the sacrament and not of the hole masse either thei meane of the breade and wine not yet consecrated or els affter that thei be cōsecrated Wich way so euer thei take it it is fals that thei shuld be a sacrifice for sin̄es Although I know that affter both sortis thei wold it shuld be a sacrifice both affter the consecration and before There is no dowt but affter the cōsecration folowing their opinion the bread and the wine be a sacrice For as thei think Christ all hole is there in body and in sowle and that there is no more neither bread nor wine but only Christ the which is the trew sacrifice Also that thei hold that that bread and wine is a sacrifice before the consecratiō how can thei denie it so many praiers secrets and chefely the canon affirming it The which canon in the first part praith god that he wold blesse that bread and wine and calleth them holy vntasted sacrifices in the plural nomber And in the second part that is to say in the memento he calleth them a sacrifice of praise The which is offered for the saluation of sowles And in the fourth part he calleth them an oblacyon And in the fifft he praith god that he wold vouchsafe taccept this oblacion so that it might becōe the body and blood of his best beloued sonn So that than they will that that breade and wine which are not yet cōsecrated shuld be a sacrifice for the ransoming of sowles And they pray that they may becom Christes body ād blood Iff they pray that they may become then be they not yet consecrated For whan they be cōsecrated they are become Christs body ād blood as they think and it nedeth not any more to pray that they shuld become soo becaus they be allready soo becomne That this bread and wine vncōsecrated shuld not be a sacrifice for sinnes it is an easy thing to proue For that according to tholy scripture the sacrifice for sinnes is that that hath redemed vs. For so moch as the redempcion is as moch to say as the forgeuenes of sinnes according to Paul as it is writton to the Ephesians and to the Colossians Eph. 1. Collos 1. But we be not redemed neyther with bread nor wyne but only with the blood of the vnspotted lamb christ as Peter saith in his first pistle 1. Petri 1 Yow knowe that yow were not redemed from yowr vayne conuersacion which yow toke by the tradicion of yowr elders with fadeable things as gold ād siluer but with Christes precios blood as of an hole and vndefyled lamb Is not the bread and wine vncōsecrated things fade able and corruptible How vile doth this masse make Christes redēpcion Of how litle valew his blessed blood God wold not pardon sin̄e but that there was paid so gret a price so gret a passiō so high a blood and so gret a death as that was of his sonn And they will that sinnes shuld be pardoned with bread and wine which yet are no nother but plaine breade ād plaine wine That the bread and the wine whā the consecraciō is made shuld be no sacrifice although there were no more neither bread nor wine but the body and blood of Christ Ihesus as they wold haue it I say that they be no sacrifice They be so moch lesse a sacrifice iff the bread ād the wine remaine And that they shuld be the sacrament as without dowt the Sacramēt is no nother in substās but bread and wyne consecrated that is to say appointed to the vse to which Christ appointed thē that is to sai to bring in to remembrans his body and blood That the sacrament I say is no sacrifice in what so euer sort it be a sacrament I proue it by Paul in his pistle to the hebrews Hebre. 7.8.9.10 The which if the fauorers of the masse had but supperficially vnderstand they wold neuer so boldly haue vttered that the masse or let it be the sacrament shuld be a sacrifice It is writton first in that pistle that there were in the lawe many prystes becaus thei were mortall but Christ who is immortall hath now theuerlasting pristhode and therfor can saue for euer all thos that goo to god by him alweys liuyng to that end that he may intreate god for vs. And he addeth a none affter that thos prestes or els bysshops had nede toffer sacryfyces not only for the sinnes of the peple but for their own also But it behoued that Christ shuld be vndefyled innocent the which shuld not haue nede eueri dai toffer for him selffe and affter for the peple because he dyd this ones whan he offred hym selffe For so moch as that the lawe appointeth men bisshops that haue weakenessys Psal 110. but the word of the oth that is to sai the word of god and of which Dauyd spake in the Psalme appointeth the son for euer consummate that is to say perfite By thes wordes ij things are geuen vs to be vnderstand First that none can offer a sacrifice that may auaile as before god for sinnes except Christ that is pure innocent separated from sinners perfite and euerlasting bishop who hath in such sort offered him selff that the sacrifice is the prest him selff and the priest the sacrifice it selff For that toffer sacrifice for sinnes it behoueth not only that the sacrifice shuld be cleane pure and withowt spott but it is necessary that he that offereth it shuld be him selff also cleane and that he shuld not haue nede toffer for his own sinnes It is knowen off old that among men also whan a thing is presented by the handes of one that is in displeasure of any gret lord allthough that the thing be good yet it shall not be acceptable because that he which presenteth it is not fauored Iff it be so than that he who offereth must be cleane and no sinner the prestes that say masse can not offer sacrifice for sinnes because thei be vncleane and sinners And albeit thei shuld in deede offer Christ ones again that offring could not auaile for sinnes because it is nedefull for the bringing to passe of such an effect that both th one and thother shuld be cleane and withowt spott not only the sacrfice but also the sacrificer a thing that can not be among as many as be but men in the whole world And for this cause it behoued that Christ him selff shuld be he that shuld offer and make sacrifice to god and no nother but him selff because he alone is without sinne and all the rest be sinners Than it geuyth also tunderstand that it nedeth not any more to doo sacrifice for sinnes becaus he that hath done sacrifice Christ hath satisfied hauing done ones for euer because it was perfite being the same Christ theuerlasting bisshop that offred him selff Iff that haue suffised being ones done what nedeth it to make other sacrifices or to make againe the same at other times Surely
