spottes to continewe and contende into a more pure and perfyt lyfe euen so when we sit downe at the holy souper we bynde our selues into one loue and beleif in the promyse there rehersed that he gaue vs his bodye to be broken for vs And we bynde our selues to geue hym thankis perpetuall and euer to perseuer in our religion and faithe and in a louing Cristen concorde that we all there present mought euer more be made one brede one cuppe one bodye ioyntly cowpled togither as members vnto Criste our onely supreme heade spirituall ¶ The passage frome vnder the lawe vnto the grace of the gospell FOr a more perfyt preparaciō vnto our newe passouer lombe Criste ye shall knowe that whylis we passe ouer this transitory lyfe ether ar we vnder the lawe or els vnder grace as for them that ar vnder nether lawe nor grace yet wilbe called moste graciouse and grace it self nor yet of siche that so exalt them selues aboue God and his lawes that they suffer syn to haue siche dominiō ouer them that it ledeth them into what so euer they lust frely w t oute all punisshmēt for to do what they lyste and desyer I speke not of fering nether god nor man But yet ye shal note that there be two maner of lawes A polityk lawe made by men a spiritual lawe which at the commandements of God A man may be a iuste ciuyle man aftir a certayn ciuile iustice as were the Haithen Turkes and Saracens and yet very infidelis Also a man may apere to hymself to other to be iuste aftir the iustice rightwysenes of the lawe of the commandementis which Paule calleth our owne rightwysenes Ro. x. and Crist calleth it the rightwysenes of the pharisais yet before god a very dampnable ipocryte as were the pharisayes Paule hymself before his conuersion as nowe ar all y t wilbe iustifyed by their workis thīking them selues holyest of all men The offyce of the polityk lawe is with fere of punisshment by the swerde to refrayne euill men from thefte murther aduoutry iniuryes or trowbling of the comō peace which lawe is geuen as saith Paule i. Timo .i. to the iniuste wyked not to the iuste iustitia politica et ciuili aftir the ciuile iustice The spiritual lawe emonge many offyces hathe theis euē to shewe a mā his synnes then to feare hym for so offendīg god so to encrease syn for where is no lawe there is no transgression It worketh wrathe and the punisshment of God Nowe let vs se who is vnder this lawe Some there be that beleue y t this lawe of the commandemēts whiche is called spiritual because it requireth our affectes altogither mortifyed from all euill thoughtes desyers as baptisme techeth vs they fulfil it so lōge as they cōmitte no open or externe acte wherfore nether the ciuyle swerde nor the ecclesiastical censure may punissh them for as Moses saithe they lyue by or in them yea they thus lyuinge in the externe face vtwarde shewe of the doyng the dedis of the lawe think them selues holyest most honest perfyt of al men How abhominable so euer their thoughtis hertes be with in themselues polluted with inwarde sheding of innocēt bloude wronges desaytes falsehed lying pryde enuye malyce concupiscence almaner filthynes vntyll theise secrete sores and venome brekeforth into lyght yet then ar they not with oute some fayer excuse apparēt colour no lesse then Adā Eue pretexed their synnes with their brode fygge leaues so far of ar these ipocrytes to cōfesse their faultes Under this degre of the lawe ar all they y t apere to themselues and to siche lyke to fulfill the lawe right well to do more to to merit heuen by their dedis to breke into it like geauntes sell their ouerplus of their merits to the .v. folisshe virgens which were shut out at the gates whyles thei went to bye of their ouerplus oyle Under this degre of the lawe was Paule hymself whylis he persecuted the Cristianes and yet he lyued withoute the lawe Rom. vij that is to saye the lawe did not hir first offyce in shewing hym his syn Wherfore he saithe of hymself in that state of the lawe That hymself was a lyue but the lawe and synne were dead because the lawe not yet doing hir office in shewing hym his syn worked not the fere of god nor shewed hym his wrathe nor dethe nor punisshement for it for the spirit of the lawe as yet moued not his penne vpō his herte But nowe let the lawe come not wrytē in walles nor stones nor papyr but wryten in thyne herte with the fynger of the lawe geuer and tell the thy synnes shewing the whose hygh maiestye thou hast offēded so greuously Let hir worke in the hir seconde office in fering and trowbling thy consciēce w t dethe damp nacion hell then is