y◠ouerwhelmed the fyrst borne of Egipt were couerd wyth the mercyful wynges of god and set theyr fleshe whych serued in most vyle seruitude or cruel bōdage vnder the vnbeleuing kyng Pharao in fredom wherof to assure thē he gaue the land of Canaan for theyr habitaciō vtterli therout expelling y◠enemies of his people that frely wythout checke they myght possesse the promysed land that floweth wyth milke hony Euē so that al soules which were in the yron cheynes of dānation bondaged to deth perpetual darkenes thorowe Adams transgression shuld by the meanes of thys annoynted sauiour appoynted of god the father before the foundaciō of the worlde was leyed be made fre frō dampnacion which vnfaynedlye trusted in hym For thys was the symple lambe of whom Esay the Prophet speaketh Esay liii sayinge that he shuld not stryue for hys flesshe Yea thee very same that the Euangelist hathe appoynted all burdened consciēces to go vnto for a dischardge sayinge Ecce agnus dei Christus qui tollit peccata mundi That is to saye Beholde the Iohan i lābe of god Christ that taketh awaye the synnes of the world Wherfore that thou mayest by thee scripture be assured that y◠passouer lambe eaten at the deliueraunce of theyr bodyes frō a temporall bondage preached the death and passyon of christ our lambe that made hym selfe obedient to the moost reprochefull death of the crosse by whose strypes as the Prophete saithe we were healed and also the eternall delyueraunce of oure soules from death marke well what is wrytten in the scripture Agni statuuntur in testimoniū veritatis federis promis that is Gene xxi to saye Lambes ar appoynted for a wytnes of the truth the couenaunt promysed And therfore Iohan sayth Agnus occisus ab origine mundi habet librum feder is in quo scripta sunt nomina Apoc. xiii sanctorum That is to say The lambe that was kylled frō the begynnynge of the world hath the boke of couenaunt wherin be wryttē y◠names of the sayntes Nowe to make his disciples to be more apte to receyue thys mysterie to opē theyr eyes to perceaue the peace offeringe promysed by the prophetes and now come to do the wil of hys father that sente hym a lābe to be slayne to appease his wrath conceyued thorow Adās fal That as Adam couered al fleshe by his disobedience with damnacion euē so the obediēce that was in christ shulde couer it wyth saluacion He sayd vnto thē go ye into the cytye to a certayn man whom ye shal mete and say you vnto him Magister vicit tempus meum prope est Math 24 apud te facio pasca cum discipulis meis that is to say The Mayster sayth my tyme is at hande I wyl kepe myne easter at thyne house with my disciples As who shuld saye the tyme is come that the heauenly wil of my father shulde be fulfylled by my passion wrought for the cōfort and consolation of Adam his posteritie whos frowardnes in that he disobeyed hys wyl plucked hys indignatyon and wrathful vengeaunce vpō his head But now beholde the acceptable tyme that god my father thorow loue lōgeth for an attonemente as a louing father glad to receyue the shepe that were loste for synne hathe not spared me his onli begottē sonne to throwe me frō hys imperiall trone into the bottome of the earth that whosoeuer beleueth in me shuld haue lyfe euerlastyng I am he promysed by the prophetes to make thys agrement of whom Esay speaketh Ecce virgo concipiet pari Esaye vii et filium vocabitur nomē eius Emanuel that is to say Behold a byrgyn shal conceyue brynge forthe a sonne and hys name Math. i. shal be called Emanuel And as mathew sayth Qui saluum faciet populum suum Israel that is to saye Whych shal make false hys people Israel I am the sacrifice yea the onely sacryfyce that must in my bloud washe away mānes iniquitie and dregges of corruptiō and none but I alone For where the priest leuite hath passed by the wounded man vnable to helpe him I am come to bynde vp hys woūdes yea to make hī hoole I am the mediator appoynted betwene god and