the which Christ hath cōmanded shuld be preached to euery creature What els be thes wordes but that Christ hath geuō his body and his blood for our rāsom ād forgeuenes of our sinnes Seing this thing is of necessitie that it shuld be preached to euery Christiā nor he is not a Christiā that doth not bileue why doo thei not say it with a lowd voice as in the old time it was wont to be Here thei find certen scusis and among other thei say that such wordes ought to be said in secret to th entent that the high holy wordes shuld not become vile And that it is red how in old time whan the canon was said with a lowd voice as it were all did vnderstand thos wordes and did openly sing them in the streates ād in the waies Wherupon certen shepardes singing thos wordes and hauing laid the breade vp on a certen stone at the vttering of the wordes the bred was turned in to flessh and for this caus the fire came from heauen that killed them for the which thing the holy fathers haue ordeined that vp on paine of cursing such wordes in the masse shuld be said in secret and with the holy garmentis This master William Durant saith in his racional of diuine offices Soo what fowndacions thes be I will not say fables of saing the wordes of the sacramēt in secret Iff thes wordes for this caus ought to be said in secret to th entēt that the high holy wordes shuld not become vile than it were nedefull to say the holy gospell in secret ād not to preach it openly with a lowd voice For what wordes be more high holy than thos of the holy gospell Furthermore the holy fathers that haue ordeined this iff it be trewe in dede that thei did ordeine it why did thei not rather command that the holy wordes shuld be pronownced with reuerens withowt making them say them in secret The which wordes among all the rest that are said in the masse euer◅ Christēman ought singularly to vnderstand Ought not euery Christian to knowe that Christ hath geuin his body and his blood for our ransom And that for remembrans of so gret a mistery Christ hath ordeined this sacrament And what els doo the wordes of the consecraciō say exeept this in substance I could here iff I wold say many things but what nedeth it to heape wordes in so plaine a matter It is withowt dowt a gret abuse to vtter thos wordes in secret The wordes of the sacrament ought to be hard of all withowt the which it is no sacrament neither the bread nor the wine nor any other thing iff that the significacion of it be not knowen nor that can not be knowen but by the same wordes of the sacrament Let vs goo on further A nother abuse is that Christes death is not shewed to them that be present contrary to saint Paul the which saith that in the vse of the sacrament the lords death ought to be shewed saing in his 1. to the Corinthians As offten as yow shall eate this bread and drink the cupp 1. Cor. 11. ye shall shewe the lordes death vntill he come that is to say yow shall preach it It is clere that in the masse the lords death is not shewed nor preached to the peple And what speake I of the daily and priuate masses It is not shewed neither in the time of the communiō whā thei reach furth the host to the cōmunicāts where thei ought to teach the pore peple of the significaciō ād of the importance of the sacramēt Thei sai nothing to thē except whether he bileue that Christ be in that host or no. As though Christ had instituted the sacramēt to th entent that it shuld be bileued that he were in that host so gret and so large as he was vp on the wood of the crosse and not for remēbrans of his death Yet Christ him selff said doe this in my remembrans and said not bileue ye that I am hid den in this bread so gret and so large as presently yow see me This was not Christes meaning for so moch as he wold haue said it Wherfor thā is not Christes death shewed in the masse Surely this is a manifest abuse The fourth abuse is that the prest alōne doth take that his sacrament I call i◅h◅s becaus in dede it is no sacrament and he geuith no part of it to any other But this is no communion for a communion is whan many do communicate or take part of one selff thing This maner of taking this sacrament is against Christ who hath instituted it to th entent that it shuld be taken in communion and not priuately and against sent Paul in the forsaid place ◅ Cor. 11. who rebuketh the chorinthes becaus thei did not take the sacrament together and with cōpany nor thei did not tary one for a nother And iff he so sharply rebuked them becaus thei did not tary one for a nother allthough that all shuld take the sacrament how wold he haue suffered that one only shuld haue taken it Thei doo also against the wordes which thei speake in the cōsecration For before thes wordes that thei say Hoc enim est corpus meum there be thes that is to say accipite manducate ex hoc omnes that is to say take yow and eate you all of this bread Why than doo thei not geue it to all or to many as Christ commanded according to their own opinion Parauenture thei will say that Christ spake thes wordes for thapostles and not for any other But this is not reasonably spoken for so moch as Christ taught them withthes wordes that he spake how thei shuld doo and minister this sacrament Iff he shuld haue spoken thes wordes for the Apostles only the Apostles them selues shuld neuer haue knowen how to haue ministred the sacrament to others but only to them seluis Furthermore in old time this is certen that there was no priuate masse said that is to say that one only shuld take the sacrament that is the priest that celebrateth but allweis there was a communion vsed In token of this the grekis did neuer receiue the priuate masse doing better in this part than the latines and keping Christis institucion and the apostolyke vse A nother abuse is that thei make it auayle for euery thing Thei applye it for the raine for the fayre wether against tempest warr derth pestylens and against all sortys of diseases for the holsomnes of the ayre for plenty peace helth of body for waifaryng men for wiues and husbandes against enemyes for the liuyng for the deade and for what thing is not the masse sayd In prayse of our lady of the angels of the sayntes for repentant for thos that geue allmes for thē that sayle for the Imprisoned for the remaining in a place for to call for wisdom It is said against persecutors for ani maner of troble for the
and liue for euer to whom be all rule honor and glory for euer and euer So be it THE END A SERMON OF THE SACRAMENT OF THANckes geuing the which declareth whether Christ be really and bodily in the same or no. I CAN NOT SAY HOW moch mirth and yoie is in my hart whan I see in this our age that there is kindeled in the mindes of many the holy desire to vnderstand gods things that is to say the inestimable and the incomprehensible treasures hidden in Christ Iesus whose knowlege passeth euery other knowlege and wisdoÌ„ and doth so farr excell Philip. 3. that Paul thapostel thought euery other thing losse and worthy the throwing awai in comparison of that Neuertheles the lord doth not geue this desire to know Christ to all men but to his own that is to say to the elect only the which he hath before the beginning of the world forepointed that thei shuld be to his praise and glory Ephes 1. Of the other side not with standing I can not but be sory seing in thes same times whan the gospell that hath bene hidden so many worlds past is by the goodnes of god lately come furth to light that there shuld be so mani and so diuers opinions of thes things that god hath Instituted to kepe agrement and peace among the faithful that is to say of the sacraments of the church in such sort as Sathan the enemy goth abowt with the self same instruments of peace and vnitie to make warr against Christ setting dissension making schismes and sowing debates amongst Christians not only among the people and comon sort but among thos that shuld be lightes glasses and examples of agrement to whom belongeth to teach other that is to say among the ministers and preachers of the holy gospell But