can be equal of value with the body If Christ therfore daily offred vp be the remeÌ„braunce of his bitter death then is his bitter death better then he himself And yet you haue not all done with Christes longyng One thyng you say you woulde haue noted by the way And that is that Christ longed to eate the passeouer with his disciples not onelye to fulfil the lawe but also to shew them more of hys wyl which was that he would geue theÌ„ a perfect pledge of eternall lyfe according to his promise made to them before as is mencioned you say in the. vi of Ihon geuynge his fleshe to be communicate that they myght therby be incorporate in hym and he in theÌ„ And theÌ„ you ioyne hereunto his thrustyng on the crosse And vpoÌ„ this longyng and thurstyng well and clarkely you gather the greate desire that Christ had to fulâ—yl his promyse that he made when he said The bread that I shall geue is my fleshe ☞ Men of learnynge and iudgemente in the scriptures may easely perceiue your ignorauÌ„ce in this matter I wil not therfore go aboute to opeÌ„ it to them But for their sakes that be not yet fully grounded in the true vnderstandynge hereof I wyl take soÌ„what more paynes in the openyng of this ignoraunce of yours nowithstandyng that I haue spoken somwhat largely of the mattier in the confutation of the former parte of your answere wher you claymed thys promyse of Christ as you do here ☞ Marke therfore good christian brothers to you I speake y â— ar not yet so fully instructed in Christ but that you sauour somwhat of the Phariseis leuen yet would gladly be deliuered from the blyndnes of errour marke I â—ay how far wide this man is from the true meaning of Christ in this place He hath non other occasioÌ„ at al to applâ—e this piece of scripture to his purpose but only for that ther is bread menâ—ioned It fareth by hym euen as it doth by the patrons defeÌ„dours of Purgatorie For whersoeuer he findeth bread named in the scripture ther he laith a straw as a marke to 〈◊〉 his coÌ„mune places by eueÌ„ as thei did wheÌ„ thâ—i found ani meÌ„cioÌ„ of fire IhoÌ„ Frith hath opened their folly at large in his dispuâ—atioÌ„ vpoÌ„ Purgatori Would God I were able to do halâ—e so muche in this matter â–ª But take it in good parte deare brethreÌ„ that I shal writ And if you shal find it consonaÌ„t agreable to the scriptures then embrace it and geue God the thankes otherwise hold it accurâ—ed and do not once opeÌ„ your eies vpon it For the mo y t should embrace my doctrin being vngodlâ— the greater should my dam nation be But being assertained by y â— spirit of truth that I teach nothing but that I fynde in the boke of truth I am bold to byd you mark and learne the true vnderstandynge of these wordes of our sauiour Christ The bread that I shal geue is my flesh ¶ Our sauiour Christ perceiuing y â— the fleshlye minded Iewes â—oloed him more for y â— thei had eateÌ„ the loues which he had multipliâ—d then for the miracle or wonder y â— he had wrought â—oke occasion at â—he questiaÌ„ which thei asked him saiyng Rabbi or Mayster when caÌ„mest thou hyther as who shoulde saye we haue sought and layd wayt to knowe howe and whan thou shouldest passe the sea but we coulde not perceyue any ship prepared for thy passage Hast thou therefore coÌ„ueighed thy selfe ouer by miracle as thou diddest multiplie the fiue loues He toke occacioÌ„ I sai here aâ— to declare vnto them that all hys wordes and dedes are to be loked on with the spiritual â—ie and not with the carnall And euen at the firste he sayeth vnto them Ye folowe me not because you haue sene the wonders But because you haue eaten of the breads and are satisfied As who shoulde say you pretende a woÌ„derous desire to se the woÌ„ders that I work â–ª as men that woulde therby be allured to embrace and folowe my doctrine but youre intente is none other but to be fed at my hande and so to lyue Idlely without labour and trauaile more then to wander vp and downe after me But I shall tel you what you shall do if you wil folowe me Worke for the meate that perisheth not but that remayneth into lyfe euerlastinge which meate the sonne of man shall geue you For this is y â— meat that god the father hath appoynted Then sayed they What maye we do to worke the workes of god He answered vnto theÌ„ in this wise