well that yf theyr visours hadde ben of theyr facys shame wolde not haue suffred theym to sette forthe a fote ¶ And mayster 〈◊〉 vnder his 〈◊〉 face forceth not myche to shyfte a false caste amonge wyth a payre of false dyce ¶ And therfore syth thys man by wythdrawynge his name from hys booke hath done on a visour of dyssimulacyon dyssimulynge his person to voide the shame of his fashed and speketh to mych to be called mayster 〈◊〉 whyche name he were els well worthy for hys false dyce I shall in this dyspicyon bytwene hym and me be 〈◊〉 for thys onys syth by some name muste I call hym for lacke of hys other name to call hym mayster 〈◊〉 And thus finishynge 〈◊〉 preface we shall begynne the mater The fyrst booke The. i. chapyter MAyster 〈◊〉 hath in thys hys poysened treatice agaynst Crystes hole some so 〈◊〉 xxxii leuys In y e first xiiii wherof he expowneth vs the later parte of the syxte chapyter of saynt 〈◊〉 And incidently by the way the man maketh as though he answered the reasons whiche I made in my letter agaynste the pestylent treatice that fryth made fyrst agaynst the blessed sacramēt And in the same xiiii leuys also he bryngeth forth two thynges for specyall notable wherin he sayth I haue openly cōtraryed myn 〈◊〉 wrytynge ¶ I wyll good reader peruse the re manaūt of hys booke after this fyrst part answered In whyche conteynyng these thre thynges that I haue 〈◊〉 you the fyrst hath he so han desed y t all were there not as there are in dede dyuerse false 〈◊〉 interfaced therin yet it were for the mater of very sleyght effecte For in his exposiciō he nothyng toucheth nor cometh nere to the thyng wherin the poynt of all the mater standeth ¶ The secund point hath he so well treated in hys argumentacyon that the reasons whyche I laye agaynste Frith mayster Masker fyrst falsely reherseth and after so folyshely soyleth that he leueth thē more stronger agaynst hym whan he hath done 〈◊〉 he fownde them whan he bygan ¶ And as for the thyrde poynt concernynge hys notable notys of suche thynges as he sayeth to myne ouersyghte them he so garnessheth setteth out so semely to the show that I wolde no man sholde euer after this daye truste any worde that I shall wryte but yf ye se mayster 〈◊〉 pfaynesy proued therin eyther so folyshe as no man shold trust his wyt or so false that no man shold trust his trouth Let vs therfore now come to the fyrste point that is to wytte hys exposicyon The. ii chapyter THe whole summe of his 〈◊〉 is that our sauyour 〈◊〉 those wordes takynge occasion of the myracle that he so late before had wrought among them in fedyng fyut thousand of thē with fyue barly louys and two fysshes dyd in those wordes vppon theyr new resort vnto hym whan they folowed hym to Capharnaum fyrst rebuke blame them bycause they soughte hym not for the miracles that they had sene hym wurke but bicause they had ben fedde by hym fylled theyr belyes and that therfore our sauyour exhorted them to labour rather to gete that meat that neuer sholde perysshe Op pon whiche exhortacyon whan the Iewes asked hym what they sholde do wherby they sholde wurke y e wur kes of god Chryst sayd vnto them that the wurke of god was to byleue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hym whom the father had 〈◊〉 ¶ Thā goeth he ferther she weth that vpon the wordes of the Iewis askyng our lord what tokē he shewed for whiche they shold byleue in hym syth theyr forefathers had gyuen thē the brede of Māna in deserte of whi che it was writen he gaue them bred from aboue our lorde shewed them that Moses gaue them not that bred from heuen but his owne father had geuen them the very brede that was descended from heuen and that oure lorde there by all the remanaunt of those wordes in the sayd syxte chapiter of sait Iohn̄ declareth that hym selfe is that very bred is to be 〈◊〉 by the fayth and the byliefe y t Chrystes 〈◊〉 and body was broken and his bloude shed for our synnes And so expowneth he forth all these wordes of Chryst applyeng them onely to the declaracyon of his passyon to be suffred for our redempcion and that our sauyour wold haue them by leue that point that the byliefe of y t point was ment by the eatynge and that that fayth and byliefe is y e 〈◊〉 of our soules ¶ The whole somme of his exposicyō is this in al his sayd xiiii 〈◊〉 I mene not that this is all that euer he sayth therin for I leue out his cir cumstaunces his garnysshynge his notes his argumentacions his contencyons with me his mokkes his tauntys agaynst all catholyke folke his many folde heresyes also with all whiche here and there he furnyssheth all the progresse of his paynted processe all whiche thynges I shall after touche by them selfe But the somme the substaunce and the ende wherto all the whole processe of his exposicyō cometh is this that I haue rehersed you The. iii. chapyter BUt now good chrysten readers all this exposicyō were it neuer so trew neuer so comely nor neuer so cunnyngly handeled yet were it as I tolde you before very farre from the purpose For this exposicyō myghte be good ynough yet myght Thryste in those wordes teache the thynge that we speke of 〈◊〉 that is to wytte besyde the teachyng them that hym selfe was the very brede y t was descended from heuyn to gyue lyfe to the world and that he sholde suffre deth for the synnes of y e world and that they shold byleue these thyn ges and so eate hym 〈◊〉 by fayth he myghte I saye teche in those wordes also that he wolde gyue vnto men his very body his very 〈◊〉 to eate and his very bloud to drinke and that he wolde that they shold byleue that lesson also And wrth y e spy rituall eatynge therof by farth receyue and eate also his very blessed body flesshe and bloude by the mouth not in his owne flesshely forme as y e flesshely Iewes mysse toke it but as hym selfe than ment it and parte there expowned it and by his institu 〈◊〉 dyd after more clerely declare it informe of brede and wyne in y e blessed sacrament of the aulter ¶ It is I trow good readers to no man almost vnknowen that the holy scrypture of god is in suche meruelous maner by the profound wysedome of his holy spyryte for y e more plentuouse profyte of his chyrche de uised indyghted and wryten that it hath not onely that one sense trewe which we call the litterall sence that is to wytte that sence whiche for the fyrst lessō therof god wold we shold perceiue and lerne but also diuerse other sensys spirytuall pertaynynge to the profyte of our maners and instrucciōs in sūdry vertues by meane of 〈◊〉 openyng
therfore I wolde haue you desyre it of hym that may geue it you And yet ys not that my father onely but my selfe also Now be it yf I shold byd you aske it of me and pray me geue you thys grace you be so farre frome the bylyefe in me that ye wolde not do it And therfore not spekynge of myne owne power I tell you all of the power of the father y t without hym ye can not come to me bycause I wold haue you praye to hym that he wold geue you the grace that as ye know by faith and knowlege hym all 〈◊〉 for god so ye maye knowe by fayth and knowlege hym for my father to and than shal you by the same fayth knowe and knowlege me also for his sone And than shall you not murmur at my wordes but humbly come to me as to the sone not of Ioseph but of god knowlege me for the quyche brede y e is descended from heuyn For euery man that hath herd this lesson of my father and hath not onely herd it but also lerned it he cometh as I haue told you to me But yet thys wyll I tell you that neuer man saw my father yet But he that is of god that is to wytte my selfe ye. am hys owne sone he hath sene the father and so hath no man ellys And therfore the lesson that any man hereth and lerneth of my father he muste here of hym by me and lerne it by the in ward wurke of my father with whose wurke I wurke also And so shall he come to me thoro we perfyt well wurkynge faith in me And I tell you very trouth he that so byleueth in me and perseuereth at his deth in that perfite bylief is sure of eternall lyfe For I am as I dyuerse tymes now haue told you the very brede of life your fathers that murmured as you do now dyd eate the brede of māna in desert and they be dede and perysshed Leue therfore that wronge waye of your fore fathers leue your grudge your murmur and labour to my father that he may brynge you to me by suche faith as ye maye eate this brede that is my selfe For thys brede is brede descendyng from heuyn for the nonys that who so maye eate be fedde of that shal not peryshe by euerlastyng deth For I tell you yet agayn y t I am the quyche brede that am descēded from heuyn Who so euer come to me by my fathers bryngyng so that by perfyt perseueraūce and well wurkyng fayth he may eate be fedde of thys brede that ys to wytte attayne the fruicyon of my gloryouse godhed with the gloryouse syght wherof the angels are fedde in heuyn he shal be sure of euerlastynge lyfe The. xiii chapyter WHere as our saurour good readers in the begynnynge vppon accasyō of his miracle wrought vpon the multyplicaciō of the brede to wched bothe the brede of hys godhed and also of the geuynge them of his owne body to be eaten in forme of bred that he som what dyd insinuate set forththe same in those wordes wurke you not the bred y t peryssheth but y e bred y t abideth into euerlasting life which y e sone of mā shal geue you as I som what tolde you before not of myne own mynde but of y e mynde of dyuerse holy doctours Alcuinus saynte Thomas Theophylactus and saynte Cyrill Ye se that our sauyour in many wordes wpych I haue now declared you hath opened shewed vnto theym the brede of hys godhed ¶ And now good readers take hede how in those wordes that now folow he declareth vnto thē the brede