¶ A spirituall purgation sent vnto al them that laboure of Luthers Errour as touching the bodely presens of Christe our sauiour in the Sacrament and to al them that haue espyed the libertie of the gospel as touching theyr fleshe yet seke not the lybertie to make free theyr spyrite from thys afore sayde errour Ihon. xviii ¶ Euery one that is of truth heareth my voyce Cum Priuilegio ad imprimeÌ„dum Solum To the right worshypfull and godlye Knyght Syr Thomas wyat thee Auctor hereof wysshet helth encrease of grace to perfectioÌ„ in christ oure Lorde Amen FOr as moch as the accostumable vse of this our realme after the long absens of our freÌ„des returned into theyr natyue coÌ„tre we semed than with gyftes and presentes the only sygnes and tokens of theyr affectyon towardes them right worship full knyghte I vnable to be a frend yet of lyke affectyoÌ„ wyl and hart as frendes are haue addressed thys poore and rude present to welcome you wythe all whyche coueteth not fame or estimacion that commonlye telleth the myndes of men but that thing only whoÌ„ I knowe you to be to your power a defender maynteyner namelye the glory of god truth of his most sacred wordes the earnest of our saluacioÌ„ Partly therfore moued by affection dutye for your benyuoleÌ„s towardes me and chieflye for the hartye zeale you beare vnto the most sacred gospel of Christe Iesus I am so bold to dedicate thys rude and vnlerned yet symple and true lucubration Whom I hartelye desyre you to accept at my poore handes not lokynge vnto the gyft but vnto the mynde of thee geuer not forgetting the geÌ„tylnes of Artaxerkices Kynge of Percia who refused not a draughte of colde water at the handes of a poore labourer consyderynge his hart not the basenes of yâ— gyft Thus doyng ye shal sharpeÌ„ any desyre hereafter to vysyte you wythe soche lyke my poore exercyses Thus yâ— lorde god of myght and euerlasting power encreace you wyth hys grace and augment your knowledge in hys gloryous Gospell AMEN ⧠The boke to the Christian reader wissethe helth grace vnderstandinge in the Lorde Iesus LYke as the chyld doth sore lament And greuouslye take hys mothers lake EueÌ„ so am I not wel coÌ„teÌ„t Myne authors haÌ„des thus to forsake And as the chyld caÌ„not wythstand Hys parentes wyl but must obeye So lyeth it not within my hande My authour wil to agayn saye But the prouerbe in very dede Thys dout briefly doth so discusse Nedes shal yâ— must wyth haste spede The matter in no case can refuse Syns theÌ„ ther is no remedy But forth to troge and hast to make To slacke the tyme it were but folye In thys yâ— I haue vndertake Helpe haue I none me to vpholde In thys greuous perplexitie But god whych biddeth me be bolde Hys truth to speake veritie Which is of force I know ryght wel Me to mayntayn in euery case Agaynst yâ— clergie byshoppes cruell That thus gods worde styl do deface Whose tyranny fylthy pryde Whose doutfull table Epicuriall Whose welthines and myters wyde Whose golde ringes most cynedicall Hath gods own word iÌ„ soch disdayn And there at doth so swell and freate That it to colour they cannot refrayn It casteth nought therin to sweate â–ª Theyr supposal groose coÌ„iecture Not ruled by the testament They place in stede of yâ— scripture Agaynst the Lordes spiritual entent Whych thing amoÌ„gest the multitude As a ScorpioÌ„ moost cruel fel Hath stong theyr hartes both blynd rude And draweÌ„ theyr fayth froÌ„ the gospel So that they now in places clatter Autoritie hath taught vs so As for the gospel it maketh no matter Be it wel or be it woo Thus recheles in destreinte of mynd They preferre mens blynd fantasye Contrary to the nature kynd Of godes worde and verytie Wherfore as one yâ— doth lament This sore disease and malady My brothers conscience to haue rent And fylled it wyth mysery I haue prepared thorow gods goodnes For this vnkynd perturbacyon To the mynd a gentyl releasse Called a spirituall purgatyon Whose