This is â–ª the worke of God that you beleue in him whome he hath sente TheÌ„ brake they out in theyr owne likenes and agaynste theyr wylles vttered theyr faulse dissimilacion sayeinge What myracle workest thou therefore that we maye se it and beleuethe What workes doste thou Our fathers eate Manna in the wildernes as it is written He gaue theÌ„ bread froÌ„ heauen to eate But our sauioure sayd vnto theÌ„ Moises gaue you not 〈…〉 or verie bread in dede froÌ„ heauen For y â— is the true bread y â— descended froÌ„ heauen geueth life to the worlde Then sayde they Lorde geue vs this bread alwayes These mens mynd was altogether vpon materiall breade Let vs neuer lacke this bread say they Well Christ maketh them answere I am the bread of lyfe sayeth he who so coÌ„meth vnto me shall not honger and he that beleueth in me shall neuer thurste But I haue told you that you haue both sene me and not beleued Here may you learn to eat the bread y â— Christ speaketh of It nedeth you not to prepare tooeth and throte nother bealye nor stomake but beleue you shall not â—onger nor thurst You shall haue plentie of his heaueÌ„ly foode He that commeth to me sayth Christ he that beleueth in me To come vnto Christ and to beleue in Christ is all one thinge as appeareth by the wordes folowing Euerie thing that my father geueth me shall come vnto me and I will not caste him out that cometh vnto me For I descended frome heauen not to do my wil but his will that sent me And thys is the wil of mi father y â— seÌ„t me that I should not lose ani thinge y â— he gaue me but that I should â—ayse it again in the last day Yea this is the wyl of my father y â— sente me y â— euery one that seeth the son and beleueth in him should haue life euerlasting I wil raise him at the last day He that seeth the son and beleueth in him To see and to beleue to eate and come to Christe is all one thyng The Iewes therfore murmured at his wordes in that he sayed I am the liuinge breade that descended frome heauen and they sayde Is not this the sonne of Ioseph whose father and mother we knowe How sayth he thaÌ„ y â— he descended froÌ„ heauen Behold these carnal Iewes how
grossely theâ— applied al thingâ—s to the flesh They were altogether flesh could perceiue noâ—hing of the spirite Christ endeuoured to teach theÌ„ the misteri of his incarnacion who being the fourme of God thought it nor obbri to huÌ„ble him selfe into the fourme of a seruauÌ„t they would nedes vnderstande his wordes to bespokeÌ„ of y â— bodie whiâ—h thei knew to be borne of Marie the carpeÌ„â—ers wife Is not this Iosephes sonne sayed they whose father mother we knowe Howe standeth thys then wyth hys wordes when he sayeth I came from heauen But he answered their fleshelye talke saiynge Murmure not among your selues For no man can come vnto me excepte my Father whiche sente me drawe â—im and I shall rayse him in the last day It is written in the Prophete All shal be taughte of god Euerâ—e one that hath hearde of the father and hath learned cometh vnto me Not y â— any man hath sene the father saue only he y â— is of god He hath sen the father By this seing of the father may you easily most deare brithern perceiue what seing what eateinge comminge vnto Christe it is that is ment in al this Chapi Euen the gostly eateing seing and comeing vnto Christe For though a maÌ„ be neuer so muche of God yet shal not his fleshely eie see God And to declare hys meaning more plainly he saith He that beleueth in me hath euerlasting life Al that he hath spokeÌ„ before of the eating comming seing al that he speaketh afterward is conteined in those few wordâ—s he that beleleueth in me hath euerlastinge lyfe I am the breade of life Your fathers dyd eate manna in wildernesse and are dead Thys bread is it y â— caÌ„e froÌ„ heaueÌ„ y â— if any maÌ„ shal eate of it he shal not die I am y â— liueing bread which came froÌ„ heauen If any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer And the breade y â— I shall geue is my flesh which I shal geue for the lyfe of the worlde Here is the whole mattier here haue we a playne promise say thei y â— the bread that Christ shoulde geue to his disciples at his maundie was his fleshe Oh blinde asses How long wil it be ere you pearce the flesh enter into the spirite Because his