of his own very body which he gyueth vs verily to eate in the blessed sacramēt Wherin that exposicyon that I shall geue you shall be none inuencyon of myne but the clere fayth and sentēce of all the holy doctours of Chrystes chirch olde and new both from Chri stesdeth to this daye Of whome I shall for a sample geue you ere I make an ende the names and the sen tences of some as suche as your self shall well se and perceyue for other maner men than I am or mayster Masher eyther that yf they were good men and trewe ye shall than your selfe saye that mayster Masher is nought and false and that his exposicion though it were trewe as is bothe folysshe and false yet syth it cometh not nere the purpose is as I tolde you before very falsely han deled ¶ Let vs here now therfore of the 〈◊〉 of Chrystes owne blessed body verify to 〈◊〉 to eate in the blessed sacrament what Chryste hym selfe sayth ¶ After his declaracion of the brede of his glorious godhed these are his wordes And the brede that I shall geue you is my fleshe whych I shall geue for the lyfe of the world ¶ where as before they murmured at the lyght spyrytuall brede of hys godhed he telleth them now that he wyll not onely geue them that brede to fede vppon by fruycyon of the by holdynge face to face whan the tyme shall come as he hath also gyuen yt theym in one maner all redy by his in carnacyon to fede them spyrytually in the meane whyse by spyrytuall doc tryne but that the brede that he wyll geue them to fede vppon shall besyde that be his owne flesshe euyn the very same that he wyll geue for the lyfe of the worlde menynge that he wolde veryly geue men the same very flesshe to eate and fede vppon bothe bodyly and spyritually in 〈◊〉 braunce of his deth that he wold for mannys redempcyon veryly geue to deth and veryly for a sacryfyce offre vp to god by deth ¶ But now sayth mayster Masher the aduersary of the blessed sacramēt y t our sauyour ment no more in those wordes And the brede y t I shal geue you is my flesshe whych I shall geue for the lyfe of the worlde but that he wold geue it for the lyfe of the world by hysdeth and ment no thynge at all of the geuynge of his flesshe before his deth or after hys deth nor nothynge in these wordes or any that in the same chapyter folowe entended to speke of any suche maner of geuynge his body to eate as he is receyued and eaten in the blessed sacrament nor nothynge ment in thys chapyter any thynge to speke of that mater ¶ Thus wolde mayster Masker that all men sholde wene as it appereth playnely by his exposicion And thus also sayth Luther thus sayth Fryth also affermeth this sayenge so boldely that he saith it twyse in his one booke wherin he answereth me There in sayth he twyse that all ler ned men are full and whole agreed in that poynt ¶ And therfore wyll these aduersaryes of the sacramēt say that in this exposicyon of myne all that euer I saye wherby it maye apperc that our sauyour in these word writen in this vi chapiter of saynt Iohn̄ any thyng spake
not onely a fygure but also the flesshe of Chryste But whan we proue that the blessed sacramēt is not onely called the body and bloude of Chryst but also y e the olde holy doctours and the exposytours of holy scrypture do playnely declare that it is so than proue we playne agaynst them For we denye none of y e tother two poyntes but thys poynt do they denye The. xiiii chapyter YEt to th entent that ye may se that mayster Masker in his exposicyō doth but playnely mocke you consider yet agayne these vordes well Et panis qnem ego dabo caro 〈◊〉 est quam ego dabo pro mundi 〈◊〉 whyche texte albe it that in the latyn it be som what otherwyse that is to wytte Et panis quem ego dabo caro mea est pro mūdi uita without these wordes quem ego dabo in the secūd place whiche laten texte were yet more for my purpose yet syth not onely the greke texte is as I rehersed you fyrst whyche was the language wherin the uangelyst wrote but that also bothe the greke expositours and many of the laten exposytours to do so expowne it and that though those wordes were out yet they be such as the sentence wolde well requyre to repete and vnderstande and finally bycause I fynde that mayster Masker hym selfe doth in his exposycion take that texte in the fyrste fasshyon onely chaungynge one worde in the secund place y e is to wytte this word geue into thys word paye whiche chaunge he maketh as for an exposicyon I am content to take the texte as hym selfe dothe that is to wytte after the fyrst maner thus And the brede that I shall geue you is my flesshe which I shall geue for y e lyfe of the world ¶ Consyder now good reader that in these wordes our sauiour here spe keth of geuynge his flesshe twyse by whyche he meneth that in the tone ge uyng he wold geue it to them and in the tother geuynge he wolde geue it for them The tone geuynge was in the blessed sacrament the tother was on the crosse ¶ And loke now whyther the very wordes of Chryst agre wyth this ex posycyon or not the wordes ye wote well be these and the brede that I shall geue you is my flesshe Mere is lo the tone geuyng by which he shall sayth he geue his flesshe to theym Than sayth he ferther whyche I shall gyue for the lyfe of the world So here he telleth them of the tother gyuynge by whyche he sholde geue it for them And bycause hys geuyng to them sholde be a memoryall of his geuynge for them therfore he spake of them both to gether But yet bycause his princypall purpose was to speke in that place not of his geuyng of hys flesshe for them but of his ge uynge it vnto them therfore of hys geuynge it to them he maketh after a very playne and expresse declaracyō in many playne open wordes but of hys geuynge it for theym he spake but a lytell and as is were but for a declaracyon of the tother geuynge For whan he had sayd and the brede whyche I shall gyue you shal be my flesshe than to declare that he ment to geue them hys very fleshe he added therto these wordes whiche I shall gyue for the lyfe of the worlde As though he wolde saye wyll you wytte what flesshe this brede is that I wyll gyue to you veryfy the selfe same that I wyll geue for you and not onely for you but for the lyfe of the whole worlde to that is to wytte for as many of the worlde as whan they here it preched wyll not refuse to take it And therfore whā ye know hereafter whiche flesshe of myne I shall haue gyuen for you vppon the crosse thā shal you not nede to do 〈◊〉 whiche flesshe of myne I shall giue you in the brede of the sacrament excepte you 〈◊〉 not to byleue me For now I tell you as playne as I can that it shal be the fame flesshe ¶ This exposycyon good readers ye se is euydent open and playne But now se good readers for godde sake the falsehed of mayster Masker in hys exposycyon vppon y e same wordes Where as our sauyour as you se speketh in these few wordes of these two geuynges the geuynge to eate and the geuynge to dye the ge uynge in the sacrament the geuyng on the crosse cometh me now maister Masker and expowneth Chrystes wordes all to gether of the tone geuynge that is to wytte the geuynge by deth on the crosse and letteth the tother geuynge go by as though he saw it not albe it that Chryst speketh of that gyuynge both fyrst and most ¶ Now yf mayster Masker wyll say that I do but fayne these two ge uynges and saye as he sayth often that Chryste ment there but one geuynge that is to wytte by hys deth and wyll saye that Cryste speketh there no worde of the sacrament I shall tell hym agayne that so myghte mayster Masker marre all his owne exposycyō vtterly For Cryst whan he sayth whiche I shall gyue for the lyfe of the worlde speketh no word in the world neyther of his crosse nor of his deth If he say that they be vn derstanden thā must he geue me leue to say the lyke for my parte that as deth the crosse are vnderstondē in y e tone geuing so eatyng the sacramēt is vnderstonden in y e tother geuynge Now be it for my part yet touchyng the fyrst geuyng I may say y t Cryst speketh of the sacramēt signyfyeth his menyng in this word brede whā he sayth the brede that I shall geue you is my fleshe And of the eatynge therof he speketh expressely after And therfore shall mayster Masker neuer wade out therof but that I ha ue the wordes of the scrypture mych more clere for the fyrst geuyng than he for the secund And ye may se that of the two geuynges mayster Masker to mocke vs with hath in hys exposycion of a folysh wylynesse wynked and dyssembled the tone ¶ But yet if maister Masker striue with me styll vpō this point whither our sauyour speke of two geuynges of hys fleshe or but of one albe it y e I haue proued my part therin metely playne my selfe yet am I content that a better than we both shall breke y t stryfe bytwen vs. I shall therfore name you y t holy cūnyng doctour sait Bede whose worde I trust euery wyse man wyll byleue a lytell better thā eyther maister Maskers or myn So thus sayth saint Bede vpō these wordes of Chryste And the brede whych I shall gyue is my body whiche I shall geue for the lyfe of the worlde Thys brede sayth saynte Bede dyd ourforde gyue whan he gaue the sacrament of hys body and hys bloude vnto his dyscyples and whan be offered vp hym selfe to god hys father vppon the awtre of the crosse ¶ Here you se