the lawe and syn bothe a lyue in thy herte thyself ded witnes is Paule Ro. vij Here is a sodē contrary mutacion sed dextere excelsi but of the right hande of God This is the seconde degre of beyng vnder the lawe now y e lawe accuseth it maketh angry bothe thyself with thyself with the iugements punisshmēts of God it maketh y t god apereth to be wrath w t the to working now in the as Isay saithe a strange worke to worke his owne whiche is to bring the frome vnder the lawe to be vnder grace but yet thou knowest it not because y u art yet ded So lōg as a man is thus wrought of the Lorde he is in preparing hym vnto repentance leading hym vnto grace for the lawe in this degre is the vssher or scolemaster Gala .iij. that ledeth or taketh forthe the trowbled conscience vnto Crist calling hym saying Come ye vnto me all that ar pressed with burden I shall ease you Mat. xi Nowe is the grace of the gospell offred the on the whiche yf thou settest fastholde by faithe so art y ◠now vnder it certifyed of the benevolent fauour grace of god towerdes the so mercifully calling the continually his armes spred abrode to enbrace the. And yet to drawe the more nyghe vnto Crist to his father Thou hearest this thy fathers voyce saying vpon Crist. This is my derely beloued sone for whose saak onely I am apeaced wel pleased with the. And for because as one promyse foloweth a nother so encreaseth our faithe lyke the musterde sead aftyr many ioyfull cōfortable promyses in Crist he promiseth to geue vs his own body to be crucifyed and his bloude to be forthe drawne into the forgeuenes of our synnes When our faith therfore apprehēdeth this promise stedfastly then may not syn nor deth fere vs nomore for dethe is swallowed vp into victory the sting of dethe is
signifyed by y e sacramēt or figured by the figure hath euer y ◠promise vpō it As in baptisme y e holy gost is promysed vs of Christ and in the souper his bodye to be brokē and his blode to be shed for our synnes ar promysed to vs y t worthely receyue them And therfore our faith stayed vpō theis promyses obtayneth vs grace and sorgeuenes of synne once knowne y t God of his mere mercy withoute all our desertes maketh to vs theis promyses for Christes sake onelye And here by the waye to the questiō whether childrē dying before baptisme w t water or aftyr ere they by hearing the exteriour worde conceyue faith be saued or no I answere That for because they ar contayned vnder y ◠promyse of God made vnto Abraham Gen̄ xvij to be the God of hym and of his sead of whiche sead is y e childe seing that God is nowe the God of the gentylis and of their sead whom he calleth the childern of Abraham for his elecciōs sake therfore is euery Christen mans chylde contayned vnder the same promyse and by goddis eleccion saued dye it before or aftyr baptisme in his infancye ¶ Nowe shall ye see what godly doctryne our externe baptisme techeth all them that ar baptyzed KNowe ye not saith Paule that we who so euer be baptyzed into Iesu Crist ar we not baptyzed into his dethe Dethe therfore is the significacion effecte of the vtwarde baptisme which God neuer made the popis holy water to signifye nor to put vs in mynde of this baptisme whose exteriour acte in doping into the water techeth vs to dye with Crist y t is to saye to mortifye that olde Adam of ours to represse our sensuall carnall affectes and then are we baptized into Cristis deth to dye w t hym And when we thus dye from syn then burye we our synnes in the holes of his woundes as Paule saith we ar also buryed w t hym to ryse agen euē to be reuyued in spirit and to lede a newe lyfe in repentance nowe rysen agen with Crist. So y t baptyme bereth in it self Cristes deth his buryall his resurreccion to be practyzed in our bodyes and soules perpetually whyle we lyue Which lyfe what els is it then a perpetuall crosse euen y ◠same that men call penāce but yet not it that the preist inioyneth Here ye see that repentance or changing of our lyfe is included in baptisme is all one in effecte with it hauing hir two partes Mortificacion which they call contricion out of which there foloweth viuificaciō that is to lyue aftyr the spirit ¶ Repentance what it is with hir two partes Mortification and Uiuificacion as Paule calleth them Ro. viij AT last ye se howe it is come vnto theffecte of baptyme the very mystery doctrine thereof which is the dethe buryall resurrecciō of Crist to be exercysed practyzed in vs which heuey lyfe is our perpetuall penance all one in effecte w t baptyme as ye se Ro. vi Repentance therfore is the perpetual