blinde peruersenes of the Papists In the. 10. of Iohn Christe sayth I am the doore dooth it followe that hée is a doore in déede no forsooth I thinke but that a doore is to harde for any man to eate they would haue takē that place of scripture to make God Though Christ sayd I am the doore it followeth not Note heere that he was a materiall doore no more dooth it followe that this word Hoc est corpus meum This is my body to be the same body that Marie the Virgin bare it is plaine errour and they are fowly deceyued For when Christe sayd This is my body that shall be giuen for you the worde that he spake was him selfe him selfe was the worde or else must the bread haue béene crucified as is afore which I will prooue by the manifest scriptures Christ sayth in the 6. of Iohn I am the liuing bread that came from heauen your fathers did eate Manna in the desert and are dead but I am the bread of lyfe So it demonstrateth that Christe was the bread Note heere which was giuen for vs but these Gentlemen say that the bread is he Nowe héere is all the cōtrouersie betwéene the Christiās and the Papists Christ fayth that he is the bread that was giuen for vs or broken for vs the Papists say that the bread is Christ now how can we agree for we say as Christ saith that he is the bread these Gētlemen say that the bread is he marke well the scriptures Paul sayth That which I receyued of God I gaue vnto you Let them answer me to this dyd Paul receiue any thing of the Lord but his word for Paul was not with the Lord at the supper to receiue any other thing Oblinde creatures they wot not what they doo will they haue the blood of wytnesse of Iesus Christe required at their hāds still O good christian brethrē for the tender mercy of our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ beléeue not this erronious doctrine of the Papistes worship not a wheaten God In the. 6. Chap. of Iohn Christ sayth The bread which I will giue you is my fleshe which I will giue for the life of the world Héere you may perceyue that the bread that Christ gaue vs was his fleshe Ergo his fleshe was the bread that he brake which was him selfe him selfe was the word and his word was his body which was giuē for the life of the world Then stroue the Iewes among them selues sayd How can this fellow giue vs his flesh to eate for they tooke it carnally as our cleane fingred Gētlemen doo now a daies thinking the they should haue eaten him vp flesh blood bones Iesus sayd vnto thē Iohn 6. Except ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man ye haue no life in you for whosoeuer eateth my flesh drinketh my blood hath euerlasting lyfe And I shall raise him vp at the last day for my flesh is very meat and my blood hath euerlasting life and I shall raise him vp at the last day for my flesh is very meat and my blood is very drinke and whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abydeth in me and I in him Nowe I tolde you afore that Christe was the bread that was giuen for vs and euen as the materiall bread féedeth the body so this liuely bread féedeth the soule And Christe speaketh heere of his fleshe and blood which was offered in sacrifice for our saluation and our redemption as Iohn sayth Chap. 1.8 The worde became fleshe and we see the glorie of it as the onely begotten sonne of the Father and who so dooth beleeue this dooth eate Christes fleshe and drinketh his blood But not as these Papists do for they say that they crash him with their teeth carnally Oh abhominable blasphemy the same body that Mary bare but they which receiue him in a Christian Cōmunion receiue him by faith For Christe sayd Hoc facite in meam cōmemorationem Doo this in remembraunce of me And whosoeuer beléeueth that this body was done vpon the Crosse for his saluation and that the shedding of his blood is for the remissiō of his sinnes taken in the remembrance of Christes death eateth Christes body and drinketh his blood spiritually God graūt we may doo so for our own soules health Amen Thus much bréefly touching the supper of the Lord. Against mennes Merites and righteousnesse GReate controuersie and disputation there is betweene the Papists and vs Christians touching mennes merites righteousnesse The Papists say that they are iustified by good woorkes and not by faith We say that Sola fides iustificat omnes Faith alone iustifieth all men It is marueilous dearely beloued to see with what rashnes and boldnesse iustification of woorkes is commonly debated yea and it is to be seene how none doe more boldly or with fuller mouthes as the saying is prate of the righteousnesse of workes then they that are monstrously sicke of open outward diseases or be redy to burst with inward vices That commeth to passe because they thinke not vpon the righteousnes of God wherof if they had neuer so little feeling they would neuer make so great a mockerie of it And truely it is out of measure lightly regarded whē it is not acknowledged