nature is to mudyfy And cleane eschoure the conscience Of them whom luthers heresy Hath infecte wyth the bodyly presens Of christes body in the sacrament Vnder forme of bread styl to remayne Cleane contrary to the hole concent Of gods holy sperit word certayne Wherin they maye as in a glasse Theyr errour trye and take awaye PlaÌ„tiÌ„g theyr hartes iÌ„ libertie grace Of oure hygh god the assured staye Of all mankynd that faythfully Vpon hym cal wyth feare treÌ„blyng He is theyr lord guyde truly That wil theÌ„ lead in this good lerniÌ„g So that errour fantasye And gredy lucre apt to reache Shal not seduce theÌ„ so fondly Agaynst yâ— truth this vntruth to teche Wherfore good reader I yâ— requyre In perusyng me be pacyent Syns that the prophete is my desyre And goddes glorye is my hole intent Who hath me framed verely For this purpose an instrumeÌ„t Only to publyshe his glory And the truth of hys holy TestameÌ„t And not to please the carnal eye Or satisfie the vnkynd lust Of our poteÌ„t mighty clergie Whych ar nothyng but asshes dust That so stoutlye in euerye place Defend theyr wicked tradicyon Dishonorynge the sperite of grace To theyr moost shamfull confusion Except they do forsake theyr synne And repeÌ„t of theyr wyckednes Theyr ware to theÌ„ wyll neuer wynne Any yote of the lordes ryghtuousnes Whych is our fort sauing helth Our strong towre tresorye On whoÌ„ depeÌ„deth al our welth Exempting vs from myserye Vnder whose holy protectyon Mekely to walke is a solas which leadeth to the blysful maÌ„sion Of endles ioye lasting grace Thorow christ our lord sauiour Our sacrifice and satisfaction Of Israel the only redemer In whoÌ„ the faythful haue saluacion To whom be prayse glory honour IudgemeÌ„t dominion continually whych reyneth wyth the father of equal FroÌ„ age to age perpetually power AMEN Grace mercy and peace of conscience be vnto all them from god the father thorow our lord Iesus Christ which faythfull ye wythout colour obeye the truth in setting forthe goddes glory AmeÌ„ BRother for asmoch as our heaueÌ„ly father by the mouthe of his true seruauÌ„t Paule hath coÌ„maÌ„ded al his adoptiue heyres plaÌ„ted in him by yâ—pÌ„cious death crosse of our sauiour christ to exercise theyr tonge whoÌ„ God hath created to magnyfie hys name in Gods holy most sacred word williÌ„g vs the no other word shuld procede out of our mouth but that which shal edifye whan neade is to geue grace to thee hearers greue not the holy sperite of god by whoÌ„ we ar sealed in yâ— daye of redeÌ„ption Our disobedience caÌ„ not Ephe iiii be hydde from the ryghtuous iudge which wayeth the thoughtes sercheth the reynes of maÌ„s hart yf we which couet this felowshyp societie of the eternall testameÌ„t of god go about not
thys doctryne but the sperite of God whyche spake in them and to thys Christe hym selfe beareth wytnes sayinge Blessed arte thou Symon Peter Quia caro et sanguis non math â—â—i reuelauit tibi sed pater meus qui est meus qui est in celis For fleshe bloude hath not reueiled vnto the but my father whiche is in heaueÌ„ â–ª Contrary wyse what in structour had the high prestes and Pharisies whan they called hym CarpeÌ„ters sonne Samaritan Beelzabub sayinge in thee name of Beelzabub he dyd cast forth deuyls Doubtles fleshe and blood which possesse not as Paule saythe thee Kyngdom of God Quia carnalibus ad est zelus contentio ambulare secundum hominem Because flesshiynges ar ful of i. Cor. xv i Cor. iii. conteÌ„tion stryfe to walke after mans doctryne â–ª Therfore say I that god hath not called vs by his holy Euangelion to determyne our fayth vpon the dreames of men for fayth is a perfecte gyfte al gyftes that are perfect good done come from god whych is perfyghte and therfore they are not to be establyshed vpon meÌ„ which ar without the grace of our heauenly father al vnperfect and synne but rather vpoÌ„ goddes truthe For what a blyndenes were it good brethren to perswade our