracles which wer wrought by the mighty power of God y e natures of the red sea of Iordan of Marath of y e rock of Iron fier are said to be chaunged altered that is their naturall properties The worde nature can not be vnderstand otherwise in the forsaid exāples Besides approued writers do vse it in this acception signification as Marcus Tullius in his boke de Somnio scipionis of scipio his dreame Haec est anima natura propria c. This is saith Tully the very nature office of the soule to moue himself Notwithstanding Ambrose bringeth two examples in which the very essence substaunces are chaunged as the turning of rods into serpentes the turning of the waters of Egipt into bloud He alledgeth these two examples not to proue the transubstantiation but to proue stablish a lesse mutation in the sacrament by those greater mutations For nether
A FAITHFVL DECLARATION OF Christes holy supper compreheÌ„ded in thre SermoÌ„s preached at Eaton Colledge by Roger Hutchinson 1552. Whose contentes are in the other syde of the lefe ¶ Newly imprinted at London by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate 1560. Cum gratâ—a priuilegio Regiae maiestatis per septeâ—â—ium ¶ THE CONTENTES OF the first sermon THe first sermon sheweth why Chryste ordeyned his supper after the eatinge of the Paschall lambe that the Iewes easter lamb was a fygure of our sacramentall bread and wyne a commemoratioÌ„ of their delyueraunce a sacrament of Christes death that the Iewes had some continual rites and sacrameÌ„ts other some temporal how their sacraments ours how their receit and owres do differ Why God who is immutable disanulled thir rites and ordeined new rites and new ceremonies for vs. For what cause men absent themselues from Christes banket to the which thei shuld come not annually but continually That as it is best to come fasting therto so it is not euill by occasion to receiue after meate and drinke That to blesse is not to make a crosse vpon the sacrament but to render thankes to God y e father for the remission of our sinnes through the seed promised That Christ ordeyneth here no priuate masse but a communion and that the scriptures and the Orientall church disalow al priuate receit that as it is not euill to receyue the holy sacrament at thy mouth so it is better to take it in thy handes as Christ and his Apostles did and the laytie of the primatiue church ¶ The contentes of the second sermon THe second sermon declareth what a Sacrament is that the nature matter of the sygnes remayneth â–ª that Christ affirmeth breade to be his body and wyne to be his bloude for thre properties and similitudes and not for any transubstantiatioÌ„ and mutation of their natures That his body bloude are the sustinaunce of mannes soule and spirite which are not fed or nourished w t corporall food That both the spirituall eating and the sacramental receit are necessary and commaunded That by our worthy receyt of the sacrament we are made Christes body not by fayth only but also realli What a testameÌ„t is what the new testament is what the ould is That the ould christians before Christes cumming did eat his body drinke his bloud as truly as really and as effectually as we do How Christes body and bloud be present in his holy supper that they ar not to be honored in the forme of bread and wine with eleuatioÌ„ of handes or kneling but by faith in them by cumming to his supper bi geuing of thanks and by offring vnto him frankeÌ„seÌ„ce and myrre that is to say by confessing him to be very natural man borne of his mother after the fulnesse of tyme for our redemptioÌ„ and very god begotten of his father before al tyme that this is the catholike fayth and the doctrine of the elder fathers of Christes church ¶ The contentes of the third Sermon THE thyrde sermon sheweth that Christes flesh which is the bread of lyfe is neuer receyued vnworthely neuer vnto destruction but alwayes vnto saluation vnto righteousnesse and iustification That Christ with playne wordes and the elder fathers do affirme the substaunces of bread wyne to remayne after the consecration how the elder fathers do affirme the natures of the signes to be altered and chaunged without any transubstantiation That Christes cup ought not to be denyed to the laitie that such as come vnworthely to Gods saâ—raments be gylty of Christes body bloud albeit they receyue the onely fygure and signe therof That after the receit of the holy sacrameÌ„t relapse into sin is daungerouse that we muste passe our life tyme thencefurth in praier and geuyng of thankes and go into mount Oliuet that is seke for heauenly thinges and despise earthly thinges THE PRINTER TO the reader FORASMVCH gentle reader as al felicitie helth prosperitie of a christen man staÌ„deth consisteth in the perfecte knouledge of the true and liuing god and of himself which knowledge euery faithfull man may plentifully and abundantly finde in the holy and sacred scriptures as it were in a moste pure cleare glasse or myrrour In whiche all men ought to delight and exercise themselues both day and night to the amendement of their owne lyues and to the edifieng of their neighbours And considering also y t there are many in these latter daies God amend them and sende them better grace the which only study with haÌ„d and fote toth and nayle and yet would be counted good Christians when in very deade thei ar nothing lesse to impugne the truth and to bury in perpetual obliuie and forgetfulnes the monumentes labours and trauailes of moste worthy men who refused no paynes to aduauÌ„ce true religion and to ouerthrow the false religion superstitioÌ„ and idolatry I haue therfore taken vpon me through Gods helpe to set forth bring to light these sermons which were geuen vnto me by maister Roger Hutchinson to put into prynt and that a litle before the