AN EPISTLE or godlie admonition of a learned Minister of the Gospel of our Sauiour CHRIST Sent to the Pastoures of the Flemish Church in Antwerp who name themselues of the Confession of Auspurge exhorting them to concord with the other Ministers of the Gospell Translated out of French by Geffray Fenton Here may the christian Reader lerne to know what is the true participatiō of the body of CHRIST what is the lauful vse of the holy Supper PRINTED AT LONdon by Henry Bynneman ANNO. 1569. CVM PRIVILEGIO To the right worshipfull Iohn Byron Esquier Geffray Fenton wisheth a happy new yeare with a gladsome continuance of many IN obseruing sir this last yere your order condition of doing I founde the custome and course of your vertues nothing inferiour to the cōmon opinion of the same Wherof as I proued peculiarly in my self by many means times but most by a ciuile cōuersation of your companie during the best part of the sommer so I accōpt my selfe no lesse vnworthy of such benefite passed than vnmete eftsoones to vse or participate with the like if such det be not discharged by some thankefull argument of good will compounded with matter of myne own indeuor according to the qualitie of my talēt And albeit I haue at tymes heretofore protested vnto you simply my seruiceable vnfained zeale wherof I hope you doubt not yet me thinkes with the nature of a barren soyle yelding no fruite the same might seeme no lesse vnprofitable vnto you than imperfecte in my selfe if it be not approued with some absolute and vnfayned shewe and that in the publyke eye of the worlde in whiche respect I haue presumed to lay afore you this little Translation a worke neyther improper for the purpose of good doctrine nor impertinent to the profession of a true Christian and for the mater it discouereth a a most perfect Methode or plot to discerne the principall pointes of our Religion with certein speciall places of Scripture toward the ende to induce the church to vnitie and the people to imbrace the league of charitie left vs by Christ as well in the example of himselfe enduryng sundry sortes of villanous reproches as in the president of his Apostles and Prophetes who suffered with greate pacience the barbarous disposition of the enimies to their religion This as I culled out amongst other as a worke resembling your owne vertues so in the often reading it I doute not you shall finde a happie confirmation of iudgement in good things the same as the Apostle sayeth being one chiefe and principall frute of knowledge and therfore moste necessarie that we acquaint our myndes with godly exercises and meditations of Religion praying you lastly to let it receyue youre protection to the ende our countrey and Christian neighboures by youre meane the rather may plentifully participate in the benefite of the same wherin also I accompt my trauaile sufficiently aunswered if this become thankfull to you in sort of an earnest peny or first offer of my good will reseruing notwithstanding to giue a better shewe hereafter as tyme with quiet leysure shall assist me And so God giue you a good new yeare and confirme vs all in his holy feare At my lodging the tenth of Decembre 1569. Your sure frende Geffray Fenton A prayer of the Author for the concorde of doctrine and vnitie in wils in diuine things apperteyning to the aduauncement of the Gospell of CHRIST O Eternall and mercifull Lord who as thou art God of peace loue and concord so dissētions quarels and debates are hatefull vnto thée We sée how with good right thou chastisest oure malice and rebellion ageinst thée by the diuersitie of opinions and strange iudgements raigning at this day amongst men specially in the cause of religion In the beginning Lord thou hast created man to thyne own image and likenesse to the ende that he and his posteritie mighte be one thing with thée hauing one only opinion led according to thy holy worde and manifestation and one wil affected to embrace that which thou deman dest whereupon might folow workes conformable to thy diuine and holy lawe But the serpent enemie of all peace and on the cōtrarie a louer of dissention and discord taught oure first Fathers the lesson of infidelitie distrust presumption and arrogant curiositie Alas our good God and creator that we feele and make dayly experience of miserable effects of that lesson printed by Sathan in our harts for euery one of vs striues to be a god vppon earth euery one pretends to be able by the touche of his owne iudgement to discerne whiche is good or euill what is agreable or inconuenient to thy diuine Maiestie yea euery one thinkes to be the maister that ought to instruct his neighbour Take pitie of vs O Lorde and deface in oure hartes this peruerse lesson full of ambition pride make vs vnderstand in good earnest that thou art hée only to whom belongeth to discerne betwene the good and euill and betwene the truthe and dreames and that it is thou lord who by thy eternall worde Iesus Christe giuest lighte manifestation knowledge of thy secretes to those that feare thée thou art he alone who by thy holy spirit doest direct