For to eate Christe or the breade 〈◊〉 Christe in thys place is to beleue in Christe as it foloweth afterwardes Therfore when he sayth This 〈◊〉 the breade descendynge from hea â—…n because that no man shoulde â—…rstande thys sayinge neyther of that breade wherewyth Iesus a lytell before had fedde fyue thouâ—…â—…en or of anye other earthely and corporall breade anone he sayeth further I am the liuynge bread whych am come downe 〈◊〉 heauen that we maye playnely vnderstande hym that he speaketh of hym selfe And when he sayeth after wardes y â— a man may eate of it and dye not straight waies he doeth expounde what to dye meaneth and sayeth if any maÌ„ eate of thys bread he shall lyue euerlastyngly For not to dye is to liue euerlastigly What shall we saye then to these thinges If in thys comparynge together of Manna wyth Christe the communicacioÌ„ is of a spiritual and heauen lye lyfe how shal thys that is sayd your fathers haue eaten Manna in deserte and be deade be true of Mo ses Aaron Phinees Iosue Calib and manye other good Israelites which theym selues also haue eaten MaÌ„na w t the rest yet be not dead spiritually but as AbrahaÌ„ Isaac Iacob lyue before god so do those liue also And if this speaking be of corporall and earthely death Howe can thys sayinge if a man eate of thys breade he shall not dye but lyue for euer be true of Iohn Baptist and afterwardes of Peter and of the other Apostles and Dysciples of Christe Dyd not all these eate â–ª of Christe that is beleue in Christe and yet be deade not onely â–ª corporallye but also were cruellye kylled of theyr aduersaryes What â—…eth it than that is sayed the fathers that haue eaten Manna be deade but he that eateth this bread dyeth not but shall lyue for euer Fyrste here in the begynnynge we wyll speake of Moyses and other good men that eate Manna in deserte For these in dede were preserued in death and lyue before God but they were not saued nor lyue not for Manna whyche they eate but for Iesus Christ in whom they did beleue whan they eate Manna by the promises that were spoken of Christe For excepte they had eaten hym together wyth Manna vnder Manna truly they also them selues had died by death euen wyth the vngodly of whome Paule spea keth All dyd eate that spirituall meate and al did drincke that spiritual drynke for they dranke of that spiritual rocke that folowed them and the rocke was Christe But God dyd not allowe many of them For they were ouerthrowen in the wyldernes And nowe because Mo ses and other good men in eatynge of Manna beleued also in Christe that was promised therefore thorowe Christe they were saued in death and got euerlastynge lyfe That that we haue spokeÌ„ of Manna the same muste we thyncke oâ—… the Supper of the Lorde For the bread and wyne of the Lordes supper are heauenly meat and dryncke because they be halowed and sanctified by the lordes institucion thâ—… they maye be hys bodye and bloud And althoughe al eate of the Supper of the Lord yet are not al saued in death nor haue euerlasting ioye For some in dede eate the supper of the Lorde and yet beleue not verelye in Christe they truste not in the bodye and bloude of Christe which they receyue in the sacramente Wherefore as to the wycked the ea tynge of Manna nothynge profited so to the vnbeleuynge and vnâ—…epentaunt the eatyng of y â— supper of the Lorde nothyng profiteth Other not onelye eate of the Lordes supper but beleue verely y â— Christe hath gyuen his bodye for their sinnes and hath shed hys bloude that they myghte be made cleane from theyr sinnes before god These ther fore be saued in the houre of death and lyue for euer not in dede for y â— selfe eatynge of the supper but thorow Christ in whom they verely beleue in whose â—…ayeth they be streÌ„g thened by y â— sacrameÌ„t of the supper For Christ only by â—…ayeth thorowe the gospel taken eyther with the sacramentes or w tout the sacraments is he thorowe whom men get true euerlasting helth The sacramentes haue in dede theyr vse in confirmynge the faieth of him y â— receiueth theÌ„ and must diligently be taken obediently but our health is not set in y â— self taking of the sacramentes but in Iesus Christe only receiued thorowe â—…ayeth For thys is the lyuing bred coÌ„ming downe froÌ„ heaueÌ„ y â— who so euer shal eate of him or beleue in him should not dye but liue euerlastinglye Furthermore wher it is saied of the death of Iohn bap tist and y â— Apostles of other good mâ—… that beleued in Christe we must thinke y â— althoughe they be killed 〈◊〉 to men to be dead yet are they dead before god for before hym thei lyue yet styll For theyr soule is not loste because Christe Keapeth it neither perisheth theyr bodye For althoughe it turne agayne to duste yet shall it be raysed agayne in the laste daye into lyfe euerlastynge Therefore when Christ sayeth that the fathers be dead althoughe they haue eaten Manna but those that beleue in hym not to dye he sygnifieth and teacheth that the carynge of Manna did not bryng of it selfe lyfe and healthe no not to Moses and other good men for if they had eaten Manna only they also theym selues euen wyth the other vngodlye shoulde haue bene deade for euer but that onely he hym selfe that is true Mâ—…ssias receyued in fayeth to be the author and gyuer of lyfe and health But because Christ calleth hym selfe the breade of lyfe he sheweth the manoure also howe he is made breade that is our lyfe and health and sayeth The breade whyche I wyll gyue you is my flesh whych I wyl gyue for the lyfe of the worlde Hytherto I haue made mencion of my breade and haue promised lyfe vnto him that eateth of this bread Wherefore because you should not care and looke for of me for suche breade as Moyses hath geuen vnto you in deserte or suche as you hadde a litell before when wyth that and two fyshes I fedde more than fyue thousande men Go to I wyll declare vnto you playnelye what I vnderstande by bread For the breade whych I speake of now is my fleshe whyche I wyl gyue to get lyfe vnto the worlde I came in to thys worlde I toke man vpon me and I toke also all the infyrmi ties of man not to synne as manne dyd but y â— thorowe my passion and death I woulde put awaye the synnes of men and reconcile men wyth God the father that they might get not onelye pardon of theyr synnes but also lyfe euerlastyng Therfore my passion whyche I shall take in fleshe or after my humanitye is the deliueraunce of the worlde and my death whyche I shall suffer is the lyfe of the worlde that as manye as beleue in me maye be saued and lyue