as the Chomystycall papystes saye ben inuisyble wyth all 〈◊〉 dymencyoned body vnder the forme of bredetranssubstancyated into it And after a lyke Chomistycall mystery the wyne transsubstancyated to into hys blonde so that they sholde eate his flesh and drynke his blonde after theyr owne carnall 〈◊〉 andynge but yet in another forme to put away all grudge of stomake Or syth saynt 〈◊〉 yt he had thus vnderstode hys maysters mynde and toke vpon hym to wryte hys maysters wordee wold leue this sermon vnto the worlde to be redde he my 〈◊〉 now haue delyuered vs and them from this dowte But Chryst wolde not so satysfye theyr questyon but answered veryly veryly I say vnto you excepte ye eate the flesshe of the sone of man and drynke his bloude ye shall not haue that lyfe in your selues He that eateth my flessh and drynketh my blonde hath lyfe euerlastynge and I shall steve hym vp in the laste daye For my flesshe is very meate my bloude the very drynke He sayth not here that brede shal be transsubstancyated or conuerted into his body nor yet the wyne into his bloude ¶ 〈◊〉 good chrysten readers thys man here in a folysshe iestynge and mych blasphemouse raysyng maner agaynst the conuersyon of the brede and wyne into the blessed body and bloude of Chryste in the hlessed sacrament in conclusyon as for a clere confutacyon of me of saynt Thomas bothe vppon whyche holy doctour and saynt he foly shely iesteth by name he argueth as youse that 〈◊〉 Chryst had entended to haue geuen them his flesshe and his bloude in the sacrament than myght he haue decla red it more openly with mo wordes and more playnly And than mayster Masker deuiseth Chryst the wordes that he wold haue had hym say yf he had so ment And therin the blasphemouse beste deuyseth that he wolde haue had our sauyour say y t he wold play as iuglers do and slyly conuay hym selfe into a singyng lofe that our sauyour so doth he sayth is myne opinion wherin the man is shameles shamefully bylyeth me For I saye as the catholyke fayth is that he not conuayeth but conuerteth the brede into his owne body and chaungeth it therin to and neyther conuayeth as he speketh his body into the brede for than were the brede and his bles sed body bothe together styll which false opinion is Luthers heresy and that knoweth this man well inough and therefore sheweth hym selfe shamelesse in layenge that opinion to me nor also conuerteth not his blessed body into brede for that were yet mych worse For thā remaineth there nothynge ellys but brede styll that is ye wote well mayster Maskers owne heresy for whiche he wryteth agaynste me and therfore is he dowble shamelesse as you se to say any suche thynge of me ¶ But in conclusion theffecte of all his fonde argumēt is that euynthere in that place to breke stryfe to soyle all theyr dowte our lorde myghte wolde haue done at the selfe cōmunicaciō or els at y e lest wyse 〈◊〉 at y e tyme of his wrytyng myght and wold haue told thē playnly that they shold ete it noti forme of flesh but in forme of bred But neyther our sauyour than tolde them so nor theuangrelyste hath tolde vs so in the reportynge of his wordes spoken to them ergo it must nestes be that Chryste ment not so ¶ This is mayster Maskers argu ment whiche he lyketh so specyally that afterwarde in another place he harpeth vppon the same strynge agayne But surely yf the man be in scrypture any thynge exercysed than hath he a very poore remembraunce And whrthet be be scryptured or not he hath a very bare barayne wytte whan he can wene that this argumēt were aught ¶ For fyrste as for the scrypture can he fynde no mo places than one in whych our sauyour wolde not tell out playnely all at onys ¶ Coulde Chryst of the sacrament of Baptysme haue tolde no more to Nichodemus yf he had wolde Coulde he to the Iewes that asked hym a token haue told them no more of his deth sepulture and resurreccyon but the fygure of the prophete Ionas thre dayes swalowed in to y t whalys bely ¶ Whan his dyscyples asked hym 〈◊〉 the restytucyon of the kyngdome of Israell and mysse toke his kyngdome for a worldely kyngdome dyd he forth with declare theym all that euer he coulde haue tolde theym or all y t euer he tolde them therof at any other tyme after nay nor theuangelyste in the rehersynge neyther ¶ 〈◊〉 this mā eyther neuer redde or ellys forgotten that all be it our sauyour came to be knowē for Cryst somtyme declared hym so him self yet at some other tymes he forbode his dysciples to be a knowen therof So that as for y e scripturys excepte he haue eyther lytell redde or lytell remēbered of them wold haue made mayster Masker to forbere thys folysshe argument for shame ¶ But now what wyt hath this mā that can argue thus whan he sholde yf he had wytte well perceyue his argumēt answered by the lyke made agaynste hym selfe vppon the very selfe same place ¶ For mayster masker sayth here that our lorde ment nothynge ellys but to tell them of the geuyng of his flesh to y e deth for y e life of the world and to make them byleue that Now aske I therfore mayster Masker whyther Chryste coulde not haue tolde them by more playne wordes than he dyd there yf it had so ben his pleasure that he sholde dye for the synne of the world and in what wyse also If mayster Masker answere me no I am sure euery wyse man wyll tell hym yes For he spake there not halfe so playnely of the geuynge of his body to be slayne as he dyd of geuynge it to be eaten For as for his deth not so myche as onys named it but onely sayeth And the brede that I shall geue you is myne owne flesshe whyche I shall geue for the lyfe of the worde In whyche wordes he not onys nameth deth But of the eatyng he spe keth so expressely by and by and so spake before all of eatynge mych more afterwarde to that he gaue them lytle occasyon to thynke that he ment of his deth any worde there at all but of the eatynge onely ¶ And some greate holy doctours also construe those whole wordes And the brede that I shall gyue is my flesshe which I shall gyue for the lyfe of the worlde to be spo ken onely of the gyuynge of hys bles sed body in the sacramēt and neyther the fyrste parte nor the seconde to be spoken of his deth But that in the fyrste parte Chryste sheweth what he wolde gyue them to eate that is to wytte his owne flesshe and in the seconde parte he shewed them why he wolde geue the worlde hys flesshe to eate and what commodyle they shold haue by the eatynge of it sayenge y t he wolde
good readers that saynte Bede telleth you playne the same tale that I tell you that is to wytte that our sauyour in those wordes speketh of two geuynges of him selfe the tone to his dyscyples in the sacrament the tother to deth for hys dyscyples on the crosse And therfore whyle mayster Masker with his heresye doth vtterly denye the tone by his exposicioÌ„ affermeth that Crist in thys place dyd speke but of the tother saynt Bede hereth me recorde that maister Masker lyeth and hath made his exposicyon false And the ferther ye go in the wordes of thys gospell the more shall mayster Mas kers false dyceappere The. xv chapyter WHan the Iewes harde our lord saye that bysyde the spyrytuall meat of the brede of his godhed the brede that he wolde gyue theym sholde be hys owne 〈◊〉 than began they to contende and dyspute amonge them vpon that worde as one of the moste meruelouse and strauÌ„ge wordes that euer they had herde before And therfore they sayd how can this man geue vs 〈◊〉 flesshe to eate ¶ 〈◊〉 Bede sayth here and so sayth saynt Austayne both that they had conceyued a false opinyon that our lorde wold cut out hys own body in gobettes and make them eate it so in such maner of dede peces as men bye byefe or 〈◊〉 out of y e bouchers shoppys Thys thyng they thought that he neyther coulde do and also that though he could yet wolde they not eate it as a thynge fowle and lothsome ¶ We fynde good readers of one or two mo bysyde these Iewes here y e at the worde of god asked how For bothe our lady asked how and 〈◊〉 also asked how ¶ Our blessed lady whan thangell told her that she sholdÌ„ conceyue and brynge forth a chyld asked this questyon how shall that 〈◊〉 For man I know none not for that she any thing dowted of the trewth of godde word sent her by godde messenger but bycause she wold know the meanis for as mych as she had determyned her selfe vpoÌ„ perpetuall virginite and therof a promyse had passed a vow was made and Ioseph well agreed therwith as it maye welbe gathered vppon the gospell ¶ For thangell sayd not y e hast coÌ„ceyued but thou shalt coÌ„ceyue And therfore whaÌ„ she answered how shall y t be syth I know no man this answer had not ben to the purpose yf she had ment no more but y t she knewe none yet for he sayd not y t she was coÌ„ceyued yet but shold coÌ„ceiue after which she myght after do by y e knowlege of her husbaÌ„d after though she knewe no maÌ„ yet And therfore we may wel gather of his wordê hers togyther as I haue shewed in my dialoge y t whan she sayd how shall this be for I knowe no man she ment therin not onely that she knew none alredy but also that she hadde promysed and vowed that she neuer wolde knowe man afterwarde vsynge therin such a maner of spekynge as a mayed myghte saye by one whom she wold neuer haue we may well talke togyther but we wedde not togyther ¶ Now that her determinacyoÌ„ was not with her selfe onely but confermed also with y e coÌ„sent of her spouse it maye well appere For without his agrement she coulde not reken her selfe to be sure to kepe it ¶ And that her determynacyon of perpetuall vyrginite was a promyse and a vow to god it may well appere by this that els whan she had worde from god by the angell that she shold conceyue and beare a chylde she had had no cause to aske y e questyon how For if she were at lyberty to lye with a man than had that reuelacion ben a commaundement vnto her to labour for the concepcyon whyle there were vppon her part no let or impedimeÌ„t neyther of nature nor conscience ¶ And very lyke it is that yf she had ben in that poynt at her libertye than though she had mynded perpetuall virgynite yet syth she had entended it neyther for auoydyng of the bodyly