teach thy disciples which make them of thy schole and worde Withoute thée Lorde wée are lost and confounded without thy truthe wée are liers without thy doctrine we bée falsefiers without thy instruction we bée presumptuous proud Alas wée euen wée miserable creatures to giue oure selues an estimation in the world forsake thy eternall worde whiche is the trée of euerlasting life and go deuouring the frute of knowledge gyuen by Sathan From thence Lorde it comes that our knowledge and wisdome is accompanied with pride and arrogant contention not giuing place one to an other whereby wée shewe that oure wisdome and knowledge is not from aboue for by the same wée faine to searche thy glorie and to blisse and prayse thée as our GOD and Father and in the meane while to mainteyne our opinions wée accurse men fashioned to thyne owne Image and likenesse in suche sorte that out of one only mouth procéedes bothe cursse and blissing a thing whiche might séeme both impossible and incredible if dayly experience did not discouer theyr manifest and absolute effectes For howe is it possible that a fountayne should caste out of one vent or spoute water that is pleasaunt and withall bitter and salte Who can beléeue that a Figge trée can bring forth Olyues or a Vine yeld Figs Truly Lorde such contrarieties are not so contrarie in naturall things as is manifested in things spiritual wherin we deale For how should men beléeue our wordes saying we loue God when by our workes we discouer a certeyne hate ▪ to our neyghbours We saye we search no other thing than the aduauncement of the kingdome of Christ and yet wée afflict and persecute the very members of Christ We crie with open throate
that we are of the Ambassadours of the holy Gospell of peace and yet our attemptes and councels are not but of warres murders and effusions of mans bloud Oh most wretched that we are we rayse and lifte vp our handes to praye and call vpon thée which notwithstanding are all sprinkled and goared with the bloud of those whiche thou haddest made liuely by thy wonderfull prouidence Seing that such is our wisdome sprong of oure belâ—â—fe that is to say earthly sensuall and diuellishe accompanied with enute wrath trouble with all workes of peruersitie giue vs Lorde by thy bountie thy wisedome from an highe whiche may be pure peaceable moderate tractable full of mercie and good frutes and far from debates dissentions and all hipocrisie bring to passe lord that the frutes of iustice may be sowen in peace for those whiche vse make peace and by those which be the true pronouÌ„cers and shewers of the same peace bring to passe Lorde that we shewe our selues wise and well aduised not onely in vaine wordes and bable of Religion but let vs bring forth in our conuersation the frutes of the Gospell wherein we beléeue accompanying our faith with workes of humilitie and celestiall wisdome Take pitie on vs O Lorde by thy bountie and mercie for we confesse to haue offended thée greatly and withoute measure and we confesse that the rebukes whiche thou sendest vppon vs are but the iuste rewardes of our merites Thou Lord sufferest that we haue warre dissentions quarelles and debates and that we committe vnnaturall murder one vppon an other and that more for the cause of our particular opinions than in respect of zeale to thy glorie whereof notwithstanding we vaunte our selues thou sendest to vs the messangers and Heraldes of thy wrathe that is to saye infections of the aire contagious diseases pestilence famine shipwracks with other like arguments of thy heauy displeasure towardes vs and yet we harden our hartes thou sufferest that straunge Nations Barbarous and Idolaters do raise them selues against vs for the ouerthrowe of the Churches and Assemblies where thy name ought to be glorified and wée trusting in our owne forces industries and frayle wisdoms will not haue recourse to thée and therefore with good right oh Lorde thou leauest vs to the mercie of the infidelles and sufferest the superstitious to haue victorie ouer vs. Oh Father of mercie bestowe vpoÌ„ vs thy pitifull eyes reforme our hartes and oure affections engraue in vs the only zeale of thy glorie graffe in our mindes the true trée of life whiche is Iesus Christe our Sauiour and Redéemer the fruts of whom do make vs liuely let vs be filled with true fayth liuely hope mutual and brotherly charitie that we exercising in works of true mortification iustice innocencie and holinesse may be in the ende possessors of the eternal life for the obteyning whereof we haue bin chosen predestinate to the prayse of thée oh father of mercy and of thy Christ our only sauiour to whome with thy holy Spirit be glorie prayse for euer Amen A prayer to Iesus Christ for peace and vnitie in the Church by Geffray Fenton O Soueraigne Lorde who beyng the eternall worde and true GOD with God thy father didst take our nature to visite in forme of man the poore children of Adam lost by their infidelitie distruste and peruerse opinion against their Creator And also by thy meane and remedie hast eftesones restablissed the confederation