mā euen the mā Iesus Timo. 2 christ for this purpose chosen of God my father to heale the sycke that nede a phesyssyon and preache beliueraūce vnto the captiue wythout me ther is no mediator for I am come into the world for no other purpose but to saue synners I am that spirituall rocke sente into i Corin ◠thys wyldernes of whom your fathers haue dronke so must you or els ye perysshe for thyrst I am that pure and liuely vyne whos leaues neuer wyther Iohan 1◠nor fal away whoso is not plāted in me my father wil plucke him vp by the rootes I am the Iohan vi bread sent downe from heauen who so is replenyshed wyth me shal neuer tast of death I am y◠Iohan x. dore an opē entre to my father vnto whom no mā cometh but by me For he that clymmeth ouer the walles is as the scripture saythe a thefe or a robber I onelye do geue lyfe vnto my shepe I am the God of Abraham Abrahā Isaac and Iacob euen theyr sauegarde mercy seate ▪ Math xxii I am he whych putteth a waye your iniquities euen for myne owne sake and beyng the lorde your creator for loue wyl remēbre them no more for I am the Lord and wythout me there is no sauiour the pathe truly haue I troden to god my father Esaye 43 that you seynge my foote steppes shulde at noo tyme erre Thus good brethren whan he had by preachyng of his death and merites instilled into hys disciples hartes vnderstāding that they might perceaue theyr saluatiō and not theyrs alone but also of the hole worlde because he had euen from the begynning chose thē witnesses of hys afflictyons that after thee thing was fynished which they personallye behelde wyth more fyrme stable faith they might preache this desyre syght vnmesurable comforte of al fleshe among the gentyles and vnbeleuing nacions He dyd not only wyth expresse wordes declare hys goinge into Ierusalem hys euel intreature amongeste the hyghe prestes Pharisies cruel bloud suckers and fynally his death that they hearing these wordes myght with more diligens attende to marke the experiens therof but also whā the passouer lambe shuld be eaten whyche as I before sayde was the token of theyr delyueraunce out of Egypt and of the fredom of theyr fleshe by y◠whiche delyueraunce theyr soules were not exempted from the tyrannos gulffe of hell synne death neyther y◠fathers wrath pacyfied dewe vnto thē for trāsgression but continually hanged moost terryblie ouer theyr heades so that they yet were the subiectes yf death and dāpnation he therfore to preache vnto them a perfect delyueraunce or fredom of
god his father wyth whoÌ„ as many as beleueth in hys only sonne shal â—aÌ„tifye the euerlasting sabaoth of endles ioy for he alone hathe made thys entre by whom al christians must enter and who so clymmeth ouer the walles and goeth not thorow the dore surely he is a thefe and a robber and as a thefe or robber for his transgressyoÌ„ is subiect vnto iudgemeÌ„t EueÌ„ so shal that soule be endaÌ„gered in iudgemeÌ„t that seaketh in any otherway to god the father that christ Iesus for by him we haue knowledge of god without hym we shall neuer knowe god veryly thus hath he spokeÌ„ with hys owne mouth Yf any man knoweth me the same knoweth him that seÌ„t me wherfore as the dore is the entery to the maÌ„sion place EueÌ„ so Christe is our dore to yâ— father agayn as thou dayly by experience seeste the branches of the vyne which taketh moosture of yâ— body out of whoÌ„ they issue neuer to dye but coÌ„tinually according to his nature growe grene floryshe bryngyng forth yâ— frute of yâ— vyne Euen so as many as ar vnfaynedly graffed in yâ— precious body of christ our sauiour shall neuer taste of death but perpetuallye by hys aboundant grace growe and florysshe in vertu and brynge forth frute in hym agreing to his nature that is the denyinge of vngodlynes doinge good as yâ— prophet wryteth Declina a malo fac bonum That is to saye Declyne froÌ„ euyl and do good Last of al as the way leadeth the pylgryme or wayfaring maÌ„ to