conscyens to know the mysteryes of gods truthe thinking that we possesse a veritie infallible whaÌ„ we so opeÌ„ly stickiÌ„g vnto the iudgemeÌ„ts of earnall men blaspheme the truthe what greater blasphemye I pray you can there be more thaÌ„ whaÌ„ the opynions of meÌ„ which be for yâ— most part with the sperite of god more lyes fables shall out of the bosome of his creatures shutt out the truth of our moost hye god in whose lippes Dauid fayth there was neuer foundgile seale vp theyr eares lest thei shuld heare the comfortable embassage of peace whoÌ„ Paule calleth in the epystel vnto Tim. profitable doctryne saying Euange lium gloria dei quod creditum est Timo. 1 mihi sana doctrina est The EuaÌ„gelions of thee glorie of God whyche is delyuered vnto me is an holesome doctryne And also vnto the ThessaloniaÌ„s he wryteth Verbum accepistis a nobis non vt verbum homineÌ„ sed si Thessa 1. cut est Vere verbum dei that is to say Ye haue receaued of vs the word not as yâ— word of men but as it is in dede the word of god Agayn vnto Tite he wryteth thus encoraginge hym in his endeuor VerbuÌ„ sanuÌ„ irreprehensible loquere quod non blasphemetur omnia that is to say Titum 2. Speake the holesome faurelesse word which wyl not blaspheme at al. Now brethren derely beloued yf ye obey vnto the truthe Euen as Ezechiel was moued of god notwithstaÌ„ding the stubbernes of the Israelites to preach teache this his word sharpely to reproue theÌ„ of theyr frowardnes in that they sawe hys wonderfull worke yet beleued not neyther tourned from theyr wyckednes to declare hys vnmesurable mercye that he wolde all to knowe and noo man to perysshe thoroughe erroure saythe Verba mea loqueris ad eos si forte audiant quiescant quoniam irritarores sunt That is to saye Ezeche 2 Thou shalt speake my wordes vnto theÌ„ that yf it wyl be they Ezech. ii may geue eare for they ar men that prouoke me Euen so moued by the sperit I wyl yf god be pleased set hys word before your eyes yâ— thereby you maye perceaue the mercye grace of our heauenly father that he is not wylling to se you perysshe thorowe thys your abhominable errour euen the word that is of power able to saue youre soule Cast away therfore thes mystes and cloudie phaÌ„tasyes of carnal iudgemente as touching this word For god hath sayde my thoughtes are not your thoughtes nether yours ar myne And desyre hartelye with me that the holy on of Israell may opeÌ„ your gates that the kyng of glory may enter in ther at to discusse by hys holye spirite the truth of thys youre doubte that your weake coÌ„scyens may no longer wauer and be compelled to hange vpoÌ„ imperfectioÌ„ But that you maye not only haue vnderstanding in thys but to seke hys glorye whych hath to al them that beleue the gospell reueled lyfe ii Tim i. immortalitie the power of Satan hell death beyng vaunquyshed yf you shal se for hys truth sake both confute youre errour breake in sonder thee bastelioÌ„ whose walles ar built with vnteÌ„pered claye and therfore as a tottering wall muste come to nought Frayte not your hartes wyth disdayn willingly thorowe malice procuring your own destrucitoÌ„ but as the word louiÌ„gly exhorteth you be meke and lowlye to heare thee worde of God that you Eccle v. maye vnderstande and brynge forth a wyse and true answere For euery worde of God is pure as the wyseman saythe and Prou xxx a shyld of defence to them that put theyr truste in hit For assure thy selfe that he cannot be of God whych preferreth the durtye dregges of mens braynes before goddes word for as Iohan sayth euery one that is of Iohan 19 God heareth the truth and euerye one that heareth truthe heareth god For my shepe heare my voyce and I knowe theÌ„ and they folow me nether shal any of them perysshe nor noo man shall take them out of my hande Ieremy the prophet because he wolde not haue vs seduced by anye fonde Imaginacion forbiddeth not only to Ierem. 