mortifiyng of our flesshe of our olde man whiche the very syncere fere and loue of God worketh in vs at the syght of our synnes seen and knowne by faith in Cristes dethe to bring for the hir worthey frutes that is to saye to lead siche a lyfe as correspondeth declareth are pentant cōuerted herte Penance therfore is the repentāce of our synnes with a chāging of our former lyfe into a newe and beter lyuing Which beginneth of faith in Cristes dethe whereinto we ar baptized by the spirit of faith knowledging our synnes beholden in Christes woundes For many as Cayn Saule Iudas did see their synnes in the stonney tables throne agenst the grownde broken of Moses were heuye with vnfrutefull repentance in so miche that fore heuynes and shame they destroyd themselues Which declareth it playnely that they did not see their synnes in Cristes dethe y e promysed sead to come which had dyed for them indeed had they so beleued in hym But we that se them in his dethe knowe and fele them by our faithe forgeuē whiche faithfull knowledg effectuouse by loue Galat .v. dryueth vs to repentance to lament y ◠euer we shuld cōmitte that thing which as it displeaseth our so louing mercifull father so did it bring his onely so derely beloued sonne that innocent lombe gyltlesse vnto the moste paynfull passion dethe Here here this corrasye freateth vs with fere shame trowblously grating vpon our consciences syghing and crying for mercye forgeuenes y t euer we shuld do that thing whiche cannot be forgeuen with oute the preciouse bloude of the sonne of God Crist God man Aftyr this mortificacion detesting of our former lyfe our faith setting hyr sewer holde vpon this promyse of our fathers voyce oute of heuē adse wering vs that this is his derely beloued sone for whose sake he is apeaced well pleased w t vs nowe receyued into grace we ar counfortably reuyued feling certifyed for our faithes saak in Crist y t our synnes shall not be imputed to vs nor we neuer more obbroyded of them before God When Crist therfore is puerly preched our synnes shewd vs in his dethe there verely and faithfully knowne there foloweth in all the faithfull hertes Repentance w t hir two partes as ye se Actes .ij. when Peter had preched Cristes deth resurrecciō and remission of synnes in them then were y e peple pricked heuey in mynde crying vnto Peter and to the other disciples ye men our brethern what shal we do Repente ye sayd they and be baptized euery one of you into y e name of Iesu Crist into y e remissiō of your synnes ¶ Baptisme compared with the Lordis souper THus passe we from baptisme vnto the passouer of y e Lorde compared togither That as the vtwarde baptyme dothe signifye the inwarde purging of the soule by y e holy gost thorow our faith beleuing y e wordis of promise for by faith hertis ar purifyed Act .xv. Euen so doth the vtwarde breking of the brede powering forth of the wyne geuen vs eaten dronkē signifye put vs in mynde of the brekinge crucifying of Cristis bodye sheding of his blode geuē for our synnes eatē dronken by faith not w t our bodely tethe flesshely mouthes Also as y e visible water signifyeth the inuisible grace so doth the visible brede brokē wyne powered forth and geuen vs signifye represent the inuisible fauour beneuolēce of our heuenly father whereby thorow Cristis deth our syns be forgeuē vs. And as the vtwarde baptyme byndeth vs by our owne profession to stonde to our promyse before God to forsake the deuill and all his suggestions and to cleue to one God vnto whom we ar nowe consecrated to mortifye our flesshe to pourge our
blonted y e power strength of syn euen the lawe is enerued one ioynte shakeÌ„ from another all by the victory of Cristes deth resurreccion whiche victorye is geuen to vs by Iesu Crist. To confirme this conflicte and progresse of maÌ„ from vnder the lawe vnto grace haue here playne examples of y e storye of the children of Israel whiche so long as they sawe Pharao his hoste at their tayles they were afrayed and ded baptyzed in the red sea which was a shadewe and fygure of our baptisme but when thei sawe their goyde Moses before them hearing this coÌ„fortable gospell y t is to weit Be not afrayd be you still The Lorde will fyght for you and so sawe y e waters smyten with Aarons staffe diuyded before their eyes the staffe of y e worde of God diuideth from vs the waters of adfâ—iccion they went thorow gladly sewerly with grete glory and triumphe synging on the tother syde when they loking bak sawe their enymyes drowned with the same waters that were their saluacion Many siche passages had they