outwarde wordes soâ—ne flesh You wyl not once thinck vpon any spirit but euen as the Iewes dyd sticke styl in the flesh fleshly eatyng But because you wyl not seme to murmur contend as y â— Iewes did saiyng how caÌ„ this maÌ„ geue vs his flesh to eat You wyl beleue you say that it was a thynge very easy to do And theÌ„ you reproue y â— Iewes of vnbeleue because they wer not so grosse as you to beleue that Christ would thrust his natural bodi into a peice of bread that thei might without grudge of stomack eat it You declare your selues neither to sauour the spirit nor yet to vnderstand the phrases of the letter The Iewes could take the phrase a right saye howe â—aÌ„ this maÌ„ gâ—ue vs his flesh to eat Thei doubted not how he should geue theÌ„ his fleshe in the fourm of bread for thei knew y â— after y â— phrase of the Hebrue tong he ment by bread food As thoughe he shoulde haue sayde You re fathers were fedde in the wildernes with Manna and yet they are dead but the foode wherewyth I shal feede you is my flesh not that you shal eat it as your fathers dyd Manna and so dye but I will geue it for the lyfe of the worlde so that if you wyl beleue and putte youre trust herein for that is the eatynge of my fleshe you shall neuer die the death of the soule for the bodye is morâ—al and must nedes dye That this was his meanyng is playne by the answere that he gaue to their contention Certes sayeth he I say vnto you except ye eate my fleshe drynke my bloud you shall haue no lyfe in you Who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath euerlastyng lyfe and I wil rayse him vp at the last day And then he openeth the phrase of the Hebreue more playne and saythe My fleshe is very food and my bloude very drincke he that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloud tarieth in me and I in hym And as my liuynge father sent me and I liue through hym eueÌ„ so he that eateth me liueth through me â–ª Now tel me you fleshmongers if the Iewes hadde then torne Christ in peaces with their teth and eaten him euery morsel should they haue liued throughâ— hym Oh beastly blynd This is the fode that came from heauen Not as your fathers dyd eate manna and are deade but such as â—ate â—his tode shal neuer die If this be spoken of the sacrament howe agreeth it wyth the wordes of s. Paule to the Corinth who so â—ateth this bread and drinketh this cup vnworthily eateth drinketh his owne iudgement Howe chaunced it y â— Iudas was not saued by it Howe can youre pristes that breake they faste with it dayely be damned Yea if this be spoken of the sacrameÌ„t then is that also spoken of the sacrament when he sayeth Excepte you eat my fleshe drincke my bloud you shal haue no life in you And theÌ„ how could the thefe y â— was crucified w t Christ be saued For I am right sure he neuer receiued the sacrament Yea in what takeinge be all the children yonglinges that die before they come to yeres of discrecion to receiue this sacrameÌ„t Thus maye you se deare bretherne howe 〈◊〉 these men are from the spirite and yet they woulde seme so spiritual y â— they haue captiuated all theyr senses reasone also to beleue the thinge that was neuer taught and that after suche sorte that they declare them selues therin to be moost fâ—eshely nothinge perceyueinge the wordes of Christe when he sayeth The wordes that I speake are spirite and life It is the spirit that geueth life y â— flesh profiteth nothing Nowe frinde Hoggherd I thinke you be ashamed of your misreporting of this piece of scripture or if you be pasâ—e shame yet I truste the godlie minded do so plainelie perceiue your slender iudgemente herein that they wyll gâ—ue you leaue to lye tyl your tong faile you ere thei wyl credite your wordes But nowe commeth the hardest piece of worke into hand Yea and so clearkly handled as you thinke that no maÌ„ can be able to auoide your reasones At his last supper you say Christe toke breade blessed it brake it and gaue it to hys disciples and bade them take and eate this is my bodie And then to shewe them what bodye it was saye you that he ment he added these wordes Whâ—châ— for your synnes shal be broken Then subtyle ly you aske thys question What bodie saye you was it that was broken for our trespas And then you phantasie wyth your selfe that we wyll not saye a
