A sermon of the sacrameÌ„t of the aulter made by a famouse doctoure called Fryderyke Nausea in Almayne and lately out of latyn translate into englysh by IohnÌ„ More IohnÌ„ More to the chrysten reader IT happened me but late good chrysten reader to receyue and reade in a booke of a vertuouse connynge man called Fryderyk Nausea a booke of sermones surely meruelouse mete for the season For as lenton is a tyme wherof our sauyour Chryste hym selfe sheweth vs then sample that ought esspecyally to be spent in fastynge dyuyne seruyce and sermones so shall not I thynke a man lyghtly fynde many sermons made of late more frutefull and godly thaÌ„ I fynde many of hys in that one booke Dyuers wherof after I had onys perused redde and that they so specyally well lyked me that I determyned vtterly wyth my selfe to translate into oure tongue some one for mo the shortnesse of tyme wolde not suffer before thys instaÌ„t feast of Easter so nere commynge vppon before the booke came to my hand but when I had so determyned then fared I wyth all those as doth some yonge lewde scatterloue that went a woynge whyche hauynge the choyse of dyuerse so indifferently and therwith so well lyked theÌ„ euerychone that wottynge not whyche to chose fayn wold wedde them all and is sory that he maye wedde but one So I though bothe I lyked the tother no lesse then thys and as fayne wolde haue translated them all as thys one yet syns I coulde not do any mo in the tyme vppon consyderacyon that thys sermon most agreed wyth thys blessed feast of Easter at hande as beynge grounded vppon these wordes Hoc facite in mei commemorationem I left the rest and choyse me thys to â—orne â–ª whyche yet surely I wolde myche rather haue wysshed to haue be traÌ„slaâ—ed by some other that better coulde haue handeled it For who had ben able as wel to haue sette it forth in oure toÌ„gue as lyuely as Nausea hath done it in y e laten sholde haue done a thyng very worthy prayse But for as myche as that perfeccyoÌ„ in lernynge and eloquence neyther is in me no skant can in so yonge a man be lokyd for I muste huÌ„bly requyre you all good chrysten readers to accepte my good wyll and take thys worke in good worth Hoc facite in mei commemorationem Do ye this in the remembraunce of me AS ofte as I speke vnto you of the worde of god my well beloued bretherne in the meane whyle coÌ„syder the state of our tyme and condycyon of men so often I sorowefully sygh am sycke bycause I perceyue which I am ryght sory to se that these wordes of saynte Paule no lesse trewly then sorowfully may be veryfyed in vs we be they whome thendes of the worlde is come to In whose miserable tyme all those thynges now happe hepyd on in a nothers necke whyche our lorde Iesu Cryst the very trewth both ernestly and truely shewed shold come in thende of the world For as to leue spekyng at this tyme of the horryble warres batayls that be at these dayes thorough out chrystendome ye and amonges them to whiche as beyng oure chyefe heddes and rulers vnder Cryste here on erth oughte to lyue moste in reste and peace and also of the innumerable coÌ„tagyons and dedely dyseases that reygne and specyally of the great pestilence in Germany besydes the sharpe and cruell famine with such other lyke myschyefes who seeth not euydently vnderstaÌ„des not that this is euyn the last ende of the worlde in whych as criste hym selfe prophecyed Iniquyte hath begonne to habound and many mennes charyte waxe colde so that were yt not for y e electes there shold be no fleshe safe for as myche as yf yt were possyble the chosen people selfe y â— lyue now at this daye myght seme to be seduced from the trewe catholyque fayth of Chryste syns now I say I se not allonely nacyon agaynst nacyon realme agaynste realme or house agaynste house but rue the fathers agaynst theyr chylderne the chylderne agaynste theyre fathers a one brother wyth great cruelty to arise agaynst the other which thynge surely ye were yt but for this cause greueth me very myche for that I perceyue those clene departed from charyte stryuynge wythin theym selfes persecutynge one a nother as mortall enymyes shamefully ragynge eche agaynst other euen as agaynst theyr vttermost dedely aduer saryes whyche be not onely bretherne as beynge created of on eternall father but also brethern thorough grace and fayth and named the children of god whome as saynte Paule sayth syns they be of one housholde fayth oughte specially to be freÌ„des and one of them gladde to do for a nother who me I say Criste our lorde gentyll redemer in so farforth hath exhorted vnto a mutuall charyte shewing it as a thynge so necessary that wythout that they can not be knowen for his dyscyples or by any other meanes then by that mutual charite decerned from infydeles that he sayth amongest other thynges I geue you a newe commauÌ„dement that you loue on a nother as I haue loued you so loue you betwen your