those .xl. yeres so often tempted eftsone conforted agene Siche dayly passages we feel in our selues syn dethe hell assaughting vs to dryue vs vnder grace vnto the whiche we ar come so sone as we heare Crist saying Take herte coÌ„fidence to you for I haue ouercomen syn deth hell The waters of trowble must nedis be deuyded and geue place to as many as aspyre vnto the grace of the gospell What els was fygured by the turning of their eyes from the fyery stinging serpentes vnto the brasone serpeÌ„t exalted in the wyldernes There was a grete wrestling all the night betwixt Iacob the aungell whiche fygured our state vnder the. ij degre of the lawe whom Iacob wold not let go tyll in the morning the aungell had blessed hym and tolde hym his name also changed Iacobs name for Israell whylis we therfore se our synnes in our selues in the lawe whiche worketh wrathe Ro. iiij maketh synne to abownde and encrease Ro. vij we ar Iacobites wresteling in derkenes with an vnknowne messagere working astrange worke to do his owne in making vs Israelites that is trewe faithfull beholding and acknowleging God to be our God forgeuing vs our synnes in Crist This aungell of God yf we perseuer in this derke and perellouse batayle with hym vnder the lawe wyll gladly geue vs y e victory vnder the bryght morning of the grace of the gospell at last aftir grete longe affliccion coÌ„fort vs with his name tolde vs to be our almighty one alone for all sufficient sauiour As did Ioseph aftyr long trowbling fering molesting his brethreÌ„ father to at last with teares wepiÌ„g shewed hymself to be their owne brother Ioseph whom god had sent thither before for their grete counfort Let vs therfore fyght coÌ„stantly contende in this mightly batail to excercyse our faithe that we might be enstructe armed with pacience peace of conscience vntyll the morning of Cristis counfort helpe be sprongen ouer vs albeit yet we halt withe Israell one the one foot that is to saye we feele our flesshe alto weak to walke vpright in Cristes precepts our affects strogling yet agenst his spirit This miche be sayd for the feling trying of our selues to be prepared vnto the worthey receyuing of the Lordis souper ¶ The institucion of the souper of the Lorde UUhen Crist sate at his last souper w t his disciples he toke the brede in his handes gaue thankes to his father and broke it gaue to euery one of his disciples thereof saying Take it eat it this is my bodye which is broken for you And lyke wyse of the cuppe saying This cuppe is the newe testament or couenant in my blode Se that ye do this as oft as ye shal do it do it into the remembrance of me Let vs now beholde obserue diligently for our doctryne the accion with all the circunstances of this souper we shall se with y e eye of our faith meruellouse present consolacioÌ„ Wherfore this holy souper ought hyghly with all reuerence to be eaten treated Here we se with our bodely eyes the holy brede brokeÌ„ the holy wyne powerdforth for holy it is nowe coÌ„secrated into so holy an vse but with y e eye of our faith we se presently Cristis body broken his bloude forth powerd into the remissioÌ„ of our synnes Agene we see with our exterior eyes y e brede wyne geuen to vs but with the eye of our faith we se as presently his body crucifyed his blode shede geuen vs Now is his body thus broken and his blode thus shed all togither ours for euer Now is Crist thus once suffering rysen sitting on the right hand of his father all ours w t is perpetuall prayer For what thing is more frely ours then that whiche is geuen vs with his owne mouthe delyuered vs with his owne handis into our haÌ„dis mouthes yea but wherefore is he thus geuen vs verely to eate and to drinke hym That at we eate drinke bodely is receyued into our bodyes conuerted into our substance made all one flesshe blode with ours we all one with it And her must we ascende into that spirituall eating drinking by faith whereof Crist spoke Io. vi saying My wordis ar spirit and lyfe the flesshe profiteth not It is the spirit y t geueth this lyfe wherof y e iuste lyueth It is the soule that eateth lyueth by this bread not our bodyes of the which eting saith Io. Who so eteth my flesshe drinketh my blode he dwelleth in me I in hym Nowe therefore our soules thus eating hym by faith haue Crist present he is in vs by grace gouerning vs with his holy goste And he y t gaue vs hymself it cannot be other wyse but with hym is geueÌ„ vs also all y t is his ether done or suffred of hym in his bodye Then ar we sewer by our faith in this worde Dedit dicens accipite