death of the most Godly king King Edward the sixt and because immediatly after his death Gods true religioÌ„ was ouerthrowen and troden most shamefully vnder fote by the bloudy Papistes I was enforced and coÌ„pelled not only to surcesse from printing of these sermons but also of diuers others Godly mens workes The author of these sermons liyng on his death bed Whome the Lord toke to his mercy sent to me in my trouble desiring me that wheÌ„soeuer almighty God of his own mere mercy goodnes wold loke no more vppon our wretchednes wherwith we had moste iustly prouoked him vnto wrath but wipe awaiour sinnes and hide them in the precious woundes of his sonne Iesus Christ and turne once againe his mercifull countenaunce towardes vs and lighten oure heartes with the bright beames of his most glorious Gospel that I would not only put these Sermons of his in print But also his other boke called the Image of God the which he himselfe had newly corrected declaring that although God should take him vnto his mercy yet he wold leaue behynd him som litle monument of his good heart mind will the which he bore towards y e truth of Gods holy word and furtheraunce profit of Christes church for that diuers sectaries wer crept in vnder y e colour title of true religioÌ„ who through y e perswasioÌ„ of the deuill hath sowed their diuilish 〈◊〉 as y e AriaÌ„s Anabaptists PelagiaÌ„s Papists dyuers others y t the flocke of Christes coÌ„gregation might haue som strong armoure for y e sure defeÌ„ce of theÌ„selues and fitte weapons wheÌ„ thei shal haue at any time any doing w t those sectaries to y e vtter ouerthrowing of theÌ„ Therfore as the authors good wil was through y e help of God in setting forth y â— boke for thy profit So accept take it in good parte and
distribution of Christes supper this is papistical leueÌ„ supersticious doctrine to make the scriptures a nose of wax a tenes baull and to wrest them to euery purpose To blesse here is to giue thaÌ„kes to God the father for his merciful beholding of our misery for pardoning Adams disobedience and for sending his sonne to be borne of a woman to grind and breake in sonder the Serpentes head that is to destroy the power of the deuill through death thorow his crosse and by theffusioÌ„ and shedding of his bloud And the cup of blessing of which Paul speaketh is asmuch to say as the cup of thankesgeuing For he expoundeth it euen so in the next Chapter himself And where as Marke saith that Christ blessed Mathew and Luke say expouÌ„ding on another that he gaue thaÌ„kes For this vse entent and purpose this sacrament was chiefly and principally ordayned that we should not forget the great clemency and special fauor of the eternal God for the death and passion of Christ our Lord but reserue this his benefit in continuall memory And therfore many of the elder Fathers doe name this holy Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a renderyng of prayse and a thankesgeuyng It foloweth in the text how after that Christ had geuen thankes That he brake the bread and gaue it to his Disciples and bad them take and eate it and he toke the Cup lykewyse and gaue it them saying Drinke of it euery one Or as Luke saith he toke the cup and sayd Accipite and diuidite inter vos take this and deuide it among you Christ our maister doeth not receiue this holy Sacrament alone but with his Disciples nether do we reade in all the newe Testament that euer any receiued it priuatly or seuerally from others The Actes of y e Apostles testifie that they which beleued resorted together oftentymes to celebrate this Sacrament But they doe not speake of any priuate receit for Christ ordayneth here no priuat Masse but a Communion Let vs folowe hys example and celebrate Christes supper not as our forefathers haue done many yeares and of long tyme but as Christ who is before all tyme and all yeares â–ª did celebrate it first and as his Disciples did vse it in the primatiue Apostolike church You will say there hath bene a custome coÌ„trary many yeares and I haue heard some say that when the deuotion of the layte and temporalte waxed cold that the Apostles and their successors gaue liberte to ministers to receiue it alone I aunswere this custome begon but of late dayes and not many yeares agone For as Cronicles do make plain and euident relation Gregory surnamed the great the first Bishop of Rome of that name was the first founder of priuat Masses who was Anno dom 595 almost for the space of six hundred yeres there was no priuat receit Moreouer this is most certayne and true that the Orientall church neuer vnto this day did allow or vse priuate masses as appâ—reth plainly of the name which thei giue to this sacrament For they cal it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a coÌ„munion or a coÌ„ming and asseÌ„ble together of many in one place And for an euident profe of this you shal vnderstand y t Plinius he that was Profos Bithiniae that is gouernour captain of Bithinia In the time of y e wise Emperor Traianus this Pliny I say in a certen Epistle which he writeth to the forsayd Emperour De ritu christianorum of the rights and fashions of the christians is a witnes hereof that the Grekes in his time had a communion and no priuat masses And other learned writers do credibly report that certain churches of the Venetians within this .xxx. yeares and lesse did not celebrate the Lordes supper alone or any man priuatly by himselfe And it may wel be that they do so stil at this day of these it is euident that priuat masses be not of so auncient and long coÌ„tinuaunce or so vniuersally receiued as the papistes do face and bragge the matter after their accustomed sort But you wil go further with me say If the laite will receiue they may for they were neuer restrained but if they will not thinking themselues vnworthy