for euer Thys verelye is that that Christ sayth The breade whiche I wyll gyue is my fleshe whych I wyll gyue for y â— lyfe of the world They be very fewe wordes in dede but in theym is comprehended the suÌ„me of al the gospell and the greatest benefites of Christe are set before oure eyes For fyrste whan he sayth I wyl gyue my fleshe for life he signifieth that hys death shal be our lyfe And playnly diuydeth his deathe from the deathe of all other men whither they were patriarckes or Prophetes Apostles or Marâ—…rs For althoughe they were cruellye slayne of the wycked and dyd not deserue before menne eyther for their naughtines or for their myscheuous dedes to be so cruelly kyl led yet is not their death oure lyfe Iuste and holye Abell was kylled of hys brother Esaias is sayed to haue bene cut in two peces by king Manasses Hieremye was stoned to death of his people These mens death was precious in dede in the syghte of God and bryngeth much fruite to the churche of GOD. For it teacheth that good men be sore troubled in this world it teacheth y t the kingdom of christ is not of thys world it teacheth that there is another life after this life for els good men had bene happye in thys lyfe it exhorteth also by examples that we take pacientelye the affliccyons of thys worlde but it is not 〈◊〉 puttynge awaye of oure synnes it is not oure lyfe and redemcion yea the death of saynctes hathe not put awaye no not their owne synnes nor hath not broughte lyfe vnto theym so far forth in dede as apertayneth to the nature of that death but onely the death of Christ putteth awaye the synnes of men bryngeth lyfe vnto theÌ„ Wherfore when we be cast into peril of death as we oughte not to thyncke that we by oure death should satisfie for oure synnes so that death must not be loked vpon and considered after hys owne nature whych he hath by synne but accordynge to the deathe of Christe into the whyche we be Baptised and buried For so it shal â–ª come to passe that lykewyse as we be made graffed into the death of Christe so also we be made pertakers of hys resurreccion Furthermore Christe sayeth not simplye I wyll gyue my fleshe for the lyfe but he sayeth more of the worlde By the whyche word he signifieth that he shoulde suffer death not onelye for the Iewes but also for the Gen tils and for al men in thys worlde what tyme so euer in what place so euer and of what nacions so euer in all the worlde they haue bene He saieth in an other place y t he should die for the nacion y t is of the Iewes and not onelye for that nacion but that the chyldren of God whyche were dispersed shoulde be gathered together in one And agayne He is the propiciacion for oure synnes and not onelye for oures but of all the worlde What is the cause then that all the worlde is not saued but a verye greate forte of men whyche are sygnified by the name of the worlde is loste Thys death is not to be ascribed to the passion death of Criste but vnto the wyckednes of men For as touchyng y â— death of Christ it is a sufficient expiacioÌ„ for al y â— sinnes of al men set out by the gospel to be receiued of al meÌ„ but al ineÌ„ wil not acknowledge receiue it thorow fayth but had rather dye in their wickednes than be saued by y â— death of Christe And what is more folish what is more mad than whaÌ„ you haue helth before you to folow distruccion when lyfe is offered to chose death when heauen is opened to go into hell What is more furious also thaÌ„ if thou thorow thâ—… doutynge or vnbeliefe seperate thy selfe froÌ„ Christ y t is thy hiest felicitie seynge that he doth not seperat him selfe from the nor cast the awaye I wil giue sayeth he my fleshe for the life of y â— worlde Art not thou a part of the world Nay thou art y â— world it selfe For the olde men dyd verye wel cala man a litel worlde And if thou be parte of the worlde or the world it selfe verely Christ gaue his fleshe also for the and that thou shouldest haue life For not onelye Kynges not Prynces not wyse menne onelye be the worlde but the moste abiectes of all whyche in thys worlde also are so muche the more seen of God the hyar that he dwelleth The Lorde is hye sayeth the Psalme and loketh vpon lowe thynges And he raiseth from the ground the nedie and lifteth vp the poore from lowe estate Seynge therefore that Christe neuer fayteth vs wyth his benefites we must not â—…ure selues set naught by our helth but receyue thys presente lyfe obedientlyâ—… thorowe fayeth in Iesu Christe oure saueouâ—…e whicht wyth the father â–ª and the holye Gost is blessed for euer â–ª Amen ☞ The nynthe Homilye MAny are the eares of men many are theyr dedes and occupacions but there are none more noble and more profitable I saye also more necessarye than those that he taken to teache the worde of God Blessed is the manne sayeth the Psalme whose wyll is in the lawe of the Lorde and that doeth â—…dye in hys lawe daye and nyghte Seynge therefore we are nowe come together to learne those thynges whyche the holy gâ—…st hath taughte vs by Iohn the Euangelist goto good fryndes let vs now hearke those thynges whych folow after the serâ—…oÌ„ â–ª of Christ y â— we haue here before declared as oure lytell power serueth For Christe sayed The breade whyche I wyll gyue is my fleshe whych I wyl gyue for the lyfe of the world Howe dyd the Iewes than take thys sayinge The Iewes sayeth he stroue among theim selues sayinge Howe can thys man gyue vs hys fleshe to eate Ryght wyl sayde Salomon if thou beate a foole wyth a pestel as weate in a morter yet wyll not hys folishnes depart from him Iesus in this sermon whyche he made in the citye of Capernaum so often warned the Iewes of the fayth in him playnly declared vnto theym that vnder the name of eatynge of breade he spake of fayth whych oughte to be had in hym as a true gyuer of lyfe yet for al that be they neuer the wiser but continue stil and hold on in their folishnes in the whyche they dreame a carnal tearing of Christes fleshe What say they Seyng we thought that this was Messias we promised our selues that we should get libertye by him that we shoulde haue aboundaunce of al thinges in this world worldly kingdoms and all the pleasure of this world Now in all this gapynge for he offereth vs hys fleshe to be eaten What an absurditye is thys If we shuld nedes eate fleshe we had rather haue calues fleshe than mans fleshe I pray you what is ignoraunce what is folyshenes if thys be not folyshnes The
of the lord should be giuen to infantes For it was chieflye instituted to acknoweledge the loue of Christe towarde vs and to strengthen our fayth in tentacions But infantes whyche be graffed into Christe thorowe Baptisme althoughe they haue fayth after their certayne maner so also after theyr fashion eate the fleshe of Christ and ◅ryncke his bloude that is euen after that manner whych Christe requireth in thys sermon yet neyther do they vnderstande fayeth nor the tentacions of fayeth Wherefore the vse of the supper of the Lord is not necessarye to theym But nowe to retourne agayne to our purpose the wordes of Christ whych in this place be spoken of eatynge of hys fleshe and drinckynge of his bloud must not be vnderstande of any out warde eatynge and drynckyng but of the verye fayeth in Christe whiche in thys sermon Metaphorically or by a translacion is called eatynge and drynckynge For whan Christe had take in hande thys sermon by occasion of that breade wherewyth he fedde more then fiue thousande menne in deserte and suche as they soughte for whyche came to hym into Capernaum he vseth also the name of breade for hys fleshe and the name of dryncke for hys bloude So by occasion of thys Metaphore or translacion he vseth the worde of eatynge and drynckynge for the worde of beleuynge as wh◅ he sayeth excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of manne and dryncke hys blud you haue not lyfe in you Thys is hys true meanyng except you beleue in me whyche wyll gyue my Ceshe for the lyfe of the worlde and wyl shede my bloude to put awaye the synnes thereof you shall not gette true health and in verye dede Christe by thys Metaphore doeth vnderstande playnelye the same thynge that before he sayed simplye All men that se the sonne and beleueth