this dere brethern ought not to offend yow nor to remoue yow from your holy purpos that yow haue in Christ but rather to confirm yow in faith and to kindle yow to make a gretter entry in to the religion and way of God for so moch as that god doth suffer such striffes and diuersities of opinioÌ„s for the benifite of his church and of the trewe bileuers First to th entent that his 1. Corinh 11 who abide constant and stowt may be manifest whan thother that haue not a trewe growndwork but a fained and vaine faith doo falle and faile Furthermore also to th entent that whan we see such disorders we shuld not put our trust in men the which may all err but we shuld come to gods word the which onlie can not deceiue and that we shuld indeuor our selues with all diligens and care to vnderstand it and that we our selues shuld looke in the scripture whether it be so or 〈◊〉 as we may reade of thos that hard Paul preacâ—â—â—…n the citie of Berrhoe in Macedony as it is writteÌ„ in in thactis of thapostels Act. 17. the which whan thei hard Paules sermon thei looked in the scripture itself whether it was so as he said 〈◊〉 â—…o And to be short to th enteÌ„t that we shuld prai vnto god that he wold geue vs the trewe vnderstanding of the same because the matters of gods spirite be not vnderstand by any mans way but by gods disclosing 2. Pet. 1. 1. Cho. 2. Now to return to the purpose of the striffe that is of the sacraments Some say that in the sacrameÌ„t of the body and blood of Christ that is to say in the breade and wyne consecrated in remembrans of his death is conteined his very body and his very blood and that there we haue really and bodily all and hole Christ as great and as thick as he was on the crosse Other some say that he is not there but there is only the breade and the wine as signes of Christes body and blood geuen for our redempcion And this controuersy and striffe is in such sort gone forward that it hath with many hindered the course of the holy gospel And it hath made that Christes enemies haue taken occasion and boldnes to blaspheme the holy lerning and gods truth But be it as it will allthough some haue coÌ„mitted a great fawt in this thing striuing euer bitterly against the contrary opinion wherby thei haue shewed them selues to be men and haue in som part spotted their own glory lessening the credite and auctoritie that the world had of them We not withstanding will comfort our seluis with Paules saing which he speaketh to the romaÌ„s Rom. 8. that to gods elect euery thing groweth to good And although that presently thorow such dissensyon we see among many nothing but disorder offence and euel yea hatred toward the gospell yet god for all that who knoweth how to get order owt of disorder and good owt of euell will caus whan it shall please him some great profite to growe owt of it in his church for the present vnknowen but in the end open thus we schuld beleue And becaus I know that many desire to vnderstand what shuld be the trewe opinion of this sacrament I for the loue of the truth for the glory of god and to doo them a pleasure and also a benifite will simply and with as moch easines as is possible sett furth the opinion which I thinck and hold for certeÌ„ hath bene and is the opinion of the Apostles all the awncienty of the holy scripture and of Christ him selff And let no man meruell though I setting the suttletyes a syde shall rather procede with simplenes and familiaritie and also though I shall reherse one thing often for so moch as that my mind is to be plainely vnderstand of all men and chefely of the simple aÌ„d vnlerned And because the thing is of so great waight that it deserueth to be handled with all diligens to th entent that all men may the more easily vnderstand it we by order and by parts will consider it And First we wil see how that there hath bene aÌ„d yet be diuers opinions of this sacrameÌ„t of the supper of the lord aÌ„d the cause why aÌ„d we will bring furth the contrary talkes and reasons to the truth Secondarily whan we haue shewed the trewe and catholike opinioÌ„ we will proue it with sure grownd workes and plaine reasons In the third place we will make it certenly appeare that this is the opinion of the holy fathers and of the old church In the fourth we will answer to the contrary saings and reasons shewing them to be vaine and of no waight In the fift and last we will serch owt from whens the error of the fals Imaginacions in the matter of that sacrament is proceded let vs than in the name of our lord begin We must vnderstand that the cause of the differens in this matter that is to say that some say that Christ is really and bodyly in the sacrament of the bread and the wyne and some other say the contrary that is to
the proper maner of speche and not the improper To this I answer that god often tymes vseth with vs the custome of men because we be men and he agreeth to oure maner of speche for so muche as the custome is amonge men that they call the signes of a thinge by the self same name of the same thinge signified As for example If at any tyme we should make a couenaunt or an agrement with any man as sone as the agreement and couenaunt is made we cause to be made an instrument or a wrytinge of such agrement and we call it couenaunt or els agrement not that that instrument is really such agreement for the couenaunt and agrement went before but because it is a signe of such couenaunt and agrement So we call the wrytinge of a sale or of a purchase a sale or purchase because it is a signe and confirmacion of the sale or purchase And we do call the wrytinge or the instrument of such thinges testament or legacie or gift because it is the signe and confirmacion of these thinges Let vs geue an other example which also is of the scripture In Exodus and in many other places the ceremony of the paschall lambe is called passouer And Christ and the Apostels did so call it Christ sayd in saynet luke I haue ernestly desired to eat this passouer before I suffer Here Christ called the paschall lamb passouer And the Apostells said to Christ where willt thou that we prepare for the to eat the passouer And for all that the paschall lamb was not really the passouer because the passouer as we haue in the same Exodus was that passage as it is also sayd before in the ninth reason the which the Aūgell made whē he strake the first borne of Egypt ād passed by the houses of the hebrues Now that passage was properly the passouer But because the lamb was ordeined that it should be killed and after eaten with many ceremonyes in signe and remēbraūce of that thinge therfore the scripture calleth it passouer Behold how the scripture calleth the sacramētes by the names of the thinges represented and signified why shall we maruell then that Christe did call the cōsecrated bread his body and the wyne his bluod because they should be signes and a remembraūce of his body and bluod We ought not to maruell yea it is oure great rudenes and dulnes that we see not this thinge and why he hath done it that is to saie whye he calleth the bread his body and the wyne his bluod Euery man sayth that the sacrament of thanks geuinge doth come in stede of the sacrament of the paschall lambe And if it be so seinge that the scripture and the Apostels