he gaue it vs saying take it that he is ours w t all his He was borne therfore for vs of his mother y t we shuld be borne agene by baptim of the holy goste He was borne for vs the sonne of man y t we thorow hym might be the sonnes of God he was tempted for vs and bore awaye the victory y t his victory might be ours he fulfilled the lawe was the most rightwyse that his rightwysenes might be ours his wysedom kouereth our folisshnes his holynes correcketh our vnbeleif his innoceÌ„tye swaloweth vp our wykednes his redempcion setteth vs in a spirituall libertye he was made weake to make vs strong mortal to make vs immortal He descended into the erth that we shuld asceÌ„de into heuen his deth is
our lyfe taketh awaye our synnes for deth worthy dampnacion he geueth vs hymself in this present souper our euerlasting lyfe saluacion he is made for vs of the father our rightwysenes our redemptiō satisfaccion c. And as Isay saith he was woūded for our transgressions so smyten for our vngodlynes for the punisshmēt for our correcciō and peacemaking was layd vpon hym and by his strypes and his hurt we ar healed the Lorde layd all our wykednes vpon hym to pardon vs These therfore his present gyftis wordis cannot deceyue vs Take it eat it this is my bodye which is for you broken for in that he biddeth vs take it he certifyeth vs that he is all ours And in that he biddeth vs eat it he adsewerthe vs hymself to be all one substance with vs God and man deifying our souls sanctifying our bodyes to be glorifyed w t his in the resurreccion of our flesshe We muste therfore obserue diligently these wordes he gaue it vs bidding vs take it eat it and drink it and especially these wordis added which is for you broken which is for you geuē which for your synnes is shed For herein consisteth the peathey waight our present counforte here is that heuēly spirituall fode of our soules wherewith we ar refresshed dayly counforted confirmed for euer So oft therfore as we do celebrate this holy souper we must do it into y e remembrance of his dethe for this incomparable benefit loue vnable to be expressed rendering to hym prayse glory thankes immortal which lyueth and raigneth with the father and holy goste for euer Amen Moreouer ye shal diligently obserue That in the scriptures where .ij. or .iij. thinges be so inseperably knit togither that ether one of them may not be diuyded from another or els one muste nedis folowe the tother It is attributed to the one that at verely pertayneth to the tother and one name serueth them bothe or all thre As forbecause at the preching of the gospell there foloweth some Cristen congregacion gathered togither in the beleif thereof at last thei possede y e kingdome of heuen therfore is the gospell or the remission of synnes which foloweth the preching thereof called the kyngdom of heuen as in Mat. iij. Repent ye for nighe is the kyngdom of heuen sayd Io. bap where the kyngdom of heuen is taken for the remission of synnes or for the gospell And in the xviij who is gretest in the kyngdom of heuen there is it taken for the congregacion of the faithfull And forbecause meat is not eaten without brede therfore is brede takē for meat and for almaner bodely sustinance In the persone of Crist where the godhed is inseperably knit to his manhed it is attributed to the manhed that whiche verely pertayneth to the godhed as in Io. iij. Noman ascendeth into heuen but he that is descended the sonne of man which is in heuen here the sonne of man is taken for the godhed for as yet when he spake these wordis his manhed was not ascended The scripture saith Crist dyed when it was his manhed onely that suffered Now to my purpose In the signes or sacraments ther ar many thingis inseperably ioyned togither yf thei be of Cristis ordināce as ye se in this diuisiō order folowing wherfore euery one is called by the same name y t the tother is called which sodē sondrely attributing of the same name subsultatory speche not knowne nor obserued make men to apere to speke strangely yea erroneously to some mē when thei bothe beleue and speke trwly and godlye ¶ In Baptime 1 The Element is water 2 The worde of institucion is Go your wayes and teche all nacions baptizing them into y e name of the father the sone and holy goste Mat. xxviij which wordes with the Element make the Sacrament 3 The worde of promyse is Mar. the last ca. Whoso beleueth and is baptized shalbe saued Faith in this promise maketh present the holy gost in y e beleuers hert now borne a newe 4 The thing is the holy gost making holy purifying renewing y e