in him haue lyfe euerlastynge And after wardes Uerylye verylye I saye vnto you he that trusteth to me hathe lyfe euerlastynge For it is manyfeste that Chryste thinketh this eatynge and this drinkinge whiche he requireth in thys place to be necessarye to lyfe and saluation sayinge Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drynke hys bloude ye haue not lyfe in you But if we shulde saye as trueth is none other thynge is symplye necessarye to vs for oure health then fayeth in Christe Good worckes also after their manner be necessarye But we nowe speake of that thynge by the whyche we are iustified and be saued before God But we be iustified by Christ only and by faith onelye by the whyche we receyue Chryst yea rather we be receaued of hym and as I might say be our selfes in corporate vnto hym The iuste man saith the Prophet liueth by hys faith And Paule sayth we thynke that mā is iustified by faith withoute the worckes of the lawe And agayne We knowe that man is not iustyfyed by the worckes of y ◠lawe but by faith of Iesus christ Wherfore it is also manyfest that Chryste by the eatynge of hys flesh and drynckynge of hys bloude in this place vnderstandeth none other thyng than faith which is to be had of his fleshe his bloude y t is y t we beleue his fleshe to be giuē to death for vs that we may haue life hys bloud to be shed to y ◠remissiō of our synnes For so to eate the fleshe of Christ to drinke his bloud y t is to beleue in Christ is playnely necessa ry to our helth saluaciō And ther was neuer mā w tout this eatinge drinking which eyther hath gotten before or euer shal get saluaciō Adā him selfe the first man althoughe in y ◠time of his lyfe christ was not yet come yet eate he his fleshe dranke his bloude because he beleued that Christ shoulde come whiche by hys fleshe bloud y t is by his death put ged our synnes Noe also Abraham the other patriarckes prophets did eate the flesh of Christ drinke his bloud because they beleued that the◅ should get saluacion by Christ which shuld suffer in fleshe for their sines put away their iniquities by his bloud So also al good mē whiche after Christes cōming liue here in this world althoughe thei do not alwaies take y e supper of y e lord yet alwaies they eate the fleshe of christ drinke his bloud because they beleue y t Christe hath put away theire synnes by hys bloude death But let vs here now for what cause this eating drinckyng whych is fayth in Chryst doth bryng vnto vs or if you list so to saye receiueth lyfe and saluacion It foloweth For my fleshe is verely meate my bloud is verely drincke He that eateth my flesh and dryncketh my bloude he tarieth in me and I in hym Thys is the comparacion of meate and dryncke wyth the fleshe and bloude of Christe And the comparacion is made partelye by a dyssimilitude and partly by a lykelyhode The dyssimilitude is that althoughe corporal meate drinke noryshe the man and substayne hys lyfe yet are they not the meate and dryncke whych kepe man for euer but for a whyle in thys corporall and fadyng lyfe But the fleshe and bloude of Christe if they be receyued in fayth that is if ye beleue the fleshe of Christ to haue bene gyuen to death for oure synnes and hys bloude to haue bene shed for the remission of synnes are meate and dryncke in dede bycause they kepe man in lyfe perpetuall For he that beleueth in Christ he semeth in dede to dye as other men but hys death is no death but a slepe because that hys lyfe is hyd wyth Christe and kept of Christe vntyll he be raysed agayne in the last daye And the similitude is that as the iuyce of corporal meate and drinke is sent into all the partes of man and turneth the hauioure of hys bodye into hys nature as if a manne vse to moyste mea◅ ▪ the body also is made moyst if he vse could meate the body is also made coulde so also the fleshe bloude of Christe turne hym that taketh them that is the beleuer into their nature He that eateth sayeth he my fleshe and dryncketh my bloude abydeth in me and I in hym that is we be made one fleshe one bloude And the same nature that my fleshe and my bloud hathe the same also getteth he that eateth me And the fleshe of Christe is lyfe I wyl gyue my fleshe sayeth he for the life of the worlde The fleshe also of Christe coulde not peryshe in death but rose agayne from death And the bloude of Christe putteth awaye synnes because it is iust and innocent bloud Wherefore he that eateth thys meate and dryncke as he is counted iuste before God ▪ so al so is he made alyue that he dye not in death but ryse agayne and haue lyfe euerlastynge And what canne come to man eyther more profitable or more holsome thā this meate and dryncke which
Iewes as gentiles and in dede that he sytteth on the ryghte hande of GOD and heareth rul◅ in the myddes of hys enemies and iustifieth and maketh alyue al that beleue in hym For these be certayne and suar argumentes by whyche the diuyne maiestye of Christe hath bene shewed and proued Therefore whan he sayeth When you shall se the sonne of man ascendynge thyther where he was before thys is the meanynge I sayde vnto you that I was descended from heauen Be not therfore so offended w t thys worde to fall awaye from me For that that I sayed in worde I wyll proue in dede I wyl ascend againe thether where I was before and I wyll reuele myne heauenlye and dyuyne maiestye that you maye playnelye knowe that my learnyng is true and that I verelye am descended frō heauen that is haue taken man vpon me in dede and to be God in dede To thys also appertayneth y ◠Iesus in an other place whan he was axed by Caiphas before the Councell whether he was Christe the sonne of GOD he answered hereafter sayeth he you shall se the sonne of man sittyng on the ryght of the myghtye and commynge in the cloudes of heauen y ◠is I seme in dede nowe in youre syghte to be an abiecte and captiue but after thys tyme I wyl so shewe my maiestye that I wyll playnely proue that I am not onelye true Messias or Christe but also verye God euen of the same beynge and power wyth God And of thys in dede that Iesus sayde that he was come downe frō heauen thus much haue we sayde Let vs heare now al so of y ◠he sayed hys fl◅she should be eaten and hys bloude shoulde be droncken This sayth he offendeth you because I haue bydde you eate my fleshe and dryncke my bloude You thyncke peraduenture that I by thys doctryne do ordayne an eatyng of man or a tearynge of mans fleshe or a mutuall conspiracye to inuade the empires of thys worlde And therefore ye are afearde leaste by raysynge of sedicion I cast you by my doctryne into extreme ieoperdies of youre lyfe But be of good chere If you se me ascending thyther where I was before ▪ you shal proue in dede that my doctrine wyll do you no hu◅te For I wyll declare by my goynge vp into heauen that my kyngdome is not worldelye but an heauenlye kingedome Wherefore ye nede not to feare sedicion whereby I wyll inuade worldelye kingdomes Nor it is not to be feared least my doctrine shoulde brynge anye distruccion to you Do no more but stande and abyde still you shall fele in dede that you by my doctryne shall receyue lyfe and saluacion Let vs se than howe Iesus proueth hys doctrine to be more healthful than hu◅tfull and that he is rather the authour of life than of death It is the spirite sayeth he that gyueth life The fleshe profiteth nothynge The wordes that