you grace to acknowledge and renoke your erroure al the true honourers of God whoe honoure hym in spirite and veritie do thynke that he wythdrewe hys grace frome you leauynge you in your owne handes whereby you incontinente to suche blindenes that you call trueth errour and errour trueth and reuoke with Peter that maÌ„full promise which you made to your maister sayinge that you were ready to suffer all kyndes of death for the truethes sake Would God you would wyth Peter lamente youre weakenes seke Christe agayne by repentaunce and not desperatlye hange youre selfe wyth Iudas so that youre bowels breake oute to the greate ignominie of all the children of youre whoreshe mother For the brute goeth that they haue made you a proselite .ix. tymes worsse then one of them And for that you ascribe the cause of your pardon to your submission whych you say was so precious in the sight of God that incontineÌ„t therupon he so sterred the kynges hyghnes heâ—t to pytye that he remitted the punishment of death wherunto you were iustly condemned no doubt you are far wyde For God accepteth none so rebelliouse submission wherin meÌ„ forsake hym to do the wyll of man or to auoyde the dispeasure of anye mortall man For he sayeth Feare not them that kyll the bodye and can not kil the soule but feare him that hath power to slea the body caste the soule into ternall tormentes And agayne he that denieth me before men I shall denye him before my father which is in heaueÌ„ That you haue denied hym shall appeare more playnely in the declaration of your articles That you were iustly condemned to dye is manifeste For you were condempned by a lawe But how iustly you submitted your selfe to auoide the daunger of condemnation I doubt not but euery man that hath any lyttle portion of the spirite of God doth casely perceyue by the worde afore goynge and shal more easily perceiue by that which shall folowe knoweynge for certentye that who so saueth thys mortall soule shall lose the eternall and immortall soule in the tyme Iohn .xiii. that shal be after the short tyme of this life ¶ Shaxton ¶ And to extend hys bountiful goodnes vpon me whych in dede hys grace hath done moste largelye ⧠Croweley ⧠Alas Shaxton who hathe bewytched the Thou didest once seme to be spirituall in so muche that men iudged that thou desiredesse to be dissolued and to be with Christ accountynge death for gaynes and yet content to lyue in the fleshe susteynynge therin allmaner paynes trauell and persecution for the poore flocke of Christe whyche is so besette wyth rauenouse woufes that were it not that our shepherde Christ defendeth vs no remedy we shoulde be all deuoured But nowe alas for the thou art become altogyther fleshlie accouÌ„ting it bountiful goodnes to be pardoned of this bodilye death which a fayethfull christian taketh for the ende of all dayngers of the troublesome sea of thys worlde and the gate whereby we enter into eternal life and endeles felicitie But the naturall man perceyueth not the thynges that i. Cor .ii. be of the spirite of God ¶ Shaxton ¶ Despise not a man that turneth him selfe Eclesi .viii. awaye from hys sinne neither caste hym in the teath wythal but remembre that we are all poysoned wyth corruption ⧠Crowley ⧠That we are al poysoned wyth corruption is well declared in you For so sone as God wythdrowe hys assistent grace frome you incontinent you were ouerthrowne declarynge youre selfe to be fleshe fraylenes Rom .vii. and a lumpe of synne For in the flesh dwelleth nought els but sinne You should therfore haue called to youre remembraunce the councell of our sauiour Christe to his dearly Mathe xxvâ— beloued Peter Iames and Iohn sayinge Watche and praye least ye enter into temptation For the spirite is ready and the fleshe is weake The wycked spirite our aduersarie i. Peter .v who goeth aboute lyke a rorynge Lyon sekynge whom he may deuoure is ready to tempte vs our fleshe destitute of the grace of God is weake and easie to be ouercome We muste watche therefore in the worde of God praying alwayes for the assisteÌ„t grace of God whereby we maye be able to putte that aduersarie to flyght We therfore knowynge our owne infirmitie wyll not caste you in the teeth nor despise him that turneth hym selfe awaye frome synne But we are perswaded that you haue turned your selfe to synne and not frome synne excepte it be frome that synne whyche Paule speaketh of to the Corhinthyans where he sayeth that Christe was made synne that is the onelye sacrifice for synne Frome thys synne you turne your selfe whych we greatly lament Exhorting you eueÌ„ in the name of our lord Iesus Christe to returne agayne from the synne you haue turned to and you shall be sure wee wyll not despise you nor caste you in the teeth wythall ¶ Shaxton to the kynges most excellent maiestye FOr asmuch as mooste dreade Souerayne Lorde miserably nowe in myne olde age â–ª eueÌ„ wythin this yere I haue fallen into the mooste detestable and moste abhominable heresie of