payne of the vyrth nor for any abo minacyon of goddes naturall ordynaunce for procreacyon for suche respectes be bothe vnnaturall and synfull but onely for goddes pleasure of deuocyon it is well lykely that he rynge by the messenger of god what maner of chyld that was y t god wold she shold haue she wolde haue made no questyon of the mater but gladly gone about the gettynge ¶ But here may some man happely say that this reasoÌ„ by which I proue ber vow wyll serue well inough to soyle it selfe and proue that it appereth not that she had made any vow at all but had onely some mynde and desyre of perpetuall virginyre but yet styll at her lybertye without any promyse or bonde For syth she hadde now by reuelacyon from god that his pleasure was she sholde haue a chylde a bare purpose of virgynyte a vow of virginyte were all of one weyght For god was able as well to dispence with her vow as to byd her leue of her vnuowed purpose ¶ Of trouth yf our lady had wayed her vow as lyght as happely some lyght vowesse wold thys mynd she myght haue had ye some vowesses peraduenture there are which as yet neuer entend to breke theyr vow but thynke they wolde not with the brekyng of theyr vow fall in y e dyspleasure of god though they wist to wyn therwith al this hole wretched world whiche yet wold be ê‘aduenture well content y t god wold sende them word vyd them go wedde gete chyldreÌ„ ¶ And those vowesses lo that hapen to haue any suche mynde let them at the fyrste thought make a crosse on the yrb rest and blesse it a waye For though it be no breking of theyr vow yet is it a waye well to warde it and draueth yf it be not 〈◊〉 very nere the pyttys brynke of synne whaÌ„ they wolde be gladde that god wold sende theÌ„ theyr pleasure without any sinne ¶ And surely yf vpoÌ„ y e delite in such a noughty mynde god wold suffre y e deuyl to illude such a vowesse traÌ„s fygure hym self into the sykenesse of an angel of light call hym self Labuel tell her y e god greteth her well and sendeth her worde that she shall haue a chyld though he there wyth went his way neuer tolde her more whyther it shold be good or bad her secrete in ward affeccyon to ward her flesshely luste lurkynge in her harte vnknowen vnto her selfe couered hyd vnder the cloke of that mynde that she wold not for all the worlde take her own pleasure without goddes wyll wold make her vnderstaÌ„d this message for a dyspensacyon of her vow and for a commaundement to brehe it and so go forth and folow it wythout any ferther questyon and go gete a chylde and make the 〈◊〉 a prophete ¶ But 〈◊〉 blessed virgyn Wary was so surely sette vpon the kepyng of her vowed
eating if they eate it with faith that thynge agayne and agayne he declareth them to dreue them to faith by the desyre of eternall lyfe fayth fyrst onys had they shold be than the more easy to be tawght For the prophete Esay sayth But yf ye byleue ye shall not vnderstaude Therfore it was of necessyte requysyte that they sholde fyrst fasten the rotes of fayth in theyr mynde and than aske suche thynges as were metely for a man to aske But they before they wolde byleue wolde out of season aske theyr importune questyons fyrste And for thys cause our sauyour declared not vnto them how it myght be done but exhorteth them to seke the thynge by fayth So vnto the tother syde to his dyscyples that byleued he gaue the peces of the brede sayeng Take you and eate this is my body And in like wyse he gaue them the cuppe about sayenge drynke you of this all thys is the cuppe of my bloude whyche shall be shed for many for remyssyon of synnes Here thou seest that to theÌ„ that asked wythout fayth he opened not the maner of thys mystery or sacrament But to theÌ„ that byleued he expouned it though they asked not Therfore let theym heare thys those folke I saye that of arrogaunce and pryde wyll not byleue the faythe of Chryste ¶ Here ye se good readers that saynt Cyrill playnely declareth you that our saliyour wolde not teache theym at that tyme the maner of the eatynge bycause of theyr infydesyte for all theyr askynge but after ward he tolde and taught it hys faythfull dyscypses at hys faste 〈◊〉 and mauÌ„dye whan he toke them the bred and bode them eate it and tolde them that the same was hys body and the cuppe and bode them drynke therof and shewed theym that that was his bloud And thus you se well by saynt Cyrill that mayster Masker here whych by hys exposycyd wold make vs wene that our sauyour in all hys worde here to the iewes ment onely to tell them of y e geuyng of hys flesh to the deth that he ment nothyng of the geuynge of hys fleshe to eate in the blessed facrament doth in all hys exposycyon but play with false dyce to deceyue you ¶ Now as for that saint Crrif here calleth it by the name of brede that is I trow the thynge that can nothynge trouble you For I haue shewed you before by the wordes of that greate holy doctour Theophylactus that it is called bred bycause it was bred and bycause of the forme of brede y e remayneth yet is no brede in dede but is the very blessed body of Crist his very flesshe and hys bloude As you se also by saynt Cyrill here whi che of thys blessed sacrameÌ„t so often reherseth and inculketh the myracle exhortynge all folke that no man be moued to mystruste it though the thynge be meruelouse nor aske as y e Iewes dyd how such a wunderfull wurke can be wrought but mekely byleue it syth he is god that sayth it therfore as he sayth it so do wt not but he 〈◊〉 do it as he doth other lyke thynges and dyd ere he were born in to thys world of whyche thynges saint Cyrill hath here rebersed some As the turnynge of the water into bloude as he turneth in the sacrameÌ„t the wyne into bloud and the turnyng of Aarons rod into a serpeÌ„t and that into such a serpent as deuowred vp all the serpentes of the Egypcyane wytches Lyke as our sauyour in the blessed sacrament turneth the brede into hys owne body y t holy holesome serpent that deuowreth all the poysened serpentes of hell and was therfore figured by the brasyn serpent that Moyses dyd sette vp in the maner of a crosse in the desert the byhol dyng wherof deuowred destroyed the venym of all the poysen serpent that had stongen any man there The. xvii chapyter ANd all be it that I she we you good chrysteÌ„ readers saint Cyrilles wordes and hys exposycyon vpon the place bycause maister Masker shall not make men wene y u I make all the mater of myn owne hed yet semeth me that our sauyour declareth thys mater wyth playne wordes bym selfe For what can be playner wordes than are hys owne whan that vppon theyr wunderynge and theyr murmuryng question how can he gyue vs his flesshe to eate he said vnto theÌ„ Ueryly veryly I say to you but yf you eate the flesh of y t sone of man drink his bloud ye shall not haue lyfe in you He y t eateth my flesh drynketh my bloude hath lyfe euer lastynge and I shall rayse hym vppe agayne in the laste daye For my flesshe is veryly meate and my bloud is veryly drynke He that eateth my flesh and drynketh my bloude dwelleth in me and I in hym ¶ In these wordes ye se good readers howe playnely that our lorde sheweth theym bothe the profyte of the receyuynge and the peryll of the refusynge and also bothe that he not onely speketh of his very body and bloud whyche thyng mayster Masker agreeth but ouer that also that he more playnely and more precysely sayth that they shold veryly eate it and drynke it whyche thyng mayster Masker denyeth and yet is that the thynge that our sauyour in these wor des most specyally laboreth to make theym byleue For that he spake of hys very flessh they perceyued well inough But that he wold haue them verily eate it that they thoughte such a maner thynge that they neyther wolde do nor could byseue bycause they myssetoke the maner thereof wenynge that they sholde eate it in dede peces cutte out as the bochers cutte the bestes in the shammellys ¶ And Cryst therfore wold at thys tyme for theyr arrogaunt infydelyte as saynte Cyrill hath told you no thynge declare them of the maner of hys geuynge it to be veryly eaten not in the proper forme of flesshe as they flesshely imagyned but in the forme of bred in the blessed sacrameÌ„t bycause as Theophilactus declared you men sholde not abhorre to eate it But leuynge that vntaught tyll the tyme of hys maundy souper where as saynte Cyrill hath also she wed you he taught it his faithfull dyscyples at the instytucyon of that blessed sacrament he laboreth as I say in these wordê here most speciall wyth as playne wordes as can be de 〈◊〉 to tell them and make them by leue that they shall veryly eate hys flesshe Whyche thyng for any thyng that he could say to them they were so hard harted that they wolde not byleue hym ¶ And yet is mayster Masker here mych more obdurate now and mych more faythlesse to than all they were than For bothe he hauyng herd what Criste sayd to those 〈◊〉 than also what he taught his faythfull dyscyples at hys maundy after and what all holy doctours and sayntes haue sayde theron and byleued euer synnys yet wyll he with a few fond heretykes take a folysshe fro