to be such and so perfect that nothing be imputed vnto it but euery way whole absolute and defiled with no vncleannesse such as neuer was and neuer shal be able to be found in man It is in deede easie and readie for euery man in schooles to talke vainlie vpon the worthinesse of woorkes to iustifie men but when they come into the sight of God such dalliances must auoyd because there is earnest doing vsed and no trifling strife aboute wordes To this to this I say we must applie our minde if we will profitably enquire of true righteousnesse how we may answere the heauenly Iudge when he calleth vs to account Let vs thinke him to be a Iudge not such a one as our own vnderstandinges do of themselues imagine but such a one as he is paynted out in the Scripture with whose brightnes the stars shal be darckned by whose strength the hils doe melt away by whose wrath the earth is shaken by whose wisdome the wise are takē in their suttletie by whose purenesse all thinges are prooued vnpure whose righteousnes the angels are not able to beare which maketh the innocent not innocent whose vengeance when it is once kindled pearceth to the bottome of hell If he I say sit to examine mens doinges who 〈…〉 peare assured before his throane Who shal dwell with a deuouring fire saith the prophet Esaie 3.34 Who shall abide with continuall burninges he that walketh in righteousnes and speaketh trueth c. But let such a one come foorth whatsoeuer he be but that aunswere maketh that none commeth foorth for this terrible saying soūdeth to the contrary Lord if thou marke our iniquities Lord who shall abide
and deseruings because of the deuotion and good deedes of our fréends kinsfolkes when we be dead Heare what the Lord him selfe sayth by his Prophet Esai Chapt. 43. I am euen he onely that for mine owne sake doo put away thine offences and forget thy sinnes so that I wyll neuer thinke vpon them This verely ought to suffise vs for heere we haue a promise that God will doo away our sinnes so that he will neuer thinke vpon them Not because of our owne merites and deseruings nor yet because of the deuotion good déedes of our fréends and kinsfolkes but onely for his owne sake that is to say of his méere goodnesse and mercie Thus farre of this matter ¶ Of the Supper of the Lord. HEthervnto good Christian people of Purgatory haue I spoken I haue disprooued and confuted the opinion of our aduersaries touching these paper walles and painted fyres by Scriptures and Doctours Wherfore if there be any héere that thinketh there is such a place let him examine the places which I haue brought foorth in cōfutation of the same and then I hope he shall be conuerted to the confession of the trueth in saying there is no Purgatorie Nowe I purpose by the almightie power of Iehoua to speake somewhat of the supper of the Lord. The Papistes kéepe much sturre and great iangling about this Sacrament they say that Christe is really transubstantially and bodily present in the Sacrament of the Aulter They can shewe vs but one place out of scriptures The Papists haue but one argument to alleadge and the same is against themselues to make an argument therby for proofe of transubstantiation but the same place alleaged maketh nothing for them it is no demonstration We will bring out of Scriptures and out of Doctours sundrie places that make for our purpose in deniall of the reall presence of our Lord in the Sacrament First I will declare the name of this Sacrament which hath béene a great matter of burning and contention amongst the Papistes it is called Missa the Masse but of this worde in all the Scriptures I doo not finde one iote or sillable For new thinges new names are inuēted by the nouelty of the name Missam rem esse minimè vetustam tutò licet conijcere We may safelie cōiecture the Masse to be a thing not of many yeeres inuented We Christians call this Sacrament as S. Paul called it in his first Epist Timo. 2. 1. Cor. 10. et 11. Mensam Domini coenam Domini corporis et sanguinis communicationem aut certè panis fractionem eucharistian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut cum Latinis sacrum conuiuium sacrificium laudis aut denique Dominici corporis et sanguinis sacramentum The Table of the Lord the Supper of the Lord the communicating of the body and blood or the breaking of the bread or thanksgiuing or a holie feast or the Sacrifice of prayse or the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ August Ad Infantes Is cyted by Beda 1. Cor. 10. Quod videtis panis et vinū est et quod oculi vestri declarant manifestè That which you see is bread and wine which also your eies declare manifestly Origen 7. Hom. vpon Leuit. Si literaliter sequimini verba scripta nisicomederitis carnem filij hominis non habetis vitam in vobis haec litera occidit If lyterallie yee followe the wordes that be spoken except ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man ye haue no lyfe in you this letter