them that be called Sacramentaries denying wretchedly the presence of Christes blessed bodye in the holy Sacrament of the aultar◠⧠Crowley ⧠I go not aboute to playe Momus part wyth you fyndyng fault wyth euery thing that you do or say Neyther as doctor Sâ—aÌ„dych dyd wyth dead Barnes to descante vpoÌ„ your wordes wringing wresting them for my purpose but myne intent is onely to declare vnto you in you to all other that shall chaunce to reade these my writynges your errours allowynge and confyrminge all trueth that I shal finde in your submission In that you saye therefore that wythin thys yere you haue moste miserablye fallen into the moste detestable abhominable heresie of them that are called SacrameÌ„taries I saye vnto you that you haue sayed verye well in that you saye of them that are called Sacramentaries For thoughe they be called so yet are they not so in deede For I am sure you meane of them that denye the traunsubstantiation of the sacrameÌ„tal bread and wyne Whiche men are neither worthy the name of Sacramentaries nor yet heretykes For they neyther deny the SacrameÌ„t nor holde any singuler opinion contrary to the catholyke fayeth of Christe excepte you wyll saye that the opinion of the greateste numbre is that catholike fayth which thing Idare saie you wyll not nor can not affirme vnlesse ye be paste all shame for we se besydes the testimonyes of the scriptures that the greater numbre are so vncoÌ„stant in their beliefe that they wyll beleue euery flyinge tale that is named to be theyr forefathers beliefe Yea the great numbre of them that accomple them selues learned and take vpon theim the gouernaunce and leadynge of other wyll chaunge theyr beliefe .iiii. tymes euery yere if they may espie any profit haugynge theron Besydes thys experience our Sauioure Christe teacheth playnely that in
But if you wyll hearken to hym in all hys assertions he wyll teache you that in euerie naturall bodie must nedes be a fourme quantie and qualitie to represeÌ„t it to oure eyes And that we must deserne and knowe the bodies one from an other by theyr quantities qualities fourme that they be of But I doubt not you wyl forsake Aristotle in thys point wherefore I shall desyre you to forsake hym in the other also I woulde wyshe you either to be an whole diuine other eis to giue ouer diuitie for all togyther and become a mere Philosopher For al mouÌ„grels are abhominable before God I could spend much time wyth you in thys matter but that I thynke it tyme loste to braule any longer with your beastiye reason But briefelye I shall conclude admonishynge the fayethfull reader to marke well the sure foundation of youre Article to be set vpon Aristotles grounde and yet contrarye to hys mynde And wyth howe small circumspection you wryt when you saye that the whole Christ is conteyned vnder eyther of boeth the kindes when you name nought els there but bodye bloude As though whole Christe were nought els Shaxton The eyght Article IT is no derogation to the vertue of the masse thoughe the prieste receyue the sacramente alone and none other receyue it wyth hym Crowley In dede it is no derogation to the vertue of the masse that the prieste onely receyueth the Sacramente Yea it is the onely vpholdinge strenghthynge defence of the masse when the prieste eateth and drinketh vp all hymselfe For if he shoulde distribute it to anye other and make theim partakers wyth hym it shoulde not then be a masse whyche name cometh from the market of Rome but a communion And if you wyll saye as I suppose your meanynge is in thys Article that it is no derogation to the vertue of the communion of the bodye bloud of Christ that the prieste receyueth it alone then must I nedes saye that it is so greate derogation to the vertue thereof that it is therby declared to be no communioÌ„ at al. For the whole strength and vertue therof is to signifie vnto vs the death of Christe our deliueraunce by the same and the wonderfull knittynge togyther of all the receyuers therof into one bodye by the faith in Christ the head of the same body And this vertue hath it not wheÌ„ it is receiued of the priest onely neyther can it haue For the distributinge of it amonge manye and the commune receyuynge of it are the thynges wherâ—n is declared vnto the receiuers that the body and bloud of Christ were not the priece of one mans sinnes onelye but of manye euen as manye as should certaynlye put theyr truste in hym and that the same bâ—leuers are thorow beliefe in hym become membres of one bodye euen as the breade whereof they be parteners is but one loffe or piese of bread made of manye grains of corne The receyuyng of the priest therefore is asmuch derogation to the coÌ„munion as the vse of one coÌ„trary can be to an other Neyther can blacke distayne whyte more then the masse distayneth the communion For to make that thynge priuate whiche of it owne nature is commune is to take the same thing cleane away and to putte the contrarye in hys place Shaxton The .ix. Article THe masse vsed in this reame of EnglaÌ„d is agreable to the institution of Christe And we haue in this church of Englande the very true sacrament whych is the verye true Sacramente whyche is the very true sacrament whych is the very body and bloude of oure Samoure Christe vnder the fourme of bread and wyne Crowley ¶ Who so compareth the wordes of the scriptures concernynge the moste sacret coÌ„â—â—â—ion instituted by Christe the nyght before he suffered wyth the bechynges dowkyngs crowchynges knelynges tossinges crossynges wynkynges starynges whisperynges galpyngs turnes and halfe turnes that are prescribed in the cannon of poure masse maye ealylye perceyue howe they agre Let vs therfore brieflye compare them that the trueth of your article maye appeare as it is Fyrst the Gospel sayeth that Christ toke breade not prepared for that purpose but of the same breade that they had de eaten wyth the pascall Lambe but youre cannon sayeth you muste haue wafers or els you can make no God Christe blessed after the maner of the fathers geuynges thankes to hys father for the preseruation of those lyttleons whom he had receyued but your caÌ„non sayeth here make one crosse and here an other here three crosses and here other three one wyth your thombe in your forheade an other vpon your crowne wyth the patell of the chalice wyth I wot not how many mo Christ distributed the bread to hys disciples whoe were then presente but youre cannon sayeth ye muste hoyce it ouer youre heade that the people maye honour it as God And when you haue played with it a while your cannot sayeth you muste eate all your selfe Christe toke the same cup and the same drincke that was communely vsed amonge the people of the countrye but your cannon sayth no remedy you must haue a cup made after the prescripte fasbion whyche muste nedes be hatlowed by the byshop And for the drynke you muste nedes haue wyne in a bottell whyche muste be red wyne if ther be any to be gotten that is not sower I thynke bycause that wyne loketh mostlyke bloude Christe coÌ„maunded all hys fayethful dearlynges whych were there presente to drinke of that coppe but your cannon byddeth the prieste drinke all hym selfe and to lycke the chalyce when he hathe done bycause there shoulde nothynge escape hys syppes Christ byddeth hys fayethful do that whyche they sawe hym do in a remeÌ„braunce of hys death but your cannon byddeth you say thus To the holye father we offer thys lyuely sacrifice for the redemption of the soules of thy churche Here maye you se christian readers how thys masse vsed in thys realme of England greeth with the institutioÌ„ of Christ Now let vs se whether in this church of EnglaÌ„de we haue the very true sacrameÌ„t or not I doubte not but we haue it But that it is the same which ye cal the bodie bloude of Christ I can not be perswaded bicause the body and bloude of Christe can be no Sacramente For as S. Augustine defineth a sacrameÌ„te â—d Marcelli â—um .ii. is a sygne referred to an holye thing If this therfore wherof you speake be the bodye of Christe as you saye it is then can it not be a sacramente that is the sygne of an holye thynge for it is the holye thynge it selfe So that you muste eyther denye it to be the bodye and bloude of Christe eyther els the sacrameÌ„t therof For onethyng can not be both sygne thynge signified bicause they be in that respect most coÌ„trary the one to the other But I knowe your holde in this matter You say not that the substaunce of the bread and
these our dayes the later daies of the world should arise false prophetes and false anointed Mat .xxiiii. whyche shoulde shewe suche wonders that they shoulde seduce if it were possible euen the very electe He witnesseth also that Math .xxii. there be manie called but fewe elected So that if you wyll accompte anye for Sacramentaries and theyr opinion hereticall it muste needes be the greater multitude and theyr opinioÌ„ For the lytle floke is Christes who shall at hys commynge fynde scarsely anye fayeth at all in thys world And wher you saye that you haue moste wretchedly denied the preseÌ„ce of the blessed bodye of Christe in the holy Sacrament of the aultare I saye vnto you that if you take thys Sacrament for that memory of Christes death the onely satisfaction for our sinnes whych Christe hym selfe instituted and ordeyned to be frequented and vsed amonge hys fayethfull adherentes and folowers that then you haue in deniynge of the presence of Christes blessed bodye in the sacramente done more then euer dyd anye of theÌ„ whome you call Sacramentaries and heritikes For we deny not yea we proteste defend that in the Lordes supper is presentelye distributed the bodye and bloude of Christe And that euery faiethful membre of Christ that cometh therunto wyth vnfayned fayth in the promises of Christe is ther made partaker of the verye bodye bloude of Christ eueÌ„ theÌ„ same body that the Iewes did moste cruelly tormente hangynge it vpon a crosse and the same