betwene GOD and vs approuing the same most painfully in the mortall martyrdome of thy most innocent body bléeding on the crosse for the expiacion of our sinnes we beseche thée oh Sauiour of the world that euen as thou arte come to consuÌ„mate and confirme our recoÌ„ciliation thou wouldest also reconcile our hartes knitte oure wils and sende thy spirit of truth amongst vs to the ende that we all concurring in one iudgement and opinion may remember that we are called to bée members of one body whereof Lord we acknowledge thée to be the chiefe and supreame head and so detesting inciuill partialities we may be of one opinion agrée in one minde and vse one mutuall and charitable direction touching the matter of oure Religion Thou hast left vnto vs O Lorde the celebration of thy holly Supper as a memortal of oure communion and spirituall vnitie with thée and also to instructe vs in suche lawes of charitie as ought to be of familiar conuersation amongest vs all And yet we such is the nature of our fragilitie and condition of our vnworthinesse as we abuse the excellent benefite of that most high fauour séeing that in place to tye and conioyne our selues with thée we doe more estraunge vs from thée and that by reason of our quarelles and questions of contention In place to consider that we are one bodie one churche and one bread made of sundrie graines we shewe our selues proude and giue sundrie proues of our ambition in séeking to establishe a speciall estimation of our peculiar and priuat opinions in handling very often thy presence in thy holly Supper by subtill disputation we become farre from thy true and liuely presence in contending whether the sinners vnfaithfull may communicate thy body we make our selues sinners and incapable to receyue and enioye thy benefites lastly and in effect oh Lord our zeale is so indiscrete that in stryuing to enterteyne the puritie of the doctrine of fayth we breake the league and lawe of charitie yea in persecuting with rebuke such as we accompt to be heretikes in the doctrine of fayth our malice with want of discretion makes vs séeme transnatured into heretikes of charitie corrupting the meanes of coÌ„munication and brotherly vnitie I beseche thée therfore oh sonne of God let thy gracious pitie fall vppon vs and so open the eyes of our vnderstanding as we may discerne the true frute of thy holy institutioÌ„ and ordinance take from amongest vs all sectes and varieties of opinions and reduce vs at last to the obedience of thy holy and only worde reueale vnto vs thy holy spirite with this priuilege of grace that by hys vertue he may drawe vs all into one corporation and bodye whereof thou O Lord mayest be heade and lette him breath into vs strengthe and power to perseuer in workes of true Iustice innocencie and holynesse duryng oure course in this tragical and miserable pilgrimage and in the ende let we beséeche thee the same holy spirite translate vs into the eternall life purchased to our vses by the sacrifice and oblation of thy most precious death wherin thou raignest now gloriously with the Father and holy Ghoste and there shall remayne infinitely AMEN To my most dearely beloued in our Lorde Iesus Christ the only Redéemer and aduocate of men towards the heauenly Father my brother Ministers and Pastors in the church of Antwerp namyng them selues of the Churche of Auspurge Grace and peace from God and his Sonne IESV CHRIST to the ende that by the bond of
him that dwelleth in them And by this mean their faith being augmented they participate more more with Iesus Christ once receiued 36 Finally they lerne in the holy supper the vnitie and charitie whiche wée Confirmation and augmentatiō of Christ receiued in the Supper ought to haue one with an other And seing wée protest in the receite of the holie Sacrament to be one bodie one church membres of one soueraine heade Iesus Christ it is good reson also that we lerne to imitate the Sympathia and mutuall compassion whiche wée sée dayly in oure humaine bodies whereof if one of oure armes bée hurte the other serueth and comforteth it the féet refusing theyr proper office to march and go are content to The holy Supper representes vnto vs a brotherly charitie of one to another kéepe themselues in bed to the ende the arme being hurt may bée in rest the stomacke is satisfied with a slender repaste to the end to ease that part that is distressed in effect euery one of the outward inward membres do so accōmodate their office and function to the ease and comfort of the hurte place that in them may be noted a wonderful harmonie league of one part with an other the same also being lyuely represented and expresly recommēded vnto vs in the celebration of the holy Supper of the Lorde to the ende that euery one of vs may with most diligent care laboure to preserue the vnitie of the body of Christ and supporting one an other may learne to couer the faults of our brethrē pardon their wrongs not to rebuke and exaggerate too muche their ignorances but rather to interpret them to the best and to teache them with charitie Let vs learne in the