kylleth Who is so voide of reason that wresting these speeches vnto the carnall sence the meaning whereef is to be construed figuratiuely wyll imagine that we ought to be borne in our bodies a new as Nicodemus dyd or to be fedde with Christes fleshe carnally as the Caphernaites did What better imagination doo the vnlearned multytude conceaue in these dayes of the doctrine of theyr transubstantiatiō deliuered vnto them by their great Doctours The monstrous dishonour doone vnto God by these wicked shauelings For on this wise doo these famous Christ-makers enstruct theyr auditorie that the bread which was bread before the Consecration altering the verie substaunce of bread is no more bread nowe but turned into fleshe and that this also must beléeued without all question that it is made the euerlasting soone of God What can be more absurde and howe comes this chaunge to passe I pray you forsoothe because Christe sayd Hoc est corpus meum This is my body For this whole huge Chaos of confused transubstantiation is accomplished with these fowre wordes by these Christ-makers What and dyd the Lord pronounce no more words but these foure only what if he spake in the Hebrew tōgue and expressed the whole action in two wordes onely after the manner of that Nation Zoth guphi because the phrase of the language dooth not for the most part expresse the verbe Est but to admitte he spake fowre or fiue wordes what dyd he adde therevnto no more besides or dyd he speake nothing else before or after to make the verie meaning and purpose of his spéeches more euident and manifest And why doo these fellowes omit the cyrcumstances and not delyuer the whole scriptures withall why doo they chop of the one halfe of Christes proposition and suppresse in silence the chéefe part whereby the meaning of Christe might appeare more forcibly For when Christe made mention of his body that it might be eaten he but giueth commaundement to take bread first and to eate Take yee sayth Christe and eate yee And foorthwith making mention of his body dyd say This is my body yet not simplie neuerthelesse but annexed immediatlie That is giuen and broken for you To wit to signifie vnto them nto the verie substaunce of his natural body simplie but that the crucifying of his body the shedding of his blood should become our foode From hence bubleth out all the well-spring of error that where our Lord and Sauiour had relation to the efficacie power of his Passion the same the Papists doo apply to the onely substance of the flesh as though we were to be fedde with the Passion of his fleshe Note heere But you will aske how the Passiō of Christ feedeth which is not eaten forsooth in the same manner as the death of Christ dooth nourish vs so dooth his Passion féede vs not after a fleshlie but after a spirituall manner not as it is chawed with the téeth but as it is receyued into the heart For then dooth the death of Christe feede vs when it refresheth vs then is he eaten when he is receyued by faith and applied to our infirmities Pascasius 43. Chapter Therefore we must thus thinke with our selues not howe much is chawed with the teeth but howe much is receyued by faith and looue c. Ciprian De coena Domini Our abyding and incorporation in him is our eating and drinking wherby we be vnited vnto Christe and made his body
not by any corporall but by a spirituall manner passing into vs c. Christe sayde to his Disciples Take yee and eate yee this is my body which is giuen for you doo this as often as yee shall doo it in remembraunce of me What can be more euident then the interpretation of this Supper if the cyrcumstances of the wordes be scanned accordingly For who is so blinde that can not discerne the fruites of the Lordes death and Passion to be plainlie signified héere For as much as in the verie eating him selfe sayth This is my body that is giuen to be slaine for you Otherwise why should he haue added with all Giuen to be slaine But that hée woulde set downe a plaine testimonie of the death of his body rather then of any substaunce thereof to the viewe of the Disciples As if he should say The tyme is nowe at hand A comfortable consolation woorthy to be had in remēbrance of all men wherein my body must be giuen to be slaine for you not for any of mine offence at all but for your sakes which death of mine shall procure euerlasting lyfe for you After lyke sort and manner as this bread which I giue thus broken vnto you to eate dooth passe into your bodies and giue nourishment thereto Take ye therefore this bread this bread which I giue to euerie of you and eate and withall consider heerein not the naturall bread which feedeth your bodies outwardly But my body which beeing giuen to be slaine and crucified for you shall inwardly and much more effectually refresh you to eternall lyfe For my fleshe which I will giue to be slaine for the lyfe of the worlde is meate in deede and my blood is drinke in deede Iohn 6. For your