bloude that they shede But yet wee saye not as I am sure you meane that the breade is turned into hys fleshe and the wyne into hys bloude nother that the fleshe and bloude of Christe entreth into our bodyes as the breade doeth for that were contrary to the fyrste institution therof but that spirituallye by fayth we are partakers of boeth as I shall more plainly declare in your articles Shaxton And forasmuche also as it hathe pleased youre maiestye of youre greate charitie and moste Godlie care ye had de for my soule to sende to me the ryghte honourable Bishops of London worcester togyther wyth your graces worshyful chaplaies Doctour Robinson and Doctor Redman to confer with me enfourme me and enstruct me to the entent that finally Goddes grace workynge boeth in them and me I myght be broughte from my sayed erroure and heresie vnto the true cathoâ—yke fayeth ⧠Crowley ⧠No doubt it was a tokeÌ„ of a great and charitable care of a prince tawarde his subiecte to send not onely .ii. of hys worshipful prelates but also lyke manye of hys chaplaynes to confer wyth enfourme enstruct you as he thought for your soule health Wherefore of dutye you can do no lesse but render vnto hys hyghnes mooste humble hertye thankes But in that you were so sone ouerthrowen it was a token that either you were a verye weake souldiour or els but sleÌ„derly armed For I doubt not but if you had bene a stout Christofer armed wyth the armoure of lyghte holdeynge in your hande the swerde of the spirite you woulde haue sayed wyth Paule who shall seperate vs from the loue of God Shal trouble or anguishe persecution hunger nakednes peryll or the swerd Yea you woulde haue sayed that neythere death neyther lyfe Angel rule power thinges presente thynges to come hygh lowth or any other creature shal be able to seperate vs froÌ„ the loue of God whiche is in Christ Iesus TheÌ„ would you haue answered those messengers wyth the worddes of the Prophete Wo be vnto you that call lyght darknes and darkenes lyghte ¶ Shaxton ¶ Whych thynge accordinge to your graces expectation hathe taken good successe in me thankes be to almightye God ⧠Crowley ⧠The theues robbers and murtherers The pillers the pollers and vsurers The beastelye fornicatours and adulterers The ourtagiouse disers and hasarders do when they speede of theyr purpose saye that they haue had good successe in theyr affayres So do the whores and bandes saye that theyr chaunce is good wheÌ„ manie beastly whoremoÌ„gers haue wasted theyr money vpon theÌ„ And in all thys they saye that God loueth them that they are muche bounde to thaÌ„ke God for it do in very dede thanke hym in theyr wordes The cause of al thys is none other but that they be altogyther fleshe and thynke the satisfiynge of the fleshly despres to be the gyftes of God bycause they are perswaded that god is the geuer of all good thynges and theyr fleshelye blyndenes perswadeth them that the aboundaunce of all that the flesh desiereth is the onely goodnes that can be had in thys worlde Thys caused the baude of Bristowe as I learned by the reporte of an honest man to saye the worlde was noughte when hyr women hadde gayned hyr but .viii. pence in the weke In lyke maner you Maister Shaxton when the fleshe had so preuailed in you that it hadde compelled you to forsake the chaste matrimonie of Christe and to embrace that Idolatrouse whoredome of youre abhominable mother the greate whore of Rome then you saie these vayne thynges haue had prosperouse successe in you So that it maye ryght well be sayed vnto you that is spokeÌ„ by the prophete Esaie Wo be to you that Esai .v. call the thinge that is good badde and that is badde good settynge lyght for darcknes and darkenes for lyght Shaxton For by such learning as they haue shewed me and especially by the vnifourme consente of the whole catholyke churthe in that article euen from the Apostles tyme to this oure age fewe excepted who haue bene taken and iustlye reputed for heritykes I am fully perswaded perfectlye beleue vnfaynedly coÌ„fesse that after the coÌ„secration rightly done by the priest ther remaineth none othere substaunce but onely the substaunce of the blessed bodye of our sauiour Christ god and maÌ„ like as before I haue subscribed vnto a â—yll hereunto annexed Crowley Here you declare youre selfe eyther to haue learned some deuylleyshe doctrine of these foure messengers other els that before you were enstructed by theÌ„ you had no learninge at al. For if you had any learnyng before I am sure it was the learnynge of the gospell for therin had bene al your exercise euen from your youth And thorowe it you were called to be shepherd ouer a great floke And as it semed for the loue you hadde therunto you surreÌ„dred into the kinges handes again the dignite of that ministratioÌ„ WherupoÌ„ I coÌ„clude that if you had any learning it was the learninge of the gospel If this be true then is the doctrine that these men haue shewed you a deuilishe doctrine But thys thynge maketh me to wonder not a little that you whoe haue heretofore bene most earnest againste the confirmation of necessarye Articles by vnwrytten verities wyll in thys poyute graunte that you are perswaded by nothynge so muche as by the vnifourme consente of the whole Romeishe churche whyche you call the catholyke churche in that