¶ Mayster maskers exposycyon of these wordes I wyll not saye ouer hardely to hym is I promyse you good readers very bare and lefte of so shortely and haÌ„deled so slenderly that his owne frendes coulde here scant thynke any other thaÌ„ that leuer than he woldÌ„ lay hardely to y e Iewes charge the fawte of theyr owne infidelyte he had leuer lay it in the necke of the father of heuen there leue it ¶ Those wordes and all the worde of Cryst in whiche is any hardnesse his exposycyon so smothely walketh ouer them that he gyueth no lyghte vnto the vnderstandynge of them no more than yf he neuer touched them ¶ The bretherne can not bere that my writynge is so longe But surely it is no maystry for a man to be short that can fynde in his harte to do as mayster masker dothe leue all the harde places vndeclared ¶ For he no where stycketh but vppon the places in whyche he falsely laboreth by the colour of his exposycyon of a spyrytuall eatyng by fayth to hyde and withdrawe the very lytterall trewth and the very fayth in dede by whiche our sauyour techeth vs to byleue that the thynge whych in the blessed sacrament we spyrytually muste eate and bodyly bothe is his owne very flesshe in dede The. vii chapyter IN the ende of the fourth lefe he expouneth these wordê of Crist And this brede that I shall aeue you is myne owne flesshe whyche I shall geue for the lyfe of the worlde And for as myche as at those worde specyally bygynneth bytwen hym and me the waye to parte in twayne and he to go the tone and I the tother he drawynge it all to that poynt as though Chryst there began to shew them none other thynge of his flesshe but the geuynge it vppon the crosse and that he nothynge in all those wordes ment to tell them of the geuynge of his fleshe to eate that he gyueth in the blessed sacrament and I there expownynge it that he there telleth them of bothe but specyally of the geuynge of his flesshe to be eaten whyche ge gyueth in the blessed sacrament therfore at those wordes good readers begynne to take specyall good hede to mayster Maskers fyngers For there he specyally begynneth to playe a mummers cast with his false dice. And therfore conferre his exposycyon vpon the same wordes wyth myne and than shal ye byd hym caste agayne for that caste goth for nought The. vii chapyter IN the fyfthe lefe thus he sayth No meruayle was it though these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iewes abhorred the bodyly eatynge of Lhry fles fleshe albe it our flellhefy papyftes beyng of the Iewes carnall opynyon yet abhore it not ¶ What thynge more false more folisshe or more blasphemouse could any brute beste say than this For the Iewes had an opinion that he wold haue them eate his fleshe in the very forme of flesshe and as saynte Austayne sayth they thought they shod eate it dede cutte out in gobbettes as sheprs flesshe is in the shamellys And now is not mayster masker ashamed to rayle vppon all good chry sten people vnder the name of papystes and saye that they be all of the Iewes carnall opinion Doth any man that receyueth the blessed sacrament thynke as y e Iewes thought that the flesshe of Chryste that he re ceyueth is in forme of fleshe cut out in gobbettes as shepys fleshe is sold in the shamells and not in forme of brede If mayster masker were now bare faced hym selfe he were wonderfull shamelesse yf he coulde endure to loke any man in the face for shame ¶ Now as this was good readers wryten as you se moste falsefy that he sayth we be of the Iewes opinioÌ„ so where he sayth y t we abhorre not to eate Chrystes flesshe in the sacrament that is yet wryten ye se well as folysshly ¶ For the wyse goodnes of god hath as the olde holy doctours declare ge uyn vs his flesshe not in forme of flessh but in forme of brede bycause we sholde not abhorre it And therefore what horryble syghte seeth thys fole in y e blessed sacrameÌ„t for whiche he sholde abborre to receyue it But where was there euer a more blasphemouse bestely worde spoken than this frantyke fole speketh here y t mocheth and rayleth vpon all good chrysten people in this xv C. yere bycause they do not abhorre to receyue the blessed body of Cryste in such wyse geuen vs by Chryste that no creature can abhorre it but eyther deuyls or deuyls felowes 〈◊〉 The. ix chapyter THan sayeth mayster Masker ferther in the same place Neyther ceace they dayely to crucylye and offre vp Chryst agayne whyche was onys for euer and all offred vp as Poule testyfyeth hebre 9. ¶ To what lewd boldenes it geueth whan a man maye walke about in a vysor vnknowen Mayster masker careth not what he sayth whyle hys vysor of dyssymulacyon is on that men knowe hym not For who sayth that Chryst is dayly new crucyfyed Trouth it is that the chyrche sayth that Chryst is at y e awter euery daye offered his owne blessed body in the sacrameÌ„t This of trouth the chyrch sayth and that Chryste is our dayly sacryfyce But no man sayth that he is dayly crucyfied of new and dayly put to new payne But as he was vnys crucyfyed and kylled offered on the crosse so is that one deth oblacyon and sacrifice dayly represented by the selfe same body y e onely quicke sacryfyce and oblacyon that god hath lefte vnto his new chrysten chyrche instede of all the manyfold sacryfyces and obsacyons of this olde synagoge the Iewes And that ye maye knowe y t I fayne you not fantasyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 declareth it very playnely whose wordes are these what is that than that we do Do not we offre dayly yes forloth But we do it in remeÌ„brance of hys deth And thys hooste is one hooste not many Now is it one hooste and not many For bycause that hooste was onys offered and was offered into 〈◊〉 holyest tabernacle and 〈◊〉 sacryfyce is a copte or example of that we offer alwaye the selfe same Nor we offre not now one lambe to 〈◊〉 ano ther but 〈◊〉 the same This sacryfyce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one For ellys bycause it is 〈◊〉 in many places at ones ate there many 〈◊〉 veryly For it is but one Crist euery where being bothe here hole there hole one 〈◊〉 For in lyke maner as he that is 〈◊〉 euery where is but one body and not many bodyes so it is also but one sacryfyce And he is our bysshop that 〈◊〉 the hooste that clenseth vs we offre 〈◊〉 also the same hooste 〈◊〉 was than offered and can 〈◊〉 be consumed And thys that we do is done in remembraunce of that that was done For he fayth do ye this in remebraunce of me It is none other sacryfyce as it is none other bysshop but alwaye we do the same or rather we make a remembraunce of that same
sacryfyce ¶ what wordes can there he 〈◊〉 to proue mayster Masker a very fonde blasphemouse 〈◊〉 thanne these by whyche this holy doctour saynt Crysostome agaynst mayster Masker mockynge here the masse 〈◊〉 his false foly clerely And not onely sheweth that it is a sacrifice and an 〈◊〉 but also she weth that it is the dayly 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 fame offryng sacrifisyng by which he was sacrifysed offred vp on the 〈◊〉 And yet to stoppe maister mas 〈◊〉 mouth in y e hole mater he she 〈◊〉 y t this 〈◊〉 this blessed sacrifice the sacrament of the awter is all one oblacyon all one hoste though it be offred at onys in neuer so many places And he she weth also that it is y e very self same body that was offred on the crosse And that in thys sacryfyce of offerynge vp the selfe 〈◊〉 body in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 as a 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 after a 〈◊〉 and do 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 same sacry fyee by which Chryst the very selfe same body was 〈◊〉 on the croffe ¶ Nowe can mayster Masker more playnely 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 than saynt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foundeth hym vpon 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 foly she 〈◊〉 he mouse 〈◊〉 of his wyth whyche be realeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chyrche and sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as though the chyrch at this day 〈◊〉 put Cryst to new payne bycause his deth is represented in the masse and of his goodnes his very blessed body offered vp dayly a swete sacryfyce for our synnys ¶ Lracian also recyteth in y e decrees for our purpose in euery ponnt as effectuall wordes of saynt Ambrose de consecrat distinctione 2. cap. In Chrysto semef ¶ Saynt Austayne also in the. xvi booke de ciuitate dei sayth of the holy masse in this wyse That sacryfyce is succeded into the place of all those sacryfyces of the old lawe whyche sacryfyces were offered for a shadow of the thynge to come And for y t cause also we knowe that voyce in the. xxxix psalme the prophe cye of our medyatour Chryste where he sayth Sacryfyce oblacyon thou woldest not haue but the body thou hast perfyted me For in the stede of all those sacryfyces and oblacyons his body is offered and mynistred vnto them that wylbe part takers of it ¶ What speke I of saynt Crysostome and saynt Austayne all the old holy doctours and sayntes of chryste chyrche without any excepcion were euer more clere in thys poynt that mayster Masker here now denyeth and thus iesteth on that the blessed sa crament in the masse is a sacry fyce an oblacyon ¶ And this can not mayster Masker hym selfe denye For his owne fyrste mayster Martyn Luther the late well sprynge of all this flode of heresyes in hys pestysent booke of babilonica puttynae forth this heresye that mayster Masker towcheth here y t the blessed sacramēt in y e masse is no sacrifice nor none oblaciō obiec teth agarnst hym selfe saith thus Now muste we take awaye another occasyon of ruyne that is that the masse is euery where byleued to be a sacryfyce that is offered vnto god And for that opyniō semen to sowne the canon of the masse where it is sayd these gyftes these holy sacryfyces this oblacyon and offrynge And therfore is Chryste called the hoste or sacryfyce of the awter Than cometh there also on this parte the sayenges or sentences of the holy fathers and than so many exemples ¶ Agaynst all these thynges bycause they be very fastely receiued we must very constantely obiecte the wordes ensample of Chryste at his maūdy ¶ And afterward he sayth agayne what shall we say than to the canon of the