to receiue it often theÌ„selues why may not the priest receiue it alone for them We may pray one for another so we ar exhorted to do but no man may receiue the sacrament for others but for himself only That which thou receiuest thou receiuest by thine own faith and for spiritual fode to thyne own soul and not to others For it is written iustus ex fide sua viuet the rightuous man shall liue by faith by his own faith and not by an other mans faith nor by anothers receit And as no man hath norishment or sustenaunce of the meat which another doth eat so this spiritual fode doth profit only such as take and eat it themselues according to Christes precept they be not edified nor refresshed with an other mans spirite with an other mans faith or receit no more then they be regenerat renewed with the baptime of others For if it be true that Paul saith Qui enim manducat bibit indigne iudicium sibi manducat et bibit that is he that eateth and drinketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh to his own condemnatioÌ„ not to any other mans condemnatioÌ„ Ergo he that eateth and drinketh worthely eateth but to his own health and saluation and not to the health and profit of others The benefit the fruit and the whole coÌ„modite of this sacrament dependeth vpon the promises which Christ hath annexed to it whiche promises be pronounced only to those that come to his supper themselues as these promisses Whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternal life I wyl raise him vp saith Christ at the last day and he dwelleth in God and God in him these promisses I say be not made to thee onles thou come to Gods table thyself another mans receit doth nothing profit or edify thee Therfore Paul vnto the Corinthians after that he restraineth them from making any banket or refection before this supper afterward speaking of this Sacrament he commaundeth boeth priestes and others not to receiue one for another but one to tary for another saying Alius alium expectate cum conuenitis ad manducandum Tary sayth Paul one for another when ye come together to eate He speaketh these wordes of Christes supper for he forbiddeth the CorinthiaÌ„s in the same Chapter to eate any other meat in the house of prayer then bread and wyne in commemoration of the death of Christ. Ambrose a learned and holy father of Christes church doeth so construe and take this text disalowyng and reprouing al priuat receit and also Theophilact For Ambrose saith vpon this text Ab inuicem expectandum est vt
receiue the holy sacrament at thy mouth so it is better to take it in thy haÌ„ds as Christ and his Apostles did and the laite of the primatiue church These matters be touched hetherto but onles God inwardly with his spirit do teache you this Phylosophy and wisdome and transforme your hearts and iudgementes leading you into all truthe my preaching is but lost labour Therfore let vs call vpon the name of God with praier and inuocatioÌ„ for his help and holy spirit Let vs pray for the vniuersall company of Christes church throughout all Realmes and dominions whersoeuer they dwel namely for the congregation of Englande and Irelande desiring the eteâ—nall God of his fatherly mercy to coÌ„tinew strengthen both them and vs in the confession and obedience of his worde and truthe Also for al infideles and vnbeleuers that God may turne their hartes to beleue vpon his sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde for S. Paul vnto Timothe commaundeth vs to pray for all men For the kinges maiestie a prince of moste excellent hope that vertue and knowledge may dwell in his noble hart For these thinges for the remission of our sinnes and for Gods helpe hereafter in all our workes words thoughtes I shall desier you to say a praier after me ⸫ The Praier O Eternall God who art the author of al truth didst ordeine this holy sacrameÌ„t of bread and wyne by thy only begotten son in the roum and place of the easterlambe which they of y e old law did eaâ— yerely for a memory of their deliueraunce from Egipt from Pharao by thy mighty power in hope of the comming of Christ whom Iohn the christener Paul do call our easter lambe that we of the new lawe receiuing this new sacrameÌ„t shold reserue thy louing kindnes in continuall remembraunce in that thou hast sent thy only son to become womaÌ„s seed to breake the serpentes head to deliuer vs from the power of the deuill and from the bondage of syn by his crosse and by theffusion of his most honorable bloud Here our praiers and supplications O merciful father and send vs thy syerit from thy holy place to perswade al men women to celebrate thy supper after the example of Christ and of his Apostles disciples and stablish the hartes of the people against false teachers of priuat masses and of supersticious crossing with the contemplatioÌ„ of Christes ensample with the vse of the Oriental church and with the knowledge of thy holy scriptures y t we may be mete gestes for thy table and be partakers of all the benefites of Christes death and passion to whom with the and the holy spirit â—e al honor glory prayse now euer So be it THE SECOND SERMON vpon the Lordes Supper IN my last Sermon welbeloued in the Lord where as I began to declare vnto you y e Lordes supper which was a part and membre of the Gospel and thorow plenty of matter I did not ende the same now occording to my promes I wyll shew you what a Sacrament is and howe Christes body and bloud be present in his holy supper Thus much remaineth yet to be spokeÌ„ of Take eat saith Christ this is my body And likewyse of the Cup he saith Drinke of it euery one For this is my bloud of the newe Testament shed for many to the forgiuenes of sinnes I say vnto you I will not drinke henceforth of this fruit of the vine tyll that day when I shall drinke it new with you in my