article sayinge that from the Apostles tyme hytherto all a few heritikes excepted haue truly iustlye hosden thys opinion In thys place I wyll not greatelye contende wyth you for the tyme sens the Apostles although I mought haue inoughe in the aunciente doctours to proue the cōtrary or els to declare ▪ S. Augustine Ambros Chrisostome and suche other to be those heritykes whome you exempte out of the vnifourme cōsēt of the catholike church But in the Apostles time I dare be bolde to affirme and am able to proue by the scriptures that there remayned in the sacrament of the body bloude of Christe boeth bread and wyne Howe you haue iudgled thē out sēce I cā not tel And by the helpe of God I wyll in the declaration of your fyrste article proue boeth by the scriptures and doctours that ther was then and is nowe in the Sacramente boeth breade and wyne ¶ Shaxton ¶ And finally forasmuche as the sayed honourable bishops worshypfull doctours haue had further cōference with me not onely in the rest of the six articles but also in all other matters of cōtrouersie that other they or I coulde cal to remembraunce and are agreed fullye in the same So that nowe I am fullye perswaded and resolued in all matters of any wayght or importaunce wherin I was before either ambiguouse or in doubt or els of a contrarie iudgement vnto thē and do now esteme and iudge euē as they do in al thesethyngs ⧠Crowley I can gather none other by youre wordes but that if the fyre were set on the other syde of you it shoulde not be harde to perswad you to the cōtrari of your former wordes But I would not wyshe that you or any other should be cōpelled by fyre fagots or swerde to speake or wryte any thyng cōtrarye to the conscience For if Christe had wylled his Gospel to be auaunced defended after any such sorte he woulde not haue committed it to poore fisher men but rather vnto kinges and emperours I would wish therefore that you and all the harde herted woulde frelye wythoute compultion open theyr hertes receiue the grace fre mercy offered vnto them in the Gospell nothynge regardynge lyfe nor deathe rychesse nor pouerty quiernes nor persecution marying them selues to no opiniō that is not grounded on the scripture Shaxton Therefore I moste humblye euen frome the bottome of myne herte thanke your excellent maiestie that you haue had this godly care for my soul health and that by your moste graciouse meanes I am brought and reduced from that damnable erroure that I was in Crowley Greater thankes could you not haue geuen to your prince for the greate care that he had for your soule healthe then if you hadde stande manfullye to the trueth of the scriptures taking paciêtly the death that should haue bene layed on you that youre Prince myght thorow your constancye haue bene moued to serch the scriptures for the trueth of your opinions Shāxton And surely had not thys your pitie and compassion bene woulde obstinatlye haue dyed in the same and so from the temporall fyre shoulde haue gone to the euerlastynge fyre of hell Crowley A sharpe iudgemente Then is there no remedye for them that dyed in the opinion that you speake of For you haue all readye condemned them to the pytte of hell But I pray you who made you iudg of the soule I thynke your four schole maisters haue no scripture to beare you in thys And thoughe you saye that you dissent not from them in anye wayghtye matter yet I dare saye for them the mē thynke not as you saye in thys matter For if they woulde make the worste of it they can not make it a damnable sinne to saye that ther remaineth bread and wine in the Sacramente for as muche as it is no article of our fayeth to beleue the contrarye Shaxton And nowe with all reuerence and humilitie I submit my selfe vnto your graces clemeucie readye wyth al pacience if it be so sene to your hyghnes to suffer euen the very death as I haue instly deserued or els to do any other thynge that your maiestie shal thynke good or expediente for the reducyng of youre graces subiectes frome the erroine that they he wrapped in vnto the true catho lyke faieth and the ordre taken in this your moste christen realme Not only in thys one article but also in all othere wherein I my selfe am now thankes be to God and your hyghnes fully resolued and thorowly perswaded thus to continue to the ende of my lyfe by the grate goodnes of God Who euer preserue youre maiestie to hys glorye and the profit of thys your realme Crowley Oh what a pleasure had it bene to oure prince to haue sene you submitte youre selfe vnto hym to be at hys pleasure concerninge your cometh thorow hearinge and hearinge thothorowe the worde of God set forthe to vs in holye