soule ¶ In the Souper of the Lorde 1 The Elemēts ar Brede wyne 2 The wordis of institucion ar these When Iesus had soupt he toke y e brede in his handis c. which wordis dewly spoken it is the Sacrament 3 The wordis of promyse ar these Whoso eteth my flessh and drinketh my blode dwelleth in me and I in hym Io. vi The beleif in this promyse bringeth the thing present into the herte of the faithfull receyuer of the sacrament 4 The thing is the bodye of Crist crucifyed and his bloude shed into the remission of thy synnes Nowe ar these speches trewe The sacrament of baptime is the regeneracion and the renouaciō of the holygost purifying and geuing saluacion so that it be attributed vnto the cheif thing in the sacrament which is the holy gost Lykewyse yf it be asked whether in the sacrament of the souper of y e Lorde there be the very naturall and reall bodye of Crist thou seest it the fowerth in order and is so called for the inseperable vnion of it with y e sacramēt wordis and element so that the brede is so called the worde is so called and y e thing it self must nedis be called the same that it is The breds and the worde ar so called sacramētally but the thing is so called verely really and naturallye And here is offered the questiō whether an infidele or an vnworthey wyked persone eteth the body drinketh the bloud of Crist at the souper Unto the whiche Austen answereth very wel in his .xxi. boke of the cetye of God putting difference betwixt the sacrament which standeth vpō the Elements and wordis of instituciō betwixt y e thing which stōdeth in the wordis of promyse and faith ther to ioyned And agene in a sermone of the sacramēts of the faithfull These ar his wordis He that dwelleth not in Crist nor Crist in hym dowtlesse he nether eteth his flesshe nor drinketh his blode albeit vnto his own condemnacion he eteth and drinketh the sacrament of so grete a thinge Here ye se that one maye receyue the elements as the brede and wyne not the thing As was Symon Magus baptyzed in water receyuing the sacrament yet not the holygost renewing hym And Iudas sittīg at this souper did eat the sacrament of the brede wyne but not y e thing for satan saith Io. xiij entred into hym aftir Crist had raught hym the morsell of brede ¶ What it is worthely or onworthely to receyue the sacrament FIrst ye shal knowe that there cometh no frute vnto any receyuers of any sacrament but onely vnto them that call into mynde the deth of Crist with holy deuoute remembrance y t he was crucifyed for their synnes wassheth them awaye w t his blode
the body of Crist that is to say examyn and proue hymself whether hym self be of the body of Crist and the trwe intiere hole mēber of his chirche which ether know not Cristis lawe or institucion or wil reiecte it Wherfore the trw prechers teche that nether our lippes ar to be prepared nor mouthes and gomes to be wasshed that we might worthely receyue it miche lesse gloriouse costly aparel choise of day nor nowmbir to be sought for it nether to attribute any thīg to our selues for our own worthey preparingis by confessions auriculare penance enioyned satisfacciōs or other good merits For Crist did not institute this table for men filled w t workis trust in their owne merits but for men fasting y t is to saye of faith humbled contrite afflicte in spirit nothing ascribīg to their owneselues Thei hunger not for Crist y t ar full with in their owne iugement nomore then they admit receyue y e phisiciō that apere hole in themselues But it behoueth here to remember the reiecte pharisay puft vp with the bosting of his owne workis y e receyued publicane cōfessing his own synnes And in fewe wordis they proue not themselues a right which make clene the vtwarde syde of the disshe the insyde alfowle when in the onely mynde herte ether pure or vnpure clene or fowle it stondeth whether we receyue the sacramēt worthely or vnworthely Furtheremore as Iohn to witnes there is noman without syn so is there some synne vnto deth some not vnto deth They syn vnto deth that obstinately perseuer in open crymes wetingly or els of an affected ignorance impugning the trwth neuer examining nor prouīg themselues tryed at the worde of god which eting this holy souper eat drinke their owne condemnaciō But the other that syn not vnto deth beyng penitent albeit they be negligent in the prouing of themselues by the reason of the frayltye of their flesshe and of some ignorāce for whom we they ought to praye yet for their indignite ar siche tryed punisshed of the Lorde vnto their own correcciō lest they be cōdemned