fathers kingdom And when they had song praises they weÌ„t out into mouÌ„t Oliuet That I may declare this heaueÌ„ly matter to Gods honour and finde out suche lessons and eruditioÌ„ as may be mete for this audience and for your edifying and enstruction which be assembled here to serue God in prayer and hearyng his word let vs aske Gods help and his holy spirit for the whiche I shall desier you to say the Lordes prayer after me Our father which art in heauen c. There is no matter in the holy scripture welbeloued in the Lord more necessary to be knowen and to be discussed then these wordes of our sauiour Iesus Christ This is my body this is my bloud of the new Testament There is no text which hath bene so abused and racked to maintein superstition and diuers purposes And where as Christ ordeineth here a sacrament of vnitie to knit vs together in peace amitie and loue Inimicus homo super senâ—inauit rirania that is the deuill who goeth about to depraue all Godly thinges hath sowen so many tares and such pestiferous opinions and hurtfull sedes and dampnable doctrine in mens harts by his ministers the Papistes the questionistes scholemen the Anabaptisâ—es that nothing nowe is a matter of more contention of more debate strife variaunce not only betwene man and man but also betwene coÌ„tries and kingdomes because euery man is wedded stubbornly to his own iudgement and where as they should reforme their opinions and submit their iudgementes to Gods scriptures as to the touchstone which trieth good from euil they rather do rack wrest Gods word making it a mariners slop or a nose of wax bowyng it vnto euery purpose Therfore I thought it good to vtter my knowledge which is but smal in this matter not to teach such as be enstructed alredy rype in knowledge of whom I am desirous to lerne my self but partly for their sakes and eruditioÌ„ which be vnlearned of y e laite that thei mai know how to prepare themselues to come to Gods borde this holy time of Easter at other times partly also to testifie professe my conscience and faith in this matter Many doe affirme and thinke these wordes of Christ this is my body to be a lyke phrase a like kynde and a lyke maner of speche as when he sayth Ego sum vitis I am the vyne I am the dore I am the way I am the bridgrom They be no like phrases but far diuers and different For the vine is no sacrament nether the dore nor the wey nor the bridgrom be no sacramentes but metaphores and borowed speches The bread of which Christ said this is my body the mine which he affirmeth to be his bloud be not bare and naked metaphores as y e aforesaid phrases are but they be sacramentes of his honorable body comfortable bloud as both the Occidental and OrieÌ„tal the Greke church al writers both new olde do acknowledge confesse with one voyce For al christendom haue always agreed in this point Therfore the nature of a sacrameÌ„t being thorowly knoweÌ„ examined tried it will teach you y e meaning of Christes words how he is present in his supper What is a sacrament I wil not deuise a discription of mine own head nor shew a fantasy of mine own braine I will folowe in this matter the sentence iudgementes
fide solum sed reipsa corpus suum effecit We saith this holy learned father we ar made one matter w t Christ not by faith alone and charitie as he writeth also to the people of Antioche but we are made euen his very body reipsa that is effectually truly and really And S Ambrose doth write that we are chaunged and turned into Christ Emisenus also doth professe a reall mutation of vs into Christ and yet we are not transubstantiat and coÌ„uerted we ar not transformed into him but our natur and substance remaineth stil as it did before our receit of the Sacrament and so doth the nature and substance of the Sacramentes For if the nature of bread wyne be altered our nature must be altered in like maner for asmuch as the fathers witnes that we doe eate Christes flesh reipsa that is really and effectually so that our flesh is made holy flesh of his flesh and we must be as Paul sayth bones of his bones How ar we flesh of his flesh not by any mutation or chaunge of our substaunce essence or nature whiche remayneth styll but in that we do eate Christes fleshe and drynke hys bloud by fayth and belefe by which only Christ is eaten and dronken and no wayes els To eat Christes flesh and to drynke his bloud is to beleue that the son of God toke on him our humanite to beleue that his body was nayled vpoÌ„ the Crosse and that his bloud was let sâ—â—th and shed for the remission of our sinnes for our transgressions and offences and to repose vs into his fathers sauour againe who was displeased with vs. To teache vs this he calleth hymself the bread of God that came from heauen to gyue life vnto the world Which chapter is a manifest probation of this matter that his flesh is neuer eaten nether in the sacrament nor without the sacrament but only by belief S. Augustin whose excellent learnyng and vertue is well knowen doth so take all that is spoken there For he sayth wrytyng vpon the same Chapter Vt quid paras dentes ventrem Why dost thou make ready thy teeth and belly Vis man ducare Christum Wilt thou eate Christes flesh and drynke his bloud and he aunswereth Crede manducasti that is to say beleue and I say vnto thee thou hast eaten his fleshe and dronke his bloud But here the Papistes reply that Christes fleshe is eaten in the Sacrament and without it and that without the sacrament it is eaten only by fayth But in the Sacrament it is eaten without fayth of those that eate it vnworthely as Iudas did I answer Christs flesh as it is y e bread of life so always it doth giue life to the spirit which euil men haue not Moreouer Christes flesh is meat according to owne saying Caro â—ea vere est cibus my flesh is very meat and my