scripture And bicause some manne would saye peraduenture that I conster the scripture after myne owne imagination and fantasye of myne owne brayne Naye I do not nor I wyll not so do God forbydde I shoulde For that were euen to steale Gods worde lyke as theues steale other mennes goodes and apply them to theyr own vses So is that a stealynge of Gods word and appliyng of it to our own vses that is to the defence of our own euil opinions Agaynste whom that so do speaketh Esai the prophet Nunquid non verba mea sunt quasi ignis dicit dominus et quasi malleus cōterens petram Propterea ecce ego ad prophetas dicit dominus qui furantur verba mea vnusquisque a proximo c. Are not my wordes euen as fyre sayeth the Lorde and as an hammer that breaketh the stone Therefore beholde I wyll vpon the Prophetes sayeth the Lorde that steale my wordes euery man from hys neighbour .c I would not do so therfore but I beleue the worde of God in al the holye scripture and in euerye part therof in that sence and meanynge that the holye Goste ment and meaneth therein and none otherwyse Thys is my faith that I haue hytherto folowed and wherein I entēd by Gods grace to persiste to the end of my lyfe And al my words sermons and writinges haue I allwayes framed according to this my fayth so nygh as my wit wold serue me so wil do by Goddes grace vnto the ende of my lyfe Nowe maye euerye man perceyue that with thys fayeth can stande no damnable errours nor heresie Wherefore thankes be to God I teken my selfe as far from anye perile of errour or heresie as he that is farthiest Towchynge myne opions trueth it is that I dissente in opinions from diuers good Godly and excellentlye learned men Yea frome myne owne selfe also and that wythin the space of small tyme. For what so euer I espye by the scriptures that I am in wronge opinion I wyll surely chaunge it and amēd it
do not our maisters of Oxford and Cambrige affirme that al students that entend to haue iudgement in scripture must fyrste read Aristotles worckes Haue they not in these vniuersities .vii. yeares at the leaste wherein theyr chiefe studye muste be in Aristotle before they can be admitted to the most sacreâ—e studye of Gods holye worde I praye you therfore disdayne not your olde maister Aristotle but heare what he sayeth of putrifaction Putrifaction sayth he is the corruption of the naturall heate in a moyste bodye whyche corruption chaungeth by an externe heate If putrification therfore be in a moist bodye I praye you tell me what moiste bodye it is in the sacramente that receyueth the putrificatioÌ„ As for the qualities whych you saye do corrupt are no bodyes neither haue they anye substaunce but are mere accidentes thynges that do chaunce to be in bodies that they maye be both sensible For neyther the bodyes wythout theÌ„ nor they wythoute the bodyes can be sensible Seynge therefore that the putrification muste nedes be in a bodye and that the qualities be no bodyes I pray you let vs know what bodye receyueth thys putrification in the Sacrament I am sure you wyl not say that the bodye and bloude of Christe doeth putrifie then muste you nedes graunte that eyther there remayneth the substaunce of breade and wine in the sacrament whych receyueth thys putrification or that the Sacramente beynge so reserued returneth to the nature of breade and wyne agayne and so receiueth putrifaction as bread and wine Whyche thinge graunted one of your two Articles must nedes be hereticall chuse you whether Yet do I coniect an other of your answeres You wyl say perchaunce so long as the sacramente is swete and tollerable to be receyued into the stomake it is remayneth styll the bodye and bloude of Christe but as sone as it beginneth to putrifie it ceaseth to be anye longer Christes bodye and bloude to the greate peryll of them that so kepe it If you say that I do but dreame this answere of myne owne heade I wyll aske you who made you so bold to burne it whê it doeth stynke if it do not then cease to be the bodye of Christ Wyl you burne Christ as an herityke wyll you be more cruell to hym then you were to pore Tracie whose bodye you burned after hys death onelye burn pâ—ge hys bodye after hys resurrectioÌ„ Yea if your Articles be true you burne hys Godhed also I thynke therfore you coulde not shape a better answere for youre selfe then to say that Christe boeth God and maÌ„ hath made hym selfe bread and wine again bicause he coulde not otherwyse escape burnynge For your holie father hath alreadye geuê the sentence in hys holye bible of Decrees that if it fortune this substanÌ„ce which you cal god maÌ„ to stinke that theÌ„ it muste be burned without merci Wherefore if you grauÌ„t that it remaineth stil the body bloud of Christe notwithstaÌ„dinge the putrifactioÌ„ you must nedes grauÌ„te also that you burne the bodie bloud Christ But if you say it ceaseth to be the body blud of Christ wheÌ„ it beginneth to putrifie then doeth it not remaine the body of Christ wheÌ„ it is reserued