I speake are spirite and lyfe ▪ Thys place some vnderstande one wayes some an other but we wyll folowe the verye playne sentence and that the thynge it selfe declareth For if we wyl consider in what estate this controuersie doeth stand which is risen bewixt Christ and the Iewes it is manifest that this contencion is of the doctryne of Christ wherewyth the Iewes in dede be of ◅ended and the which they reproue but Christe defended it But Christ also hym selfe whan he sayeth The wordes whyche I speake vnto you are spirite playnely sygnifieth that here he speaketh of hys doctryne◅ and expoundeth what hys doctryne is For the Iewes dyd fear least if they continued to be hearers and folowers of Christe they shoulde by hys doctryne be caste into all kynde of troubles yea into death it selfe But thys f◅ar Christe refuteth and he teacheth hys doctryne not to brynge deathe but to brynge lyfe not to brynge destrucci on but saluacion For the spirite in thys manner of speakynge is taken for spiritual heauenlye and diuyne doctryne Therefore the maner of reasonyng is shorte in dede but worthy to be marked sayinge the spirite that is the spiritual and heauenly doctrine gyueth lyfe But the fleshe that is carnall and humayne doctryne as is the doctryne of the Phariseis or of sedicious persons profiteth no thynge bycause it bringeth distruccion and death But my wordes be spirite that is be spiritual doctrine and not carnal wherfore thei be life and bryng not death or destruccion as you iudge You haue the reasonynge of Christe Let vs nowe run ouer his partes spiritual heauēly learnyng sayth he gyueth lyfe and bringeth saluacion But carnal and humayne doctryne bryngeth dysstruccion and death What shal we saye than of the lawe of the Lorde whyche althoughe it be spirituall and heauenlye doctryne yet bryngeth it death or as Paule sayeth kylleth What shall we saye also of doctrines of men of conscience Ma thematicall of Physicke and other artes whiche partelye be profitable for mannes lyfe yea and partly after theyr facion necessarye also Shall we saye that they also profite nothynge but rather brynge men to destruccion Of the lawe of god therfore thus must we thinke that it mortifieth in dede and kylleth man but that is not thorowe the faut of the lawe but of the man For if we should speake of the selfe nature of goddes lawe verelye because it is a spirituall and heauenlye doctrine it hath also the nature of giuing life and bringing saluacion Kepe saieth he my lawes and iudgementes whyche the man that doth shal lyue in them They bring therefore of theyr owne nature life And when Moyses had made an ende of the ministerye of makynge a lawe he sayde Consider that nowe I haue set in thy syghte lyfe and good Christe also sayeth If thou wylte enter into lyfe kepe the commaundementes of God And Paulle the lawe is holye and the precepte is holye iuste and good Stephen also sayeth Moyses sayeth he toke the lyuelye wordes to gyue theym to vs. Wherefore as muche as pertayneth to hys nature as it is spirituall and heauenlye doctrine so it bryngeth also spirituall and heauenlye life But because men be carnal soulde vnder synne therefore it commeth to passe that the doctryne of the lawe bringeth rather deathe than lyfe and rather damnacyon than saluacion whyche thynge sith it is not imputed to the lawe but vnto manne and vnto hys synne it doeth yet remayne suer and stedfaste that spirituall learnynge dooeth gyue lyfe And as touchynge mans sciences whyche be profitable in thys world to kepe the lyfe of man here we speake not For thys earthelye and corporall healthe is one and the spirituall and heauenlye healthe is an other If we shoulde speake of thys bodelye and worldelye healthe there be manye and dyuers doctrynes whyche profyte verye muche Physicke profitteth to conserue and recouer the good healthe of y ◠body Mathematical profiteth to knowe the marueylous mocions of the bodyes celestiall and to measure the yearthe Housbandrye profitteth to the tyllynge of
Althoughe Christe haue suche greate autoritye that all hys sayinges althoughe they haue no profe ioyned to theim must be taken and kepte for heauenly reuelacions yet in thys place he bringeth out for wytnes the sayinges of the Prophetes sayinge in the Prophetes it is wryten all shall be taughte of God All therefore that haue hearde of my father and hath learned commeth to me Let vs seke nowe in what Prophetes thys is written And it is playne in verye dede that thys saying is contained in the. xlv Chapter of Esaie For whan the Prophet dyd discribe the kyngdom of Messias and rekened vp hys benefites whyche be geuen to those y t be subiectes of hys kyngdom amonge other he reherseth vp thys also that al they that pertayne to thys kyngedome are taughte of god and are lightened by the holye goost I wyll sayeth he make all thy children the Dysciples of the Lord For god hym selfe shal be their teacher And the holye goost shal teach theym that both they shall knoweledge the true Messias and obtaine the true benefits of Messias With thys sayinge agreeth thys also that the same prophete wryteth of in an other place All nacions shall slowe sayeth he vnto the mountayne of the lorde that is to wyt whan the kyngedome of Christe is opened and much people shall go and saye Come lette vs go vp to the mountayne of the Lorde and the howse of the god of Iacob and he shall teache vs hys wayes The Lorde hym selfe sayeth he shall teach vs that all maye be taughte of the Lorde To thys agreeth also Hierimye in hys xxxi Chapter after those dayes sayeth the Lorde I wyl gyue my lawe in theyr bowels and I wyll wryghte theym in theyr herte and I wyll be theyr GOD and they shall be my people And a manne shall no more teache hys neyghboure nor a manne hys brother sayinge knowe the Lorde For all shall know me from the lest to the hiest Uerely thys is it y t Esaias had sayed also before Al shal be taughte of god There be also some thynges or places in the wrytynges of the E◅angelistes and Apostles y t agre w t these sayinges of the Prophetes ▪ and by whyche it is playnelye shewed y t as al that pertayne to y ◠king dome of Messias should be taught by God so no mā can acknowledge or cōfesse Messias except he be ligh tened wyth heau◅nlye doctryne In Mathewe Christe sayeth no man knoweth the son but the father nor no mā the father but the son and he to whome the sonne wyll open it And a litell after whan Peter dyd confesse of Iesus boeth in hys own name and in the name of the other Apostles sayinge thou arte that Christ the sonne of the l◅uyng god Iesus answered hym Fleshe and bloude hath not opened thys vnto the but my father that is in heauen Here it is openlye sayde that the knoweledge of Messias whyche is oure true health and as Christ him selfe sayeth euerlastynge lyfe depe◅ deth not by mannes reason or industrye nor of mans merites but onely of the heauenlye doctryne and free mercy of God It is not saieth Paule in the wyllar nor in y e tunnet but in God that hathe mercye And it is sayde to Moyses I wyll haue mercye of whom so euer I wil haue mercye and I wyll shewe mer cye to whom so euer I list There be manye also suche lyke sayinges of Scripture whych testifye that men can get the knoweledge of Messias and theyr saluacion onely by the fre mercye of God whyche wyll drawe by hys holye spirite whome so euer he wyll and lyst Here nowe ryseth