call the same such lamb passouer yea Christ him self in the same supper when he instituted the sacrament of his body and bluod called that lambe passouer not for any other cause but for that it was a signe and a remembraunce of the passouer why should not the bread be called the body and the wyne the bluod because they be signes and a remembraunce of the bodye and the bluod euen as the lambe is called passouer because it is the signe and remembraunce of the passouer And that rock out of which came furth the water in the desert paule calleth it Christ not for any other cause but for that it did signifie Christ nor there was neauer any men that bi such a sainge wold think that paule ment to affirme that that stone was really Christ but that he ment onely to say that it did signifie Christ So likewise let vs saye of the bread and the wyne that they be called body and bluod because they be signes and a remembraunce of such thinges We haue bene longe in answeringe to this reason because in dede the whole consisteth in this declaration that we haue made The second reason is this If Christ were not really in the sacrament S. Paule wold not haue sayde that it should be condemnation to them that should take it vnworthelye nor he wold not haue sayde that such should be giltie of the lords bodye and bluod For so much as that if Christ be not in the sacrament there should not be any other thinge but bread and wyne and beinge none other thinge there it should not be to vs such condemnacion as it is in dede no condēnation to eate other comē bread and to drink other wyne To this is answered that therfore paule sayth that they be giltye of the lords body and bluod the which do take the consecrated bread and wyne and the sacrament vnworthelye not for because that eather the body or the bluod be in the sacrament but they be therfore giltye of the one and the other because thei dispise Christs death thei dispise his body and bluod not goinge with that faith and with that reuerence that they ought to take those holy signes Instituted by Christ in remembraunce of his body and bluod geuen to death for oure raunsome In old tyme thei that did dispyse or dishonoure the name or the glory of the Romane Empire thei were gyltie of treason against the state of Rome And they that had done wronge to Cesars Image or els had defaced any of Cesars writings This was as if thei had layd violent hands vpon the princes persone He that wold dishonoure the armes or the badges of any great state that prince wold haue estemed such dishonoure and disworship to be cōmitted against his oune person for when his badges or els his Armes be dyspysed he him self is dispysed So seinge that Iesus Christ the chefe prince of the world hath Instituted the sacramētall bread and wyne to the intēt that that it should be a remēbraunce of so great a thinge and should represent so great a misterye that is to say that hath geuen his body and his bluod and dyed for to deliuer vs from sinn and from euerlastinge death and to geue vs euerlastinge lyfe Sewerly they that will take these holy signes withoute true repentaunce of there sinnes and without true faith and without consideration of so great a misterie and benefite they make no counte nother of Christes body nor his bluod nor of his death no nor of Christe himself it is no maruell therfore that they who go to take such a sacrament vnworthelye do eate and drinke Iudgement that is to say condemnation because when they dispyse the signes of so great thinges they do consequently dispyse the same thinges and him also that did institute such signes It is not proued by this that Christ is enclosed in this sacrament but the contrary The third reason The third reason the which semeth to haue some shew is this that is to say that if Christ were not here in this sacrament there should not be wrought any such great myracles as men see Sometyme it is seen that the hostes haue cast out bluod and such bluod is kept in many places It
declare it It is suer that this praier is wicked as well as that of the offering of the hoste The fourth Chapter HEre is examined that many praiers which they call secreats and are sayd before the preface be damnable and hold much wickednes in them as these That fasting purgeth sin̄es and maketh vs worthye of the grace of god and leadeth vs to the heauenly and euerlasting glory That by the bread and wyne god is apeased and forgeueth vs oure sinnes Then follow certein praiers and they be three which affirme the bread ād wyne to be a sacrifice of which matter because we will treate of it in the end where we will proue that nether the bread nor wyne before the consecration nor the Sacrament after the consecration can be a sacrifice albeit that the Sacrament is a remembraunce of the sacrifice We wil not now talke any farther of it least we should vnproffitably repeat one thinge often But we wil examen that which remaineth of this first parte ād chefely these praiers which they call secreats because they are sayd softly to geue more aucthoritie to the Masse And let them neuertheles alledge as many reasons as they will yet they ought to speak it a loude but this maketh not so much matter as the wicknedesses and blasphemies that are in some of them and among the rest in that of the fourth ferye of the Imber dayes in aduent which saith let oure fastings we beseche the oh lord be acceptable vnto the which by clensing vs maye make vs worthy of thy grace and bring vs to the euerlasting promesses The veri same is said also in the third serie that is to saie the tewesday after pashiō sonday And an other tyme on fryday in the Ember weke after the seauentēth sonday after whit sonday which praier in few words hath much matter that is to say thre great blasphemyes The first is that fastinges do clere purge and clense The seconde is that they make vs worthye of Gods grace The third that they bring vs to the euerlasting promesses These thre cursed wickednesses are in this litle praier who wil denye that these be not thre blasphemies First is not this a blasphemie to geue to the fastings which are oure works the clensinge of sinnes Heb. 1. which is gods worke onely by Christ Iesus thoroughe his blod and death As paule sayth 1. Ioan. 1. That Christ alone is he that purgeth sinnes And Ihon in his first Epistle saith That the blood of Iesus Christe doth clense vs from al sinne And Ihon Baptist sayth Ioan. 1. behold the lamb of god behold him that taketh awaye the sinnes of the world And Esay geueth the forgeuinge of sinnes to Christe onely thorough his passion and death Esa 53. And to be shorte the whole scripture geueth this honoure to Christe and this praier geueth it to oure fastings These be those godly sacrifices that are made beare with me you that yet know it not in this detestable Masse by which the world so long hath bene disceaued and Christ dispysed Besyd yf by oure fastings we were clensed and oure sinnes forgeuen vs Rom. 4. we should be iustified by oure oune works for so much as iustification is forgeuenes of sinnes it self or at the least is not without it and that onely iustifieth vs that forgeueth vs oure sinnes Ro. 3. 