dāmage losse and vile Phil. 3. that they myghte wynne Christe mē zealouse for the howse of godde and the glorie of hys name suche as hadde allreadye layed open theyr consciences and infirmitees before the iudgemēte seate of godde and hadde agayne throughe Christe receiued the effecte of fayth and true righteousnes that is peace of conscience and ioyfullnes in the holy ghooste Rom. 14. and so hadde a fulle taste in thys mortalle body of immortalitee in miserie of happinesse in earth of heauen O Englande Englande how greate is thy losse for the wante of them how horrible is thyne offense for killinge of them how greuouse will thy plage be when the reuenger of innocente bloude shall call the to an accowmpte for them if thow doo not repente in tyme Godde graunte that the admonitions of these and other godly martyrs maye so warne vs theyr doctrine so instructe vs and theyr example so cōfirme vs in the true knowlege and feare of godde that flyenge and abhorringe Idolatrye and superstition we maye embrace true religion and pierce forsakinge the phantasyes of men we maye humblye obey the written worde of godde and ruled therby directe all our doyngs to the glorie of his name and our owne endeles saluation in Christe Iesu Amen In the name of Iesus let euerie knee bowe Philip. 2. A Busshop owghte to be vnreproueable N. Ryd Tit. 1. as the Stuarde off godde c. cleauinge faste to the trew worde off doctrine c. Tit. 1. All worldly respectes putte aparte off shame deathe losse off goodes and worldely commoditees Lett me haue I praye you your aduyse in these matters folowynge Thatt is your assent ād cōfirmatiō in those thinges whiche you iudge that godde doth allowe and your best cownsell and aduertisemēt wher you thinke otherwise and your reasons for both the same For the wiseman sayeth Prou. 18. One brother which is helped of another is Like a well defensed Citee The causes thatt moue me to absteyne frome the Masse be these It ys done in a strawnge tounge which the people doth not vnderstande contrarie to the doctrine off the Apostle 1. Cor. 14. 1. Cor. 14. Wher is no vnderstandinge H Latym ther is neither edifyenge nor conforte for besydes that they speake in to the ayer the minde receiueth no proffet They are one to another as alienes the Parissheners will saye their priestes are madde wheras all thynges owghte to be done so as they maye ediffie Let euerie man knowe that the thynges which I write sayth S. Paule are the commaundementes of the lorde 1. Cor. 14. Suche absurditees are to be eschewed N.R. Ther is also wantynge the shewynge off the lordes deathe contrarie to the minde off the Apostle As often as ye shall eate this breade and drincke off this Cuppe 1. Cor. 11. ye shall shew the Lordes deathe till he come What shewinge can be ther wher as no man heareth that it to saye vnderstādeth what is sayde No man I meane off the commen people for whose proffet the prayer of the churche oughte specially to serue H. L. Luc. 11. Woo be vnto you that take awaye the keye off knowlege The Papistes studie by all meanes to make the people ignorante Lest theyr ignorante sir Ihons shuld be hadde in Lesse estimation or despised which is cleane contrarie to Saint Paules practise who wisshed that all men myghte be fulfilled with all knowledge and to be perfite in Christe Iesus Coloss. 1. c. The institution of Christe if it wer rehersed in the vulgare tounge shulde be not only a Consecration but also a frutefull preachinge to the edification off the hearers wher as in the popisshe Masse it is neyther vnderstanded nor hearde whils the commen people are vtterly ignorāte what their preestes doo or what they goo abowte whether they blesse or curse The Apostles vnderstoode Christe when he celebrated his supper Therfore doo these papistes swarue frome Christe in theyr Masse Ther is no Communion but it is made a priuate Table and in dede owght to be a Communion N. R For S. Paule sayeth The breade which we breake 1. Cor. 10. is the partakynge of the bodie of Christe And Christe brake and distributed and sayde Take Matt. 26. and eate c. But that they make it a priuate table it is open The papistes make the lordes table a priuate table For wher they be manie preestes which will communicate they doo it not in one Table or aulter but euerie one off them haue their aultars masses and tables To make that priuate which Christe made commen and willed to be communicated H.L. maye seme to be the workmanshippe of Antichriste hym selfe The Canons of thapostles doo excommunicate them which beinge presente at commē prayer c. Cano. 10. doo not also receiue the holy communion De Cons. dist 1. cap. Epis. And vnto the same agreeth the decree of Anacletus When the consecration is done saieth he let all such communicate as entend not to be excommunicate That which is firste is trew that which is Latter is cownterfayted sayeth Tertulliane But the papistes saye we doo it priuately Bicawse we doo it for others Tert. contra Praxeam But wher haue you your Commission to Masse and sacrifice for others N.R. The lordes commaundement of communicating the cuppe vnto the laye people is not obserued according vnto the worde of the lorde drincke ye all of this Matt. 26. As often as ye shal eate this bread and drincke of this cuppe H.L. 1 Cor. 11. ye shal shew the lordes deathe c. so that not the partaking of the one onlye but of bothe is a shewing of the lordes deathe bicause in his deathe the bloude was deuided from the bodie it is necessarie that the same diuision be represented in the supper The lordes death is not shevued excepte both partes of the Sacrā be ministred Th argument of K. Henry the 8. 2. Cor. 11. otherwyse the supper is not a sheuing of the lordes deathe c. Let a man examine hym selfe c. But this worde Homo is of bothe gendres therfore it is as wel commaunded to the woman to drincke of the cuppe as the man c. But the Kings argumente once againste me was this Whē ye come to gither to eate He saieth not saiethe he to drincke I aunswerid it was not neadfulle seing that a litle before he had made mention of bothe in theise wordes And so let hym eat of that breade and drincke of that cuppe Homo that is to saye aswel the woman as the manne Vnder the name of bread which betokenethe all sustinaunce of the bodie drincke is also vnderstanded in the scriptures Otherwise they woulde saye that Christe did not drincke after hys resurrection withe his disciples excepte Peter had saide Acto 10. We did eate and drincke with him after he arose from deathe They doo seruyllye