a great sorte of questions and as wel the ignoraunte as the connynge the good as the badde may dyspute in thys mater For some say If nedes al men muste be taught of god what nede we to heare sermōs made by men to what profiteth the outwarde preachynge of the Gospel I wil thā heare no more what any mā sayeth vnto me but I wyll loke for reuelacion from heauen to be lyght ned by the holy goost Other make obieccion If no man may come vnto Christe excepte he be drawen by God the father the faulte of vnbeliefe shall not be in the man whych if he were drawen must nedes obey whā God draweth because his vertue is omnipotent For why doeth not god drawe all menne seynge he is hable to do it Why drewe he Ia cob and not Esau Why drewe he Paule and not Caiphas Other thynke If mans saluacion depend onlye of the fre mercye of God whiche choseth whom he wyl what and if thou werte not in the number of them that are chosen by God what if God had caste the awaye whan he chose hys at the begynnynge he those hys before the foundacions of the world were layed These and many other thynges are wonte to be reasoned of by mē whē ther heate that no man cōmeth to Christe nor getteth saluacion excepte he be chosen of god be drawen taught by god Fyrst therefore you must hold vndoutedlye that all the hole scripture in the whyche thys thinge also of gods predestinaciō is contained is inspired of God put in writing for this vse purpose to shew vnto vs Christ to teach Christ to set out Christ to stir vp kyndle strēgth and kepe our faith that is in Christ. It is playne that Moyses whyche is the fyrste and chiefest minister of holy scripture sendeth the people awaye from hym selfe to Christe say inge The Lorde GOD shal rayse vppe vnto the a Prophete of thy people and of thy brethren ◅ym thou shalte heare And Peter sayeth all the Prophetes from Sa muell and after as many as spake hath also shewed of these daies For there is none other name vnder hea uen gyuen amonge men in the whiwe must be saued Wherefore what soeuer place of Scripture semeth vnto vs eyther to take Christ away or to weaken and breake y ◠fayth in Christe we muste thyncke that eyther we do not vnderstand it ryghtlye or that it is the tentacion of the spirite of the diuyll For it cannot be that it shoulde be the holye Gost that doeth leade awaye men from Christe and the fayeth whiche is in hym Furthermore where Christe sayeth That no man commeth to hym excepte he be drawen of God the father And Esaye that all be taughte of GOD It putteth not awaye the outwarde ministery of the preachynge of the Gospell but rather confyrmeth it For whome the father draweth those he draweth by preachynge of the Gospell And those whome God teacheth those he teacheth by the outwarde or as we be wonte by the vocal worde Go you sayeth Christ into y ◠vniuersall worlde and preache the gospell to all creatures Why woulde Christe so sadly and wyth so greate ieopardye also of hys Apostles ordayne thorowe the whole world the open preachynge of hys Gospell if it serued not to learne true godlines and to get
Iewes sawe a miracle a litle before whych Christe had shewed in the deserte of fyue loues and two fyshes and they confessed that he was the very prophet whych the stripture promised should come but nowe for a worde or two as they thoughte in dede not worthy to be hearde farre oute of tune they iudged hym a very foole and a madde man What can be more folyshe or more impudente Wherefore whan Iesus sawe theire so greate rudenes he went not strayght waye aboute thys to declare hys wordes whyche semed obscure vnto theym and far out of the waye but he continued to speake styll that semed far more out of tune y ◠theyr folishnes myght iustlye be punyshed and that after the Prophet the herte of the people shoulde be made more blynde and theire eares more harde to heate and their eyes stopped because that those thynges whyche if they had take good hede thei might playnelye haue vnderstande they hadde rather lewdely interpretate and set naught by then to learne thē wel For whan Iesus before had resoned of the eatynge of his fleshe as thoughe it had bene a thinge indifferent and at theire libertye to eate hys fleshe or not eate it nowe he requyreth the eatynge as a thynge necessarye to get true lyfe and saluacion For Iesus sayd vnto them Verely ◅erely I saye vnto you except you eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke hys bloude you haue no lyfe in you He that eateth my fleshe and dryncketh my bloude hath lyfe euerlastynge and I wyll raise hym vp in the daye You se wyth what asseueracion he doeth affyrme the eatynge of hys fleshe to be necessarye and the drynkynge of hys bloude He sayeth not simply except you eate and drynke but he addeth an othe Uerelye verely I saye vnto you y ◠not so much the trueth of thys sayinge maye be confirmed as the necessitye of eatyng and drinckyng signified And because no man shuld dout of what lyfe he speaketh straightwaie he expoundeth it more playnely saying he that eateth my fleshe and dryncketh my bloude hath lyfe euerlastynge For he speaketh of true and eternall life not of thys transitorye and mortal lyfe where vpon he sayeth more And I wyll rayse hym in the last day for althoughe they that eate Christes fleshe and drynke his bloud seme in the eyes of men to die yet before god they are kept in dede in thys life whych also shall be opened by resurreccion Youre life sayeth Paule is hyd w t Christ in god Whansoeuer Christ shal be made o pen which is our life than shal you also be shewed openly wyth hym in glory But ther be some whych haue wrythē thys saying of Christ of the eatynge of his eshe and drynkyng of hys bloude to the takinge of the Lordes Supper and because they sawe that by thys sayinge of Christ that the eatynge of hys fleshe and drynckynge of hys bloude was necessarye to haue lyfe therefore they decreed that the supper ought to be gyuen vnto infauntes also But Christe in thys place speaketh nothynge at all of the eatynge of that supper whyche afterwardes he ordained for a remembraunce of hys death For thys eatyng of Christes fleshe drinking of his bloud y t we speake of nowe is plainly necessary to saluaciō Uerely verely sayeth he vnto you except ye shal eate y ◠fleshe of the sonne of man and drynke hys blud ye haue not life in you What can be spoken more playnely of the necessytye of thys eating and drinckyng But the eatyng of the lordes supper is not simplye necessarye to saluacion In dede great is the pro fit of that supper and in dede whan you maye muste be taken and that after the institucion of Christe and in very dede great thankes must be gyuen vnto the Lorde for this gift but the vse of it is not simply necessary For Christ sayth in Paule do thys as often as you shal drinke in the remembraunce of me he sayeth not except you shal eat this bread drynke this wine you cannot haue saluacion but he sayeth as often as you shal do in dede signifiyng y t the church ought in dede to vse this sa cramēt euen vntil his last cōming but not y ◠the vse of it is so greate y ◠except a man take it he may not tho rowe fayth in Christ get saluacion Infantes at thys tyme vse not this sacrament Shal thei thē if thei die in thier infācie ◅e al dāned althogh thei be graffed into Christ thorowe baptisme What can more vniustly or more cruelly be thoughte of these infāts And what if one of a