bloud is very drinke What meat and drinke is it Verely the meat and drinke of the soule not of the body the fode and sustenauÌ„ce not of the flesh but of the spirit as the figurs and sacramentes of bread and wyne are bodily sustenaunce For the spirit is not fed or noryshed with corporall fode for it is written Quod natum est ex carne caro est that which is borne of flesh is fleshe that is to say carnall and fleshly And Christ reproueth such which vnderstode that he would geue his flesh to be eaten really and corporally and substantially saying The flesh profiteth nothing it is the the spirit which quickeneth but ther are some of you that beleue not as if he had sayd I toke not my body of the holy virgin to giue it to be eaten really and naturally for the remission of sinne or to ordein any carnal eating but I toke my body and became man to die for synne and that waies to profit sanctifite you Mortua prodest caro non comesa the death of my flesh profiteth and auaileth you not the eating therof whiche profit you must receiue by faith only and through belief in my passion by the operation of the spirit My flesh is the bread of life in that it shalbe beaten torne and slayn for you not in that it shalbe eaten For that the fruit the benifit and whole commodite of his comming should be distributed into the world by his his death only he teacheth vs himself by a similitude saiyng Nisi granum frumenti deiectum in ter ram mortuum fuerit ipsum solum manet onles the corne whiche is sowen in the ground do first die it doth not encrease if it die it bringeth forth much fruit So his body doth profit vs not in that we eat it really but in that it was beaten cruelly scorged slain for vs in that it was crucified it is the bread of life the bread of saluation redemption and iustification With these sentences Christ plucketh vs from carnal eating and teacheth vs that his body is eaten by faith only in this life But I heare one say whiche deliteth in his owne wyt and thinketh that he cause further in a mylston beyoÌ„d others If we receiue Christes body by faith only what nedeth the sacrament What boteth it to come to the Lordes table saying we may receiue his body without the sacrament whersoeuer we be if we beleue vpon him whether we be in the field or in the towne or in our beddes Truly if thou be honestly and Godly affected and doest reuoke Christes passion to thy memory hoping for remission and pardon of thy offence thorow the sheding of his bloud through the death of his body thou doest eate his body and drinke his bloud But if thou regarde not his sacrament if thou regarde not the promises which he hath annexed to his table if thou passe not on his commaundement which is Take ye eate and drinke ye of this euery one thou doest not beleue but art carnally mynded and the seruaunt of syn Wher fayth is there is also hope modesty humilite sobernes and obedience to Gods preceptes for the nature of fayth is to iustifie Now carnall and disobedient meÌ„ do not eate Christes body forasmuch as it is eaten only in spirite and in fayth that is of spirituall and faythfull men and women alwayes vnto health and redemption and neuer vnto hurt or destruction Thou maiest say lykewyse I wyll not come to the churche to praye for God heareth me euery where Thou mayst say likewyse I wyll not be absolued of the minister for God is not bouÌ„d to his sacramentes and he only bloteth out synne without the ceremony of ministration as he did the synnes of the these of Mary Magdalene and of others True it is God absolueth before thou come to the priest if thou haue earnest remors and an vnfayned purpose to amend For he clensed the mam from Leprosy of whome Mathewe speaketh he raysed Lazarus from the
and glorifie God by wel doing in hope of plenteous reward Wherfore S. Paul vnto the Corinthians nameth it the ministration of the spirit and of rightuousnes And he compareth the first testameÌ„t to Agar to AbrahaÌ„s bond-woman the secoÌ„d he likeneth to Sara his lawfull wyfe and a fre woman signifying hereby that the one doth gendre vnto bondage thother to eternal life And both testamentes do remaine yet be effectual at this day The old testameÌ„t is not disanulled in euil meÌ„ but in good men For such as liue in sin and ignorauÌ„cie of God and do measure iudge holines by outward ceremonies and suche as do gape gredely after eartly thinges such as be Iulianites and without conscience and do thinke mortal corpo mortal animo all such belong to the old testament and be yet vnder the stroke of the axe vnder the lawe whiche causeth anger And from the beginning of y e world good men as Adam Enoch Sem Noe Abraham and Dauid which in all their ceremonies had an eye to Messias and beleued in Christ to come were of y â— new testament and vnder grace Therfore if thou wilt come to Christes table beware that thou be not of the old testameÌ„t that is defiled with syn and iniquitie with out repentaunce and an vniust getter and retainer of worldly coÌ„modities For Christ calleth his table the bloud of the new testament The nature of this table of Christes bloud is such that if thou presume to come vnto it vnworthely w t a bely corrup with naughty humors y t is with synne and iniquitie it will leade thee vnto thy destruction as it did Iudas not of y e nature of it but through thi great default who dost not try thy selfe before thou comest Yea if we be defiled with sinne we be no partakers of these deinties we do not drink y e bloud of life Of these few wordes which I haue spoken in this matter you may gather both what y e testameÌ„ts be also how they do differ But percase you are desirous to lerne more plainly what is y e meaniÌ„g of these words this is my bloud of y e newe testameÌ„t Verely these words be asmuch to say as this is a sacrameÌ„t of my blud which was let furth