bodies doo not so much lyue by the nourishment of meate and drink as your soules be fedde within with the crucifying of my flesh and the shedding of my blood without which you can haue no remission of sinnes no ioyfull resurrection of your fleshe no parte or portion of eternall lyfe Therefore let this which is giuen you in this Supper remaine for a perpetuall Sacrament and remembraunce vnto you of the body which I will heereafter giue for you For I shall giue my body for you into the handes of enimies the Sacrament wherof I doo heere giue into your handes Whereby you may perceyue déerely belooued that héere be two things giuen by Christe one vnto vs the other for vs the first to be eaten the last to be crucified that one in the Supper this other vpon the Crosse Now if you desire to know the substance of that which was giuen in the Supper it was bread and the Sacrament of his body That which was giuen vpon the Crosse was his body and not a Sacrament What then wyll you say was not his body giuen at Supper yes in déede Christes body was giuen there to the Disciples neither after a bodily and corporall maner for that corporall body was giuen to the Iewes not in the Supper but on the Crosse wherevpon he gaue his body corporally not to the Disciples but for the Disciples Therefore that which he gaue for his Disciples was his body that which he gaue to his disciples was the mistery of his body yet was it one the selfe same body bothe that of the supper giuen to the Disciples and that of the crosse giuē for his Disciples but yet not after the same sort nor yet at the same tyme. For vpon the Crosse it was giuen to be slaine corporally in the supper it was giuē not to be slaine but to be eaten not corporally to be grawne which theyr téeth but to féede vpō it in the bowels of their soules namely after a sacramētal kinde of receyuing not corporall Therefore it is not denied that the Lordes body was bothe giuen eaten in the Supper but not the body only but together with the body the sacramēt annexed also withal wherof the one apperteyneth to the féeding of the bodies the other to the séeding of the soules That which is receyued within in the soule is the very body not the Sacrament of his body For as much therfore as these two doo necessarily concurre together in the holy supper that the one can not be seuered from the other let vs so ioyne the one with the other that we neyther seperate the body of Christe from the Sacrament as the Papists doo which be so throughly wedded to the only substance of the body as that they leaue therin no substāce at all of a Sacrament but superficial and immateriall shadowes I know not what hanging in the ayre which serue to no purpose Neyther let vs so segregate the Sacrament againe from the body as that wée leaue nothing in the holy Supper but bare signes Cyrill Anathe 11. Doost thou pronouce sayth he this our sacrament to be mans foode and vrgest the mindes of the faithfull irreligiouslie to grosse and carnall thoughts and doost thou practise to discusse by mans sensuall reason the thinges which are conceiued by onely and most exquisite faith Heare what Christe sayth in the interpretation of his owne spéeche Caro sayth he non prodest quicquam verba mea spiritus et vita sunt Fleshe dooth not profit at all my wordes be spirit and life And doost thou cruell Canniball conceiue eate nought else but the flesh of Christe nor wylt thou permitte one crumme so much of breade to remaine because it is called the body of Christe But how many things doo we heare dayly called by this or that name when as in very deede they be not made the things wherof they beare the names When the Disciple whome Jesus looued was by Christes owne mouth called the sonne of Marie yet wyll no man be so wytlesse as to confesse him to be the naturall sonne of the Virgin Marie So also the Prophet dooth call fleshe a flowre of the feelde In the Gospel Iohn Baptist is called Elias Peter is named a Rocke so is he also called Sathan To conclude throughout all the discourse of the Scriptures what is more frequented then this vsuall phrase of spéec he and that things be called by this or that name wherein notwithstanding is no alteration of nature but the properties of things onely noted Theoderet Christ did signifie the signes which be seene by calling them his body and blood not chaunging the nature but adding therevnto grace Gelasius Contra Eutichetem Substantia panis et vini non mutatur et sine dubio imago et similitudo corporis et san◠guinis celibratur in actionem mysteriorum The substaunce of the bread and wine dooth not cease and without doubt the image and similitude of the body and blood is celebrated to the action of the mysteries Ambrosius De mysterijs Christus est in Sacramento quia est corpus Christi ideo nonest corporalis sed spirituas lis cibus c. Christe is in that Sacrament because it is