good age Baptised into Christ should be led of hys enemies into Turkye or euer he receyued the Supper of the Lorde and beynge yet euen in the myddes of Turkye kepte styll hys fayeth towarde Christe and yet coulde neuer vse thys sacramente shoulde we iudge hym to hel Certaynely if the vse of thys sacrament were necessarye symply to saltion it could not be y t he that neuer vsed it should haue lyfe And true health is set in Christ hym selfe and in fayeth that is had in hym not in the outwarde receauyng of the lordes supper There is sayeth Peter health in none other Neyther is there any other name gyuen vnder heauen amonge men in the whych we muste be saued For althoughe in the supper of the Lorde the body of Christe and his blud is distributed yet hath not Christe so bounde hym selfe wyth hys body and bloud to his supper that he cannot be taken but in supper for he is receyued also in the preachynge of hys Gospell yea excepte the preachynge of the gospell be ioyned to the supper there shuld be no distribucion of the body and bloude of Christe He is receyued also in ba◅tisme For who soeuer as Paule sayth be baptised in Christe ye haue put on Christe These thynges be spoken not for thys entent that we shoulde not often and obedientelye vse the supper of the Lorde For vnto a good man and that is troubled wyth diuers calamities as it is much pleasaunt so is it also very profitable to comfort and hold vp hys conscience by the vse of thys Supper but therefore they be rehearsed that we may knowe the sayinge of Christe that he rehearseth in the sermon of thys syxte Chapter of the eatyng of hys fleshe and drynckyng of his bloud not to be vnderstande of the taking of the Supper of the Lorde and that we maye knowe that there is a greate dyfference betwixt Christe hym selfe whyche onelye i◅ oure health and hys Supper whyche is in dede a profitable but not an onely meane whereby we maye receyue Christe And as touchynge Infauntes althoughe it be manifest that in the tyme of Ciprian and Augustine the supper of the Lorde was gyuen vnto Infantes that this dede of holy fathers ought not rashly to be condēned yet we ought not to thincke y t it is necessarye that the supper
the ground and who can in fewe wordes rehearse vp the profite of al the sciences of men But if we shoulde speake of true spiritual heauenly and euerlasting health verelye none other doctrine doth profit saue spirituall and hea uenlye Al carnal doctrynes be they neuer so profitable are pernicious and deadely if they be iudged to be a perfit waie to get heauēly health Amonge carnall teachinge most of all be deadelye the ▪ teachynges of y ◠Pharasies and of sedicious men The Pharisies do teache that men maye satisfye the lawe of God by outwarde worckes and that they do deserue by their obediēce iustice and lyfe euerlastynge before God Thys is in dede a carnal doctryne whyche leadeth men into perpetual distruccion The sedicious men do teach that tributes must not be gyuen to the Emperour of Rome and that we muste make batell agaynst the Romaynes that the Iewes the Romaynes beynge cast out of their countrye maye bryuge them selues into libertye and also subdue vnto thē other kingdomes of the world Thys is verye carnal doctrin whiche leadeth men into the ieoperdye of al their ryches goodes Since ther is therfore two maner of teach ynges one spirituall that gyueth lyfe saueth an other carnall that bryngeth death and dystroyeth I praye you in what kynd is the doctrine of Christ comprehended My wordes sayeth he that I speake vnto you are spirit My doctrine is not flesh nor is not carnal but it is spirit it is spiritual It is manifest therfore y ◠it is also life I sayd s◅ply he y ◠beleueth in me hath lyfe euerla stinge Thys is spiritual doctryne heauenly and diuine Wherfore he that receiueth it receiueth also life I spake Metaphorically but in the same sence I am the liuynge bread whyche am come downe from heauen If any man eate of thys bread he shall lyue for euer And agayne Excepte ye eate the fleshe of the son of man and drynke his bloude ye haue not life in you Thys doctrine also is spiritual diuine It remaineth therfore that it is life and that it giueth life that it saueth mē that receyue it that they may get euerlastyng saluaciō But why do we not rehearse thoughe in fewe wordes the kindes of the doctrine of Christ that we maie knowe the true vse of it For fyrst Christe did sometimes expounde the lawe of GOD as in Mathe the. v. and the. vi and as it is writen in other places of the Euāgelists To this braunch or kind do pertayne the threteninges the re bukinges and the prophesies of the euyls that are to come Thys doctryne is not in dede the proper doctryne of Christe but of Moses yet is it sayde that it doeth gyue lyfe be cause that shewynge the greatenes and greuousnes of synne it styreth men vp to seke for iustice and life in Chryste oure onelye sauioure Also it hathe taughte that saluacyon doeth not depend vpon mannes merites but by goddes elec◅ion No man sayeth he can come vnto me except my father that hath sente me shall drawe hym And agayne you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Thys learnynge also gyueth lyfe if a manne can vnderstande it well for it doeth strengthen theyr fayeth whyche beleue in Christe that they may haue their saluacion certayne and thorowlye knowen For if oure saluacion should stand vpon mannes merites we coulde neuer be in a suer mynde because that the merites of man as they are vnperfite so are they vnsure And in the Psalme it is spoken playnelye In thy syghte shall not be iustified all liuynge creatures But nowe because it dependeth of the onely and free mercye of God whych in his lonne Christ not only is opened but also confyrmed hys saluacion cānot be vncertayne that beleueth in Christ. The mountains sayeth he shalbe moued the hilles shal tremble but my mercy shal not go from you the couenant of my peace shal not be moued sayde thy mercifull lorde Wherefore seynge this doctrine taketh out y ◠dou◅yng of hys saluaciō from the hert of the beleuer it is manifest that it quyke neth him with a spiritual recreaciō saueth hym that he dispaire not dye euerlastyngly Finally Christ taughte hys Gospell that he was come into thys worlde to reconcile men wyth God the father that all that beleue in hym shoulde not perishe but haue life euerlastinge This is the doctrine that properly belongeth vnto Christ. And this is the doctrin that giueth life in dede There be diuers kyndes of affliccions and death among men One is vexed almost dieth for hys great nede pouertie but if he haue taken thys doctrine of the gospel know ledgeth that God is merciful vnto him thorow Christ it cannot be but he must be so made aliue y t he maye manifestlye perceyue that he is in y ◠number of thē that Paule speaketh of as pore men yet enrichinge many as hauing nothing and yet possessyng althing An other is trobled with the knoweledge of synne and in maner dieth for the greatnes of the iudgement of it But if he gyue credit to the gospel of Christ knoweth hys synne to be forgyuen thorowe Christ he go◅th so from death to life y t he whyche before as one y t was deade durst not because of hys sinne lift vp his eies to heauē now dare boldly and cherefully come to the throne of goddes maiestye An other is striken wyth the feare of death and hel and thinketh he shal be damned for euer