Christ of his euangelists and of his Apostles that in this aforesayd controuersie the light of thy trueth by the lanterne of thy worde maie shine vnto all them that loue thee Of the Lordes laste Supper do speake especially three of the Euangelists Matt. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 10.11 Mathewe Marke and Luke But none more plainelie nor more fully declarethe the same then doeth S. Paule partelie in the 10. but especiallye in the 11. Chapiter of the firste Epistle vnto the Corinthianes As Mathewe and Marke doe agree muche in forme of woordes Soe doeth lykewise Luke and S Paule But all foure no doubte as they were all taught in one schole and enspired with one spirite so taughte they all one trueth God graunte vs to vnderstande it well Mathewe setteth forth Christes Supper thus Matthev Vuhen euen vuas comme he satt dovune vuith the 12. c. Matt. 26. As they dyd eate Ihesus tooke bread and gaue thākes brake it ād gaue it to the disciples and sayd Take Eate This is my body And he tooke the cuppe gaue thankes and gaue it to them sayng Drynke ye all of this For this is my bloud of the nevue testament that is shedd for many for the remission of sinnes I saie vnto you I vuill not drinke henseforth of this fruyte of the vyne tree vntyll that daye vuhen I shall drinke that nevue in my fathers kingdome And vuhen they had sayd grace they vuent out Marke Novve Marke speaketh it thus And as they ate Iesus tooke breade blissed and brake Marke 14. and gaue to them and saide Take eate This is my bodie And he toke the cuppe gaue thankes and gaue it them and they all dranke of it and he saide vnto them This is my bloud of the nevve testamente vvhich is shedde for manye Verelie I saie vnto you I vuil drinke no more of the fruite of the vine vntyll that daie that I drinke that nevve in the kingedome of God Here Matthew and Marke doo agree not onely in the matter but also allmost fullye in the fourme of wordes Sauing that for thies wordes in Mathew gaue thankes Marke hath one word blessed which signefieth in this place al one And wher Mathew saithe drinke ye al of this Marke saith and they all dranke of it And wher Matthew saithe of this fruyte of the vyne Marke leaueth owt the worde this and saith of the fruyte of the vyne Nowe lett vs see likewise what agrement in forme of wordes is betwixte S. Luke and S. Paule Luke Luke vuriteth thus He toke breade gaue thankes brake it and gaue it to them saing This is my bodye vuich is geuē for you This doo in remembraunce of me Likevuise also vuhen they had supped he tooke the cupp saynge Luc. 22. This cupp is the nevue testamēt in my bloud vuich is shed for you S. Paule S. Paule setteth fourthe Christes supper thus the Lord Ihesus the same night in the vuich he vuas betrayed tooke bread and gaue thankes and brake and said ◠Cor. 11. Take eate this is my bodie vuiche is broken for you This doo in remembrance of me After the same maner he tooke the cupp vuhen supper vuas done saing This cupp is the nevue testament in my bloud This doo as often as ye drinke it in the remembraūce of me for as ofte as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cuppe ye shall shevue the Lordes death tyll he comme Here wher Luke sayth which is geuen Paule saythe which is broken And as Luke addeth to the wordes of Paule spoken of the cuppe which is shedd for yow so likewise Paule addeth to the wordes of Luke this doo as often as ye shall drinke it in the remēbraunce of me The rest that followeth in S. Paule both ther and in the x. chapter perteineth to the right vse and doctrine of the Lordes supper Thus the Euangelistes and S. Paule haue rehersed the wordes and worke of Christ wherby he dyd institute and ordeine this holye Sacrament of his blessed bodye and bloud to be a perpetuall remembraunce of hym selfe vntill his comminge agayne of hym self I saye that is of his bodye geuen for vs and of his bloud shedde for the remission of sinnes But this remembraunce thus ordeined as the awthor therof is Christ both god and man so by thallmighty power of god farre passeth all kind of remembraunces that any other man is able to make either of hym self or of any other thing for who so euer receueth this holye sacrament thus ordeyned in remembraunce of Christ he receyueth therwith either deathe or lyfe In this I doo trust we all agree For saincte Paule saith of the godlie receuers in the x. chapter of his first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10. The cuppe of blessing which we blesse is it not the partaking or felowshipp of Christes bloud And also he saieth the bread which we breake and meaneth at the Lords table is it not the partaking or felowshippe of Christes bodie Nowe the partakinge of Christes bodie and of his bloude vnto the faithfull and godlie is the partaking or felowship of life and of immortalitie And againe of the bad and vngodly receiuers S. Paule plainlie saieth thus 1. Cor. 11. He that eateth of this breade and drinketh of this cuppe vnworthily he is gilty of the bodie and bloude of the Lorde O howe necessarie then is it if we loue life and would eschewe death to trie and examine oure selues before we eate of this breade and drinke of this cuppe For els assuredlie he that eateth and drinketh vnworthilie eateth