celebration of the holy sacramēt to make vs partakers of the afflictions and persecutions of our brethren whome we confesse in the receit of the supper too bée the members of Chryst with vs. 37 Behold here in effect my dere brethren one parte of the spirituall frutes that the children of God receiue in the receite of the Supper of oure Lorde truly admynystred and simply vnderstanded knowing right well that Christe had no other meaning in the institution of those sacraments than to manyfest by visible wordes as Saint Augustine sayeth the good wil of God towards men that is to purge washe and make them cleane by the water of his grace and by the bloud of his propre son to conioyn knit incorporate them with him euen as the meat is made one thing with our flesh in such sort that euē as in the exterior preaching of the gospel the Lord doth offer and present to all the world the benefit of reconciliation by Christ in like maner the sacraments be as a table or opē shop wherin the benignitie mercy charitie of our God be exposed to euery one offered and represented liuely in the tables And miserable shal they be who not serching the lyfe liuely refection and true washing within do embrace the corruptible and deceiuable elements and double miserable shal they be who naming themselues Doctors of the truthe and pastors of the troupe of God would féede the soules of their shéepe with meates that wil perish and corrupt 38 But now to return to our purpose begon I tooke occasion my dere beloued The occasion of the writing of this sermō brethren to write you these few lines as séeing the smal frute of my request on your behalf whē I spake to Monsieur Mathias Yllyricus who was sayd to be the Superintendent of your churche with whō I persuaded very modestly to shew vnto you and consider himselfe the infancie of this church persecuted thretned on euery side assayled with many enimies and battred with diuersitie of opinions with aduise besides that the tyme was more proper to preache and teach to the people the faythe and hope whiche wée ought to vse to mortifie oure wicked affections with a regarde of care to enterteine the league of charitie one with an other thā to impart with the simple and ignorant sort suche debates and questions as wée haue raysed vppon the matter of oure confessions Séeyng withal that such dissentiōs are rather pronounced of a iolitie of the hart to preferre our eloquence and procure to our selues a peculiar estimation amongest men than of purpose necessary for the edificatiō of our pietie which albeit he séemed to like of with a disposition to admit and performe my requests yet contrarily I see he is eyther the author or instigatour of a confession of faith which you haue set a broach in this churche of Antwerpe in which confession I can not only fynd any one point of the three mentioned in my conference with him but also it séemes to certen that you haue raised this confession expresly to trouble this poore afflicted churche The Lorde of his goodnesse giue you true knowledge and repentance of that whiche you do for touching the chiefe point of oure Religion that is to say Faith I fynde not in your confession many texts nor places which kindle the heart of man to imbrace the doctrine of Iesus Christe A thyng whiche I coulde easily appointe with my fynger if I woulde as vainely employ my time in confutation as I sée a number do at this day in disputation onely I thanke GOD that by other meanes hée hath taught me the doctrine of his truth for if at my firste arriuall I had encountred your confession of faith to lerne me to be a christian I coulde not haue much profited in a lesson of fayth so full of questions debates and dissentions 39 Deare brethren if you will with iudgement reade ouer that whiche your author hath written in youre name you shall fynde that neither Scotus nor any other Sophisters of the Papists haue so muche endarkned the doctrine of Iesus Chryst nor clad it with so many questions as certeine of you haue done wherof for example let vs suruey briefly foure certeine points and that more to reueale the slender edification that their readers may hope for of suche lessons than to encomber our selues with the confutation of such vanities Reade the Articles of the confession of faythe of Yllyric the better to vnderstande the articles folowing 40 Touching that whiche you say of our inheritaunce of the originall synne and frée will lost the world it selfe dooth declare well inough at this day that euerie one hath gotten a good lump of the inheritance of the corruption of Adam and the originall sinne as they call it neither doe your wrytings dispence or discharge you of your parte thereof And I beléeue as you say that men now a dayes haue not any Frée wyll séeyng it maye bée further beléeued that there bée a greate manye that haue slender sense and well woorse vnderstanding as béeing altogether ruled and caried ouer by their affections 41 Touching the matter of the incarnation of the sonne of GOD and redemption of man