Confutacion ☞ An answere you saye is made withoute great study And so say I a folâ—s bolte is sone shot out Then answer you after this sort Methinke â—say you that you presume very high to tel Christ that he lieth wheÌ„ he sayth this is my body And than you answere in the persone of thâ— authour saâ—yng Not so sir saye you that word say not I And then you thinke to 〈◊〉 hym kyndelye Your woâ—des sir saye you by youre licence shewe that to Christe you geue 〈…〉 But nowe syr wyth yoâ—re licence I shall wyth greate studye declare vnto yoâ— that the authour gyueth a greate deale more credite to Christes wordes then you do Thys is my bodye sayth Christ when he had diuided breade amonge hys disciples declareinge therby the vnitie of all them that shoulde beliâ—ue in hym his misticall bodie and meÌ„bres the church and congregacion of the faythfull and that all these faythful shoulde be partakers of all that he should deserue in that bodie which he had takeÌ„ of y â— immaculaâ—e virgine euen as ther were partakers of that bread which they had eaten Thus do we credite Christes wordes which you credite not for when he sayth thys is my bodie you â—ynd hym to chaung the substaunce of breade with those wordes or else you compâ— hym but a foundâ— talker for you saye that before those wordes be spoken the breade is but breade and so you compel Christ in transmute hys creature in hys Apostles handes mouthes or healies For certen it is that Christe had deliuered it before he spake those wordes And coÌ„cerninge the wyne Marke sayth that thei had al dronken therof before the wordes werâ— spoken so that here you are driuen into a straight other you must say that Christ had some othâ—â— cast to transmute his creature then you knowâ— of or else that he transmuteth none at all For I am sure you wyll not saye that he deliuered it before it was transmuted ¶ The ballad Hoc est corpus Meum you bryng Wher wyth ye clocke vs Under your wyngâ— But for your purpose It serueth nothynge Who seyth not thys ☞ The answere Hoc est corpus meum fyrste Christe in broughâ— And to all hys apostels gaue the power 〈◊〉 ministers to do that him selfe wrought By the wordes spoken to them at that houre Which wordes are stroÌ„ger then castel or â—owr And so shall enduer vnto the laste daye When all gods enemies shal vanyshe awaye ☞ The confutacion Not much vnlyke is thys your Answere vnto the answere that Cayphâ—s gaue in the couÌ„sayle house at Ierusalem when the hygh priestes and byshops consulted howe to brynge Christ to confucion It is expedient quoth he â–ª that one dye for the people lâ—st that al y â— who le nacion shoulde perish meaneynge that it were â—â—uche better that Christe beynge a seducer â—houlde suffer deathe then that all the people â—houlde by hys doctrine be seduced and perishe But yet hys wordes were true in an other meaninge that is That it was expediente for one to dye to redeme the synnes of the people for other wyse the whole people shoulde haue perished Euen so in your answere you meane â—hat Christe dyd firste brynge in these wordes Hoc est corpus meum to the intente to turne the breade into his bodie by the vertue of the same wordes and that he gaue hys disciples power to do the same bi the pronouceing of the sam wordes which your sayd meaning is verie false as Caiphases was but in an other meanynge it is verie true that you say Christe was the fyrste that brought in these wordes Hoc est corpus meum And he gaue his Agostlâ—s power yea commaunded theÌ„ to do â–ª the thynges that he hym selfe had done But herein lieth all the mattier What it was that he had done Chaunged bread into hys bodie say you But the Euangelistes sayâ— that he hadde deuided bread and 〈◊〉 amoÌ„gest his disciplâ—â— And these wordes are stronger then either castell or tower and shall endure euen to the last daye when all you goddes enimies shall vanishe a waye ¶ The ballad To be the worde Naimely of giuing Which christ our Lord Spake to his beleueing Disciples at borde as they were sitting Their faith to encrease The answere Christe promest his disciples before That the bread that he would geue to them al Was his fleshe which he for euermore Would giue for the life of al men mortal Firste at his maundy by power supernal He fulfilled his promise