23 heare those prophetes that prophesye theyr own dreames but also sayth in the voyce of oure heauenlye father Take hede Ierem 7 that ye herken not to councels which iÌ„deuour to disceaue you and to do you no good Nowe yf you wyll trye your selues to be as ye wold be reported abyde in the word and then shal ye be partakers of yâ— promes that god hath made by hys worde that is ye shal know the truth and it shal make you fre for he Iohan 8 that is of God heareth his word THe disciple the fyrst Exodi 12 day of swete bread came vnto Christe sayinge where wilt thou that wee prepare for the the easter or passouer laÌ„be to eate for it was accostumed amoÌ„gest yâ— Israelites that they yâ— fyrst moneth xiiii day of the same at nyght the houshold of thee Isralites shulde thorowe oute all theyr costes borders eate no leuened bread but vnleuened vntyl seuen dayes were clerely expired And further that in the daye of swete bread a laÌ„be necessarely shuld be kylled whom they eate the nyght luke xxii Exodi xii before theyr delyueraunce out of bondage which being a perpetual sygne token of theyr deliuerauÌ„ce was continuallye obserued among theÌ„ whych in verye dede was a shadowe and fygure of gods mercy fauoure toowardes hys creatures whaÌ„ we were yet his enemies that lyke as they whych were sealed wyth the blood of the laÌ„be were preserued from daungerous plages
at thys his laste supper whan he instituted thys sacrameÌ„t by this text Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis tradituruÌ„ That is to say This is my body which shal be geuen for you ThaÌ„ the scripture blanketh you for it teachethe vs yâ— the natural body of Christ whiche brake this bread afterward to be slain vpoÌ„ yâ— crosse buried Agayn if ye affirme this alteratioÌ„ of his bodi to haue chaÌ„ced after his resurrection than the scripture replyeth agayn geuinge you a fayre checkmate sayinge that after he was rysen he bracke bread amongeste hys apostels in the forme of the crucified body hauing nothyng thereof altered sauing that nowe it was immortall nomore subdued to our carnall passyons Then to conclude yf neyther before hys death nor after his resurrectioÌ„ he entered into thys bread thaÌ„ is youre Imaginacion false But now paraduenture ye wyl demaunde of me whyche haue disproued thys magicall transubstanciation What became of this body thus rysen the scripture maketh you thys answere After he hath continued in the yearth xl dayes whan he was rysen the disciples but then gathered together at Ierusalem abyding as they were appoynted the coming of yâ— promised coÌ„forter assone as he had repeted vnto theÌ„ the coÌ„fortable ê“myse of yâ— TestameÌ„t sodeynly eueÌ„ in theyr syght he entered into hys glorye a cloud taking hym out of theyr eyes And whyle they yet stode woÌ„dering at the mighty arme and incomprehensible power of god to take from theÌ„ all occasyons of doubtynge or supposal what shuld folowe of Christ thus takeÌ„ froÌ„ theyr eyes Beholde an angel apered vnto theÌ„ instructiÌ„g theyr sperit with this coÌ„solatioÌ„ saying Ye meÌ„ of galilie why staÌ„d ye here gasiÌ„g the same christ which is nowtakeÌ„ froÌ„ you into heaueÌ„ shal in yâ— same maÌ„ner apere agayn wherfore what is he yâ— dare boldelye vsurpe the name of a ChristiaÌ„ hateth to be reformed by yâ— holy goost whom god hath left vnto vs to instructe vs in Christ by whoÌ„ we heare opeÌ„ly yâ— his body is not onely in glorye wâ—â—he his father in the euerlasting kingdom exempt from trouble mysery in whoÌ„ reygneth nothinge but ryghtuousnes peace where it shall reygne in power and glory vntyl he hath brought all hys enemies into subiectioÌ„ whiche stouburnly vpon a froward spyte wyth holde hys truthe in vnrightuousnes but also according to the scripture shall come agayne to iudge the quycke the dead as dayly we lay in our crede of whom yâ— prophet dauid thus speaketh â–ª Deus manifeste veniet deus noster non silebit Ignisin conspectu eius exaudestet in circuitu eius tempestas valida quia deus iudex est That is to say Psal 49 â–ª The god that is oure god shal come openly and shall not kepe sylence In his syght shal fyere consume rouÌ„d about him shal be a myghty teÌ„pest because god is a iudge And Paule sayth also in this wyse testifying of hys coming Ipse dominê° cum hortatu voce archangeli ac turba dei descendet Math â—â— Iohan. 