shed for y e remissioÌ„ of sins this is another bloud a diuerse from y e bloud of the old law Their bloud was their sacramentes in which the old christians which did perteine to y e newe lawe did drinke Christ through fayth The rok was their bloud their paschal lambe their sacrifices of goates oxen shepe to which euil men came aswel as good but the euil did not drink Christes blud but only y e figure therof because it is of y e new law thei were of y e old law But the old christiaÌ„s that is they which in drinking of the rock in eating their lambe and other sacrifices had an eye a faith in Christ to come did eate his body and dronke his bloud as truly as really as effectually as we do For they were of the new testament as wel as we and therfore they dranke the very spiritual bloud of the new testament in that they beleued vpon the sede promysed HereuÌ„to Paul beareth witnesse saying our fathers did all eate of one spirituall meat and did all drinke of one spirituall drinke For they dranke of that spiritual rock that folowed theÌ„ which rock was Christ. And the Psalmographe saith Panem â—e coelo dedit eis c. That God gaue them bread from heauen and the bread of aungels which bread is Christ as he teacheth vs himself saying Amen amen dico vohis non Moises dedit c. Verely verely I say vnto you Moises did not geue you bread from heauen but my father c. That he is the bread whiche his fathher gaue them he declareth saying I am y e liuing bread which came downe from heauen Whereof it is euideÌ„t that the old christians of whiche Paul speaketh in the text afore rehearsed did from the foundation of the world eat Christes flesh and drinke his bloud as really and effectually as we doe now But the vngodly whiche were before his birth dyd nether eat his flesh nor drinke his boud as Christ himself teacheth vs saying Patres vestri manducaueruÌ„t manna mortui sunt your fathers saith Christ did eate Manna and be dead Note that he saith not our fathers but your fathers as if he had said your fathers which would not beleue the Prophets but were persecutors of them and bloud sokers as you be they did eate manna that is the sensible sacrameÌ„t mortui sunt and yet they were not partakers of the fruites of my death but died eternally But the old fathers whiche before my incarnation beleued in me to come did not only eate y e sensible signe and outward sacrament of Manna but also tasted the dainties of my honorable body and bloud whiche are the bread of life and redemption they died not but do lyue therby For of such Paul sayth that they dranke of the spiritual rock But because you shal not thynke that I do wrest the scripturs to proue that the old christians did eate Christes fleshe and drinke his bloud in their sacramentes hear what the Godly and learned byshop S. Austin saith to this matter He vpon the sixt chapter of S. Iohns Gospel speaking of the old fathers eating ours by occasion expouÌ„ding there the text of Paul affirmeth euidently that which I haue cought saying Omnes eandem escam spiritalem manducauerunt spiritalem â–ª vtique eandem nam corporalem alteram quia illi manna nos aliud spiritalem vero quam nos sed patres nostri non patres illorum quibus nos similes sumus noÌ„ quibus illi similes fueruÌ„t Which wordes in effect be thus muche to saye They all saith this learned and elder fafather speaking of the the old christiaÌ„s did eate one spirituall meat They dyd eate one spirituall meat not one corporall meat for Manna was theyr corporal meate that is their outward and terrenall sacrament But another thynge that is bread and wyne is our corporall meat and our Sacrament They dyd eat thesame spirituall meat that is Christes body which we do eate but our fathers as Paul saith that is such Godly men as we are like vnto did eate this spiruall meat to their health and saluation but your fathers whiche were oppressors of the Prophetes whose wayes you do folow did not eat Christes body but only the corporall meat of manna y e figure sacrament therof to their death and condemnation and therfore of them Christ saith Mortui sunt that they died meaning the second death This is S. Austins doctrine of the Sacrament not only vpon the forsaid chapter but also in his boke which he writeth De vtilitate verae poenitentiae agendae how
thou take the Lords holy body How darest thou drinke of y e cup of his precious bloud These wordes proue that the teÌ„poraltie in this holy fathers time receiued the sacrameÌ„t in both kindes that in their haÌ„des S. Hierom saith priestes which do consecrat the sacrament deliuer the bloud of Christ to the people Chrisostom also obserued in his time this precept at Constantinople For he sayth the priest doth not eat one part and the laitie another part after the maner of the old lawe but vnto all is distributed one body one cup. And Gregory surnamed the great after whose tyme syncere doctrine began to decaie witnesseth that this custome was kepte in the Romain churche in his daies saying you haue learned what the bloud of the lambe is not by hearsay but by drynking it Yea fiue hundred yeares after his death Gelasius bishop of Rome 1118 yeares after Christ made a decree for the confirmation of this custome because then some presumed to take vnder one kynd Nether can it be proued that the laytie were restrained from the Cup of Christ before the rayne of Friderike the first surnamed Barbarossa to whiche restraint notwithstandyng the Orientall churche wold neuer consent but vse kyndes alwayes Yet the Papistes would make it a tradition of the Apostles where as in very dede to cause men to haue an honorable opinion of priuate masses and of their transubstantiation they them selues of late dayes haue taken on them to forbyd that whyche Christ commaunded that whiche the Apostles folowed that whiche the vniuersall