geuing than truely To them his owne pure natural bodie Secondly Christe on the croâ—se him selfe gaue In his one bodi as he walked here And so suffred ther al man kinde to saue But at his maundy as it dyd apere He gaue the same body but this in minde bere Not as on the crosse rightely to define But vnder the forme of pure bread and wine ☞ The confutacion ☞ Here you thinke to shew a point of great learneing and knowledge Christ promised before you saye that the breade which he should geue was his fleshe And this promise you saye he fulfyâ—led firste at hys maundye where he gaue them hys verie naturall bodye and secondly one the crosse but at the last you adde as it were a correccion of your former wordes and saye Not at the maundye as on the Crosse but vnder the fourmes of breade and wyne ☞ Well then Christ 〈…〉 â—â—cramentâ— about two yeres before he dyd institute it Yâ—a marye saye you And I praye you what sayed he For soeth these verie wordes The breade that I shal geue you is my fleshe â— syâ—a â—owe you haue vs at a shrwede baye Christe tolde hys Disciples longe before that the breade whiche he woulde geue them was hâ—s fleshe and vppon thys Prophecie dyd in verie dede giue theym'breade at his maundye Howe can it be then but that thys breade was his fleshâ—â— Who is able to with stand this reason thoughtâ— you Forsoeth euerie one that sauoureth those thynges that be of the spirite of God And if you wyll apply your selfe a whyle I shall teache you to wythstand it also And first I shal demaunde this questian was not christe as well able to perfoâ—â—me his worde then as he was at the tyme of his maundye Yese forsoeth For he had before that tyme fedde fyue thousand and moâ— with .v. barley loues and .ii â—ishes â–ª And did he not say as much of the bread then as he did at his maundie Yese marie say you â–ª for he sayd these plaine words The bread that I shal gyue you is my fleshe A syra theÌ„ I se well this bread was not to be traunsmuted as you cal it wheÌ„ Christ came to the maundy for that was done two yeres before For I am sure you wyll not saye Christe lyed when he sayed the breade that I shal geue is my fleshe for if you woulde your former wordes should be tourned to yourâ— reproche But here youre counsayloures perchaunce wyl now geue
shoulde haue sayede then had we some cause thus to spende our time But for as muche as you neither beleue that it dependeth of the priest nor of God but of y â— diuel as it semeth for one of theÌ„ must bear the stroke in the mattier you can saye no more but so it is Christ is there How it is wâ— can not tell nor are desirouse to knowe Yet yernestly you exhort vs to leaue y â— we neuer vsed sence it pleased god to open our eies for it is against your catholyke true faith you say that Christe shoulde be created a newe Here is neither heade nor taile but onelye an heape of wordes to fil out the line make the â—ime You haue saied before y â— the priest as a minister pronounceth the wordes god doth his creature transmut And now ye deni it It depeÌ„dâ—th you say of neither of them Yea you conclude before y â— our Lordes dodie is ther fleshe and fell and in an other place you say bodie and soule bisides y â— god and maÌ„ but here you say he is there but how you seke not to spie But I coÌ„iecte yet an other meaneinge in your wordes though in dede they sowne no lesse theÌ„ I haue saied you wil say perchauÌ„ce y â— in your saying that you seke not to espie how he is ther you meane y â— you seke not to know whether he bee ther passible or impassible mortal or immortal whether he be ther in such sort y â— the mose may eate him the fire burne him or the weat corrupt him Thoughe you se al these thinges chaunce to the cake which you call consecrate turned into the bodi of Christ yet you â–ª wil not seke to spie whether Christ suffer these thinges or not Well then if a man shoulde demaunde of you whether the bodie of Christe dooe suffer these thinges eateinge of the mouse burneinge anâ— corruptynge what answer would you make You will not go froÌ„ that you haue written I am sure you wil not seke to spie I will beleue it but I will not serche it And I praye you what wil you beleue That Christe is ther naturallie and reallye that ther remaneth nosubstaunce but onely the substauÌ„ce of