and drinketh his own damnation because he estemeth not the Lords bodie that is he receiueth not the Lords bodie with the honoure whiche is due vnto hym And yet by that whiche was saide that with the receipte of the holie Sacramente of the blissed bodie and bloude of Christ is receiued of euerie one good or badde either life or death it is not meant that they whiche are deade before God hereby maie receiue life or the liuing before God cā herby receiue deathe For as none is meete to receiue naturall foode wherby the naturall life is norished excepte he be borne and liue before so no man can feede by the receipte of this holie Sacramente of the foode of eternall life excepte he bee regenerated and borne of god before And on the other side no man her receiueth damnation whiche is not deade before God Thus hitherto withoute all doubte God is my witnes I saie so farre as I know there is no controuersie among thē that bee learned in the church of Englāde concerning the matter of this Sacramente but all doe agree whether they be newe or olde and to speake plaine and as some of them odiouslye either do call other whether they bee protestantes papistes pharisies or Gospellers And as all do agree hitherto in the aforesaide doctrine so all doe deteste the wicked herisie of the
Messalians whiche be otherwise called Euchites Triparti histo lib. 7. cap. 11. whiche saide that the holie sacramente canne neither do good nor harme All doo also condemne these wicked Anabaptistes wich putte no difference betwene the Lordes table and the Lordes meate and their owne And because charitie woulde we shoulde if it be possible and so far as we maie with the safegarde of good conscience and maintenaunce of the trueth to agree with all menne therfore me thinketh it is not charitably done to burthen ani manne either newe or olde as they call them Charitie vuil belye no man further then suche do declare themselues to dissente from that we are perswaded to be the trueth and pretende there to be controuersies whereas none suche are in dede and so to multiplie the debate the whiche the more it doeth increase the further it doeth departe from the vnitye that the true Christiā should desire And againe this is true that the trueth neither needeth nor will bee maintened with lies It is also a true commen prouerbe that it is euen sinne to lye vpon the deuell For though by thy lie thou doeste seame neuer so muche to speake againste the deuell yet in that thou lieste in deede thou workest the deuelles woorke thou doste him seruice and takeste the deuils parte Nowe whether then do they godlye and charitablye The papistes do belie the prechars of the gospel whiche either by their penne in writyng or by their wordes in preaching do beare the simple people in hande that these whiche thus doe teache and beleue do goe aboute to make the holie Sacrament ordeined by Christe himselfe a thing no better then a pece of commen baken bread or that do saie that suche do make the holie sacramente of the blessed bodie and bloude of Christ nothing els but a bare signe or figure to represente Christ none otherwise then the Iuie bushe doeth represente the wine in a tauerne or as a vile person gorgiouslie appareled maie represente a kinge or a prince in a plaie Alas let vs leaue liyng and speake the truth euerie man not onely to his neighbour Ephe 5. but also of his neighbour for we are membres one of another saith S Paule The controuersie no doubte whiche at thys daye troubleth the churche wherin anye meane learned man either olde or newe doth stand in is not whether the holie sacrament of the bodye and bloud of Christ is no better thē a piece of cōmē breade or noe Or whether the Lordes table is no more to bee regarded then the table of any earthlye man or noe or whether it is but a bare signe or figure of Christe and nothing elles or no For all doe graunt that S Paules wordes do require that the breade whiche we breake is the partakinge of the bodie of Christe And all also doe graunte him that eateth of that breade or drinketh of that cuppe vnworthilie to bee giltie of the Lordes death and to eate and drinke his owne damnation because he estemeth not the Lordes bodie All do graūte that these wordes of S Paule when he saith if we eate it auantageth vs nothing or if wee eate not wee want nothing therby are not spoken of the Lordes table but of other commen meates 1. Cor. 8. Thus then hitherto yet we all agree But nowe lette vs see wherin the dissention doeth stande The vnderstanding of that wherin it doth chieflie stand is a steppe to the true searching furth of the trueth For who can seeke well a remedie if he knowe not before the disease It is neither to be denied nor dissembled that in the matter of this Sacramente there bee diuerse pointes wherein men counted to be learned canne not agree The chieffe pointes off controuersie abovute the sacramēt As whether there be any transubstantiation of the breade or no Any corporall and carnal presence of Christes substance or no Whether adoracion onely due vnto God is to be done to the sacramente or noe And whether Christes bodie bee be there offered in deede vnto the heauenlye father by the prieste or noe Or whether the euell man receiue the naturall bodie of Christe or noe Yet neuerthelesse as in a man diseased in diuers partes commenlie the originall cause of suche diuers diseases whiche are spredde abrode in the bodie do come from some one chiefe membre as from the stomacke or from the heade euen so al those fiue aforesaide pointes do chiefely hange vpon this one question whiche is what is the matter of the Sacramente whether is it the naturall substance of breade or the naturall substance of Christes owne bodie The treuth of this question truelye tried out and agreed vpon no doubte shall cease the controuersie in all the reaste For if it bee Christes owne naturall bodie borne of the virgine then