his iorneys ende that he may ther rest from werines so doth this our aduocate mediator christ Iesu leade vs which here ar but pylgrymes in this strauÌ„ge lande compassed aboute wythe all myseryes and deathe to oure owne countrie whom he hath purchased for his faythful flocke with hys holy and santyfyed bodye offered ones for al for the remissyon of our synnes which countrie endureth for euer exeÌ„pt froÌ„ all trouble wherein reynethe the peace of god for euer wher we shal enioy the fruyte of our laboure and atteyne the goole whereat al the faythful eueÌ„ froÌ„ the begynning that hath bene are and shal be to the coÌ„fyrmation of the whole world hathe wyllingly directed thee course of theyr lyfe namely lyfe euerlasting the port of christiaÌ„ traueyle wythoute werynes thorowe Christ our lorde as saithe the euangelist Iohan. Hec scrip si vobis qui creditis in nomine filii Iohan v dei vt sciatis quod vitam habetis eternaÌ„ That is to say These thynges haue I wrytten vnto you that beleue in the name of the son of god that ye maye know that ye haue euerlasting lyfe Now to conclude christ is not a material dore way or vyne but hath in hym yâ— qualities of these vicible thinges thus it pleased his mooste glorious Maiestie to enforme vs in the knowledge of the vertue of his most precious body by thys visyble sygnes to augment oure hope to saluacion EueÌ„ so hath he done in thys hys sacrament sayinge Hoc est corpus meum That is to say Thys is my body not that hyt is his personal body nomore thaÌ„ hit is a dore or vyne but as he hath yâ— qualytye of a dore or vyne so lyke caseÌ„ hath he yâ— propertie of thys bread for bread by nature norisheth the body so christ by nature norysheth yâ— soule Yf therfore the letter shuld be symplye vnderstande without interpretacion how moch shulde it abhorre the sperit of god whyche teacheth vs that Christ is our euerlasting priest according to the order of melchisedeck without begynning wtout end Alpha Omega yea how moche shuld it make faynt oure hope to beleue yâ— incorruptible bodie of christ our sauiour to be transubstaÌ„ciat into a massie peace of bread wtout lyfe or soule and made of corruptible elementes But here may you se good brethren as it were in a myrror or glasse yâ— groose capacitie of our indocible iudgemeÌ„t of froward fleshe which seketh not hartely to be instructed in yâ— truth or sauour of the light but rather to be wyse in hys own coÌ„ceyt and worder at the wysdoÌ„ of god namely yâ— truth of hys word As yâ— malicious pharaces or stubborne Iewes amoÌ„g theÌ„ selues wondred at yâ— coÌ„fortable wordes of christ whaÌ„he said his flesh was meate his bloud drinke that it gaue lyfe euerlasting groosely poÌ„dering the letter not the spiritual enteÌ„t of christ enteÌ„diÌ„g to preach remissioÌ„ of theyr syns by the offering vp of his precious body wherby yâ— tyraÌ„nous workes of cruel sathaÌ„ were lowsed hel syn deth clerely vanquished sayd how caÌ„ thys man geue his fleshe to eat his bloude to drinke supposing as Luther his adherentes that they with theyr teth shuld eate the flesh of christe drinke hys bloud esteming it only meate to feade the bely wtal but christ to coÌ„deÌ„pne theyr fonde suspicion to make playne his meaning as touching the eatiÌ„g of his precious body being yâ— foread sent down from heueÌ„ to geue lyfe vnto al the worlde sayd Spiritus est qui qui viuificat caro noÌ„ prodest quic quam verba que loquor spiritus vita sunt That is to saye It is Iohan. vi the sperite that quickeneth the fleshe profyteth nothinge The wordes that I speke vnto you are speryt lyfe As who shuld say it is a spiritual matter that I speake of nothyng apperteyning vnto the fleshe for the sperite of god of nature endeuoureth to instructe the selye poore and faynt speryte of man to be apt to comprehende the wyl of hys creator for thys speryt feadeth the soule and maketh the hart of maÌ„ ioyful and therfore maye it very well be assembled vnto