Christe God man Is ther none other suâ—staunce there What is it then that filleth the mouses bealye burneth in the fire chaungeth colour and putrifieth My Lorde of Winchester sayeth 〈◊〉 dentes for substaunce he sayeth there is none but Christe who can suffer none of all this and you saye you wyll not seke to spye Well then I leaue you as one vncertaine of his fayth not knowing what to beleue nor willing to learne And as you exhorte vs to leaue that is not in vs because it is against your â—aith eueÌ„ so I exhorte you to seke for that you haue not that is the true vnderstaÌ„ding of Christes sacrameÌ„tes For it is a gayust our beleife whych is the one onely fayeth which is grounded vpon the sure foundacion of the scripture that Christ should be naturally and reallye presente in anâ—e other place then heauen tyl he com to iudge y â— world ¶ The ballad Hauinge no word of consecracion Wherof the Lord hath mad relacion Thou teachest abrode thine owne inuencion Which is amise The answere Who is more blind then those that wil not se What botes it to shew you any scripture 〈…〉 Which to your reasone is harde or obscure But yet once agayne to do you pleasure Ye shall heare if Christ made no relacion In scripture of the consecracion Christ to his disiples these wordes dyd saye I longe to eate the pascall lambe sayth he Wyth you my disciples for nowe is the day Of the swete bread I praye you note and se Howe the trueth wyth the figure doth a gre Christe was the true lambe which y â— propheteâ— saâ— Shuld truly fullfyl the Moysaical law Christe eat the lambe ther as the law did will Then to showe that that law was expired He ordaynde his lawe that lawe to fulfil Which whil y â— world lasts shal not be finished That laÌ„be was him self which he ordained To be offred dayly in remeÌ„braunce Of his bitter death and paynfull sustraunce Note here I praye you â–ª one thinge by the waye Christ sayd I long to eate with you this daye The passouer by which he did declare What great loue euer towardes them he bare Which was not only the lawe to fulfil But also to show them more of his wil Which was that he woulde gyue vnto theÌ„ all The perfite pledge of the life eternal Performing his promise made to them before By geuing them his fleshe for euer more Among them so to be comunicate That therby they shulde be incorporate In hym than and he in al them also What greater loue coulde he to his people sho But yet with this loue our lorde dyd not ceasâ— For in his moste payne his loue did encrease Remembring man kind sayde Sitio Not onely for drinke but mans health also Yt was that our Lord dyd then so sore thruste Se how this word both agre with the furste I lâ—ng sayeth christe to eate the pascal w t you On the crosse I thrust in which I note nowe That by these true wordes christe doth signifi The desire that he had to geue his body Accordinge to his promyse saying thus The breade that I wyll geue playne to discuse Is my flesh here lo â–ª was his fyrst promise And at his maundy he fullfilled thys Under forme of breade he dyd it ther giue With spirit lyfe wherby al such shoulde liue As dyd receyue it by fayth worthily On the crosse also he gaue his body To suffer painfully he was there crecte Thus ye se that as christ dyd saye I thurst So dyd he before that he at the furste gaue himself said I loÌ„g which words proueth the furst body the last both one to be Christ at his last supper as I before saye Toke bread and blessed it and brake it truly Gaue ye to his disciples and without stay Bad them take and eate this is my body Then to shew them what body he ment truely He added these wordes to those he had spoken Saieng which for your sinnes shal be broken What body was broken for our trespas No signe of a body I thinke ye wyl saye But euen the same body which borne was Of the virgin mary voyd this if ye may Then toke christ y â— cup bleste it the same wayâ— As before saing this is my bloud truely Which shal be shed for the synnes of many What bloud did christe shedde for our sakes I thinke ye wyll saye his bloud natural This agaynst your errours very much makes Which to a voyde be able ye neuer shal Then christe bad them do this in his memorial What this was it that he bade them do Was it not to blesse to breake and to geue to And to speake