the famillie of God In these all such places we be taught that the house of God is not any buylding of wood or stones nor any Cittie or any materiall Temple but man is the house of God as héereafter more manifestlie it shall appeare when I come to intreate of the Church But first I will begin with the Pope who arrogantlie nameth him selfe the vniuersall Shéepheard And his Schollers or subiectes are not afraide to say that hee béeing Bishoppe of Roome is the visible heade of the Churche in Christes stéede But this they cannot shewe by Scripture neyther dooth the Church require any such head for Christe is present with it as he hath promised Math. 28. Sum vobiscum vsque ad consummationem mundi I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the world If the Pope be a visible head why is he not séene of all men why dooth he not gouerne all men in the Churche and giue nourishment vnto them as the head ought to doo why dooth he not preach vnto all people This he dooth not wherefore he is no visible head as he seemeth to pretend And surely to be the generall head ouer all is too great a matter and enterprise for any mortall man to take vpon him I am sure the Pope wyll graunt him selfe to be a member of this Catholique Churche if he then be a member howe can hée also be an head except the same thing shall be bothe an head and a member which is verie absurde and monstrous If he saye that he is a member Christ is his head onely and not any other why shall not Christe be as well a head for all These thinges we sée are verie chyldishe and fonde but yet they applie and saye that Christ sayde to Peter Thou arte Peter and vppon this Rocke wyll I builde my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuayle against it Nowe vppon this place our aduersaries the Papistes grounde this proposition the Churche is founded vppon Saint Peter Ergo Saint Peter was the head of the Church If Saint Peter be the head of the Church the Pope is his successour Ergo the Pope is the head of the Church I denie that Saint Peter was head of the Church and therefore is Saint Peter whose successour the Pope claimeth him selfe to be was neuer head of the Church howe can the Bishop of Roome be head The confession of our aduersaries is grounded vppon these woordes Tu es Petrus That is to saye Thou arte Peter And ours vppon this That it is sayde Super hanc Petram et non super te Petrum That is Vpon this Rocke and not vpon thee Peter In déede our sauiour Christe hath most manifestlie distinguished Petrum à Petra That is to say Simon Peter from the liuelie Rocke wherevpon he hath builded his Church chaunging bothe the name and the person The which our text plainly sheweth vs that which he would neuer haue doone if it ought to haue béene vnderstoode of Peter and not of the confession of Saint Peter I leaue it to the iudgement of euerie Christian whether it be more agréeable to the faith and more healthfull for the Church eyther that the Church be founded vpon Christe or vppon Peter vpon the sonne of the lyuing God vpon him that vanquished sathan or vpon him whome Christe him selfe in the verie same Chapter calleth Sathan him selfe Vpon him who is called the cheefe corner stone of the building or vpon him who is an offence vnto him that is to saye a stone of great stumbling None sayth Saint Paule 1. Cor. 3. Can laye any other foundation but that which is layde which is Christe Also Saint Peter sayth 2. Peter 2. You are as liuing stones built vpon the cheefe corner stone in whome who so euer beleeueth he shall not be confoūded That is to say in that cofession of Christ which he calleth the Rocke and foundation of the Church It appeareth then by this place that Christe hath builded it vpon him selfe and not vpon Simon Peter and vpon the confession of faith which Peter made and not vpon the faith of Peter which was too much wauering and vnstedfast And in verie déede where Saint Iohn reciteth this storie he resteth whollie vpon Peters confession Iohn 6. And therefore by the Rocke he meant him selfe For when Peter had sayde Tu es Christus filius Dei Thou art Christe the sonne of God Christe sayde to him Vpon this Rocke will I builde my Church And in that place he giueth no more to Peter in the Keies which is the binding and loosing of sinners then he giueth them all else where As in Iohn 20. when he sayde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Receyue the holie Ghost whose sinnes so euer ye remit they are remitted whose sinnes so euer ye retaine they are retained Héere all haue as much as Peter And what hath the Pope to doo with these words which followeth not Peter neyther in life nor doctrine A strange thing it is to sée howe they builde their kingdome vpon Peter and whatsoeuer is sayde of him they take it to them selues But before they can prooue any thing in déede they must prooue these thrée points vnto vs if they will haue the Pope to be the supream head of the whole Church which they shall neuer be able to doo by the Scriptures as long as