spottes to continewe and contende into a more pure and perfyt lyfe euen so when we sit downe at the holy souper we bynde our selues into one loue and beleif in the promyse there rehersed that he gaue vs his bodye to be broken for vs And we bynde our selues to geue hym thankis perpetuall and euer to perseuer in our religion and faithe and in a louing Cristen concorde that we all there present mought euer more be made one brede one cuppe one bodye ioyntly cowpled togither as members vnto Criste our onely supreme heade spirituall ¶ The passage frome vnder the lawe vnto the grace of the gospell FOr a more perfyt preparaciō vnto our newe passouer lombe Criste ye shall knowe that whylis we passe ouer this transitory lyfe ether ar we vnder the lawe or els vnder grace as for them that ar vnder nether lawe nor grace yet wilbe called moste graciouse and grace it self nor yet of siche that so exalt them selues aboue God and his lawes that they suffer syn to haue siche dominiō ouer them that it ledeth them into what so euer they lust frely w t oute all punisshmēt for to do what they lyste and desyer I speke not of fering nether god nor man But yet ye shal note that there be two maner of lawes A polityk lawe made by men a spiritual lawe which at the commandements of God A man may be a iuste ciuyle man aftir a certayn ciuile iustice as were the Haithen Turkes and Saracens and yet very infidelis Also a man may apere to hymself to other to be iuste aftir the iustice rightwysenes of the lawe of the commandementis which Paule calleth our owne rightwysenes Ro. x. and Crist calleth it the rightwysenes of the pharisais yet before god a very dampnable ipocryte as were the pharisayes Paule hymself before his conuersion as nowe ar all y t wilbe iustifyed by their workis thīking them selues holyest of all men The offyce of the polityk lawe is with fere of punisshment by the swerde to refrayne euill men from thefte murther aduoutry iniuryes or trowbling of the comō peace which lawe is geuen as saith Paule i. Timo .i. to the iniuste wyked not to the iuste iustitia politica et ciuili aftir the ciuile iustice The spiritual lawe emonge many offyces hathe theis euē to shewe a mā his synnes then to feare hym for so offendīg god so to encrease syn for where is no lawe there is no transgression It worketh wrathe and the punisshment of God Nowe let vs se who is vnder this lawe Some there be that beleue y t this lawe of the commandemēts whiche is called spiritual because it requireth our affectes altogither mortifyed from all euill thoughtes desyers as baptisme techeth vs they fulfil it so lōge as they cōmitte no open or externe acte wherfore nether the ciuyle swerde nor the ecclesiastical censure may punissh them for as Moses saithe they lyue by or in them yea they thus lyuinge in the externe face vtwarde shewe of the doyng the dedis of the lawe think them selues holyest most honest perfyt of al men How abhominable so euer their thoughtis hertes be with in themselues polluted with inwarde sheding of innocēt bloude wronges desaytes falsehed lying pryde enuye malyce concupiscence almaner filthynes vntyll theise secrete sores and venome brekeforth into lyght yet then ar they not with oute some fayer excuse apparēt colour no lesse then Adā Eue pretexed their synnes with their brode fygge leaues so far of ar these ipocrytes to cōfesse their faultes Under this degre of the lawe ar all they y t apere to themselues and to siche lyke to fulfill the lawe right well to do more to to merit heuen by their dedis to breke into it like geauntes sell their ouerplus of their merits to the .v. folisshe virgens which were shut out at the gates whyles thei went to bye of their ouerplus oyle Under this degre of the lawe was Paule hymself whylis he persecuted the Cristianes and yet he lyued withoute the lawe Rom. vij that is to saye the lawe did not hir first offyce in shewing hym his syn Wherfore he saithe of hymself in that state of the lawe That hymself was a lyue but the lawe and synne were dead because the lawe not yet doing hir office in shewing hym his syn worked not the fere of god nor shewed hym his wrathe nor dethe nor punisshement for it for the spirit of the lawe as yet moued not his penne vpō his herte But nowe let the lawe come not wrytē in walles nor stones nor papyr but wryten in thyne herte with the fynger of the lawe geuer and tell the thy synnes shewing the whose hygh maiestye thou hast offēded so greuously Let hir worke in the hir seconde office in fering and trowbling thy consciēce w t dethe damp nacion hell then is the lawe and syn bothe a lyue in thy herte thyself ded witnes is Paule Ro. vij Here is a sodē contrary mutacion sed dextere excelsi but of the right hande of God This is the seconde degre of beyng