4. Gala. 2.3.4 5. Roma 3. But this doctrine is contrary to the Apostle Paule who sayth in all his Epistles and specially to the Romaines and Galath that we be not iustified by works but bye Gods grace through Christs redemption Paule saith to the Romains we be iustified by his grace that is Gods by the redemptiō that is in Christ Iesus In which place appointinge the things that perteine to iustification he alledgeth grace the redemption by Christe and faith which wholly he geueth to the grace of god by Christ and no whit to man yea rather he turneth out all the glory of man and geueth the whole honoure and glory to God Which he wold not haue done if oure works whether they be fastings or other works had pertained to iustification as any cause therof Moreouer how canne fastings purge or clense sinnes seing that we must first be losed and clensed before we can do eny work that may be thankfull to God whether it be fasting or other work How can fastings take away sinnes yf they be not thankfull to God and if they be thankfull to God it is necessary that oure sinnes should first be forgeuē vs and that we should be clensed of them Fastings therfore cannot cause forgeuenes of sinnes nether in whole nor in parte yea let thē think this before hand that yf they should be acceptable vnto god forgeuenes of sinnes must necessarylye goo before them And if it should be sayd that in the end of the praier there is Per Dominum nostrū Iesum Christū etc. Which words confesse that oure sinnes are forgeuen by Christ to this is answerd that ether they will that by Iesus Christe himself onely our sinnes should be forgeuen or els not onely by Christ but by Christ together with the fastings If they will by Christ onely why do they alledge fastings yf they will haue fastings together with Christ this is first against the scriptures which thorowout alledge Christ onely ād none other Further it is plaine that the reason before made resteth stronge that is that forgeuenes of sinnes go before fastings if they shal be thankfull to god then fasting cannot because of forgeuenes of sinnes nether with Christ nor without Christ And if thei wold say we meane not of forgeuenes of sinnes as concerning the faulte but the punishmēt to this I say that when men speak absolutely of the clensing or forgeuinge of sinne it is to be vnderstand of the faulte as of the chefe thinge in that forgeuenes and here the praier speaketh absolutely wherfore it is vnderstand of the fawt and not of the paine only Than if the fawt be forgeuen and taken away we ought not to be any more ponisshed for the cause of that fawt For take away the caus and the effect foloweth This is a generall rule where there is no fawt there ought not to be any ponisshment If god doo thorowly for gyue and take away the fawt he taketh a way also the ponisshment dewe for that fawt And this distinction which is comonly made of the forgeuenes of the paine ād of the fawt hath no maner fowndacyō in holy scriptures but is fownd owt by men And though somtymes god forgiuing the fawt doth some way ponissh as he did Dauyd and certen other yet this is not that the ponisshmēt shuld remayne as the ponisshmēt of that sin̄ but for other respecttys as to humble the man and to exercyse hym or to geue example to other that thei doo not the like and that he also may be ware in tyme to come that he fall not
the one in to his body and thother in to his blood because we shuld make to long a digression from our purpos But with gods fauor whan we haue ended this discours of the masse and the masse booke we will in the end of the boke Ioine to it a plaine sermon of this matter in the which we will proue the treuth And for this time we will make it onli appeare that thei vnderstōd not what consecraciō meaneth Therfor yow must vnderstād that Cōsecrare affter the holy scripture meane◅h not to chāge one thing in to a nother by vertu of certen wordes as thei take and vnderstand the consecracion of bread and wine minding that it shuld be a changing of their substances in to other substancis that is to say in to the body and blood of Iesus Christ For a thing that is consecrated is not marred or destroied that it shuld not be any more the same that it was as thei say of the breade and wine that thei remaine no longer affter the consecracion but are vndone and destroied and be no more that thei were but the thing that is consecrated remaineth the selff same that it was first and is not altered in his substance but only is dedicate or appointed to a certen holy vse to the which first it was not appointed or ordeined This is the meaning of consecrare As for example And how 's is said to be cōsecrated to god whan it is appointed to some holy vse as a man wold say to the preaching of gods word to the administracion of the sacraments and to comō praier Euen so man is consecrated to god whan he is dedicated and appointed to an holy and secred vse of gods seruice All christians be consecrated to god that is to say dedicated and appointed to his seruice which is an holy thing because thei be the trewe temple of god in the which he dwelleth with his holy spirite as S. Paul saith in many places 1. cho 3. 2. cho 6. Ephe. 2. Now it appearith that the man remainith still the same and is not changed in substance because he is consecrated to god but only is dedicated and appointed to gods seruice to which he was not first appointed This which we say we say not of our selues but owt of the holy scripture in mani places Exo. 13.29 num 6. Leuiti 27. as in Exodus numerus leuiticus It is writton in exodus that euery first borne male shuld be consecrate to god as well of men as of beastis Also that Aron and his childern were consecrated to be priestes It apperith in numerus as well of men as wemen that were consecrated to god In the last of leuiticus where is spoken of the consecracion of men and of feldys and vniuersally of eueri consecrated thing It appeareth that that consecracion doth not meane to change one thing in to another with wordes but meaneth to dedicate and appoint and as a man wold sai to appropriate a thing to god and to an holy vse Euery thing that is cōsecrated to the lord saith god whether it be mā beast or felde shall not be sold nor can not be redemed or raunsomed And thes were the consecracions made in the lawe which although we doo not now vse yet neuertheles thei giue vs to vnderstand what Consecrare meaneth and that it importeth nothing els but to dedicate ād appoint a thing to an holy vse And so we will say of the consecracion of breade and of wine that it is no changing of their substancis made by vertu of wordes but it is an appointing to an holy vse that is to say that thei shuld signifie and bring to our remembrance the body and blood of Christ how he gaue them for our redempcion As he him selff said whan he instituted this holy sacrament of breade and wine Matth. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. 