assuredlie seynge that all learned men in Englande so farre as I knowe both newe and olde graunt there to be but one substance then I say they must nedes graunt Transubstantiation that is a change of the substance of breade into the substance of Christes bodie then also they must graunt the carnall and corporall presence of Christes bodie then must the sacramēt be adored with the honour due vnto Christ himselfe for the vnitie of the two natures in one person then if the prieste do offre the sacrament he doeth offre in deede Christ himselfe and finallye the murtherer the adulterer or wicked mā receiuinge the Sacrament must needes there receiue also the naturall substaunce of Christes owne blessed bodye both fleash and bloude Nowe on the other syde if after the truthe shal be truly tryed owte it be fownd that the substance of breade is the materiall substance of the sacrament althowgh for the chaunge of the vse office and dignitie of the bread the bread in dede sacramentally is chaunged into the bodye of Christ as the water in Baptisme is sacramentally chaunged into the fountayne of regeneracion and yet the materiall substance therof remayneth all one as was before yf I saye the trewe solutyon of that former question wheruppon all these controuersies doo hange be that the naturall substāce of bread is the materiall substance in the holie sacrament of Christes blessed bodye then must it followe of that former proposition confessed of all that be named to be learned so farre as I knowe in Englande whiche is that there is but one materiall substāce in the sacramente of the bodie and one onelye lykewise in the sacrament of the bloud that there is no such thing in deede and in truth as they call transubstantion for the substance of breade remaineth styll in the sacrament of the bodie then also the naturall substance of Christes humane nature which he tooke of the virgine Marie is in heauen where it reigneth now in glory and not here inclosed vnder the forme of breade then that godlie honoure whiche is due vnto God the creator and maye not be done to the creature without
to his disciples and that whiche he tooke brake and gaue to his disciples he sayd hym self of it This is my bodye So it appeareth plainlye that Christ called verye bread his bodye But very bread can not be his bodye in verye substāce therof therfore it muste nedes haue an other meanyng whiche meanyng appeareth plainlye what it is by the nexte sentence that followeth immediatlie both in Luke and in Paule and that is this Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. Doo this in remēbraūce of me wher vppon it seameth vnto me to be euidēt that Christ dyd take bread and called yt his bodye for that he wold institute therby a perpetuall remembraunce of his bodye specially of that singular benefyte of our redemptyon whiche he wold then procure and purchase vnto vs by his bodye vppon the crosse But bread retayning still his owne very naturall substance maye be thus by grace and in a sacramentall signification his bodye wheras elles the verie bread which he tooke brake and gaue them could not be in any wise his naturall bodye for that were confusyon of substances And therfore the verye wordes of Christ ioyned with the nexte sentence following bothe enforceth vs to confesse the verye bread to remayn still and also openeth vnto vs howe that bread maye be and is thus by his diuine power hys bodye which was giuen for vs. But here I remembre I haue redde in soome writers of the contrarie opinion An obiection whiche doo denye that that whiche Christ dyd take he brake For saie they after his taking he blessed it as Marcke doth speke Marc. 14. ād by his blessing he chaunged the naturall substance of the bread into the naturall substance of his bodye and so althowgh he tooke the bread and blessed it yet because in blessing he chaunged the substance of it he brake not the bread which then was not ther but onely the forme therof Vnto this obiection I haue ij playne answers Ansvuer boeth grounded vpon Godds woorde Thone I wyll here reherse thother aunsweare I will differ vntill I speake of the Sacrament of the bloude Mine aunsweare here is taken out of the plaine wordes of S Paule whiche doth manifestlie confound this phantastical inuention first inuented I wene of Pope Innocentius and after confirmed by the subtill sophister Dunse and latelye renued nowe in our daies with an eloquent stile and muche finesse of witte It is mente of a booke firste sette forth vnder the name of M. Antonius Constantius And after vuard of Ste ▪ Gard. Bishop of Vuinch But what can crafty inuention subtiltie in sophismes eloquence or finesse of witte preuaile against the infallible worde of god What nede we to striue and contēd what thing we breake for Paule saith speking vndoubtedlie of the Lordes table the breade saieth he whiche wee breake is it not the partakinge or felowshyp of the Lordes bodie Wherupō it foloweth that after the thankes geuing it is bread whiche we breake And how often in the Acts of the Apostles is the Lords supper signified by breakinge of breade They did perseuer saieth S Luke in the Apostles doctrine communion and breakyng of breade Act. 2. ibidem And againe they brake breade in euerie house And againe in an other place When they were come together to breake breade Act. 20. S Paule whiche setteth forth moste fullye in his writing boeth the doctrine and the vse of the Lordes supper and the sacramentall eatynge 1. Cor. 10.11 and drynkinge of Christes bodie and bloude calleth it fiue tymes breade breade breade breade breade The sacramentall breade is the misticall bodye The 2 reason and so is called in scripture 1 Cor. 10. as it is called the naturall bodye of Christe But Christes misticall bodye is the congregacion of Christians 1. Cor. 10. Now no manne was euer so fonde as to saye that that sacramentall bread is transubstantiated and