But if he wyll harcke to the Gospel of Christ and beleue in Christe that he is the victor of death and hel and the redemer of al that trust in hym not only is he saued in death but he shall be ◅aysed in the last daye that he maye receyue euen wyth Christ the hereditaunce of alheauenly ioye and felicitye Wherefore lette vs bestowe all oure cares and thoughtes vpon thys thyng to receyue wyth obediente fayeth the doctrine of the gospell of Christ ▪ Wherby in all kynd of tribulacion and death we maye be made quicke and alyue And althoughe Christe do playnely shewe that hys doctryne is not hurtefull ne deadely as thei iudged but to be spirituall and wholesome yet seeth he that it taketh no place among◅ y ◠greatest of hys hear◅ts therfore sayth further There be some of you that do not beleue For Iesus knewe frō y t begynuing who were y t vnbeleuers and who shold betr◅ye hym And sayed Therefore haue I ◅ould you that no man can come vnto me excerte it be gyuen hym of my father Christ doth prophecy of the falling away of his hearers of the treasō also of Iudas Ischariot Of y ◠whi che thyng because Iesus wil warne his dysciples agayne in the ende of this Chap. we wil let alone till that place what soeuer shal be thought mete to be spokē of this thing And here he repeteth agayne y ◠cause of vnbelife whiche he rrehersed before
last for euer What shall I speake of the Ethnikes They honored not only as men but as Goddes all those whyche dyd brynge vnto theym anye thynge profitable for the bodye They halowed Bacchus for a GOD because he hadde shewed vnto theym the makynge and vse of wyne They worshypped Ceres as a Goddesse because she did teach how to order corne and wherefore it serued wher before thei eat Okecorns Hercules was set amonge the Goddes because he saued the citisens that were ouercome of theyr enemies because he restored banished mē agayne to theyr Cityes because he made the lande saufe from theues and the sea from pirates These vertues althoughe they be greate and mete for a Prince yet because the heathen dyd consecrate Hercules into a God for these vertues they dyd playnelye declare that theyr mynde was onelye in yearthely commodities and profites I wyll shewe you that that scarselye maye be honestlye spoken openlye in the congregacion and yet it oughte to be spoken of that you maye se that menne haue no regarde saue onelye that they maye haue ioye in yearthely pleasures Flora when by harlotes craft she had gotten greate riches she made the people of Rome her heire and leaft a certayne money by whose yerely increase thereof the daye of her byrth myghte be kepte solemly and plaies be made whych they call Floralia what came to passe than Dyd the Romaynes knoweledge so fowle and fylthy thynges Not onelye dyd they gladlye receyue them but made Flora a goddes that should be goddes of f◅owers O stynckyng beastes O detestable men which gaue also to harlottes Godlye honoures because they had receyued of theym a bodily benefite when for all that ryght honest men eyther theyr oratoures or Philosophers that taughte vertue they greatelye dyspised theym yea and somtyme also kylled some of theym And in thys thynge not onely the heathen but the Christen men theim selues also haue done amysse For in the worshyppynge of saynctes whyche Hypocrites haue folowed very hertely and much vn godly they haue worshypped those saynctes specially by whose healpe they haue hoped to haue had eyther some corporall benefites or escaped hurtes To those they haue appoin ted holy dayes temples offeringes pylgrymages feloshyppes and as they call them brether heades To be shorte A great sorte of those that be called christians haue so burned wyth desier of yearthly temporall profites that they would haue worshipped Satā him selfe for a saint or for a God so that he would send theym money and gyue theym corporall benefites Whych thyng verely euen by thys is playne that althoughe nothynge is better knowen thā that deceites trifles lyes and periuries be mischeuous thynges worckes of the diuyl yet men to ge◅ ryches and bodilye profites wyth so greate redines of mynde they folowe theyr mischieffes that neyther by anye respecte of honestye neither by any warnynge of goddes word no nor by other crueltye of punyshmente they maye be wythdrawen frō that What is blindnes if thys be not blyndnes and vngodlines For mē be so blind that they thinke these corporall and temporall good thynges to be true felicitye Let vs heare therefore what Iesus answereth to y ◠Iewes disirynge only corporal meate and an yearthly deliueraunce So Iesus sayed vnto theym Amen amen I saye vnto you Not Moses hath gyuen vnto you breade from heauen that is to say the true bread but my father gyueth vnto you the true bread frō heauen For the bread of god is that which is descended from heauen doeth gyue life to the worlde Thys is the comparynge together of Moyses and hys benifites wyth Messias and hys benifites whyche Messyas gyueth to theym that beleue in hym You sayth he glorye verye muche of Moyses and for the benefites whyche be gyuen to you for hym and fyrste althoughe Moyses hath bene a greate Prophete and fayethfull minister of GOD yet was he not that person for the which menne do get trewe health But Mellias whome the Prophetes haue promised and ofwhom Moyses hym selfe hath preached and whome GOD nowe hath sente into the yearthe is that person for the whyche true health commyth to menne Furthermore the good thynges which God hath done by Moses in dede htey are greate and verye excellent and yet not euerlastyng neither sufficiente Moses ministred to you by goddes liberalitye Manna from heauen yet that Manna was not the verye meate whyche of it selfe hath saued the eatars into euerlastynge lyfe Al the Israelites haue eaten Manna in the deserte yet neuerthelesse all they also be deade and many of them God hath not alowed whyche also haue dyed for euer But Messias whyche is the naturall sonne of God whom hys father hath sente from heauen into the yearth whych now at thys tyme liueth amongeste men is the true meate which so conserueth al y ◠eate him that is beleue in him y t thei shall neuer dye but althoughe they seme to die yet may be saued into euerlastynge lyfe Moyses deliuered the Israleites from the Egipcians bondage and led them by y ◠deserte euen vnto the lande of Canaan Thys was in dede an excellente benefite and very acceptable to the Iewes that were afflicted but yet was it not a verie deliueraunce for although they were deliuered from the tirauntes of Egypte yet were they not deliuered from there spiritual tyrauntes that is from synne the diuyll death and hel But Messias bryngeth true deliueraunce For to theym that beleue in him he forgeueth synnes and causeth that they whyche receyue hym thorowe fayth are counted iust before God He ouercommeth the deuyll and so deliuereth the seruauntes of the diuyl that they be chosen into the sonnes if god He ouer commeth death and bryngeth to passe that they whych were in the daunger of death neuer dye but lyue for euer He ouercommeth hell that they whych were in daunger of hell shoulde go into heauen and enioye euerlastynge felicitye These in dede are the true benefits whych as they are in no wyse to be compared to those corporall profites so do they brynge euerlastynge health It commeth doune saith he from heauen It bryngeth therefore heauenlye and euerlastynge good thynges not earthly and those that shall vade awaye And it geueth lyfe it gyueth not money whych couetous menne seke for not corne whyche vsuras heape together not wyne whyche bybbers seke after not earthely Empyres wyth whose desiar men of thys worlde be on fier But it geueth lyfe that is blessed for euer And it gyueth it vnto the worlde it offereth it by hys gospell not to the Iewes onelye nor to the gentiles onelye but to all creatures that is aswel to the Iewes as to the gentiles aswell to honeste as vnhoneste to the poore aswell as to the ryche to the princes and to the subiectes to be shorte to al the worlde Wherfore althoughe these corporall and yearthely good thynges haue theyr vse and God if they happen is to be thancked for