For if it remayne the bodye and bloud of Christ whyle it is swet then doth it remaine in the same estate for euer Yea if it be once chaunged from the nature of breade wine and become the incorruptible bodie bloud of Christ it can neuer be corruptible agayne but shall styll remayne incorruptible But experience teacheth vs that it remayneth not styll incorruptible Ergo the substaunce is not alltered at all And herupon I conclude that it can not remaine the naturall bodye and bloude of Christe bycause it neuer was the same Shaxton ¶ The thyrd Article THe same blessed Sacrament beinge consecrated is oughte to be worshypped and adoured wyth Godly honour wher so euer it is for as muche as it is the bodye of Christe inseperably vnited to the deitie Crowley In the ende of thys article you poynt as it were wyth your finger wher you would haue hym to take holde by the other that went before saying For asmuche as it is the bodye of Christe inseparablye vnited to the deitie But I thynke it beste for you to seke oute some corner to hange hym in for here you can haue no sure handfaste For if you be remembred I haue cutte of the knagges that you poynted vpoÌ„ I wyll not deny yea I wyll proteste and defende that the Sacramentes of the body and bloude of Christ be reuerente thynges and that they onghte to be reuerently vsed amonge the fayethfull membres of Christe but to honoure and adoure theym wyth diuine honoure I saye is no lesse then detestable Idolatrye For as onely God is diuine so must diuine honoure be geueu vnto hym onelye If these Sacramentes therefore be not God What can it be lesse then Idolatrye to honour theÌ„ wyth diuine honoure That they be not Gods is sufficieÌ„tly proued in your other articles yet shal be more playnlye proued here Fyrste if they were God then were that nowe breade and wine the worke of mans hande that shall to morowe be God the creatoure and maker of all mankynde So that I shall thys day be able to make the thynge that to morowe shall be able to make me yea and that in deede made me at the fyrste I shall grind wheate presse grapes with the one parte therof shall I fyll my stomake and be drunke and wyth the other I shall make me a God and an almyghtye creator and maker What is thys better then to cut downe a tre and to warme me at the fyre of the one parte therof and to make me a God of the other But I thynke verye shame wil coÌ„pel you to recant certaine of youre former words to say that you meane not that the substanÌ„ce of the bread is turned into the substaunce of god but that it is thorowe the almighty word of god spokeÌ„ by the priest turned into the substauÌ„ce of the body of Christ And that you infer thereupon the essentiall preseÌ„ce of the deitie for that they be inseperably vnited togyther A fyr if you wyl grauÌ„t me thys I se well you wyll not stande to your fyrste Article wherin you affirme that after the wordes of consecration ther remaineth no substaunce of breade and wyne but the onely and verye substaunce of Christe God and man For if you saie that the substaunce of the breade is not turned into the substaunce of the godhead theÌ„ is he none otherwyse in the bread after the consecration then he was before Before the consecration the breade was not to be honoured with diuiue honour therfore it is not to be honored with diuine honour at all But here you wyl saie that although the substauÌ„ce of the bread be not turned into the substaunce of the godhead yet is God otherwise preseÌ„t in the
SacrameÌ„te after the coÌ„secration then it was before For the second person in trinitie beinge incarnate and remaynynge inseparablye vnitted to the father and to the holye Goste it muste neades be that the manheade of the same persoÌ„ beynge risen agayne from death is inseperablye vnited to the Godheade so that the Godheade is alwayes essentiallye presente wyth the bodye All thys is true but it foloweth not of thys that the Godheade is otherwyse presente in the bread after your consecration as you cal it then it was before bicause the bodye wherein Christe is incarnate is not nor can not be substanciallye presente there For that were as much to saye as that the body wherin Christ is incarnate is so mixed with the deite that it is in al places at once as the deitie is Whyche sayinge is agaynste the doctrine of Athanatius in the Creede that you synge and reade daylye in your prime Wherin he sayeth Deus et homo vnus est Christus non confusione substantie sed vnitate persone That is Christe beinge but one is boeth God and manne Not by the mixture of the substaunce but by the vnitie of the person If the substaunce therfore of God and man be not myxed togyther then is not the manheade so large to be in all places as the deitie is For of it owne nature it can be but in one place at once And thys is it that S. Austine speaketh â—d Dardaâ—ine of in thys wyse We muste beware that we do not so set vp the diuinitie of the maÌ„head that we take awaye the veritie of the bodye For