masse and to the sayenges of the olde holy doctours and sayntes I say that yf we haue nothynge ellys to say let vs yet rather denye them all than graunte that the masse shold be any good wurke or any sacryfyce leste we sholde denye the worde of Cryste and cast downe fayth 〈◊〉 and all ¶ Thus you se good readers that Luther hym selfe confesseth that in thys heresye agaynste the sacryfyce and oblacyon of the masse whyche mayster Masker with two other he resyes to bryngeth here forth now the olde holy doctours and sayntes are agaynst hym and than were we wyse yf we wolde wene that Martyne Luther mayster masker euyll chrysten heretykes vnderstand Chri stes wordes better than euerdyd all the holy doctours of chrystes chyrch before ¶ And thus you se good readers what a compendyouse wryter mayster masker is that hath in lesse than thre lynes compacted vp together such thre abomynable blasphemouse heresyes as the deuyll hym selfe neuer deuysed vurse ¶ In the syxte the. vii the. viii the ix the. x. lefe he hath certayne argumentes agaynst all men in generall that expoune those wordes of Cryst in the syxte chapyter of Iohin̄ to be spoken and ment of the very eatynge of his blessed body in the sacrament and not onely of a spyrytuall eatyng by bysyefe of hys deth And some solucyons hath he there suche as they be agaynste myne argument in specyaff made vnto Fryth All whyche thynges I wyll sorte into theyr places a parte from his exposycyon so that ye maye se some of the fawtes of his exposycyon by them selfe and his argumentes answered by them selfe and his solucyons auoyded by them selfe and the notable notes that he maketh of my notable repugnaūces laste of all layed open to you by them selfe bycause I wyll laye all thynge in ordre playne before your eyen so that whan ye se the thynge in such wyse before you without interlacynge ruffle confusyon ye shall the more easyly iudge whyther mayster Masker in his mummery be an honest man or ellys a false haserder and play with false dyce The. x. chapyter IN the. xi lefe after that in the tother tenne byfore he had spokē many tymes of fayth alone and that the onely byliefe of farre fewer thynges than we be bounden in dede to byleue whan it were onys hadde sholde bothe satysfye the soule also make vs saufe foreuer it appereth in that lefe y t eyther hys own mynde beganne to mysse geue hym or ellys some other wyly brother gaue hym warnynge that this maner wrytyng of fayth alone wolde make all the worlde to wonder on hym For Luther hym selfe wrytynge fyrste on the same fasshyon that faythe alone was suffycyent for saluacyon though it pleased idle vnthryftes ve ry well that were glad to be by bare fayth dyscharged of al good wurks it was yet so sore abhorred among all honest men y t both hym selfe all his secte were fayne to seke some plasters of false gloses to he le y e foule marmole of theyr skabbed shynnys that they hadde gotten by that texte of theyr false fayth alone ¶ And than they sayed y t they ment that maner fayth that hadde alwaye bothe hope and cheryte wyth it But than coulde not that glose serue them For that
invayne ¶ Now where he sayth or els they dyssemble theyr bylyefe I wyll not dyssemble with hym but tell hym very playne that as great a dyssembler as he is he woteth not as it semeth what this worde dyssemblyng meneth or ellys wote I nere what he meneth therby For a man dyssembleth the thynge y t he hath and wyll not be a knowen therof as a man dyssembleth hys ha tered whan he hateth one fayneth hym selfe his frende to couer his hatered with And so we say that a man dyssembleth a thynge y t he secth it and wyll not se it but maketh as though he saw it not But no man dis sembleth the thynge that he seeth not in dede nor the thynge that he hath not in dede but maketh as though be sawe it or had it For he fayneth or lyeth and not dyssembleth As in the latyne tonge wherof thys englysshe worde cometh ille simulat non dissimulat And therfore yf mayster mas ker mene here by these wordes or ellye they dyssemble theyr bylyefe any other thing than they fayne a byleyfe makynge as though they byleued and do not lette hym not dyssemble with me but tell me what other thyng he meneth And yf he mene by those worde none other thynge than that than wyll I not dyssemble with hym but tell hym the playne trewth that he maye peraduenture mene wysely inough but he speketh but like a fole For by that worde he sayth the clere cōtrary that is to wytte that they make as though they byleued not but yet they do The. xiii chapyter BUt now at laste he concludeth all togyther thus For I am not comen to rebeme the world onely but also to chaunge theyr lyfe They therfore that byleue in me shall transforme theyr lyfe after myne ensample and doctryne and not after any mannye tradysyone ¶ I wyll not here holde a longe dyspycyon with maister Masker vpon mannes tradycyōs by whyche word he wold haue all the lawes made by menne vtterly sette at nought and wolde haue man bounde but eyther by the playne worde of scrypture or ellys by his own expresse agrement and consent For Luther sayth that neyther man nor angell can make the bonde of any one syllable vppon any chrysten man without his owne expresse consent so that no sawe can be made by that wise reasō by the prince and the people to hange vp eyther these or murderer or to burne vp an heretyke but yf the theuys murdeters and heretykes wyll consent and agree therto them selfe Nor no law made thys daye can bynde hym that shall be borne to morow tyll he come to good age agretherto fyrste hym selfe as our souerayne lorde the kynges grace most prudentely layed agaynste Luther ¶ But I lette thys foly of mayster Masker passe and thys also that the tradycyons whiche these heretykes be wurste content withall be the tradycyons of the apostles whych they delyuered to the chyrche as Chryste not by wrytynge but by tradycyō delyuered the thynges to theym For which saynt Poule sayth Ego enim accepi a 〈◊〉 quod tradidi vobis For I haue receyued the thynge of oure lorde by tradycyon without wrytyng the which I haue also delyuered vnto you As though he wold say as I haue receyued it by tradycyō or delyuery of our lord so without wrytyng I haue deliuered it by tradiciō to you ¶ I wyll lette passe all these auaūtages whych I myght as ye se take agaynst mayster Masker here and I wyll well allow these wordes of his for thys onys so that hym selfe wyll stycke aud stande by them styffely and confesse that they that trans forme not theyr lyfe after Chrystes ensample and doctryne haue eyther theyr bylyefe in vayne or els make as though they byleued and haue no bylyefe at all ¶ This onys agreed bytwene hym and me I yf he wyll rayle vppon the prestes and prelates of the cathosyke chyrche for doynge of the contrary let hym name who they be and wherin they do it and by my trouth in suche euyll doynge they shall neuer be defended for me ¶ But than of reason must mayster Masker gyue me leue agayn to put hrm in remembraunce of the prestes and prelates of theyr heretykes sectes and I wyll speke of none but by name Frere Luther I wyll name hym the chyefe and pryncypall authour of theyr heresies I wyll name hym frere Lambert dane Othe the cartusyan zungtius the preste and the preste Pomeran frere Duyskyns the frere brigittane These be lo the very prelates and bysshoppes metropolytanys and postles of theyr sectes ¶ Now wyll I than aske mayster Masker what ensample of Chryste or what doctryne of Chryste he can shewe by whyche those holy prelates of these new sectes euyll chrystē caytyffes that haue so wed all this sedycyō haue brokē theyr holy vowes and promyses made vnto god and runne out of theyr orders and to the shame of matrymony holy orders bothe speke of the spyryte and fall to the flesshe which whyle they haue all done agaynste the doctryne and ensample as well of Chryste as of all holy doctours and sayntes of al good chrysten people syth the deth of Christ vnto this theyr own wreched tyme and now teche it forth for a doc tryne reason it is that mayster Masker confesse that all the prelates of his sundry sectes erther haue but a vayne sayth or 〈◊〉 make as they had faythe and haue no fayth at all And than are there no mannes 〈◊〉 so euyll as are theyr owne beynge theym selfe so euyll men as they be And why shold we than here maister Masker preche eyther theyr fayth or tradxcyons eyther whyle theyr fayth is eyther vayne fayth or ellys false and none at all and theyr doctryne as deuylysshe doctryne as them shelfe are deuylysshe men and more deuelysshe I wene is scant the deuyl hym selfe ¶ Thus haue I good readers noted you certayne pyeces of mayster Maskers exposicyon by whyche as by a taste of a draught or twayne ye may se what poysened drynke is in the whole vessell And now shall I come to hys argumentes whiche he maketh in generall agaynst all them that expowne thys place of Christe wordes in the syxte chapiter of saynt Iohn to be spoken or ment of that eatynge by whyche we eate Chryste blessed body in the blessed sacramēt Here endeth the seconde booke The thyrd boke The fyrste chapyter IN the fyfthe lefe vppon his exposycyon of these wordes and the brede which I shal geue for the lyfe of the the worlde thus he argueth And euyn her syth Chryste came to teche to take 〈◊〉 waye all dowt and to breke stryfe he myghte 〈◊〉 wordes otherwyse declared than he hath declared wyll hereafter expoune them haue soluted theyr questyon sayenge yf he had so ment as More expouneth that he wolde haue ben conuayed and connerted as our iuglers sleyghtly can conuaye hym with a fewe worde into a syngynge lofe or 〈◊〉