other accordyng to oure vnderstanding which wée haue already doone with meaning to bring them to light to the edification of the Church to the ende euery one may sée that the controuersy is not so greate as is giuen oute to the people who being bothe troubled and amazed with suche diuersities knoweth not what pathe to treade hearyng some preache that Christe is here and other saye hée is not there but here The Churche of Chryste is not suche one but oures is the right Churche wée are of Paule and they bée of Cephas and others of Apollo Alas are wee baptised eyther in the name of Paule Iohn or Martine Is not onely Iesus Chryst our Redéemer Is it not in hys name that wée are baptized and broughte into the Churche Is not hee the souerayne Doctoure graduated not at Paris but in Paradyse whome our Heauenly Father hath ordeyned for our chief schoolemaster with expresse commaundement to heare him Why then doo wée seeke so many maysters and forgers of Doctrine To conclude I desired the sayde Minister to absteyne from iniurious inuectiues and words of quarel in bookes with exhortation to his companions to modestie and séemely temperance in their prechyngs also to persuade the people to faith mortification and brotherly charitie whiche albeit they haue not obserued but rather in the contrary haue vsed words of slaunder in the very Pulpit teaching by that mean their audience to imitate their disorders And which woorse is you other my brethren euen of late haue caused to be imprinted certein Libels wherin you haue reuersed the names of persons ▪ and by conuersion and change of letters haue most iniuriously handled a certeyn minister of the Gospel calling him a brand of hell or such lyke name of reproch a subtiltie farre vnworthy your vocation 12 If these matters growe to continuance it is not to be douted good brethren that the iudgement of God wil not thunder vpon our heads when beléeue mée the liuing God will know how where to finde vs though we be vnder the protection of greate Princes for the Lorde will not leaue vnpunished suche insolencis and mistakings of his deare Church the whiche as hée hath boughte with his bloud and deliuered from the tirannie of Antechrist so now such people would eftsoones suppeditate and persecute hir vnder colour of pietie and instruction of certein persons whom the Lord hath stirred vp to minister and serue in his temple And to speake more cléerely in this matter knowe yée good brethren that touchyng Martine Luther Phillip Melancthon The authoriti◠of Luther and other Doctors of the gospell with other like men wée estéeme thē true seruants of god to whom as the holy spirit hath plentyfully imparted his giftes and graces so haue they laboured with an ernest care both to impugne the abuses crept into our christian religion and also to manifest the truth of the Gospell of Chryst albeit we must and do acknowledge them to be no more than mē and so by consequence subiect to be ignorant in many things for so God vseth to bestow his giftes and graces vpon men as the condition of their ignorant nature may shew that they bée not Gods vppon earth 13 Besides that it hapneth many tymes that the seruants of God do obserue a certein special wisdom as not willing to reueale all they do vnderstande fearyng theyr audience not to bée as yet capable of suche Doctryne the same happenyng The wisdome of S. Peter euen to Saincte Peter the Apostle of Chryste who albéeit hadde receyued visybly the holy Spirite yet hée estéemed the tyme not yet conuenyent to manyfest to the Iewes the abolition of the Lawe fearyng leaste by suche a meane the Preachynge of the Gospell shoulde be broughte in contempte and the publication of the same hyndered On the contrarie Saincte Paule was of opynion that in a matter of so greate The zeale of S. Paule importaunce oughte to bee no dreade of daunger but to make open and publyke manyfestation of the lybertie whiche Galath 2. the Lorde hadde broughte vnto hys Churche In lyke sorte wée haue reason to presume that these good seruants of GOD Luther and Melancthon séeyng the greate resystaunce of the worlde ageynst the preachyng of the pure doctryne and the abolition of the Papistes abuses iudged it an acte of wisedome to gyue a little place too suche furie of the tyme and to gayne the heartes of the people gently wythoute makynge them Straungers to the Doctrine of the Sacramentes wyth expectation from daye too daye of more proper and fytte Reade the Epistles of Melancthon to Luther but chiefly the second occasyon to restore and bryng in wholly the true exercyse and vnderstanding of the holy Ceremonyes wherein wée maye bee confyrmed by the procéedings and degrées of the Doctryne whych wée doe see in the Bookes of the sayde holye Reade the beginning of Sleidans historye men For who can denye that Martine Luther was ignoraunte in many thynges at hys begynning to preache which the Lorde reuealed vnto hym after affyrmynge in the woordes of his owne mouth that GOD hadde sent hym not so muche to edifie and reestablyshe the Churche of Christe as to ruinate and batter the kingdom of Antechrist wherin he found dayly such chaunge of abuses vnworthy to be supported