thys worde meate for as an hungrye stomack beyng by longe fastynge febled in streyneth out of corage reioyseth whan it is satisfied with meate Euen so the harte and soule of man beyng long febled wyth yâ— wrathfull displeasure of God vnto whom it was subiecte by disobedience after the aboundant mercy of Christ frely offered hir selfe to appease thys wrathful indignacion by whoÌ„ it was noryshed it ioyfully loked vp praysed hys sauiour And therfore it is a spyrytuall meate whych I speake of geueÌ„ only of yâ— sperit whych feadeth nothing but maÌ„nes mind And thus answered he the errour of the Iewes whyche vnderstode hym to speake of hys personall bodi because we shuld not dreame as Luther hathe done any thyng of thys corporal presens to be in the sacrament But in thys opynyon Luther you all whych moost vnaduysedlye haue subscrybed vnto hys errour haue with your carnal wisedom exceded the policie of the wicked worldlinges which put christ to deth For yf thei eyther by power or ê“suacioÌ„ could haue the multitude or commeÌ„ sort of people beleue yâ— his bodi had bene amoÌ„gest theÌ„ in form of bread they wold neuer haue brybed yâ— knyghtes of yâ— sepulture with money to say that his body
beyng bothe God and man not onely satisfied the lawe but also mollyfyed the anger of God hys father conceyued agaynste Adam for thee trangressyon of the law for it was not one nature I meane man that was able and of power too obserue thys law of hys proper streÌ„gth syns that the lawe hathe confouÌ„ded synne from the begynning vnder whoÌ„ Adam an al fleshe that issued oute of hys loynes was shutte in but of necessitie there must some soch one be founde whych beyng coupled together two natures wythout spot of synne shuld satisfye for synne please god for traÌ„sgressioÌ„ Mercy therfore pytyfully lameÌ„ting the fal of Adam and very Loth to see thee Image of God thus bondaged to death by the subtyll entycemente of thee cruell serpente and an outcaste by the lawe for asmoche as it perceaued in earthe thee impotencye of fleshe and bloud how weake vnable it was to breake thys serpentes head it anoynted eueÌ„ Christe Iesus to preache good tydynges vnto thee poore healynge vppe the wouÌ„ded hartes and delyuer thee captyues froÌ„ Esaye 61 deth destroyng that had power ouer death that maÌ„kynd might be made a ryghtuous planting of the Lorde for hym to reioyse in Christ therfore nothinge rebellious vnto the wyl of hys father who thorow hys fauourable mercy had apoynted hym a sauiour before the fouÌ„dacioÌ„ of the world were leyed came and was incarnate for our sake subiected vnto all oure myseryes wythoute synne that by the sacrifyce of hys most precious body myght become a refuge and bastilioÌ„ vnto al faythfull penitent synners that beleued in him so sure and stronge that the deuyce of the lawe shuld not hurt them that were marked wythe hys bloude neyther yet the locustes whom the starre let out of the botomles pyt shuld worke theyr commyssyoÌ„ vpon them nor spue out the deuysed vengeaunce of thee God of Iacob agaynst Apoca ix them which he hath deuised to fall vpon al fleshe that hadde not the seale of this lambe in theyr fore headdes Therfore is he called in yâ— holy scripture our mercyseat for asmoch as all they that beleue in hym are defended by hys bloudsheddynge Nowe is christe become oure peace offering and perfect sacryfyce our mediator and onlye aduocate whych hath delyuered vs from vnder the lawe and graffed vs in lybertye and grace beynge so fyrmely stable a mersyate that he not onely standeth betwene vs and the lawe but also assureth the Cherubyns of an euerlastyng seate whych neuer shal decaye because they haue hooped in hym for these Cherubyns sat face to face vpon the mercyseate sygnyfyeth the fathers and theyr ofspryng that haue slept from the creacion of the world vntyl the mooste gloryous death of christe Iesus And all these that shall slepe tyll the apperaunce of the sonne