selfs By this shall all men knowe you be my dyscyples yf you haue loue amongest you This is my precepte to loue eche other as I haue loued you And agayn This I coÌ„maunde you to loue to gether as my father hath loued me so haue I loued you Abyde you in my loue But howe loued Chryst vs Surely so as hym selfe sayth that he loste hys lyfe for oure sake then whyche kynde of loue no man can haue a greater whyche also thapostles recyteth almoste in euery place Of whyche trewly ineffable loue towarde vs his owne he hath left behynde hym an inspekable token testymonyall and perpetual memoryal in that he gaue him selfe to be eaten of vs made therby both the feaste and the geste bothe twayne As the prophete Dauid sayde Our most mercyfull pytyful lord hath made a remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of his meruayles and hath geuen meate to theym that dreded hym For why our lord Iesu Cryst instytutyng this hygh excellent wonderfull holy sacrament gaue fode to those that dreded hym and for pytye he had on vs lefte that sacrament vnto vs as a memoryall remembrauÌ„ce not onely of y e offering of hym self for our sake vpon the crosse also gaue him self as meate to all suche as worsshyppe hym drede hym loue him honoured him as saint Paule sayth Do you this as ofte as you drynke yt in the remembraunce of me for as oft as you shall eate thys brede and drynke of thys cuppe you shall shewe the dethe of our lorde tyll he come but also left this blessed sacrament vnto vs for a memoryall and remembrauÌ„ce of his inspekable loue toward vs by which loue he was broughte for our sakes to the most bitter crosse shamfull deth in whych he myght be wyth vs
as he was before in y â— sacrament accordyng to his own ê“mise where he sayth And lo I am wyth you for euer euen to the worldes ende whyche all though yt may be vnderstanden of y e maner of presence by whyche he is euer present wyth vs by his powre grace and dyuyne maiesty yet semeth it more lykely he ment of the sacrameÌ„tall presence syns hys dyscyples knewe well inough he sholde neuer be from them as concernynge the former presence but they were not iÌ„lyke wyse sure of hys presence in that sacrament whyche in so farforth was harde to be byleued and perceyued y e many of hys dyscyples went backe and went no more wyth hym And therfore oure sauyour Cryste fyrst to fulfyll the fygure of scrypture gaue hym selfe mete to vs. Surely that fygure was manna gyuen from heuyn to the chylderne of Israell wyth whyche they were fedde .xl. yere in deserte Cryste the interpretour who sayth Truely truely I tell you it was not that Moyses gaue you the brede out of heuyn but my father gyueth you the trew brede out of heuyn I am the brede of lyfe your forefathers hath eatyn maÌ„na in deserte and be dede This is brede descendynge froÌ„ heuyn so that who eateth hereof shall not dye whereby it well appereth that manna in deserte was but a shadowe and fygure of the very maÌ„na that is to witte of the body of Iesu Cryst to be gyuen to vs to eate syth also thapostell wryteth that thynge and the history thereof but as a figure of that whyche after was to be fulfylled Secondely he gaue hym self meate vnto vs to accomplysshe in dede that he promysed by worde which god wold haue so sure and so trewe that he sayth Heuyn and erth shall passe but not my wordes But now Cryste promysed to gyue hys flesshe for oure fode sayenge I am the lyuely brede whyche am descended frome heuyn who eateth of this brede shall lyue for euer And the brede which I shall gyue is my flesshe for the lyfe of y e worlde For why my flesshe in dede is meate my blood is very drynk who cateth my flesshe and drynketh my blood dwelleth iÌ„ me and I in hym Thyrdely Cryst gaue hym selfe vnto vs for meate merueylously and ineffably to shewe vs hys hygh charyte by whych both bodely and gostely he wolde be wyth vs perpetually and all one wyth vs by incorporacioÌ„ as it is wont to be in loue For by the communion of the body and blood of oure lorde Iesu Cryste all we be made one hole body wyth Cryste Thapostell approuynge it sayenge thus The brede that we breke is it not the parrycypacyon of the body of our lorde bycause we menâ—â—y be but one brede and one body all that be partakers of one brede and one cuppe And for thys cause oure lorde Iesu Cryste and onely redemer to leue byhynde hym a remembraunce of hys loue towarde vs and by thensample of the same loue wold haue vs that be hys not onely loue hym but also one another and by the remeÌ„braunce of hys most bytter deth gyue hym thankes togyther was content to be present wyth vs thoughe inuysybly yet bodely in that sacrament and by that communyon as we haue sayd be fore to be all one with vs so to leue thys blessed sacrament of thaulter behynd hym as a sure pledge of hys great loue towarde vs. Of thys it was that saynt IohnÌ„ sayde that at thys laste holy supper the instytucyon