it is not consequent that the thyng that is in God should be so in all places as God is For the scripture doeth moste truelye recorde of vs that welyue moue be in hym and yet be we not in all places as he is But man is in God after one sort and God is in man after an other sorte After a certain peculier sorte For one person is boeth God and man and boeth are one Christe Iesus In all places in that he is God but in that he is man in heauen If thys be not sufficiente heare yet more of the same Augustine As concernynge hys manhode he was in earth and not in heauen where he is nowe when he sayd No man ascendeth into heaueÌ„ sauynge onelye the sonne of man whyche is in heauen who dyd also descende from heauen I passe ouer here manye testimonies of the auntiente doctours wherby is manifestlye declared the locall nature of the body of Christ and that it is nore can no more be in all places at once now then it myght when he yet liuinge vpon the earth But perchaunce you wyl not be ashamed to saye that it myght euen then be in all places at oâ—ce For in verye dede your Articles declare no lesse but that you thynke it to haue bene in .xiii. places at once the nyghte before he suffered Whych thyng graunted it must nedes foâ—owe that it beynge a mortall bodye myghte be and was in manye places at once But to satisfye you in this matter I would you should thorowlie scanne the wordes of Christe to his Apostles when he told them that Lazarus was deade For youre sakes sayeth he I am glade that I was not there Now thinke you by these wordes dyd christ ieste wyth hys disciples or dyd he speake in earneste If he meaned good fayth by them as I suppose you wyll saye that he dyd howe can you denye but that his body was then locall and coulde not be in all places at once For if he dyd not ieste wyth hys disciples in these wordes he meante none other thinge by theÌ„ but that hys disciples shoulde beleue him to be God for that aboue the nature of man he beynge absente knew without any mannes relation that Lazarus was deade And so the verye wordes do sounde For he addeth That you maye beleue As he shoulde haue sayed and as the texte lyeth in dede I reioyse for your sakes that youre fayeth maie be confyrmed in the opinion of my diuinitie knowynge that I was not ther presente in body and canne tel you of the death of Lazarus wythout relation of anye that was ther. Now tel me if Christ might haue bene in many places at once in his maÌ„head what should it haue holpeÌ„ the fayth of the Apostles to saye that he was not there This matter is to manifeste Wherefore I thyuke it but waste laboure to go aboute to make the daye brighter For thed aye birdes can holde theym selues contente wyth thys lyght As for the lurkinge night byrds that fle the lyghte the encrease of lyghte shoulde but driue them into darcker corners Wherefore I shall desyre the Lorde of hys infinite mercye to open theyr eyes and to take the vaile from theyr hertes that they maye be able to abyde the lyghte and to receyue into their hertes the trueth of Goddes worde confessynge wyth the fayethfull meÌ„bres of Christe that the sonne of God the seconde person in trinitie is and euer hathe bene God equale with the father and the holy Gost And that although as he is God he can not be conteyned in anye place but is immense increat almighty and euerlasting Yet as he is man he is and muste neades be in one oâ—ely place at once and beinge ascended into heauen is locally ther and not here as he was locallye here and not there before hys ascention Thys is oure fayeth in Christ Iesus the onelye sonne of God whome we honoure and beleue to be honoured neythere in the mounte of Samaria neyther in Hierusalem but in spirite and veritie Wherefore when you saye come oâ—te into the deserte for loe there Christe worketh miracles in our blessed Ladyes chapel And when you saye knele downe before the pyxe for lo ther is Christe reallie presente we say vnto you that our shepeherde Christ hath geuen vs warnynge to be ware of you wherefore we wyll not beleue you But we beleue confesse that he sytteth on the right hande of God the father wher he muste be honoured in spirite tyll he come to iudge the quicke and the dead and that no diuine honoure oughte to be geuen to any creature in heauen earth or in hell Shaxton The fourth Article THe churche by the ministration of the prieste offereth daylye at the masse for a sacrifice to almyghtye God the selfe same bodye bloud of our sauiour Christe vnder the fourme of breade and wyne in the remembraunce and representation of Christes death passion Crowley Before I canne saye anye thynge in thys matter I muste knowe what churche it is that doeth as you saye offer vp thys sacrifice by the ministration of the prieste Is it the same churche that offered vp Christe on the crosse or is it the churche that was redemed by that sacrifice If it be the same churh that offered vp Christe on the crosse then it is the congregation of the wycked For so sayeth