vnder the lawe now y e lawe accuseth it maketh angry bothe thyself with thyself with the iugements punisshmēts of God it maketh y t god apereth to be wrath w t the to working now in the as Isay saithe a strange worke to worke his owne whiche is to bring the frome vnder the lawe to be vnder grace but yet thou knowest it not because y u art yet ded So lōg as a man is thus wrought of the Lorde he is in preparing hym vnto repentance leading hym vnto grace for the lawe in this degre is the vssher or scolemaster Gala .iij. that ledeth or taketh forthe the trowbled conscience vnto Crist calling hym saying Come ye vnto me all that ar pressed with burden I shall ease you Mat. xi Nowe is the grace of the gospell offred the on the whiche yf thou settest fastholde by faithe so art y ◠now vnder it certifyed of the benevolent fauour grace of god towerdes the so mercifully calling the continually his armes spred abrode to enbrace the. And yet to drawe the more nyghe vnto Crist to his father Thou hearest this thy fathers voyce saying vpon Crist. This is my derely beloued sone for whose saak onely I am apeaced wel pleased with the. And for because as one promyse foloweth a nother so encreaseth our faithe lyke the musterde sead aftyr many ioyfull cōfortable promyses in Crist he promiseth to geue vs his own body to be crucifyed and his bloude to be forthe drawne into the forgeuenes of our synnes When our faith therfore apprehēdeth this promise stedfastly then may not syn nor deth fere vs nomore for dethe is swallowed vp into victory the sting of dethe is
blonted y e power strength of syn euen the lawe is enerued one ioynte shakeÌ„ from another all by the victory of Cristes deth resurreccion whiche victorye is geuen to vs by Iesu Crist. To confirme this conflicte and progresse of maÌ„ from vnder the lawe vnto grace haue here playne examples of y e storye of the children of Israel whiche so long as they sawe Pharao his hoste at their tayles they were afrayed and ded baptyzed in the red sea which was a shadewe and fygure of our baptisme but when thei sawe their goyde Moses before them hearing this coÌ„fortable gospell y t is to weit Be not afrayd be you still The Lorde will fyght for you and so sawe y e waters smyten with Aarons staffe diuyded before their eyes the staffe of y e worde of God diuideth from vs the waters of adfâ—iccion they went thorow gladly sewerly with grete glory and triumphe synging on the tother syde when they loking bak sawe their enymyes drowned with the same waters that were their saluacion Many siche passages had they those .xl. yeres so often tempted eftsone conforted agene Siche dayly passages we feel in our selues syn dethe hell assaughting vs to dryue vs vnder grace vnto the whiche we ar come so sone as we heare Crist saying Take herte coÌ„fidence to you for I haue ouercomen syn deth hell The waters of trowble must nedis be deuyded and geue place to as many as aspyre vnto the grace of the gospell What els was fygured by the turning of their eyes from the fyery stinging serpentes vnto the brasone serpeÌ„t exalted in the wyldernes There was a grete wrestling all the night betwixt Iacob the aungell whiche fygured our state vnder the. ij degre of the lawe whom Iacob wold not let go tyll in the morning the aungell had blessed hym and tolde hym his name also changed Iacobs name for Israell whylis we therfore se our synnes in our selues in the lawe whiche worketh wrathe Ro. iiij maketh synne to abownde and encrease Ro. vij we ar Iacobites wresteling in derkenes with an vnknowne messagere working astrange worke to do his owne in making vs Israelites that is trewe faithfull beholding and acknowleging God to be our God forgeuing vs our synnes in Crist This aungell of God yf we perseuer in this derke and perellouse batayle with hym vnder the lawe wyll gladly geue vs y e victory vnder the bryght morning of the grace of the gospell at last aftir grete longe affliccion coÌ„fort vs with his name tolde vs to be our almighty one alone for all sufficient sauiour As did Ioseph aftyr long trowbling fering molesting his brethreÌ„ father to at last with teares wepiÌ„g shewed hymself to be their owne brother Ioseph whom god had sent thither before for their grete counfort Let vs therfore fyght coÌ„stantly contende in this mightly batail to excercyse our faithe that we might be enstructe armed with pacience peace of conscience vntyll the morning of Cristis counfort helpe be sprongen ouer vs albeit yet we halt withe Israell one the one foot that is to saye we feele our flesshe alto weak to walke vpright in Cristes precepts our affects strogling yet agenst his spirit This miche be sayd for the feling trying of our selues to be prepared vnto the worthey receyuing of the Lordis souper ¶ The institucion of the souper of the Lorde UUhen Crist sate at his last souper w t his disciples he toke the brede in his handes gaue thankes to his father and broke it gaue to euery one of his disciples thereof saying Take it eat it this is my bodye which is broken for you And lyke wyse of the cuppe saying This cuppe is the newe testament or couenant in my blode Se that ye do this as oft as ye shal do it do it into the remembrance of me Let vs now beholde obserue diligently for our doctryne the accion with all the circunstances of this souper we shall se with y e eye of our faith meruellouse present consolacioÌ„ Wherfore this holy souper ought hyghly with all reuerence to be eaten treated Here we se with our bodely eyes the holy brede brokeÌ„ the holy wyne powerdforth for holy it is nowe coÌ„secrated into so holy an vse but with y e eye of our faith we se presently Cristis body broken his bloude forth powerd into the remissioÌ„ of our synnes Agene we see with our exterior eyes y e brede wyne geuen to vs but with the eye of our faith we se as presently his body crucifyed his blode shede geuen vs Now is his body thus broken and his blode thus shed all togither ours for euer Now is Crist thus once suffering rysen sitting on the right hand of his father all ours w t is perpetuall prayer For what thing is more frely ours then that whiche is geuen vs with his owne mouthe delyuered vs with his owne handis into our haÌ„dis mouthes yea but wherefore is he thus geuen vs verely to eate and to drinke hym That at we eate drinke bodely is receyued into our bodyes conuerted into our substance made all one flesshe blode with ours we all one with it And her must we ascende into that spirituall eating drinking by faith whereof Crist spoke Io. vi saying My wordis ar spirit and lyfe the flesshe profiteth not It is the spirit y t geueth this lyfe wherof y e iuste lyueth It is the soule that eateth lyueth by this bread not our bodyes of the which eting saith Io. Who so eteth my flesshe drinketh my blode he dwelleth in me I in hym Nowe therefore our soules thus eating hym by faith haue Crist present he is in vs by grace gouerning vs with his holy goste And he y t gaue vs hymself it cannot be other wyse but with hym is geueÌ„ vs also all y t is his ether done or suffred of hym in his bodye Then ar we sewer by our faith in this worde Dedit dicens accipite he gaue it vs saying take it that he is ours w t all his He was borne therfore for vs of his mother y t we shuld be borne agene by baptim of the holy goste He was borne for vs the sonne of man y t we thorow hym might be the sonnes of God he was tempted for vs and bore awaye the victory y t his victory might be ours he fulfilled the lawe was the most rightwyse that his rightwysenes might be ours his wysedom kouereth our folisshnes his holynes correcketh our vnbeleif his innoceÌ„tye swaloweth vp our wykednes his redempcion setteth vs in a spirituall libertye he was made weake to make vs strong mortal to make vs immortal He descended into the erth that we shuld asceÌ„de into heuen his deth is
geuing hym thākis immortal hygh prayse glorye in this sweet remembrance and faith Onely vnto siche men Crist commendeth and hathe committed his body Onely vnto these mē he draweth forth his blode For these mē onely was he offred vp on the altar of y e crosse So that they doutelesse slip from y e trwth that beleue Iudas to haue had receyued the same thing that the other apostles receyued For they eat not verely y e flesshe of the Lorde which in hym dwel not nor he in them for Io. euangelist euen the next gest at Cristis elbowe sitting at his messe testifyeth that assone as Iudas had receyued y e soppe the deuill entred into hym for his gest into his soule Item yong infantes and men bestraught albeit they be the membres of Crist yet may they not w t frute receyue it for these persones may not rightly remember the mystery of their redēpcion nor dewly examyn proue themselues before nor geue thākis therfore which thinges ar cheifely required at the cebracion of this holy feaste Paule biddeth euery mā proue trye inserche and examyn hym self before he eateth of this brede and drinke of this cuppe for yf we had trwly examined our selues we shuld not haue had ben so punisshed of the Lorde Whose mynde is that they ar with out perell that descende into their owne selues and with grete detestacion of their synnes desyer to be the same that they heare that is to saye the mēbers of y e bodye of Crist. Nether vnaptely is this probacion of our selues called the parte of the commemoracion when there can be no commemoracion with out the iuste probacion of our selues First therfore let vs examyn our selues by y e twyche stone squyer of goddis commandements which as a glasse shall