of that moste blessed sacrament of thaulter was made for a sygne of loue when he sayth Before y e feast daye of Easter Iesus knowynge y t hys howre was come in whyche he sholde departe out of thys worlde to hys father when he had louyd hys that were in the worlde he loued theÌ„ to thende And after supper so forth In whych saynt Luke answeryng with the other wryteth that Criste in hys laste supper sayde I haue inwardely desyred to eate thys pascall wyth you before I suffer and so forth And wythin a lytell whyle after And takynge the brede he sayd grace and brake it gaue it to theÌ„ sayenge This is my body that shall be delyuered for you Do you thys in remembraunce of me How in my remembraunce That you maye remember howe I haue loued all you that byleued in me who for the greate loue I bare you to thentente I maye be wyth you bodely to the worldes ende haue gyuen you meate myne owne body and myne owne blood vnder the forme of brede and so vnder the sacrament to the enteÌ„t that there may come in your myndes somtyme another greate charyte of myne by whych I dowre not to suffex deth for you whyche deth and charyte you ought to remember wyth the rendrynge of dewe thankes as ofte as ye consecrate and handell by myne ensaÌ„ple this sacrament whyche thynge thapostell coÌ„fyrmynge sayth that Chryst the same nyghte he was betrayed takynge the brede and the cuppe delyuered it vnto his dyscyples and sayd Do you this in remembrauÌ„ce of me As ofte as you eate of thys brede and drinke of this cuppe shewe you the deth of our lorde tyll he come and so forth With how fatherly a loue then Cryste instytuted thys holy sacrament of thaulter there is no good man that of these wordes of Cryste also of thapostell as well of that y â— goeth before as foloweth vnderstandeth not syns he harde that oure lorde Iesu Cryste not onely had shewed in that hys charyte towarde vs whych he wolde sholde be ê‘petuall in that he toke vpoÌ„ hym our nature to make vs as saynt IohnÌ„ sayth men by partycypacyon goddes by fayth and all he toke of ours gaue vs agayn for our helth but also offered vppe to god hys father his owne body on the crosse as a sacrafyce for our recoÌ„cylyacyon his blood to be shed as a pryce and laua tory of our synne that beynge redemed from the myserable seruytude we myghte be clensed frome our vyce Wherfore to thentent the remembraunce of so hygh a benefyte might abyde in vs and the greatnesse of the loue of god more fyrmely fixed in our brestes in his laste supper as yt is wryten in the gospell of saynte IohnÌ„ in the pascall made wyth his dyscyples at his departynge oute of thys worlde to his father he gaue his body for meate and hys blood for drynke to be receyued of faythfull folke vnder the forme of brede ordeynyng this holy sacrament of thaulter as a ê‘petuall remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of hys passyon to thâ— fulfyllyng of tholde fygures one of the greatest myracles that euer he dyd as a syngulare comforte of all those that are sorowfull for his absence As though he wolde say I shall not leue you fatherles not for y â— I wyll come agayne to you my selfe but bycause I wyll be euer wyth you euen to the ende of the world by my mercy by my grace
by my diuyne powre ye and in the sacrameÌ„t of my body and my blood O the wonderfull swetnesse of thyne ineffable charyte O the precyouse meruaylous holsome feaste O the moste excellent sacrament O moste to be worshypped O moste honourable O moste reuerende O moste worthy prayse O most worthy glory highly to be magnifyed to be extolled by worthye cryers to be honoured wyth all the herte with all deuocyon wyth all reuerence what more meruaylous then this sacrameÌ„t in whych brede and wyne is veryly coÌ„uerted into the body and blood of Iesu Cryste in whyche pertyte Crist is conteyned by the vertue of the word vnder the forme and lykenes of a peace of brede Take you this is my body whiche is eaten of good Cristen folke in the meane whyle ys not torne but though the sacrament be deuyded yet the bodye abydeth and coÌ„tynueth holevnder euery parte of that that is dyuyded O so wonderfull a sacrament and meruaylous so full of charyte that no man can crye the worthynes of yt better then by y e wordes of saynt Paule where he sayth to the Romaynes O the depnes of the dyuyne sapyence knowlege of god Howe incomprehensyble be his iudgementes how inuestygable his ways For who knewe the mynde of oure lorde or who was his couÌ„saylour O in dede a wonderfull sacrament of whyche Esaias veryly spake when he sayd Vnlesse you byleue you shall not vnderstande whych Cryste hym selfe affyrmynge sayd vnto the vnbeleuynge Iews of so hygh a sacrameÌ„t But there be some of you that beleue not as though he wold say and therfore vnderstand not and for that cause shall go backe and not walke with me when the Iewes sayde Howe can this man geue vs his fleshe to eate This is a harde