1. Corint 11. saing that thei shuld doo this in his remembrance We haue bene long in this our talk which we haue done for the ignorant and not for the lerned and becaus the matter is waighty THE III. CHAPTER This examineth the viij part of the canon and declareth how he that saith the masse vsurpeth that office that is Christes and also saith a most wicked praier which is a gret wrong to Christ THe viij part of the canon is this that is to say Wherfor we thy seruantes and thy holy peple remembring vs of christ thy sonn our lord of so blessed a passion and resurrection from the deade and of the glorios ascēsion in to the heauens doo offer to thy most excellēt maiestie of thy rewardes and gifftes the pure host the holy host the vnspotted host and here saing thes wordes are made iij. crosses ouer the host and ouer the cup consecrated to gether that is to say ouer both of them And affter he addeth Holy breade of life euerlasting and the cup of continuall helth And here ij other crosses be made the one whan the bread is named ouer the same host and the other ouer the cupp whan the same is named In this viij part is affirmed that the priest and the peple by the remembrans that thei haue of his death resurrection and ascension doo offer vnto god that host and that cupp consecrated which be as thei think the trewe body and very blood of Christ. But where is it fownd in all the whole scripture that Christ or god did euer ordein that either the priest or the peple shuld offer vnto god the body and blood of Iesus Christ In dede we find that we ought to make a memory of such an offering as christ hath made And therfor he hath ordeined this sacrament to thintent that we shuld vse the remembrance of that oblacion But that we ought to offer to god either the body or the bloode of his sonn that hath god not appointed vs nor yet Christ nor ani Apostel euer made mēcion of it For this office to offer vnto god the body and blood of christ belongeth only to christ who is the high ād euerlasting priest Heb. 7.9.10 and it belongeth not to vs. And the some christ hath done it ones for all whan he was offered and died vpon the crosse And it nedeth not to doo it offtner because that that only time hath suffised to satisfie god for the sinnes of all the elect And that which we doo now in the sacrament is not the offering of Christes body ād blood but is a memory of that offering And who knoweth not that the memory of a thing is not the selff same thing but a remēbrance of it And if ani wold say for all this that it belōgeth to christians to offer christ in the sacramēt because Peter saith that the Christiās be an holy priesthoode to offer spirituall offrings acceptable to god by Iesus christ To this I say that Peter meaneth not here to speake of the sacrament but meaneth of thos hostis
expressely and more clerely betoken than thold For so moch as now in our time there is gretter knowlege of christ and off grace because it is the time of fullnes So our sacraments can more clereli betokē than theires But that thei can satisfie or forgeue sinnes or Iustifie man or geue grace or applie it to the same man Thei can not doo it as neither thold sacraments could doo any of thes things as we haue proued before Concerning forgeuenes of sinnes and Iustification it is plaine that thei do it not because that necessarily both th one and thother must goo before the sacraments iff thei shuld be worthily receiued Thapplication also of Christes satisfaction and redemption is made by faith the which receiueth the whol worke of our saluation by gods grace thorow Christ ād receiue forgeuenes Iustification holimaking and redemption from the mere and pure grace of god thorow Christ and not from any other thing and to it doth attribute and geue all the praise and glory Roman 3. as we haue in the pistle to the romanes And therfor the sauior so offt doth beate in this faith saing that who so euer beleuyth in him hath life euerlasting geuing to ūderstād that bi faith are receiued the benifites of saluaciō bi gods grace thorow Christ ād he that hath it not is not partaker of such benifites Therfor whan we find in the saings of the Euangelistes or of thold doctors that the sacraments forgiue sinnes as that of mark and luke that Iohn preached the baptime of repentans in forgiuenes of sinnes or els in thactes of thapostels that Ananias said vnto paul Rise vp baptise the and wassh thy sinnes And the crede receiued from the church which saith confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum And such like saings the which seme to attribute the forgeuenes of siinnes to baptim I say that thei must be vnderstand safely by that figure which attributeth to the signe that that belongeth to the signified The saing of luke and mark and the article of the faith are vnderstand affter this sort that is to say that the baptime is a signe of the forgeuenes of sinnes The saing of Ananias whan he saith to Paul wassh thy sinnes is as moch to say as take the signe of the wasshing And that saing of Peter in thactes of thapostels Actor 2 whan he saith Be repentant for sinnes and let euery one of yow be baptised for the forgeuenes of your sinnes is thus vnderstand Let euery one of yow be baptised in token of forgeuenes of your sinnes And so of thother saings that attribute the forgeuenes of sinnes to the sacramentes we must giue them the trewe vnderstanding that is to say that thei be tokens of such forgeuenes and thei certifie the byleuers of the same but thei be not the cause And iff any wold axe to what end than be the sacraments geuen iff thei work none of thes effectes that is to say iff thei forgeue not sinnes iff thei Iustifie not satisfie not saue not nor applie not such things to man I answer as before that thoffice of the sacraments is to be witnessing signes of thes said things and thei be as it were certen sealis which assure vs of the forgeuenes of sinnes of gods grace and of saluacion The merciful god and our fauorable father sawe how we are by nature vnbyleuing and weake And ther for for maintenans of our faith and help of our weaknes causeth not only his word that is to sai the holi gospell to be preached vs but cōfirmeth vs in the faith with the sacraments and sheweth vs by certen owtward signes and plaine to our sensis that which is preached by the word Wherfor whā we here said he that beleueth the gospell his sinnes are forgeuen hym and affter we see one baptise with water and knowe that this baptime is ordeined by god to signifie such a thing we be confirmed in faith that is to say we bileue more surely perceiuing that baptime is ordeined to signifie that euen as the water wassheth the spottes or the vnclen̄es of the bodi so is he that byleuyth wasshed with in the sowle The sacraments haue other offices of the which it is not our mind presently to speake It suffiseth that amōg other thei haue this that is to say to bring vs forgeuenes of sinnes gods grace and our saluation not only at that time whan thei be geuen but thorowt all our liffe whan so euer thei come in to our remēberans so that we bileue And thei work not all this effect by their own vertu but by tholy institution and because thei be a ministery of the spirite as gods word is Returning therfor to the purpos I say that it is a gret abuse and supersticion willingly to goo abowt to say that the sacrament of thanksgeuing forgeueth sinnes for it is gods grace that forgeueth sinnes thorow christ whan we bileue with a trewe faith ād not the sacrament of thanksgeuing It is trew in dede that this sacrament doth certifie vs of that thing because it bringeth to our remembrans that christ gaue his body and his blood for our redemption and how his death is cause of our life but it