changed into the substaunce of the congregatiō Wherfore no manne shoulde lykewise thynke or saie that the breade is transubstantiated and chaunged into the naturall substaunce of Christes humaine nature But my mynde is not here to wryte what maye bee gathered oute of scriptures for this purpose but onelye to wryte here briefelye those whyche seeme to me to be the mooste playne places Therfore contented to haue spoken thus muche of the sacramentall breade nowe I wyll speake a litle of the Lordes cuppe And this shal be my thirde argument grounded vpon Christes owne woordes The. 3. argument The naturall substance of the sacramentall wine remaineth stil and is the materiall substance of the sacramente of the bloude of Christe therfore it is likewise so in the sacramentall bread I knowe that he that is of a contrarie opinion will denie the former parte of my argumente But I will proue it thus by the plaine wordes of Christe himselfe Matt. 26. Mar. 14. both in Mathewe and in Marke Christes wordes be thus after the wordes saide vpon the cuppe I saye vnto you saieth Christe I will not drinke henseforth of this fruite of the vine tree vntill I shall drinke that newe in my fathers kingedome Here note how Christ calleth plainelye his cuppe the fruite of the vine tree but the fruite of the vine tree is very natural wine wherfore the naturall substance of the wine doeth remaine still in the sacramente of Christes bloude And here in spekinge of the Lordes cup it commeth vnto my remembrance the vanitye of Innocentius his phantasticall inuention whiche by Paules wordes I did confute before and here did promise somewhat more to speake and that is this Yf the Transubstantiacion be made by this worde blissed in Marke saide vpon the bread as Innocentius that Pope did saie then suerlie seing that worde is not saide of Christe neither in any of the Euangelistes nor in Paule vpon the cuppe there is no Transubstantiation of the wine at all for where the cause doth faile there can not folow the effecte But the sacramentall breade and the sacramentall wine do both remaine in their naturall substance alike and if the one be not changed as of the sacramētall wine it appeareth euidentlye then there is noe suche Transubstantiation in neither of them boeth All that put and afferme this change of the substaunce of breade and wine into the substance of Christes body and bloud called transubstantiation doe also saie and affirme this change to be made by a certaine forme of prescript wordes and none other but what they bee that make the chaunge either of the one or of the other vndoubtedlye euen they that do write moste finelie in these oure daies almoste confesse plainelie Vuinch in the ansvuer to the 48. obiection that they can not tell For although they graunt to certaine of the olde Soctours as Chrisostome ād Ambrose that these wordes This is my bodie are the wordes of Consecration of the sacrament of the bodie yet saie they these wordes maie well bee so
the studente in Gods worde Of the whiche one I will reherse which is this Yf saieth he the scripture doeth seame to commaund a thinge whiche is wicked or vngodly Or to forbidde a thing that charitie doeth require then knowe thou saith he that the spech is figuratiue And for example he bringeth the saiyng of Christ in the 6 Chapter of Sainct Ihon. Except ye eate the fleash of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye canne not haue life in you ▪ It seameth to commaund a wicked or an vngodlye thing wherfore it is a figuratiue speache commaundinge to haue communion and felowshippe with Christes passion and deuoutelye and wholesomelie to laie vp in memorie that his fleashe was crucified and wounded for vs. And here I can not but maruaile at some men suerelye of muche excellente finesse of witte Vuinch in his ansvuers to the 16. and 226. obiection and of greate eloquēce that are not ashamed to write and saie that this aforesaide saiynge of Christe is after Saint Austen a figuratiue speach in dede but not vnto the learned but vnto the vnlearned here lette any man that indifferently vnderstandeth the lattē tounge reade the place in S Austen and if he per ceiue not clearlye S Austens woordes and minde to be contrarie let me abide therof the rebuke This lesson of S Austen I haue therfore the rather sette forth because as it teacheth vs to vnderstande that place in Ihon figuratiuelye euen soe suerlye the same lesson with the example of S Austens exposition therof teacheth vs not only by the same to vnderstande Christes wordes in the institution of the Sacrament both of his bodie and of his bloud figuratiuelye but also the very true mening and vnderstanding of the same For if to commaund to eate the fleashe of the sonne of man and to drinke his bloude semeth to commaunde an inconuenience and an vngodlines and is euen so in dede if it be vnderstanded as the wordes do stand in their proper signification and therfore muste be vnderstanded figuratiuely and spirituallye as S Augustin doth godlie and learnedlie interpretate them Then suerlie Christe commaundinge in his last supper to eate his body and to drīke his bloud semeth to commaund in sound of words as great and euen the same inconuenience and vngodlines as did his woordes in the 6. Chapiter of S. Ihon and therfore muste euen by the same reason be likewise vnderstanded and expounded figuratiuelye and spirituallie as S Austin did the other Wherunto that exposition of S Austen maie seame to be the more mete for that Christe in his supper to the commaundement of eatinge and drinkinge of his bodie and bloud addeth do this in remembrance of me whiche wordes suerlye were the keye that opened and reueled this spirituall and godlye exposition vnto S Austen But I haue taried longer in settinge fourth the forme of Christes woordes vpon the Lordes cuppe written by Paule and Luke then I intended to do And yet in speaking of the