of man in hys glorye at the consummation And theyr lokynge downe into thee mercyseat sygnifieth the confessyon of theyr fayth that they in hym are both holye and ryghtuouse for asmoch as vnfaynedly they beleued that that the prophetes haue testyfyed that as â—eâ—u 13 many as trust in him shal haue remissioÌ„ of theyr syn for ther is no helth in any other nether is ther any other name geuen vnder heueÌ„ vnto meÌ„ wherby they myght be saued but only yâ— name of Iesu Christ In conclusion the fathers we hooly cleue vnto this christ for asmoche as in him we haue life euerlasting without hym ther caÌ„ come no saluacioÌ„ vnto meÌ„ for he is yâ— geuer thereof as wytnessethe hys owne sperit saying Ego do vitaÌ„ ouibus meis That is to say I geue lyfe to my shepe Wherfore paul to declare that the fathers which slepe in yâ— lord to haue eateÌ„ yâ— same body haue dronke of the same cup which is preached vnto vs in thys Sacramente whereof we also are partakers sayeth we haue al droÌ„ke of one spyrytuall rocke and ar partakers of one bread by whoÌ„ we ar made one body Et hic erat ille panis qui de celo desceÌ„dit ex quo Si quis ederit viuet in aeternum That is to saye And this was that bread that came from heauen wherof yf any maÌ„ shal eate he shall lyue for euer Whyche is the head of the faythfull congregacion Euen Christ the mediator betwene god and maÌ„ in whom as many as faythfully beleue ar buryed from theyr synnes and rysen agayne wyth hym in newnes of lyfe and he that doubte the not thys but wythe an assured affyaunce hopeth thereafter hathe alreadye eaten hys body and dronke hys bloude and hath in hym lyfe euerlastynge Contrarye he that beleueth not the mooste sacred and eternall Testament sanctifyed in hys most precious bloude but castethe it behynde hys backe as a word doubteful and not to bee trusted let hym eate thys sacrament fyue thousand tymes where in ye fayne more lyke infydels thaÌ„ faythful christians the body of christ our sauiour to be conteyned really it shall asmoche auaylle hym to saluatyon as a dyrgies peny or a masse of requiem for it is not thee sacramentall eatynge that geueth the saluation but to beleue goddes worde that is the sauegarde of the soule neyther is it the Sacramental eatynge that condempnethe thy soule but the vnbeliefe of gods word couereth the wythe death For the eatynge of the Sacrament wythout fayth in the promesse aduexet there vnto profytethe nothyng but to eate the sacramente and stedfastlye to beleue the promes he receaueth not only the Sacrament worthelye but hath also lyfe euerlastynge not for eatynge the SacrameÌ„t but because he beleueth in hym whom the sacrament fygureth who is lyfe euerlastynge as Iohan wytnesseth sayinge God hath geuen vs lyfe euerlasting and thys lyfe is in hys son he that hathe the sonne hath lyfe and he that hathe not the sonne of God hathe not lyfe in hym Wherfore to eate thys Sacrament i Ioh v. reuerently accordynge to the holye scripture is in breakynge of the breade to preache vnto our conscyence the lordes deathe by whom we are sealed vnto redemption And in drinkyng of the cuppe that is in obeyng to hys worde to haue remyssyon of all oure iniquities and lyfe euerlastiÌ„g Now good brethren because I wyll not be tedious I hartelye desyre you in the Lord Iesus yf by hys death bloudshedinge ye haue receyued the hope of saluacyon do also requyre you not as one hauyng any auctorytye of hym self but as an instrument nowstered by the louynge kindnes of god to cal you from your heresye to consyder the Embacetour hye prest of our professioÌ„ christ Iesus beyng yâ— brightnes of gods glory the very Image of his substaÌ„ce bearyng vp al thinges with yâ— word of his power how he hath in his own person purged our synnes is set on the righthaÌ„d of the maiestie on hye being eueÌ„ as moch more excelleÌ„t theÌ„ yâ— angels also howe he hath sanctified the testameÌ„t in his precious bloud to the coÌ„fortable helth