saynge And who can heare hym And the euangelyst sheweth what Crist sayd My fleshe is very meate and my blood is very drinke who eateth my flesh and drynketh my blood taryeth in me and I in hym and so forth From that tyme many of his dyscyples went backe and walked not wyth hym Peter answerynge for all the reste what tyme Chryste demaunded of theym whether they wold go from hym to Good lorde to whome shall we go Thou haste the worde of theternal lyfe and we byleue knowe that thou art Cryste the sonne of god so forth As though he wolde say thou art able to do all wyth a worde And as saynt Paule wryteth thou be ryst vp all thyng by the word of thy powre ye by whyche word the heuens were made whereof Dauid wryteth He sayde the worde and yt was done Now who is there my well beloued brethern whych wayeth the wordes of Cryst his apostles as he ought to do wyll not in hys herte be sory and also wyth the zele of charyte abhorre the condycyon of thys wykked tyme of ours ye and myche rather the wycked infydelyte of wycked people by whych the deuyll beynge authoure in so farforthe do not byleue in thys blessed sacrament of thaulter confyrmed by Crystes owne mouth when he sayth Thys is my body and so forth My flesh is very meate my blood is very drynke and so forth but also all thanke and loue towarde our sauyoure Iesu Chryste a farre of reiected odyously shamefully irreuerently blaspheme condemne and abhorre all holy scryptures fygures reasons sences euyn spurnynge at hym wyth theyr fete wyth tonge wyth language not to be spoken clerely forgetfull in the mean while of those holy wordes of Cryste in his laste supper ê“ceding of a meruaylous zele towarde vs Take you this is my body Do you this in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of me And this doynge shewe you the deth of our lorde tyll he come to iudge the worlde wyth an open and vysyble body who in the meane tyme for y e loue I haue towarde you shall coÌ„tenue wyth you vnder this visyble sacrament of thaulter and so by the communyon of myne owne body in that sacrament be made incorporate wyth you Oh good oh beste oh most benygne Iesu oure redemer who can meruayle inough at thy greate pacyence shewed towarde vs whom hytherto thou haste suffered so shamefully to rayle agaynst thinsty tucion of the blessed sacrameÌ„t of thaulter vnpunysshed Is thys the remembraunce we haue of that ineffable loue of thyne towarde vs by whyche thou louydest vs euyn to the sufferauÌ„ce of the most shamefull deth of the crosse is this the kyndnesse the recompeÌ„ce we make the for thy so greate benyfytes woo maye we be woo may we be a good iuste iesu whyche hast all thy iudgemeÌ„t of thy father to iudge euery man accordynge to his deserte whyche wylte leue no good dede vnrewarded nor no euyll dede vnpunyshed to whome we shall gyue accouÌ„t of euery idell worde what shalt thou do with vs I pray y â— then for our so great offence and wyckednes syns as the apostle sayth thou iudgeste them that eate thy body vnworthyly drynke thy blood vnworthily gylty of thy body thy blood wyth no lesse payne to be punysshed then they whych for malyce persecuted the and crucyfyed the. who to the declaracyon that there is in dede thy body and thy blood how reuerentely euery man ought to receyue it thou sufferedeste for many mennes amendement helth of those that on a time put no dyfference bytwene thy body and other materyall meate some to fall syke some weke and some to dye wylte thou spare vs yf we amende not No surely For I wote that thou arte he of whome scrypture sayth Thou hast mercy on euery body bycause thou canst all dyssymblest mans synnys for penaunce Consyderyng now therfore my wellbeloued bretherne y e treuth of scrypture let vs beware as saynt Poule counsayles vs that we sette not at naughte the rychesse of the goodnes pacyence longe sufferaunce of our lord Iesu Cryste but do penaunce for our trespas to hym whome we haue offended whose gentylnes as saint Poule sayth draweth vs to penaunce By whom truely we shall be both iudgyd and condempned yf accordyng to his admonicyoÌ„ we do not iudge ourselfes Nor lette vs in the meane whyle so folysshely flater our selfes wyth the sufferaunce of god as though he wolde forgete oure synne and as a iuste iudge not correcte when he seeth tyme for our so irreuerent handelynge of y e holy sacrament How be it who knoweth not these cruell pestylences that now raygne thoroughe oute Germanye syknesse dissensyons suppressyons the mynysshement of euery estate calamytees and other suche lyke kyndes of euyls almoste infynyte and no lesse horryble chyefly to be caste vppon vs from god yf at the lest way we byleue saiÌ„t Poule as we veryly muste for the vnworthy and shamefull handelynge of thys holy sacrament of thaulter And go me thorough out Germany and as full as that nacion whyche was of late very deuout and relygyouse is now of all myschyefe and synne