scrypture set togyther he hath not nor wolde not declare it in so playne wordes as he coulde haue done For than sholde there neuer haue neded any of those commeÌ„tes that all the holy doctours haue made vppon it synnys And surely so sayth Luther and these other heretykes that there neded none For all the scrypture they saye is open playne inough And therfore they put euery manne and woman vnlerned in boldenesse and corage to be in the scrypture suf ficyently theyr owne maysters them selfe But whyle they thus teache them they forgete that by theyr own techyng they shold holde theyr peace theÌ„ selfe And indede so were it good they dyd but yf they taught better ¶ And thus for his fyrst poynt you se good readers that mayster Masker maketh men perceyue hym for a dowble fole whan it was not inough for hym to come forth with this foly onys but he muste a goddes name brynge in this his one foly twyse The. v. chapyter NOw as to wchyng his second poynt in that it is a worlde to se how strongly the man haÌ„deseth it For where as Chryst hath by so many open playne worde before taught and declared that he wolde geue his owne flesshe to be eaten and his own bloude to be drunken and so often repeted it and in suche effectuall wyse inculked it and as who sholde saye bette it into theyr hedds that sauyng for the forme maner of the eatynge whyche he declared by his word and hys dede at his holy maundye 〈◊〉 as for to make men sure that veryly eate it and drynke it they sholde there could neuer more clere wordes haue ben of any man desyred nor by mayster Masker hym self deuysed now cometh mayster Masker forth with certayne wordes of Chryst by whithe he sayth that Chryste clerely declareth that he ment clere the coÌ„trary that is to wytte that his fleshe shold not be eaten and also that by thys worde eatyng of hys flesshe he ment nothynge ellys but the bylyefe of hys deth for mennys synnes ¶ Now the wordes of our sauyour that as mayster masker saith proue these two thynges are these It is the spyryte that geueth lyfe my flesh profyteth nothynge at all The wordes that I haue spoken to you be spy ryte and lyfe ¶ These wordes haue good reders in them selfe neyther any thynge in dysprofe of the very eatynge of hys flesshe nor for the profe that he ment the bylyefe of his deth For these wor des as saynte Austayne declareth speke not precysely agaynst y e eatyng of his fleshe as he ment to geue it them wrth the spyryte and the lyfe therin but agaynste the eatynge of his flesshe alone dede and cutte out in gobbettes as they coÌ„ceiued a false opinion that he ment to make theym eate it And as I haue shewed you before saynt Cyrill expouneth these wordes after the same maner and other holy doctours to And now yf ye rede agayn mayster maskers wor des here ye shall fynde that all that semeth to proue his purpose is onely the wordes of hym selfe nothynge the wordes of Chryst but hym selfe expounyng Chrystes worde in such wyse that as I haue shewed you saynt Austayne and saynt Cyrill and other holy doctours expoune it clere agaynste hym ¶ If his own argumeÌ„t were aught worth that he layeth against the inter pretacyon of all that expowne those wordes of Chryste to be spoken of the very eatynge by whiche we eate his blessed body in the sacrament it wolde make agaynste no man so sore as agaynst hym self euyn here in this place ¶ For if it be trew that he sayth that yf Chryst had ment of the eatyng of his flesh in the sacrament he myght wold haue in this place told it them playnely bycause he told them not that poynt out playnely therfore it is clere that he ment it not than say I that syth in these wordes whyche mayster Masker sayth is the very anker holde Cryst doth not so playnely declare that he 〈◊〉 by the eatynge of his flessh the bylyefe that he sholde dye for our synnys as he coulde yf he had wolde and wolde as mayster Masker sayth yf he had so ment Thys is therfore a playne profe by mayster Maskers argumeÌ„t agaynst mayster Maskers mynde y t our sauyour ment not so and than is all master Maskers mater go ¶ Now that our sauyour doth not here declare that poynt clerely that he ment nothynge but that they shold byleue that he sholde dye for theym I wyll haue mayster Maskers own wordes to bere me recorde whyche wyll I wene make mayster Masker somwhat wroth wyth hym selfe for wrytyng them in hym self so folyshely agaynste hym selfe ¶ For where he sayth that bothe the Iewes and the dyscyples murmured and dysputed of his flesshe how it sholde be eaten and not of the offerynge therof for our synnes thys declareth and wytnesseth well for our parte agaynste his own that our sauyour declared more playnely his mynde for the eatyuge of his flessh than for the offerynge therof to the deth for our synnys And of very trouth so he dyd in dede though mayster Masker saye naye an hundred tymes For of the eatyng of his flesh as I haue before said he spake very precysely and playnely and often and of his offerynge vp vppon the crosse he neuer spake playnely so mych as one worde ¶ For as for these wordes whyche maister masker calleth y e anker hold It is the spyrite that geueth this lyfe my fleshe profyteth nothynge at all hath not one playne word for his pur pose at all For all the vttermost that he coulde take of these wordes were no more but that Chryste sholde tell them that the spyryte is the thynge that geueth his flesshe the lyfe with out whiche of it selfe it coulde not profyte them at all and therfore the wordes that he spake were spyryte lyfe and to be vnderstanden spyrytually that they sholde eate his flesh wyth hys spyryte and not carnally that they sholde eate hys flessh alone without his spyryte cut out in dede peces of flesshe as they had conceyued a fonde opinion therof out of whyche he sayed all this to brynge them but yet not so mych as he could haue sayd and he had wold nor wold not bycause of theyr vnworthynesse to here it and yet that they shold eate his flessh he tolde them clere inough ¶ But as I say what one worde is there in all these wordê of his anchor holde wherby mayster Masker may take one handefull holde y t Chryste here shewed them so clerely that he ment the offerynge of hym selfe for our synnys he speketh iÌ„ al these wordes not one word of offeryng nor of crucifyeng nor of deth And by mayster Maskers owne argument yf he had ment y t way as he well could so he wold also haue told them playnly thus Sirs I mene not that you shal eate my flessh but y t you shall byleue y t I shall
dye for your synnys And syth he sayd not thus mayster Maskers own argument hath cutte of his cable rope lost his anchore runne his shyppe hym self agaynst a rocke For he sayth that yf he had ment it he wold haue tolde them playne the tale to put them out of all dowte ¶ And here you se now good reders by mo meanys than one as wel by y e exposycyons of olde holy doctours sayntes as by the wyse argument of mayster masker hym self to what wyse wurshypfull ende thys ryall brage of his is come to passe in whiche he triumpheth ouer the catholike chyrch the blessed sacramēt where he bosteth thus Thys therfore is the sure anker to holde vs by agaynst all the obieccions of the papystes for the eatynge of Chrystes body as they say in forme of brede Chryst sayd My flesh profyteth nothyng menyng to eate it bodely Thys is the key that solueth all theyr argumentes openeth the waye to shew vs all theyr false and abomynable blasphemouse lyes vppon Chrystes wordes and vttereth theyr sleyght ingelynge ouer the brede to mayntayne Antichrystes kyngdome therwyth And thus when Chryste had declared it and taught them that it was not the bodyly eatynge of hys materyall body but the eatynge wyth the spyryte of faythe he added sayenge The wordes whyche I here speke vnto you are spyryte and lyfe that is to saye thys mater that I here haue spoken of with so many wordes must be spyrytually vnderstanden to geue ye this lyfe euerlastynge wherfore the cause why ye vnderstand me not is that ye byleue me not Here is lo the conclusyon of all hys sermon ¶ Syth your selfe haue sene good readers that in this mater and in this whole exposycyon there are agaynst mayster masker not onely the catholyke chyrche of our tyme but also all the olde holy doctours and sayntes which with one voyce expoune these wordes of Chryste to be spoken and ment of that eatynge of Chrystes flesshe by whyche it is eaten in the blessed sacrament agaynste whiche poynt mayster masker here rageth in this his furyouse boste raylynge vp pon them all that so teche or byleue vnder his spygstuff name of papystes I wold wytte of mayster masker whyther saynt 〈◊〉 saynt Austayn and saynt Ambrose saynt 〈◊〉 and saint 〈◊〉 Theophilactus saynt Cyrill and saynt Chry sostome were all papystes or not If he answere ye and saye the were than shall he make no man that wise is asshamed of the name of papyste as odyouse as he wolde make it yf he graunte vs that suche good godly men such holy doctours sayntes were papystes ¶ Now yf he answere me nay and say that they were no papystes than he maketh it playne and open vnto you good reders that he playeth but the part of a folyssh rayler aiester and doth but deceyue and mocke all his owne fratexnyte whan by raylynge agaynste papystes whom he wold haue taken for folke of a false fayth he dyssembleth the trouth that his here sye is not onely dampned by them that he calleth papystes but by them also whom he cōfesscth for no papistes and whom he cannot but cō fesse for old holy doctours saintes nor cannot so blynd you but that you playnely perceyue by theyr own wor des which I haue rehersed you and yet shal hereafter more playnely per ceyue by mo holy doctours saynts of the same sort by mo playne wor des also of y e same y t they do all with one voyce expoune