forme of Christs wordes spoken vpon his cuppe it commeth now vnto my remembraunce the forme of wordes vsed in the lattin Masse vpon the Lordes cuppe Wherof I doe not a litle maruaile what should be the cause seing the latten Masse agreeth with the Euangelistes and Paule in the forme of woordes saied vpon the breade Vuordes of the latin Masse why in the wordes saiede vpon the Lordes cup it differeth from them all yea and addeth vnto the wordes of Christe spoken vpon the cuppe these woordes Misterium fidei that is the Misterie of faith which are not redde to be attributed vnto the sacrament of Christes bloud neither in theuangelistes nor in Paule nor so farre as I do knowe in anie other place of holie scripture yea and if it maie haue some good exposition yet why it shoulde not be aswell added vnto the wordes of Christe ▪ vpon his breade as vpon his cuppe suerlie I doe not see the misterie And because I se in the vse of the lattin Masse the sacrament of the bloud abused when it is denied to the laie men The abuse of the sacramente in he latin Masse cleane contrarie to gods moste certaine worde For why I beseche the shoulde the sacramente of Christes bloude be denied vnto the laye Christian more then to the priest dyd not Christ shead his bloude aswell for the laye godlye man as for the godlye preste yf thow wilt saye yeas that he dyd so but yet the sacrament of the bloud is not to be receyued with owt the offering vpp and sacrifycing therof vnto god the father both for the quicke and for the dead and no man maye make oblatyon of Christes bloude vnto god but a priest and therfore the priest and that but in his masse onelie maye receiue the sacrament of the bloud And call ye this maisters mysterium fidei alas alas I feare me this is before god mysteriū iniquitatis the mysterie off iniquitee such as saint Paule speketh of in his epistle to the Thessaloniās 2. Thess. 2 Psal. 67. The lord be mercifull vnto vs and blesse vs lighten his cowntenaunce vppon vs and be mercifull vnto vs. That we maye knowe thy waye vppon earth and among all people thy saluation This kind of oblation standeth vppon transubstantyacion his germayne coosyn and doo growe both vppon one grownd the lord weede it owt of his vyneyard shortlie if it be his blessed will and pleasure that bitter roote To speke of this oblation howe muche it is iniuryous vnto Christes passion The Masse sacrifice is iniuriouse to Christespassiō howe it can not but with high blasphemie and hainous arrogancie and intollerable pride be claymed of any mā other then of Christ him self how much and how plainly it repugneth vnto the manyfest wordes the trewe sense and meanyng of holye scripture in many places especially in thepistle to the Hebrues Hebr. 9.10 The matter is soe longe and other haue written in it at large that my mind is now not to entreat therof any further For only in this my scribling I intended to searche out and set furth by the scriptures according to gods gratious gift of my poore knowledge whether the true sense and meaninge of Christes wordes in the institution of his holy supper do require anye transubstantiation as they call it or that the verye substaunce of bread and wine doe remayne styll in the Lordes supper and be the materiall substaunce of the holye sacramente of Christe oure sauioures Blissed bodie and bloude Yet there remaineth one vaine Quiddite of Duns in this matter the which because some that write nowe do seme to like it so well Vuīch in the aunsvuere to the 15 obiection that they haue strypped hym oute of Dunses dustie and darcke termes and pricked him and painted him in freshe colores of an eloquente stile may therfore deceiue the more excepte the error be warely escheued Dunse saith in these wordes of Christ this is my body this
pronoune demonstratiue meaning the worde this if ye will know what it doth shewe or demonstrate whether the bread that Christ toke or no he answereth no but only one thing in substāce it pointeth wherof the nature or name it doeth not tell but leaueth that to be determined and tolde by that which foloweth the word is that is by predicatum as the Logician doeth speake and therfore he calleth this pronowne demonstratiue this indiuiduum vagum that is a wanderynge proper name whereby we maie pointe out and shewe any one thing in substance what thing soeuer it be That this imagination is vaine and vntruly applied vnto those wordes of Christ this is my body it maie appeare plainly by the wordes of Luke and Paul saide vpon the cup conferred with the forme of wordes spoken vpon the cuppe in Mathew and Marke for as vpon the bread it is saide of all this is my bodie so of Mathewe and Marke is saide of the cup this is my bloud Then if in the wordes This is my bodye the woorde this be as Dunse calleth it a wanderynge name to appointe and shewe furthe anye one thinge whereof the name or nature it doeth not tell so muste it bee lykewyse in those woordes of Mathewe and Marke vpon the Lordes cup This is my bloud But in the wordes of Mathewe and Marke it signifieth and pointeth out the same that it doth in the lordes wordes vpon the cuppe in Luke and Paule where it is saide This cuppe is the newe testamente in my bloude c· Therefore in Mathewe and Marke the pronowne demonstratiue this doeth not wander to poynte onelie one thynge in substaunce not shewyng what it is but telleth it plainelie what it is no lesse in Mathewe and Marke to the eye then is done in Luke and Paul by putting to this word cuppe boeth vnto the eye and vnto the eare ▪ For taking the cuppe and demonstrating or shewing it vnto his disciples by this pronowne demonstratiue this and sayng vnto them drynk ye all of this it was then all one to saye This is my bloud as to say This cupp is my bloud meaning by the cuppe as the nature of the spech doth require the thing cōteyned in the cupp so likewise withowt all dowbte when Christ had taken