worketh not the forgeuenes nor it can not work it as we haue before proued And iff thos that defend the mass shuld say that thei meane of the forgeuenes of the paine and not of the fawte whan thei say that the masse forgeueth sinnes And that affter this sort also the praier of the mass booke ought to be vnderstand in the which is made mention of such forgeuenes that is to say that thei be vnderstanden of the forgeuenes of the paine and not of the fawt Tho this I say first that the praiers absolutely make mention of the forgeuenes of sinnes and doo not any thing speake of the paine wherby it appeareth that thei meāe of the fawt which is princypall in sinne And the selff same wordes shewe that thei meane of the fawt As for exāple that praier haec nos communio domine purget a crimin It saith not liberet a poena but purget a crimine that is to say from the fawt And that other which saith Sit absolutio scelerū that is to say let it be a discharge of the fawtes ād affter al◅o it saith Sit uiuorū atque mortuorum fidelium remissio omniū delictorum that is to say let it be a forgeuenes of all the sin̄es of the faithfull liuing and deade Thes wordes surely being so generall as thei be of all sin̄nes as well of the liuing as of the deade can not conueniently be vnderstād only of the paine ād not of the fawt Than the Summistis ād scol mē defenders of the masse say that theffect of this sacramēt is to forgeue veniall sinnes ād also mortall wherof man hath no cōsciens that is to say as I thinck whan either he remēbreth not or Iudgeth not thē to be deadli sinnes allthough
it shuld be superfluos yea it shuld lessen the worthines of so gret a sacrifice for it wold seme that it were not sufficient So than the masses sacrament is no sacrifice for sinnes Next affter in the viij chapter he saith Heb. 8. that Christ hath so moch a more excellent presthode than the old bisshops as he is a mediator of a more excellent testament the which is made with more excellent promises And declaring of what sort the newe testament shuld be he allegeth the saing of the scripture Iere. 31. that is to say Ieremy the which saith this is the testament that is to say the newe testament which I will make with the how 's of Israell affter thos daies saith the lord I wil geue them my lawes in their mindes And in their hartis I will write them And I will be their god and thei shal be my peple And affter a fewe wordes he saith I will be pacified concerning their vnrightuosnes and their sinnes and iniquities I will no more remember Thes wordes conclude that there is for vs no nother sacrifice for sinnes but that which Christ ones made God saith who can not lie that geuing the newe testament he wold in such sort be mercifull as he wold no more remember the sinnes of his peple that is to say of the trewe byleuers The which geueth to vnderstand that he shuld be perfitely and perpetually pacified Let vs see now for what cause he shuld be so pacified We must say for no nother cause but for the mediators sake of such a testament that is to say for Christes sake by whom this testament was made Let vs goo on further How is god pacified by Christ except by the sacrifice the which he made offring him selff vnto god for the sinnes of his peple Gods anger and his Iustice is by no nother meanes pacified but becaus affter a maner of spech he hath wreked him selff vpon Christ. Off the which Esay saith I haue beaten him for the wickednes of my peple Than let vs say affter this sort iff god be pacified by Christes sacrifice and forgeuith our sin̄es It foloweth that there nedeth no nother sacrifice for sinnes For iff he wold haue other sacrifice for sinnes he shuld not be I say perfytely pacifyed nor requiring other sacrifyce that might satisfye for them he wold not forget owre iniquities Surely he that seith not this is very bare of vnderstanding In the ninth chapter shewing the differens betwene thold bysshops ād Christ he saith that the leuitical bisshop entred ones in the yeare into that place the which is called sancta sāctorum that is the head holy place not withowt blood the which he offered for him selff and for the sinnes of the peple And he saith that thos gifftes ād sacrifices which were offered could not make man perfite as perteining to the consciens But Christ the bisshop of trewe good things entred onys in to the head holy place with his own blood and gate ther theuerlasting ransō And affter he addeth that forgeuenes is not wrought withowt blood sheding And declaring what shuld be thos head holy placis where into Christ entered he saith that that is heauen and that he is there entered that he may presently appeare in gods sight for vs not to be offten offered as the bisshop that is to say the leuiticall bisshop off◅ times euery yeare entered by strange blood For other wise it shuld haue bene nedefull that he shuld haue offten suffered sins the beginning of the world But now towards th end of the world hath he ones appeared to destroy sinne by the offering of him selff And as it is appointed that all mē ones shall die ād affter that shal iudgement be so Christ is ones offered to take a way the sinnes of man All this talk doth shewe that neyther the masse nor the sacramēt is a sacrifice First it saith that thos gifftes and sacrifices which were offered could not make man perfite as perteining to the cōsciēs as though he wold say that they could not for giue sinnes nor perfitely clense man but Christes gifft ād sacrifice is that wich maketh man perfite as perteining to the cōsciēs It is plaine that Christes sacrifice is made for all thelect in all the world that be past present ād to come As Iohn saith in his first pistle that he is thappeasement of all the world 1. Ioh. 2. and he hath made thē perfite as cōcerning cōsciēs that is to say hath perfitely rāsomed freed halowed wasshed ād clēsed thē And he onli hath done that which thos nōber of sacrifices of the lawe could not doo And by that one ōly he hath satisfied quieted ād pacified their cōsciencis and hath made thē sure of his grace that is to say of forgeuenes of sinnes of recōciliaciō ād attonemēt with god ād of their saluacion To make a man perfite in consciens doth bring with it thes forsaid things Iff it be so than what nedeth it more to make other sacrifices and to goo abowt to seke to make that a newe that Christ hath perfitely made as though he had not ma◅ it that other word that foloweth proueth the v◅ry same that is to say that christ hath fownd ow◅ theuerlasting ransom that is to say the per◅ freing of all thelect in the world from sinne from damnation from death and from all euill for euer and this by the sacrifice that he made ones with his blood and by his passhion and death If he haue with his facrifice ones made gotē theuerlasting ransom that is to say that which shall allwaies be and shall neuer faile but euer cōtinewe wath nedeth there any other sacrifices for sin̄es We haue inough of that which christ ōes made because with that he fownd owt theuerlasting ransom And that other word which saith that withowt blood sheding forgeuēes is not wrought what doth it meane but that it is nedefull in the sacrifice which is made for sinnes and which forgeueth thē that blood shuld be shed ād that it shuld satisfie for sinnes And for this cause was nedefull that christ shuld shed his blood In the masse there is no sheding of blood therfor it is no sacrifice for sin̄es Tho ther word that cometh next affter that is to say that Christ is ētred in to heauē to the intēt that he may appeare in gods fight for vs not to be offten offered for it is as moch to say as one time suffiseth Forels it shuld haue bene nedefull that he shuld offten haue suffered sins the beginning of the world what doo thes wordes meane but that christ cānot be offered for sin̄es more th◅ one time And who so euer seketh toffer him off◅ner than one time there foloweth this inconueniens that it shuld haue bene nedefull that christ shuld offten haue suffered sins the beginning of the world Thei say that christ is offered in the masse for sinnes that is to say thei offer