these wordes of Chryst mencyoned in the syxte chapi ter of saynt Iohn to be spokē ment of y t eatyng of his flesh by which we eate it in the blessed sacrament ¶ And thus haue I good reders answered you all mayster Maskers ar gumentes by whych he reproueth in generall vnder the name of papyste all those that is to wytte all the olde holy doctours and sayntes that contrary to hys heresye expowne the sayde wordes of Chryste to be ment of the very eatynge of hys flesshe and not onely of the byleuynge of his deth for our synne And now wyll I come to his subtyll dysputacyōs that he maketh against me by name in specyall to soyle such thynges as I in my letter wrote agaynst Iohn Fryth Here endeth the thyrde booke The fourth boke IN the syxte lefe thus he sayth Here maketh M. More this argumēt agaynst the 〈◊〉 man Bycause the Iewes merueyled at this 〈◊〉 my fleshe is very meate my bloude drynke and not at this I am the dore and the very vyne therfore this text sayth he my flesshe 〈◊〉 must be vnderstanden after the lytterall sence that is to wyt euen as the carnall Iewes vnderstode it murmurynge at it veynge offended goynge theyr wayes from Cryst for theyr so carnal vnderstandynge therof and the tother textes I am the dore c. must be vnderstanden in an allegorye a spyrytual sence bycause his hearers merueyled no thynge at the maner of speche ¶ I haue good readers byfore this argument that he speketh of another argument in that pystle of myne agaynst fryth whyche all though it went before and was redde before this yet bycause it wolde not well be soyled maister Masker was content to dyssemble it But I shall afterward anone lay it afore hym agayne and sette hym to it with a festue that he shall not saye but he sawe it ¶ But now as for this argument of myne that he maketh the fyrste I mysse fortuned to make so feble that he taketh euyn a pleasure to playe with it and therfore he soyleth it and soyleth it agayne that 〈◊〉 wysely ye may be faste and sure and so shall you saye your selfe whan you se all But yet though he wynne hym selfe worshyp in the soylynge yt was no great wysedome to lese his worshyp in the rehersynge wyth false beryng in hande that I saye that those wordes of Cryste muste be vnderstanden after that lyterall sense that the carnall Iewys toke therin that mur mured and went theyr way therfore For they toke yt of hys fseshe to be eaten in the self same fleshely forme and as holy saynte Austayne sayeth that they shold haue eaten his fleshe deade withoute lyfe or spyryte as befe or motten is cutte out in bochers shoppys And I am very sure that mayster Maskar hathe no such word in my letter wherof he maye take hold to say that I say that Chrystes worde shold be taken so But this is no newe fashyon of these folkes to reherse other mennes argumentes in suche maner as theym selfe lyste to make them and thē they make them such as them selfe may most easely soyle theym whych whyle mayster Masker hathe done wyth myne yet hath he lytle auauntage therby But to th entent that all thynge shall be the more open byfore your yien I shall reherse you fyrste the thynge that he wolde be content you sawe not ytis to wit myne own worde as I wrote theym whyche
at ones and essencyally fyl the place not by hys owne almyghtye power but by the almyghty power of god and yet not so fyll the place neyther but that yt maye haue a nother wysh yt in the same place For I trowe he wyl not denye but that there be many creatures in those places whyche god wyth his owne presence essencyally fylleth full ¶ Therefore as for these wordes ofter the sayde maner whyche he putteth in to make vs amased mayster Maskar must put out again Now y t being put out reherse cōsyder wel master maskars argument what thynge so euer is in euery place at ones that thynge muste nedes be infynyte with out begynnynge and ende it must be one and alone and almyghty which propretyes are appropryed to the gloryouse maiestie of the godhed But the manhed of Chryste is a cre ature and not god ergo Chrystes manhed can not be in all places or in many places at ones And yet consyder here that though he leue oute that odyouse worde yet muste his cōclusyon be indede that god cā not make yt so as you se plain by his begynnyng where he she weth that yt implyeth repugnaunce that therfore god can not do yt ¶ Now good readers consyder wel his fyrste proposycyon whyche we call the maior that is to wyt that god can not make any thynge created to be euery where at ones Let vs pray hym to proue yt and geue hym one yeres leysour to yt But here he taketh vppon hym to proue yt and layeth for the reason that god cā not make any creature to be in all places at ones bycause yt shold than be infynyte and therby god almyghties mate and hygh felow Lette hym as I say proue vs this in two yere that yt sholde than be infynyte wythoute begynnynge and wythout ende and almyghty In good fayth eyther am I very dull or elles doth mayster Maskar tel vs here in a very madde tale ¶ I thynke he wyll not denye but that god whyche coulde make all this worlde heuen and erthe and all the creatures y t he created therin coulde yf yt so had pleased hym haue created onely one man and let all the remanaunt alone vncreated and haue kept hym styll and neuer haue made heuen nor erth nor none other thyng but onely that one man alone The soule nowe that than hadde ben crea ted in that man hadde yt not than ben in all places at ones I suppose yes For there hadde bene no mo places than that mannys bodye and therein hadde there ben many placesin many diuerse partes of the man in all why che that soule sholde haue bene present at ones and the whole soule in euery parte of all those places at ones For so is euery soule in euery mannes bodye nowe And yet hadde that soule not ben infynyte no more than euery soule is now ¶ If god wolde nowe as yf he wolde he coulde create a newe spyryte that sholde fulfyll all the whole worlde heuyn and erthe and all as myche as euer ys created that in suche wyse sholde be whole present at ones in euery parte of the worlde as the soule is in euery parte of a man and yet sholde not be the soule of the worlde I wyll here aske may ster Maskar were that newe created spyryte infynyte If he answere me naye than hathe he soyled hys owne wyse reason hym selfe For thanne no more were the manhed of Chryste though yt were present in all those places of the whole world at ones If he answere me ye than syth that spyryte were no more infynyte than the worlde ys wyth in the lymytes and boundes wherof yt were conteyned yt wolde folowe therof that the worlde were infynyte all redye whyche is false And also yf yt were trewe thanne wold yt folow by mayster Maskers reason that god almyghtye hadde a mache all redy that is to wyt a nother thyng infynyte besyde hym self whyche is the inconuenience that ma keth mayster Maskar afferme yt for impossyble that god coulde make Chrystes manhed to be in all places at ones ¶ Thus you se good readers vpon what wyse grounde mayster Maskar hath here concluded that god can not make Chrystes bodye to be in all places at ones ¶ But yet is yt a worlde to consyder how madly the man concludeth His conclusion is this ye wote wel Wherfore Chrystes body can not be in all places or in many places at ones All his reason ye wote well goth vppon beynge in all places at ones bycause that theruppon wolde yt by his wyse reason folowe that yt shold be infynyte And nowe is that poynte of trouthe no parte of our mater For we saye not that Chrystes bodye is in all places at ones but in heuyn and in suche places as the blessed sacramente ys And therfore where as his reason goeth nothynge agaynste beynge in many places at ones but onely agaynste beynge at ones in all places he concludeth sodaynely agaynste beynge in many places towarde whyche conclusyon no pyece of his premisses hadde any maner of mocyon And so in all this his hygh solemne argument and his farre fet reason neyther is his maior trew nor his argumēt toucheth not the mater nor his premysses any thynge proue his conclusyon And yet after thys goodly reasonyng of his he reioyceth in his harte hyghly to se how iolyly he hathe handeled yt and sayeth Here yt is playne that all thynges that More yma gyneth and fayneth are not possyble to god For yf ys not possyble to god to make a creature egall to hym selfe for yt includeth vepugnaunce and 〈◊〉 teth hys glorye ¶ Mayster maskar speketh myche of myne vnwryten dremys and vanytees But here haue we hadde a wryten dreme of hys and therein this folyshe boste also so ful of vayn gloryouse vanytie that yf I hadde dremed yt in a fyt of a feuer I wold I wene haue ben a shamed to haue tolde my dreme to my wyfe when I woke And nowe shall you good readers haue here a nother pyece as proper God promysed and swore that all nacyons shuld be blessed in the deth of that promysed sede whych was Chryste god had determyned and decreed yt before the world was made ergo Cryste must nedys haue dyed and to expowne this worde oportet as More mynseth it For it was so necessary that the contrary was impossyble excepte More wolde make god a 〈◊〉 whyche is impossyble Paule concludeth that Cryst must nedes haue dyed vsynge this latin terme Necesse Sayeng where so euer is a testyment there muste the deth of the testyment makes go betwene or essys the testament is not ratyfyed and sure but ryghtuousnes and remyssyon of synnes in Chrystes blood is his new testamēt wherof he is medyatour 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 maker muste nedes haue dyed Wreste not therfore mayster More this word opor tet though ye synde potest for oportet in some corrupte copy vnto your vnsauery sence But let oportet sygnyfye