5 Thessa 4 2 Thes â— de celo mortui in Christo resurgeÌ„â— c. That is to say The lord him self shal descend from heaueÌ„ in the encoraging voyce of an Archangell wyth the trumpe of God and the dead in Christ shal ryse c. And thys comyng was also reueled vnto daniel the prophete in a vysion by nyght where he sawe one like to the son of maÌ„ comyng out of the cloudes vnto whom the aged man gaue power and dignitie regall that all people trybes Dani. vii apoca i. Philip ii tonges shuld serue hym whose power is an euerlasting power which shal neuer be put down and hys kyndgom endureth in corrupt Because therfore that we shuld assuredlye pronounce hym to be the ende of the lawe and of the Prophetes that nothynge testified in them shulde be lefte vndone but fulfylled by him to assure vs that he wolde come that we myght at no tyme be careles and vnprouyded as were the foolysshe vyrgyns and so thorowe oure negligens be shutte oute he gaue vs certayne sygnes and tokens that Ioel xxxii Math 24 Ierem 25 Esay xiii marke 13 luke 21 shulde come to passe before the daye of hys commyng euydently testifyed by thee prophetes the Euangelist as the alteracion of the sonne and moone and the decaye of the bryghtnes of the starres wyth soch lyke many testified in the Scriptures For lyke as the lyghtening goeth from the East and shyneth math 24 into the West so shall the commynge of thee sonne of man be and whaÌ„ be cometh he wyl not tarrie QueÌ„ quideÌ„ aduentum vt refert Paulus narret teÌ„poribus suis beatus solus potens Rex reguÌ„ Timo. dominus dominantiuÌ„ qui solus habet immortalitatem lucem habitat in accessibileÌ„ queÌ„ nullus videt That is to say Whych coming as Paule declareth the kyng of kynges Lordes of rulers who onely hath immortalitie dwelleth in lyght yâ— noman can come to whoÌ„ nomaÌ„ seeth Paul therfore seynge the imperfectioÌ„ of our flesh which is geueÌ„ to feade yâ— lust of our corrupt afflictions exhorteth to loke diligentli for his coming of our sauioure saying â–ª Conuarsatio vestra erit in Celo celis vnde faluatorem aduenturum spectatis That is to say Youre conuersation therfore shal be in heauen whence ye loke for a sauiour to come If he be to come he is not yet come for whan he cometh he wyl not tarrye Yf he be not yet come he is not here Yf he be not here than it foloweth yâ— his body is not reallye in yâ— sacrameÌ„t Now good brethren ye haue hero yâ— doctrine of gods sperit what it hath taught of yâ— natural body of christ Iesu how it was not only crucified dead buried rose agayn yâ— iii. day but also that ye shulde fantasye nothiÌ„g of thys body wyth your groose carnalitie it hath expressiuelye shewed what bodye thys was wether it weÌ„t where it is from whens it shal come for as moch therfore as this is yâ— sperit of truth whoÌ„ christ at his departure promysed to hys faythfull folowers as a gouernour to leade them into al truth we yâ— couet to be called Christians must of necessite beleue it yf wyth christ we do entend to haue any societye for who so beleueth not this his soule shal not prosper but yâ— aâ—at â—â— Gal. â—3 Roma â—â— iust shall lyue by fayth Christe therfore thus speaketh in IohaÌ„ Verely verely I saye vnto you whoso heareth my word beleueth him that sene me hath euerlasting life and cometh not into damnatioÌ„ but is passed thorow deth vnto lyfe Iudge you now what shal becoÌ„e of those whych dispyce and beleaueth not this truth Now as touchinge Luthers errour yf that vnder the forme of bread the natural body of christ shuld be it apereth hys ciuilitie to be very slender