in the christiā Religion that in the ende hée protested that the Masse deserued to be abolished whiche Melancthon in the ende of the confession of Auspurge mainteyned contrarily professing the Masse to be yet reteyned in their Churches All this notwithstanding you my brethren of this time will not as farre as I fynde agrée that the Masse is yet reteyned in youre churches no not in the sort that the confession of Auspurge propoundeth it The words of Melancthon be these Falsò accusantur ecclesiae nostrae quòd Missam aboleant Retinetur enim Missa apud nos summa Reuerentia celebratur seruantur et vsitatae Ceremoniae ferè omnes praeterquam quod latinis cancionibus admiscentur alicubi Germanicae quae additae sunt ad docendū populum that is to say Our churches be falsly accused in that they abolishe the Masse for the Masse is reteined with vs and is celebrated with greate reuerence with an vse and obseruation of almost al What Supper the Protestants had in the beginning the accustomed ceremonies sauing that in some places there be certen Canticles in the Dutche entermedled with those that are soong in the Latine and that to teache the people 14 Sée brethren how you wold now aduow so goodly a reformation of Masse being assured that such institution is the true heape of vanities inuented by men and tending to the prophanation and abolition of the holy Supper of the Lord but if others in the very time of Luther and Melancthon haue bin moued wyth the spirite of God and with a zeale of S. Paule haue resisted such simulation wel affected notwithstanding to the glorie of God proueth
bée in more lybertie of conscience and the worshippers of one onely God and not of mortall men ignoraunt and blynde who makyng them selues as Idolls doe desire to bée followed and holden in greate admyration I would in God that euery one would say with Sainct Iohn the Baptist it is méete that Iesus Christe be exalted and magnified and that I be diminished and vnknown it is to Iesus Chryst to whom we ought to send the poore soules desirous to fynde knowledge and iustice and not to youre confessions institutions catechismes or commentaries 57 For the reste brethren you séeme to complaine of the greate diuersitie of interpretation that many haue pronounced vpon the words of the Supper which partely I can not denie bycause many desirous to make their church apart doe raise a value or estimation of them selues among their audience with pretence to celebrate theyr owne names from whence it procéeds that hauing but one truth and one simple intelligence in the words of Chryst all such as digresse from the same to vse some strange and new order do euery one bring into the churche his innouation 58 But I besech you consider whether amongst those that receiue the tenth article of the confession of Auspurge there be any diuersitie of interpretatiō to the end that if you will haue all the worlde for the eschuing of the condemnation of your sentence to followe your confession you first labour to establish an accord amongest your selues and then euery one will deliberate vppon that he hath to doe For you being deuided amongst youre selues and of diuers opinions we are ignorant in the part we ought to follow to escape your condemnation They of the Confession of Auspurge agree not amongst themselues vpō the words of the Supper Reade the boke named Antithese of the true and false exposition of the tenth Article of the Confession of Auspurge the Author of the same is Sybran Andreas 59 First you know well that Mathias Yllyricus whom I thinke to be the author of your confession is not of opinion with those that haue composed and presented the confession of Auspurge and you and he are not ignorant of the contentions debates and discentions which be euen till this day betwéene him others All which I will not here repete bicause my intente is not to kindle the coales of dissention but rather to quenche them I will not bryng to lyght the faultes of others but rather couer and hyde them albéeit it is easye for euery man to sée bothe howe thyngs haue passed and how they are nowe vsed and that by Bookes that are printed Touchyng the dissention of M. Yllyricus with Ph. Melancthon and those of the Confession of Auspurge reade the Epistles of Melancthon in many places but chiefly the page 452. Also the Actes Synodals imprinted in the yeare 1559. Also the answeres giuen to the Legate of Saxon by Ph. Melancthon 60 Touching the breaking brusing of breade you sée I am sure that in thys towne of Antwerpe the Ministers be not of accorde I leaue aparte the truthe of the Question which you call indifferent notwithstandyng that the institution of the Lorde beareth by manyfest wordes the breaking of the bread S. Paule calleth the holy Supper the breking of bread which also all the auncient church do approue And for my part I am of opinion that in the ceremonie of the holie Supper the breaking of breade oughte to bée obserued as signifying and assuring to vs that Iesus Chryste was offered broken for vs for the rest as when Christ celebrated the supper whether the bread he had then betwene his hāds was great Seeke the confession K. 10. 