they liue First they must prooue that Peter was chéefe and head of all the Apostles Secōdlie that hée was at Roome and sate there as Bishoppe generall Thyrdlie that he left all the title preheminence of his seate to his successours whatsoeuer If they prooue the two first poynts as they can not yet they make nothing against vs although we should graunt it them vnlesse they prooue the thirde which they shall neuer be able to doo that Saint Peter hath left all his aucthoritie to his successours after him for euer Saint Paule in his Epistle saluted manie that vvere Christians at Rome but of S. Peter he made no mention if S. Peter had bin at Rome he had not forgotten to haue greeted him as vvell as the rest The Epistles of Saint Peter are extant but no mention there is that eyther hee was at Roome or was cheese of the Apostles or supreame head of the Church or that his successours should play Rex ouer all men and be the rulers of all Churches in the worlde For as much then that neyther by the writinges of Saint Peter nor any other Apostle of Christe our aduersaries can prooue the Pope to be any Ecclesiasticall head to this Church but Christe Iesus alone who is alwayes present with it and euer walketh in the middest of the seuen golden Candelstickes so that hee néedeth no Vicar generall or vniuersall Bishoppe Let vs déerely belooued as we looue the Lord Iesus our head and tender the saluation of our owne soules flée farre from the Pope and all his adherentes Traditions Decrées and Pardons least hee make marchandize
to beléefe for they haue left scarse any sence or memorie of the true members of Christes Church If we beléeue the Romaine Church to be The holie Catholique Church The Scriptures are against vs theyr owne Doctours are against vs and the definition of the word Church is against vs. Shall we beléeue the building of Saint Peters Church to be our holie Mother the Church Beléeue it who that will and I assure him that he hath not the true Church on his side nor the Gospell to excuse him Séeke for this Church whereof Christe is head and not the Pope in this Church haue we lybertie not to doo euyll but to doo good The Churth of Roome bringeth to our lyfe myserable bondage Whyles we are in the Church of Christe wée hope for the promises of lyfe euerlasting but whyles wée stande in the Churche of Roome wée stande in feare and terrour of eternall condempnation to come vppon vs for our sinnes in the day of death Through Christe who is the head of this true Churche wée sée our sinnes purged the Deuill vanquished death and condempnation abolished and our selues in the lybertie of the chyldren of God to crie Abba Father Thus much touching the Church ¶ Of the infallible perfect ground and sufficiencie of the Scriptures to the eternall comfort and consolation of all true Christians and vtter confusion of the Pope and all his adherentes BEcause the Papistes affirme and boldly say that the Scriptures are not sufficient for a man therby to knowe the trueth by the which he may be saued it is erpedient and néedefull at this present tyme to heare what the Scriptures and Doctors doo say therevnto First I will beginne with the Scriptures as with the veritie it selfe and then with the Doctors who ground theyr argumentes and reasons vpon the worde of God which is the holy Scripture Although it behooueth man earnestly to bende his eyes to consider the workes of God For as much as he is set as it were in this gorgeous stage to be a beholder of them yet principallie ought be to bend his eares to the Scriptures that he may better profite thereby and sooner learne the trueth by the which he may be saued And therefore it is no meruayle that they which are borne in darknesse doo more and more waxe harde in theyr amazed dulnesse because verie fewe of them doo giue them selues pliable to learne of the worde of God whereby to kéepe them within the boundes but they rather reioyce in theyr owne vanitie Thus then ought we to holde that to the ende true Religion may shine amongst vs we must take our begynning at the heauenlie doctrine and that no man can haue any taste be it neuer so little of true and sounde doctrine vnlesse he haue béene Scholler to the Scriptures And from hence groweth the originall of true vnderstanding that we reuerentlie embrace whatsoeuer it pleaseth GOD therein to testifie of him selfe for not â—nely the perfect and in all poynts absolute faith but also all right knowledge of God springeth from obedience and truely in this behalfe God of his singuler prouidence hath prouided for men in all ages For if we consider howe slippery an inclination mans minde hath to slide into by forgetfulnes of God how great a readinesse to fall into all kinde of errours howe great a lust to forge oftentimes new and counterfeyt Religions The onely fall of man into so many and sundrie euyls is the forgetfulnesse of God We may thereby perceyue how necessarie it was to haue the heauenly