bread geuen thankes and broken it and geuing it to his disciples sayd Take and so demonstrating and shewing that bread which he had in his handes to saye then This is my bodye and to haue sayd this bread is my bodye As it were all one if a man lacking a knyffe and going to his oysters wold saye to another whom he sawe to haue ij knyfes Syr I praye yow lend me th one of your knyfes were it not nowe all one to answer him Syr hold I will lende yow this to eate your meate but not to open oysters with all ād hold I will lend yow this knyf to eate your meate but not to open oysters This similitud serueth but for this purpose to declare the nature of spech whithall wher as the thing that is demonstrated and shewed is euidētly perceaued and openly knowen vnto the eye But o good Lord what a wonderfull thing is it to see howe soome Vuinch in the ansvuer to the 13 obiectiō men doo labour to teache what is demonstrated and shewed by the pronowne demōstratiue this in Christes wordes when he saith This is my bodie this is my bloud howe they labour I saye to teache what that this was then in dede when Christ spake in the beginning of the sentence the word this before he had pronownced the rest of the wordes that followed in the same sentence so that their doctrine maye agree with their transubstantiation which in dede is the verye foundacion wherin all their erroneous doctrine doth stand And here the transubstantiators doo not agree amongest them selfes The papistes them selfes doo not agree no more then they doo in the wordes which wrought the transubstātiacion when Christ did first institute his sacrament Wherin Innocentius Bisshopp of Rome of the latter dayes and Duns as was noted before do attribute the worke vnto the word benedixit blessed But the rest for the most part to Hoc est corpus meum This is my bodye c. Dunse therfore with his secte because he putteth the chaunge before must nedes saye that this when Christ spake it in the beginning of the sentēce was in dede Christes bodye For in the chaunge the substance of bread did departe and the chaunge was nowe doone in benedixit sayth he that went before And therfore after him and his that this was then in dede Christes bodye thowgh the word did not import so muche but onely one thing in substance which substāce after Duns the breade being gone must nedes be the substance of Christes bodye But they that putt their transubstantiacion to be wrought by these wordes of Christ This is my bodye and doo saye that when the hole sentence was finished then this chaunge was perfected and not before they can not saie but yet Christes this in the beginninge of the sentence before the other wordes were fully pronoūced was breade in deede For as yet the change was not done and soe longe the bread must nedes remainer and so longe as the substance of the bread doth remaine so long with the vniuersal consent of al trāsubstantiators the natural substance of Christes body cānot come and therfore muste their this of necessitie demonstrate and shew the substance which was as yet in the pronouncing of the first worde this by Christ but breade But how cā they make and verifie Christs words to bee true demostrating the substance whiche in the demonstration is but breade and saie therof This is my bodie that is as they saie the naturall substance of Christes bodie except they wolude saie that the verbe is signifieth is made or is chāged into and so thē if the same verbe is be of the same effecte in Christes wordes spoken vpon the cuppe and rehearsed by Luke and Paule the cuppe or the wine in the cuppe must be made or turned into the newe testament as was declared before Vuinch is become a Neutrall There bee some amonge the transubstantiators whiche walke soe wilely and soe warely betwixte these ij aforesaide opinions allowinge them both and holding plainelye neither of them boeth that me thinke they maie be called Neutrals Ambidexters or rather suche as canne shifte on boeth sides They plaie on boeth partes for with the latter they doe allowe the doctrine of the laste sillable whiche is that transubstantiation is done by miracle in an instante at the sound of the laste sillable um in this sentēce hoc est corpus meum And they do alow Dunses phantastical imaginacion of indiuiduū vagum that demonstrateth as he teacheth in Christes wordes one thing in substaunce then beinge after his mynde the substaunce of the bodie of Christe A marueilous thing howe anye manne can agree with both these
place therfore some whiche haue written sence that tyme haue forged two other answeres euē of the same mould The former wherof is that Origene in this place spake not of the Sacramentall breade or wyne of the lordes table but of an other misticall meate of the whiche S. Augustin maketh mencion to be geuen vnto them that were taughte the faith before they were baptised But Origenes owne wordes in two sentences before rehersed beinge put to gether proueth this aunswere vntrue For he saieth that he meneth of that figuratiue and misticall bodye whiche profiteth them that doe receiue it worthyly alluding so plainly vnto S Paules wordes spoken of the Lordes supper that it is a shame for any learned manne once to open his mouth to the contrarie And that breade whiche S Augustine speaketh of he can not proue that any suche thinge was vsed in Origenes time Yea and though that could be proued yet was there neuer breade in any tyme called a sacramentall bodie sauing the sacramentall breade of the Lordes table which is called of Origene the typicall and symbolicall bodie of Christe The seconde of the two newe founde answeres Vuich in the same place is yet moste monstrous of all other whiche is this But let vs graunt saie they that Origene spake of the Lordes supper and by the matter thereof was vnderstanded the materiall substaunce of breade and wine What then saie they for though the ma teriall substaunce