11. or little I leaue the decision of that question to Monsieur Mathias Yllyricus who sayth that Iesus Christe in the Supper brake the bread bycause the cakes were too great and hée had not made prouision of litle waffernes as we vse so that necessitie forced him to breake the breade without hauing intent to teach vs any thing by the breaking of the bread 61 The Churches of the moste noble prince elector and Countie Palatyne receiue the confession of Auspurge and yet in youre Catechisme you teache that the vnfaithful and vnworthy do not eate the body of Chryste in the Sacrament the which is ageinst youre article and consequētly ageinst the confession of Auspurge 62 The diuins of the renoumed prince of Hesse haue receiued the confession of Auspurge and yet Andreas Hyperius doctour of the vniuersitie of Marpurge belongyng to the sayde Prince receyued the Confession presented by the Straungers out of the towne of Weasell against which cōfession Heshussius his companions and yours haue raised many debates to banish from the countrey such as folowed the sayd confession the same arguing manifestly that you and your companions be not of accorde with the churches of the sayd prince 63 Iohannes Pincerus a man lerned no lesse deuoute as you knowe albeit he receiued the confession of Auspurge writ notwithstanding a boke against the sayd Heshussius refuting the opinions of the Supper and other thyngs the whiche Heshussius nameth him selfe to be of the confession of Auspurge and youre adherent and confederate to maynteyne this dissention 64 In the yeare 1565. The right noble prince elect of Saxon presented to the vniuersitie of Wittemberge the writings of Brentius Iames Andreas as vpon meaning to examin them touching their opinion of the Supper wherevnto the vniuersitie answered that the sayd Brentius and Andreas vsed in this matter diuers and sundry orders of speche bothe newe daungerous and altogither vnknowne to the auncient Churche that is to say that the humanitie of Christ was dispersed into euery place that the humaniti-of Christe was Creatour of all things that Iames Andreas confounded the communication of languages or propreties in the person of Christ and that they feared that the vniuersitie of Tubinga and the church of Wittenburgh were troubled with these innouations of doctrin exhorting them to ceasse from suche disputations with contentment onely to beléeue that the words of Chryste be true when he sayeth this is my body Nowe my brethren what part I pray you should wee followe seing both the one and the other be of the confession of Auspurge 65 Paule Eberus denyeth expresly that the vnworthy eate the fleshe of Christe who being of the confession of Auspurge doth neither agrée with you nor yet with Brentius who mainteyneth that Iudas in the Supper did as well receiue the body of Chryst as S. Iohn or S. Peter 66 The eight article of the confession of Auspurge doth teach that the vnfaithfull are not members of the churche and therefore receiue not but the outeward signes of the Supper So that when you say that the vnworthie receyue the body of Christ you are there contrary to your owne proper confession I pray you what coniunction is there betwene lighte and darknesse What aquaintance betwene Iesus Chryste and Belyal No
let vs rather remembre and reteyne that which the Prophet sayeth that God loueth not the wicked nor their wickednesse neither shall the vngodly dwell with him 67 Phillip Melancthon author of the confession of Auspurge in the apologie of the same confession doth teach that the participation of the body of Chryst is receiued of the faithfull by the meditation of his benefits then to receiue Chryst it is not nedefull too gnawe hym or breake him with our téeth Besides the wicked which haue no meditation nor godly recordation of the benefites of Chryste although they chaw the bread yet can they not receiue Chryste by the saying of the same Author to whome your doctrine is contrarie in this poynt 68 Martine Luther hath bin estemed a good interpreter vnderstander of the cōfession of Auspurge and yet he saith that the very iuyce and mary of the holy Supper is to receiue an assuraunce of the remission of oure sinnes by the sacrifice of Chryst Those then that say that the vnfaithfull and vnworthy receiue the bodye of Chryst which is the iuyce and marow of the sacrament be contrary to the said doctor and by consequent to the confession of Auspurge the which you do in your Article 69 The Duke of Wittenburgh wylleth and meaneth that his cōfession agrée with that of Auspurge and yet the article of the Supper in his confession is interpreted by the words of Ezechiell saying this Quarey or tyle is the towne of Ezech. 