doctrine so put in writing that it should not eyther perishe by forgetfulnesse or growe vaine by errour or be corrupted by boldnesse of men Sith therfore it is manifest that God hath alway vsed the helpe of his worde towardes all those whome it pleased him at any tyme fruitfully to instruct because he foresawe that his Image imprinted in that most beautifull forme of the world was not sufficiently effectuall therfore it behooueth vs to trauaile this straight waye if we earnestlie couette to attayne to the true beholding of God we must I saye come to his worde wherin God is well and liuelie set out by his workes when his workes be weyed not after the peruersenesse of our owne iudgement but according to the rule of the eternall trueth If we swerue from that worde as I sayd euen nowe although we runne neuer so faste yet we shall neuer attayne to the marke because the course of our running is out of the way For thus we must thinke that the brightnesse of the face of God which the Apostle calleth Rom. 16. such as can not be attained vnto is vnto vs lyke a Maze out of which we can not vnwrappe our selues vnlesse we be by the line of the worde guided into it And therfore Dauid Psalm 9. et 96.97.99 c. oftentimes when he teacheth that superstitions are to be taken away out of the world that pure Religion may florishe bringeth in God reigning meaning by this worde reigning not the power that he hath but the doctrine wherby he challengeth to him selfe a lawfull gouernment because errors can neuer be rooted out of the hearts of men tyll the true knowledge of God be planted Therefore the same Prophete after that he hath recited Psalm 19.21 That the heauens declare the glorie of God that the fyrmament sheweth foorth the workes of his handes That the orderlie succéeding course of dayes and nightes preacheth his Maiestie then he descendeth to make mention of his worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The lawe of the Lorde is vndefiled conuerting soules sayth Dauid the witnesse of the Lorde is faithfull giuing wisdome to lyttle ones The rightfulnesse of the Lord is vpright making hearts cheerefull the commaundement of the Lord is bright giuing light to the eyes For although he comprehendeth the other vses of the Lawe yet in generallitie he meaneth that for as much as God dooth in vaine call vnto him all Nations by the beholding of the heauen and earth therefore this is the peculiar schoole of the children of God The same meaning hath the .xix. Psalme where the Prophet hauing preached Of the voice of God which in thunder winds showers whirle-winds and stormes shaketh the earth maketh the mountaines to tremble and breaketh the Ceder trees In the ende at last he goeth farther and sayth That his prayses are sung in the Sanctuarie because the vnbeleeuers are deafe and heare not all the voices of God that resound in the ayre And in lyke manner in an other Psalme 93.5 after that he had described the terrible waues of the sea He thus concludeth Thy testimonies are verified the beautie of thy Temple is holinesse for euer And out of this meaning also proceeded that which Christe sayde to the woman of Samaria Iohn 4.22 That her Nation and the rest did honour that which they knewe not and that onely the Iewes did worshippe the true God For whereas
the body of Christe Therefore it is not corporal foode but spirituall Wherevpon the Apostle speaking of the figure therof Because our fathers did eate the same spirituall foode For the body of Christ is spirituall the body of Christ is the body of a diuine spirit De con Dis Ambros De sacra Lib. 4. cap. 4. Euen as thou hast receiued the likenesse of death so doost thou drinke the symilitude of blood Hesychius in Leui. Lib. 1. Chap. 2. Hunc comedimus cibum in recordationem passionis Christi We doo eate this meate receyuing the memorie of his passion Esai the. 25. Chap. And in this mountaine shall the Lord of Hoastes make vnto all people a feast of fatlinges euen as a feast of meate and fined wines and of fatte thinges full of marrowe of wines fined and purified c. Wéereby it appeareth that his suffering should be bread and foode for all people in the world and as it were an euerlasting banquet according to that propheticall promise Esay the Prophet the. 25. Chapter And for that cause least the remembrance of his passion should waxe out of minde he coÌ„maunded it to be done in the remembrance of him and by the same memoriall to shewe the Lordes death vntyll he come againe Whereby may appeare without any difficulty that the natural body is not eaten héere but the death of his body signified and the remembrance thereof celebrated Not the bread and wine turned into fleshe and blood but a Sacrament of our redemption to be instituted in bread and wine August De consecrat Dist 2. This is it that the heauenly bread which the flesh of Christe is called after his maner the body of Christ when as in deede it is the Sacrament of Christes