Set also before thine eyes how great a multitude of men is wont in persecucion to denye the fayth in Christ. For as sometyme the Iews and Ethnikes so now the Byshoppes Turkes persecute y â— doctrine of Christ and the fayth in Christ. But as in tyme past y e greatest multitude of people among the Iewes Ethnikes dyd in persecucion fal from Christ so also in these tymes vnder bishops and Turks sometyme whan no man doth vyolently compel them they fal awaye which certaynly is a manifest profe that sayeth in Christe is not of all men as Paule sayeth also reken me y e hypocrites amoÌ„g christen meÌ„ that put their hope in the merits of their worckes nuÌ„ber also wicked meÌ„ and that do not repent whych holde on still to leade a naughty and synfull life Thinkest thou y t both they and these would liue so wickedly if true fayth in Christ were as comon as y â— name of fayth is common amonge Christen men What shall we do then We muste not thyncke that fayth in Christ is borne in mannes fleshe and that it can be conceyued by mannes strength but to be geuâ—… by the gyfte of the holy goost from heauen thorowe the Gospell Wherefore lette oure cares and thoughtes awake to thys that we may learne the Gospell cal vpon the lord y t the holy gost may worke in vs and not onelye gyue vs true fayeth in Chryste but also kepe and encrease it that we maye walke obediently in the callynges of god But let vs heare nowe what they get what they haue that beleue in Iesus What sayeth he than Saieth he they shall get worldely Empyre ryches of thys worlde Or other earthelye gooddes In dede these be the giftes of god and serue for somewhat in the earth but they are not true felicitye Neyther dyd Christe come into thys worlde to gyue to theym that beleued in hym yearthelye and traunsitorye good thynges but rather heauenlye and euerlasting saying he that beleueth in me hath life What maner of life that fadeth awaye or y t shortly shall perish not so but euerlastyng Also in y â— name of eternall lyfe he vnderstand comprehended althynges y t pertaine to euerlasting life y t is for giuenes of synnes chosyng into the sonnes heires of God rightuousnes before God the holy goost leadynge to obedience of Goddes vocacion deliueraunce and preseruacion in death and finally heauen lye and euerlastynge kyngedome Wherefore he that beleueth in Iesu Christe hath forgyuenes of synnes is chosen vnto the sen of God is couÌ„ted iust before god is endewed wyth the holy gost that he may obey the callyng of God is saued in death and receiueth the inheritauÌ„ce of heauenly kyngdome the whyche he shall enioye for euer Than the whych good thynges nothyng can be spoken more greater nor more excellente But I praye the what thynge is that thorowe whose merite he that beleueth in Christe getteth lyfe euerlastynge and so great good thinges of it Is that thorow the merite and dygnitye of fayeth that is of the woreke that the man doeth Nothynge lesse verelye He that beleueth in Iesu Christe obtayneth in dede euerlastynge lyfe and the profites of it thorow fayth but not for the merite or dignitie of fayeth bycause that fayeth is alwayes weake whyle we lyue in the fleshe nor neuer so greate as the worde of God requyreth But it getteth those thynges for Iesus Christes sake which is receiued by fayth For so it is added I am the breade of life That is He y t beleueth in me therefore hath euerlastynge lyfe because that I whome he receyueth and possesseth by fayeth am the breade that gyueth lyfe I am lyfe it selfe and perpetuall saluacion Wherefore he that hath me thorowe fayth he also hath lyfe and health euerlastynge What lacketh he than that beleueth in Christe He hathe not a rych house in thys world but he hath Christ the Lord of heauen and yearth thorowe whome he is made the heyre of all the heauenlye good thynges He is not garnished wyth some noble kynde of lyfe in thys worlde but he is garnyâ—…hed wyth Christ and for thorow whom he is noble not onely before the angelles but also before the maiestye of GOD in heauen He hathe not stronge health of bodye and longe lyfe in thys worlde but he hathe Christe whyche is perpetuall lyfe and felicity There is no true goodes than y t he wanteth whiche beleueth in christ And coÌ„trary he y t beleueth not in christ hath none of these good things He hath earthli riches but because he lacketh christ ryches are rather hurtfull vnto hym than profite He hath in thys worlde noble kynred but because he lacketh Christ he is not onely obscure before GOD but also shall be coueted wyth perpetuall darcknes He hath prosperous helth leadeth a merye life in this worlde but because he laketh Christ it shal at last be sayed vnto hym that Abraham sayed to riche gloton sayinge sonne remember that thou haste receyued thy pleasures in thy lyfe therefore nowe art thou condemned Wherefore wyth all the thoughte of oure mynde we muste bende our selues to thys studye to knowledge Christe thorowe fayeth and when we knowe hym kepe hym But after that Christe maketh mencion againe of bred whaÌ„ he sayth I am y â— bred of life by by y â— Iewes thou ght vpoÌ„ MaÌ„na as they dyd before so that they thought w t them selues What doest thou boaste that thou arte the breade of lyfe whyche hath come downe from heauen What shall we saye than of Manna whyche oure fathers dyd eate in wylder nes Wylte thou gyue more excellente breade than Moyses gaâ—… 〈◊〉 ourâ—… fathers Of thys thynge also Christe preached before and yet â—…owe also he reherseth agayne the comparacion of Manna wyth hym selfe that hys maiestye shoulde be the more opened saying Your fathers haue eaten Manna in desert and are deade This is the breade descendyng downe froÌ„ heaueÌ„ that a man maye eate of it dye not I am the liuyng bread that am come downe from heauen If any man eate of this â—…de he shall lyue for euer Thys is the meaninge of that that Christe sayeth There is greate difference betwixte Manna and 〈◊〉 breade that is my selfe For MaÌ„na hathe not browghte lyfe to theym that did eate it for they that did eat Manna they are all deade But my breade or I my selfe brynge lyfe to theim that eateth me For they that eate my breade that is my selfe neuer dye but lyue for euer And Chryst in dede semeth whan he saieth Thys is the breade descendyng from heauen that a man should â—…t of it and not dye and addeth I am the liuynge breade whiche am come from heauen If anye eate of thys breade he shall lyue for euer â–ª to rehearse agayne playnelye all one thynge but thys rehearsynge agayne neyther is in vayne nor for naught superfluous but y â— one saying is the interpretacion of y â— other