w t the worlde when the indignite of the first that syn vnto dethe asketh deth perpetuall condemnaciō where ye se the gylte of the ether vnworthey is vnlyke which cometh of the abuse of the sacramēt For vnto y e one vnworthey parte the faulte gylte bringeth cōdemnaciō to the tother it bringeth but transitory punisshment for their correccion For the Apostle techethe that at Corinthe there were many beleuers y t were plaged with trāsitory paynes for that thei behaued themselues at this holy souper negligētlyer then y e dignite of the thīg requyred therfore were they smyten not onely with deceases but also with deth temporal that other lyke rasshe negligent vnworthey eaters fered at their ensample shuld be ware admonisshed For euen sodē dethe is a payne inflicte for syn Act. v. For in y t the Apostle sayd Many sleape we vnderstāde that siche punisshed persons shuld lyue agene in ioye for the scripture saithe them to sleap which shal ryse into glory therfore he saith playnly that they ar corrected of the Lorde lest they shuld be condempned w t the worlde Of whose sorte doutelesse were they whom the Apostle rebuketh partely because the congregacion of the pore not taryed for they did eate the souper as thoughe it had ben theirowne priuate souper so that they excedinge with a certayn excesse and superfluite sought y e meat of their owne bellyes rather then the meat of their mynde nothing regarding the nede pouertye of their owne members And partely because they were puftvp with a certayne suppinite sloughissh ease and idlenes mixing themselues withe the haithen idollaters of their owne cyte eating drinking with them at their tables before their idols not remembring the sclawnder geuen to their weker brethern redemed with Cristes blode Sewerly their offences might haue semed but lyght to themselues which had knowledge as it were in thīges of themselues not hurtfull might apere in sight not vnlawful but indifferēt as some of our ceremonyes apere to some men this daye But yet dothe saynt Paule prosecute note them with siche ernest grauite y t not onely the self souper but also y e mystery therof he so layth it before our eyes that he affirmeth by siche offences we prouoke the wrath of God vpon vs that he wolde therby so warne vs bothe the excellēcye of the sacrament also the dignite therof so requyring that we shuld haue this circūspeccion euen in euery acte of our lyfe ryte to holde kepe our selues wysely with oute all maner offendicle within the limites of mesure and disciplyne When the congregacion therfore admit not vnto this souper open criminou se persons except thei espye some euidēt tokens of repentance they do it aftyr then sample of Paule delyuerīg vp vnto satā y t incestuouse Corinthean which defyled his owne stepe mother So y t it folowth yet that of these men the brede wyne is receyued most vnworthely which albeit thei be not openly knowne of the congregaciō yet vnto dethe to their owne damnaciō may thei eat and drinke it for their own hid obstinate perseuerāce in syn wherby thei ar excluded from y e heretage of heuē Of the which sorte ar thei that for fere of shame for lucre aduauntage fayne themselues of Cristes religion of the gospell as did Symon Magus pryse the powr of god to do miracles y t he might be the more estemed emōg his owne facciō Or siche as for fauour or aduauntage to be estemed retayned dissemble their vngodlynes cloked with holy orders succession of apostles with apostleship bisshopryk as did Iudas the betrayer whiche although he had made a bargayn with y e pharisais agreed bothe of the pryce of Crist Cristians to be solde yet he retourned vnto the same messe at the Lordis table to be partaker with his disciples of the same sacrament At this messe with Iudas sitte they or stāde all hipocrytes pharisayes papistes simoniaks filthey concubyne kepers aduouterers prowd prelats dronkerds deuowerers couetuouse persons maliciouse murtherers yet fayne thei a dayly eare confession y t they might in sight worthely apere to come to the holy souper nothing lesse ypocrytes concubynaryes fornicatours c. so y t yf they shuld lye a dying yet shuld thei not vntyl the synnes forsake them leaue their abhominable prodigiouse beastely lyuing But in what place of the vnworthey receyuers these men ought to be put which not onely by their abhominable abuse haue changed altered this most holy souper by their own newe strāge decreed vayne rytes vngodly tradicions haue so violated and brokē Cristes first instituciō y t of the same souper that Crist celebrated cōfirmed by his inuiolable