shewe vs to our selues to be nothing els in all our dedis lyfe wordis thoughtes but greuouse sinners Then let vs trye our selues whether for our synnes we be sory in herte vnfaynedly repentāt ful minded to practize our baptyme in mortifying our affectes changing our lyfe by faith burying our synnes in Cristes woundis with hym to ryse agene into a new state of lyuing Let vs trye our selues to knowe vnder what degre of y e lawe we be as it is before expressed Serche whether y u beist as glad to forgeue all y t haue hurte the euen as thou woldist be forgeuē of god Loke whether y u canst espye thy nowne secrete birthe poyson and loue to thy self sought in all thy dedis thoughtes and wordis rather then the glory of God profyt or edifying of thy neighbour And nowe se whether thou haste or desyerst to haue that faith and loue which God commandeth the to haue to hym and to thy neighbour be heuye that thou hast them not in y t perfecciō where in thou arte bownde to haue them that pacience confidence constancye humilite temperance chastite and a wyll in all thingis cōformable vnto goddis wil. and yf y u aknowlegest theis thy nowne synnes imperfeccion vnfaynedly yet art thou a membyr of the body of Crist as writeth Paule and mayst sit downe with fere and reuerence geuing thākis to God for this inestimable benefyt of our redempcion But this iuste probacion as our papistis neuer practyzed it in themselues so neuer yet taught it they their flockes Whylis we therfore thus expende proue our selues consydering who we were by Adams fall from what perellis and euillis we ar by Crist delyuered vndeserued of vs what gyftis ar geuē vs vnloked fore agene what we professed at our baptisme into whose disciplyne we entred what bataile we toke in hāde vnto what a capitayne heerd man by it we were conseigned anoynted called Cristiās of the name of Crist vnto whom we were professed and our selues yielded and yet in all this probacion and rememberance of our selues of our benefitis by Crist we must apere to our selues insufficient vnworthely with condigne thankis to haue remembred and beleued all these benefyts and we therfore in our selues euer to confesse vs vnworthy w t the Centurion that Crist shuld entre into our houses But be it in case we might w t any vtwarde fayned probaciō deceyue all men before whom we testifye our indignite and declare our faith yet cānot he be deceyued which onely sercheth inseeth hertes and raynes whiche also is the mynde and spirit of that bodye which is compacte and framed of the congregaciō of all faithfull men Also as the Apostle warneth vs to mortifye our bodyes to be buryed and to ryse with Crist so exhorteth he vs to not suffer synne to raigne in vs. He commandeth vs to purge and to make vs clene from that olde leuayne and to be purifyed by faith But verely full colde and vngodly is the probaciō that dependeth of mennis lawes and decrees sith he saith They ought not to be rekened well proued which cōmende and prayse themselues but thei whom the lorde cōmēdeth which cōmendeth non but siche as allowe approue his will known by y e scriptures Let not therfore this saying of Dauid neuer go from thy mynde Blessed is y e mā whom y u techest o Lorde oute of thy lawe enstructest hym And yet albeit y t in these men whiche thus proue themselues so eat worthely there is cōtinual batall w t syn which they here aboute in their bosoms yet eteth he not vnworthely which takē holden with the spirit of penance endeuowreth aspyreth vnto this one thīg That as he is dede with Crist from syn euen so as I sayd before he stryueth to aryse agene with hym into a newe lyfe not yielding hymself to syn any more to haue dominion ouer hym but ouercometh thinfirmite of his flessh with the vertewe power of the spirituall lawe that mortifyeth affectes For a Cristiās lyfe is a continuall bataile And as it is a gloriouse thīg to fight haue victory euē so to be ouercome it is not onely shame in the tentes of the Cristen felde but also dethe and dampnacion Wherfore the flesshe and bloude of Crist euē for this cause specially ar asked at the Lordis table of them that ar faithfull that as waryers and soldiers ar fed and anoynted with oyle euen so ar Cristis waryers fed strengthened with the excellent vertewe of the sacraments that they might continewe and be strong in batail and resist the engins of temptacions so that ther be no condemnacion vnto them that ar graffed into Crist Iesu albeit there be syn but not imputed for their faithes sake But now as faith is the fowndacion of all our rightwysnes and well doyng euen so is it the grownde of our probacion for who is it that hateth the dominion of syn or syn it self hauing the dominion ouer hym and want the faith or who can decerne or make difference of