churche obserued from tyme to tyme as is declared And because they would not be counted presumptuous for makyng this restraint they cast many perils and daungers whiche myght folowe if the Cup were made common to all men and women Dyd not Christ who fortold many thynges to hys Disciples who is the wysdome of God the father forsee these peryls and daungers If he dyd forsee them why dyd not he make a restraint Or at the least commaunde a restraynt to be made afterward Yea Christ of the bread speaketh not so vniuersally take ye eate ye But concernynge the Cup he geueth a generall precepte drynke ye of thys all as forseing this restraint and enstructing men aforehand not to obey it when it should come Yet some are so impudeÌ„t and so drouned in ignorauncie that they dare defend the one kind by Christes example and the Apostles They say that Christ at the toune of Emaus distributed but bread only to a couple of his disciples it is not mencioned that suche as embraced the felowship of the Apostles receiued any wine the text saith that thei coÌ„tinued in breaking of bread Therfore as it is a laudable custome to vse both bread and wyne so it is not euell to distribute bread only to the temporaltie For both Christ and his Apostles did so in the primatiue churche I aunswere Christ did not consecrate the sacrament to his disciples at the town Emaus but by his mighty power wrought a miracle in the diuision of the bread so Nycholaus Lyranus wryting vpon the sayde text doth vnderstande it witnessing that Christ brake the bread so euen as if he had cut it a sunder with his knife Nowe though bread only be named yet this is no sufficient profe that they did receiue the sacrament but in one kind For vnder the name of bread the scripturs do coÌ„teine meat and drinke and all maner of victualles as in the Lordes praier when we say giue vs this day our daily bread we aske all necessary fode for the norishment of the body Againe we read that Christ went into y e house of one of y e chief Phariseis Manducare paneÌ„ sabbato to eat bread on the sabboth day that is to dine or sup with him as all writers take it The Prophet Esay saith to euery one of vs Frange esurienti panem tuum break thy bread to the huÌ„gry exhorting vs by an Hebrue phrase vnder y e name of bread to minister all bodely fode all necessary sustenaunce to the poore Some make another answer to the aforesaid place of Luke Erasmus in his annotatioÌ„s doubteth whether the bread which Luke saith was broken among the christians of the primatiue churche were common bread or sacramentall and sanctified And many other are likewise in doubte hereof Wherfore no certain doctrine can be stablished of y e aforesaid place Yea though Luke both cap 24. and Act. 2. doe speake of the sacrament yet forsomuche as all victualles are comprehended vnder the word bread who is able to say that the sanctified no wyne It foloweth in the teâ—â— that Christ and his disciples When they had geuen prayses or as some do rede had song an Hymne they went out into mount Oliuet We are taught here by the ensample of Christ and his Apostles two offices which God requireth of vs after the receit of the Sacrament first in that they gaue thankes and prayses let vs learne that it is the office of euery Christen maÌ„ before he depart from Gods table also all his life time to render harty thankes to God the father for his great clemency and mercy for the remission of his syns through the dishonour death of his honorable son To this end purpose this mistery was chifly principally ordeyned y t so noble worthy a benefit shuld not fal out of remembraunce forsomuch as it is our only comfort against damnation and eternall death Therfore many of the elder fathers of Christs church do name this sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a thankesgeuing Folow the ensample of Christ thi high shepeherd of his Apostles which finished not this mistery with out thankes to the diuine maiestie TheiÌ„ coÌ„tinued also in geuing of thaÌ„kes breaking of bread as Luke regestreth wryting their liues after Christes ascention departure What wordes they vsed it is vnknoweÌ„ also whether thei sang an Hymne or only said it The greke word is indifferent ether to singing or saying but though god do not here esteme y e voice but y e hart yet both song instrumeÌ„ts be laudable approued ceremonies in Gods church as I wold proue but only because I wyll not be ouer long If we wyll not honor God with due thankes for his innumerable benefites procured vnto vs through Christ but become vnthankeful vnkind if after that we be deliuered from sin receiued into Gods fauor we turne froÌ„ his holy coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t then is our latter end worse then the beginning For of such S. Paul sayth If any man defile the temple of God hym shall God destroy Behold examples hereof in the newe Testament Iudas after that he had bene longe in the blessed felowship of the Apostles for betrayng the giltles for a brybe and through the detestable vice of couetousnes