body Rabanus Maurius Lib. 1. Cap 31. Sacramentum vna res est efficacia sacramenti alia res est Sacramentum conuertitur in nutrimentum corporis virtute sacraments honor aeternae vitae obtinetur The Sacrament is one thing the efficacie of the sacrament is an other thing the Sacrament is turned into the nourishment of the body by the efficacie of the sacrament the honour of euerlasting lyfe is obtayned Origen vpon Mathew writeth after this manner Panis sayth hée qui verbo Dei sanctificatur quantum ad materiam et substantiam in ventrem descendit et in latrinam eucitur The bread which is sanctified by the worde of God touching the matter and substance thereof goeth downe into the belly and is throwne out into the draught c. If that be bread which after sanctification goeth downe into the belly according to the testimony of Origen with what face wyll the Papistes deny it to be bread Againe on the other side if according to the Papistes opinion there remayne no crum of substance at all Whereof then shall that be a substance which Origen dooth ascribe to the bread To the same effect may Augustine De consecra Disti 2. be produced a witnesse of antiquitie not to be reiected The heauenly bread sayth he which is the fleshe of Christ is after this manner called the body of Christe beeing in verie deede the Sacrament of Christes body c. If it be a sacrament of the body how is it the verie body againe if because it is called the body of Christe it be therfore Christes fleshe what should let but that by the same argumeÌ„t Peter should be Sathan because he is called Sathan Moreouer if the nature of SacrameÌ„ts be such as to be called by the name of the thinges which they signifie Let the Papistes take away the substaunce of bread what shall be left in the Accidentarie fourmes that may eyther supplie the name of a body or represent the lykenesse of a body in any respect You haue heard good ChristiaÌ„ people bothe by the Scriptures and Doctours that there is no transubstantiation in the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper Who is therefore of so peruerse minde that wyll not persuade him selfe that these wordes Take ye eate ye This is my body to be a Sacramentall spéech and mysticall and ought to be expounded simbolically and according to the meaning For the bread is a SacrameÌ„t signe or pledge of the body of Christe I haue giuen you to vnderstand by many euident reasons that these words of our Lord This is my body ought not to be taken according to the grosse lytterall sence but to be expounded mystically or sacramentally for the bread remaineth in his substance is not chaunged into the substance of the body of Christe In lyke manner the naturall body of Jesus Christe the which being giuen once for vs raysed from death is ascended into heauen is not hyd nor inclosed vnder the kinde or forme of bread For the Angels of God speaking of this body beare witnesse thereof and saye Acts. 1.11 Hic Iesus qui assumptus est à vobis in coelum sic veniet quemadmoduÌ„ vidistis euntem in coelum This same lesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shal so come euen as you haue seene him goe into heauen In like manner S. Peter sayth Act. 3.21 Quem oportet quidem coelum accipere vsque in tempora restitutionis omnium quae loquus â—us est Deus per os omnium sanctorum suoâ—um à seculo Prophetarum The heauen must receyue Iesus Christe vntyll the â—yme that all thinges be restored which God hath spoken by the mouth of his holy ones from the tyme of the Prophetes Saint Paule sayth also Iesus Christe after he hath offered one sacrifice for sinnes is set downe for euer on the right hande of God from hence foorth tarying tyll his foes be made his footestoole Wherfore we reade that Saint Augustine writing to Dardanus sayde ryghtlie and according to the Scriptures Christe as he is God is all whollie present in euerie place but according to the measure and propertie of a true body he hath his place in some one place of heauen hee hath giuen immortallitie to his body in the glorification thereof After this forme he is not to be thought to be diffused and spread abroade euerie where Wherefore we must take good héede that we doo not so affyrme the diuinitie of the man Christe that we take away the trueth of His body For our personne is God and man and out Christe Jesus is bothe two béeing euerie where in that he is God but béeing in heauen in that he is man Yea and this aucthor hath left in his bookes these thinges and many other lyke bothe Catholique and according to the true sence of the Scripture agréeable to this matter Moreouer the Catholique veritie suffereth vs not to faine that Christe hath two bodies But if you take the wordes of the letter This is my body without the blessed body of the Lord béeing set at the Table with his Disciples gaue vnto them also I knowe not what other body for he could not giue him selfe with his owne handes vnto his Disciples Therefore