4. Ierusalem c. That is to say doth signifie or meane the town of Ierusalem c. Who then will not receiue this place in the interpretation of the Supper disagréeth with the confession of the said prince and by consequent with that of Auspurge amongst whom is Kemnitius who reiects wholly this place in the matter of the sacraments 70 Touching this woord vnworthy and who ought to be called so you be not of accorde for Heshussius your companion with large arguments goeth aboute to proue that the faithful cānot any way be called vnworthy Kemnitius in the cōtrary mainteineth that the place of S. Paule treating of the vnworthynesse of suche as receiue the Supper ought to be vnderstanded and interpreted by the other place of the Gospell where the Centuriō saith that he is not worthy that Iesus Chryst enter intoo his house as the aūcient doctors haue interpreted it Which of these shall we beléeue séeing they bée of contrary opinyon and yet bothe the one and other folowers of the cōfession of Auspurge 71 The .xiij. Article of the confession of Auspurge teacheth that the lauful vse of the Sacrament demaundeth necessaryly Fayth without whiche vse the Sacrament is no Sacramēt Those then which haue not faythe in the administration of your Supper haue not also neither sacrament nor body of Christ and therfore the Communion that the vnworthy doe make resistes your owne confession 72 The .xxj. article of the confession of Auspurge sayth that for the difference of ceremonies traditions of men a man oughte not to accuse the other churches and much lesse condemne them of error nor call them aduersaries who are of a contrary opinion And yet you my brethren call the other Ministers of thys churche aduersaries enimies and people cut off from your companie bicause they do not blysse at the aulter the bread afore they do distribute it with obseruation of other ceremonies that are of custome in your Supper 73 Touching this word with when you say the bodye of Chryste is receiued with the breade you are not of accorde for certeine of your confession affirm that Christ is enclosed within the bread others vppon the bread others as the fire within the hoat water others as the fire with in the burning iron others as the grange or house within the letters or wordes of contract in effect who woulde recite all the similituds and interpretations which they of the confession of Auspurge haue made vpon the wordes of the supper and all to maynteine the doctrine of the presence of Chryst linked with the exterior elements should finde the discourse long and the matter of small purpose In the ende Iohn Alasco superintendent of the Church of London being in the Church of Franckefort and seing such dissentions tending rather too dissolue the vnitie of the Churche than to redresse it is of opinion that that woorde of the confession of Auspurge where Chryste is receiued with the bread signifieth that when the faythefull eate the breade in the Supper with their corporall mouth their spirite with the mouth of Faith receiues Iesus Chryste whiche is on the ryghte hande of GOD. And suche interpretation of this woorde with was receiued of the Senate of the towne of Franckefort as a declaration agréeing with the confession of Auspurge whereby the poore straungers whiche are withdrawne thither lyued in peace and quyet vntill by reason of other quarels this Question was eftsoones renued by whyche meane they became in effecte the cause of the dissipation of so flourishing a Church There bée also amongest you that saye that the bodie of Chryste is presente in the Supper as Iesus crucified was present to the eyes of the Galathians and as the daye of Chryste was present too Abraham and yet are they receiued intoo the companye of those whiche maynteyne the Confession of Auspurge And bycause Heshusius being at the vniuersitie of Hidelbergh made himself enimie to this interpretation troubled the church with debates and questions it is sayd he was banished from the sayd vniuersitie like as diuers haue already put in writing many things belongyng to this dissention and others which we haue mentioned 74 Beholde brethren one chiefe occasion muche hindring many men to embrace the true religion and to bring thē selues into youre assemblie as seing amongest you so great diuersitie of opinions And for youre partes touching the matter of the Sacramentes you pursue them so eigerly so sharply and with such animositie and stomacke that the very blynde themselues discerne in you more desire to obteine victorie than zeale of God to instruct youre ignorant brother For when we haue a direct wil towards our neyghboure with a liuely touche of compassion of his ignorance and haue a christian desire to manyfest vnto him the truth we do not procéede by iniuries excomunications nor condemnations the same being in déede the very effectes and motions of a contentious and arrogant spirite with a minde full of felonie But of the contrary we vse swéete and softe woordes of inducemēt with persuasions of modestie as knowing assuredly that man is a kynde of creature so fierce of stomacke as hée is not to be qualified otherwise than by gentle admonishment and specially in the case and question of his religion which hauing hir true foundation in the bottom of his hart it is impossible to plant persuasions of Religion afore we haue ouercome and gained that place with gentle allurements and then with frute to plant there the