take mi pleasure I wil laugh and be mery al the yeare I wil do what my list at Easter I wil repent then I wil come to the Lordes table but not before Examin thine own thoughtes thou oppressor thou dronkard thou horekeper thou flatterer and enter into your own hartes you shal find this to be the cause of your lōg absence and of your seldome comming to the Lordes bāket For as he that hath a hungry and a gready stomack to hys meat declareth hereby his body to be voyd of all corruption and that he is in good perfit health so I say vnto you to obserue an annuall cōmunion is a token of an vnrightuous man of a stubborne seruaunt of an vnquiet woman to come often is a token of one whiche striueth against his flesh which kepeth battell with the deuill and laboreth dayly to liue Godly blamelesse For here we remembre Christes death passion The remembraunce of Christes death maketh vs to remembre our own offences sinnes for he died not for himself but for our iniquities and misdedes The remēbraunce of our offences wrappeth vs in sorowe and heuines Sorowe and heuines do cause vs to fly vnto God for his help mercy as it is written in trouble I cried to thee who embraceth vs like a louing father For as sorow and heuines entred fyrst into this worlde for sinne and for the gylt of Adams disobedience so the same now doth expel sinne againe leade vs into vertue as Paul teacheth Tristitia secundum deum operatur penitentiam in salutem Godly sorow sayth Paul causeth repentaunce vnto saluation Moreouer in that the texte sayth that whyles they were eating Iesus toke bread and ordeined his last supper some do reason hereof that the Sacrament is not to be receiued fastyng as the custome nowe is but after other meates and drynkes after a certayne refection banket or maundy which they say those that be ryche should make to refresh the power and nedy For the defence of this maūdy they alledge not only Christes example but also where it is written that the Corinthiās in dede kept such a maundy But Paul reprehendeth them therfore and disanulleth their custome as an occasion of glotony of drōkennes of pride of contentiō and other misbehauiour in the churche saying vnto them haue ye not houses to eate and drynke in or els dispyse ye the congregation of God And agayne if any man hunger let hym eate at home that ye come not together vnto condempnation nor Christ dyd not celebrate this sacrament after other meates and drinkes to stablyshe any suche custome nor to geue vs any example to doe the lyke but rather to teache vs that our Sacramentall bread is succeded in stead of the Iewes Easterlambe and that their ceremony is nowe disanulled and abrogated Therfore the vniuersall Churche commonly accordyng to Paules mynd to the Corinthians vseth nowe to celebrate the Lordes supper fastyng without any Maundy and not after other meates Notwithstandyng as he doeth well whiche commeth fastynge to the Lordes table so he doth not ill whyche by occasion commeth after that he hack eaten and dronke Meat and drynke do not defyle doe not make a man an vnmete gest for Christes borde for the mariage dyner of the kynges sonne but lacke of the wedding garment that is synne and iniquitie There is no commaundement in the scriptures which restraineth those that haue eaten from the communion Paul reproueth not the Corinthians for any suche thynge but because they made Maundeis and bankettes in the house of praier In their own houses he doth not forbid them to eate and drinke befor the communion but permitteth it and leaueth them to their own libertie necessitie herein saying If any mā hunger let him eat at home I touche this matter partly thorow occasion of the text partly also to reforme those if they wyll be reclaimed whiche for lack of knowledge or offended with those that come after meat thorow some necessitie which offence commeth of a good zele and of a good entent but good ententes must be reformed according to knowledge And percase some will be offended with me for vttering this matter Be not offended with truth be not disceiued nor bewitched with superstition and blynde zele but cōsider my wordes indifferētly or rather not my wordes but y e wordes of Chrisostom a learned and an elder father of christes church who saith a great deale more in this matter then I haue said whose saying moued me 〈◊〉 this tyme to touch this matter For onles he or some other learned man did affirme it I would not teach it He in his .ix. Homily ad populum Antiocheum is earnest against those which withdraw them frō the cōmunion many times because they were not fasting and he exhorteth them to come otherwhiles after meat saying Si tibi persuaseris quod post cibum potum ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conuenire necesse est omnino inuitus multam geres curam modestie neque in ebritatem neque in craxulā vnquam deduceris Cura enim expectatio in ecclesiam cōueniendi cum honesta mēsura cibum potum sumere docet ne ingressus fratribus commixtus postea vinum redolens inordinate eructans ab omnibus praesentibus deridiaris Which words be thus much to say If thou determine with thy self to come otherwhyles to the communion after thou hast eat dronk by this meanes thou shalt learne to be modest and sober in thy behauiour thou shalt neuer offende in dronkēnes nor defile thy self with glotony but remēbring Gods table thou wilt take meat drink with moderation lest comming to the church if thou smell of wyne or belche inordinatly through the fulnes of y e stomak thou be a laughing stock to al that shall se thee in that taking Whensoeuer thou arte Godly affected whensoeuer thou hast remorse for thy sinnes with an ernest entent of amendment and reformatiō of thy liuing be not afraid to com to Christes banket to the mariage diner of the kinges son whether thou hast eaten dronke or art fasting Be afraid if thou being an officer or magistrate dost deuise euill statutes ether ecclesiastical or temporal contrary to the statutes of the eternal God or if thou doest make vnlawful grauntes and geue dispensations lycences and cockettes to cary wol leather corne or other wares ouer the sea enpouerishyng many thousandes to enriche thy selfe and fewe others Be afrayd if thou be a Tayler and doest steal part of their cloth which cost them dear from thy customers makyng them beleue that no lesse then thre yardes wyll serue their tourn when two yardes be sufficient Be afraid to come if thou kepe a drapers or an Haberdashers or Poticaries shop and doest oppresse thy brethren by takyng immoderat and vnreasonable gaynes If thou be a husbandman and wylt not store