is robbed off his honor many wayes Yea he is euel spoken off the forgeuenes off sinnes the satisfaction the ransoming the intreating and the saluacion is attributed to other things Do yow not think that a most greuos sacrilege is committed whan his glorios titles be directly pluckt from him and his honor and glory taken away The which outrages so open and so plaine were neuer committed in any Idolatry off the heathē or off the Iewes And to perceiue better that which we doo say yow must vnderstand that euen as Iesus Christ is Gods best beloued nor that the same God loueth any other thing so moch as Christ his only begoten sonn yea I speake off him in that he is man nor no nother man off the world can be reconciled nor return in to Gods fauor but by Christ yea no maner thing whether it be prayer thankes geuing allmes or any other maner off work is acceptable or thankfull to God iff not by Christ nor we can not haue any maner off benifice perteining to saluacion but thorow Christ so on the contrary there can not be done a thing more hatefull more displeasing to god and that shuld be more abhominable to him than to doo against Christ and to robb his honor and glory And the more a thing is against Christ the more it displeaseth him for so moch as nothing pleaseth him but thorow christ And becaus there was neuer in the world any Idolatry the which so directly and so many waies did robb Christ as this masse we must conclude that no ydolatry although it were most grett was euer so abhominable before god as this Let vs take the ydolatries of the heathen it is clere that thei had not the knowlege of Christ and therfor could not robbe him in such sort as the masse doth in the which chefely it made expresse mencion of him in many places The Idolatries likewise of the Hebrewes thei haue not so expressely taken the honor from christ as the masse hath Let vs beginn with the Idolatry that thei did in the desert whan thei honored the calff it was in dede a heuy sinne not withstanding it was done by want of consideracion with an vprowr and rage of the peple And Aaron vnwillinglie and for feare agreid vnto them Exod. 20. as it is writton in exodus Nor that peple had not so moch know lede of Christ as we there was made no mencion of forgeuenes of sinnes of satisfacion of ransoming or of the things belonging to Christes office Nor Christ was not robbed of his honor so many wayes as in the masse he is And soo let vs goo thorowall the Idolatries of that peple as well of the tribe of Iuda as of the x. tribes The x. tribes did worship ij goldin calues made by king hieroboam th one was in Bethell 3. Reg. 12. and thother in Dann This was ydolatry for 〈◊〉 respectis First whan by gods commandement thei shuld haue worshipped in Hierusalem thei worshipped els where Than also becaus thei worshipped carued things that is to say the ij Imagis of caluis against gods expresse commandement in the lawe the which for biddeth that there shuld be made any Image carued or of ani other sort to worship it Thei did worship also the ymage of baal vnder king Achab as it is writton in the boke of the kings in Helias time the Prophet 3. Reg. 16.18 ād thei did sacrifice vnto it The tribe of Iuda and the tribe of beniamin thei also haue many times done ydolatry the which allthough that thei fawted more committing ydolatry than the x. tribes becaus thei had gretter knowlege of god being better instructed and taught in gods worship and in his lawe becaus thei had more plenty off Prophetes And also becaus with them was Gods doctrine more pure and lesse corrupted than among the 10. tribes neuertheles thei had not for all that so moch knowlege off God and off Christ as we nor thei did not so many wayes directly offend Christ as thes do in the masse as it appeareth plainely by all this whole discourse Seing it is thus than that God and Christ is more offended in the Masse than in all the other Idolatries that euer were in the world whether it be off the heathē or off the Hebrewes the conclusion foloweth that we desired to proue And for more clerenes or els euidēce off this our profe let vs gather to gether in a Somm all our talk made in this chapter An Epilog or short rehersal off the reason And let vs say that Idolatry or els fals worship in the which God and Christ be more and off moo sortis robbed off their honor and is among that peple that haue more knowlege off the same God and Christ than the other that Idolatry I say is greter sacrilege and abhominacion than all the other This sayng is so clere that none can reasonably denye it But the Masse is a fals worship and an ydolatry in the which Gods and Christes honor is more and affter moo sortes robbed than in my other and is among that peple that haue more knowlege of God and Christ than the rest for it is among the Christian peple therfor that is the gretest sacrilege and the most abhominacion that euer was in any maner off world That the masse is such a worship and such an Idolatry in the which Gods and Christes honor is more robbed than in any other that euer was we haue by our former talk plainely ynough proued it First that it is a fals worship we haue proued it becaus it is fownd owt by men and further becaus the ost and the cup be worshipped and that Gods honor and Christes is robbed many wayes we haue also proued First becaus he that sayth the masse doth vsurpe Christes office as wel becaus he offereth Christ him selff to God as the fauorers off the masse confesse and affirme the which thing that is to say to offer the same Christ belonged only to him who as the chefe priest hath offred him selff vnto God vp on the wood off the crosse Further also becaus that he that is to say the Masse sayer is made intreater betwene the peple and God the which thing is Christes office only Thirdly becaus it maketh the Masse to be a sacrifice for sinnes the which in like sort belongeth to Christ only as likewise we haue proued in the second chapter of this fourth part The fautors of the masse wold that the same shuld forgiue the sinnes of the liuing and the deade shuld satisfie for them and that it shuld saue men all the which things belong only to gods grace thorow Christ and be the proper offices of Christ and thei be not of any creature This masse robbeth from the crosse from the passion frō the blood from the death and from the beriall of Christ becaus that that which Christ did with thes things thei wold that the masse shuld doo it Surely