was once gone and departed by reason of transubstantiation whileste the formes of breade and wyne did remaine yet nowe it is no inconuenience to saie that as that materiall substaunce did depart at the entryng in of Christes bodie vnder the aforesaide formes soe when the saide formes be destroied and doe not remaine then cōmeth againe the substance of bread and wine and this saie they is verye meete in this misterie that that which began with miracle shal ende in a miracle Yf I hadde not red this phantasie I would scarselye haue beleued that any learned man euer would haue set furth suche a folish fantasie which not onely lacketh all ground either of Gods word reason or of anie anciente writer but is also cleane contrarie to the commen rules of schoole diuinitie whiche is that no miracle is to be affyrmed and putte withoute necessitie And although for their former miracle whiche is their trasubstantiation they haue some collour though it be but vaine saynge it is doone by the power and vertue ofthese woordes of Christe This is my bodie yet to make this second miracle of returning the material substaunce againe they haue no colloure at all Or els I pray them shew me by what wordes of Christe is that seconde miracle wrought Thus ye maie see that the sleigthes and shiftes whiche crafte and witte can inuente to wreste the true sense of Origene can not take place But now lette vs heare one other place of Origene and soe we shall lette him goe Origene in the 11. Homelye Super Leuiticum saeth that there is also euen in the fower gospelles and not onely in the old Testamente a letter meanynge a litterall sense whiche kylleth for if thowe followe the letter saieth he in that saiynge except ye eate the fleash of the sonne of manne and drinke his bloude The second authoritie furth of Origene c. This letter doth kill Yfin that place the letter doth kyll wherin is commaunded the eating of Christes fleash then suerlie in those wordes of Christ wherin Christe commaundeth vs to eate his bodie the literall sense theroflikewise doth kill ▪ For it is no lesse crime but euen the same and all one in the literal sense to eate Christes body and to eate Christes fleashe Wherfore if the one doth kyll except it be vnderstanded figuratiuelie and spirituallie then the other suerly doth kill likewise But that to eate Christes fleashe doeth kill so vnderstanded Origene affirmeth plainli in his words aboue rehersed Wherfore it can not be iustlie denied but to eate Christes body literallie vnderstanded must nedes after him kill likewise The aunsweare that is made to this place of Origene of the papistes is soe folishe that it bewraeyeth it selfe withoute anye further confutation It is the same that they make to a place of S Augustine in his booke de doctrina Christiana Li. 3. ca. Whereas S. Augustine speaketh in effecte the same thynge that Origene doth here The papistes answeare is this to the carnal man the literall sense is hurtful but not soe to the spirituall As thoughe to vnderstande that in hys proper sense whiche oughte to be taken figuratiuelie were to the carnall manne a daungerous perrill but to the spirituall manne none at all Nowe to Chrisostome whome I bring for the seconde writer in the Greke churche Chrisostome He speakinge againste the vnholie vsyng of mans bodie whiche after S Paule ought to bekepte pure and holie as the verie temple of the holy ghoste saith thus If it be a faulte saith he to translate the holied vesselles in the whiche is not contained the trwe bodie of Christe In opere imperfect Hom. 11. in Matth. but the misterie of the bodie to priuate vses howe muche more offence is it to abuse and defile the vesseles of our bodie These be the woordes of Chrysostome But I trowe that here many foule shiftes are deuised to defeate this place The authoure saith one is suspected I answere but in this place neuer fault was founde with him vnto these oure daies And whether this authour were Ihon Chrisostome himselfe the Archbishoppe of Constantinople or no that is not the matter for of al it is graūted that he was a writer of that age and a man of greate learninge Soe that it is manifest that this which he writeth was the receiued opiniō of learned men in his daies or els vndoubtedly in suche a matter his saiyng should haue bene impugned of some that wrote in his time or nere vnto the same Nay saith another if this solution wil not serue we maie saie that Chrysostome did not speak of the vesseles of the Lordes cuppe Vuinch in theansvuer to the 198. obiection or suche as was then vsed at the Lordes table but of the vesselles vsed in the temple in the olde lawe This answere will serue no more then the other For here Chrysostome speaketh of suche vesselles wherin was that whyche was called the bodye of Christ although it was not the true body saith he of Christe but the misterie of Christes bodie Now of the vesselles of the olde lawe the writers doe vse no suche maner of phrase for their sacrifices were not called Christes bodie for Christe then was but in shadows and figurs and not by the sacrament of his bodie reuealed Erasmus whiche was a man that coulde vnderstand the wordes and sense of the writer although he woulde not be seene to speake againste this error of transubstantiation because he durste not yet in his time declareth plainlie
vs all And by goddes grace I will Liue and dye the Chylde of thys Churche Forthe off thys I graunte ther is no saluation and I suppose the residew of the places obiected are rightly to be vnderstanded of thys churche only In op im Homi. 49. in Matth. In tymes paste sayeth Chrysostome ther wer many waies to knowe the Churche of Christe that is to saye by goode lyffe by miracles by chastitee by doctrine by mynistringe the sacramētes But frome that tyme that heresies dyd take holde off the churches it is onlye knowen by the scriptures which is the true church They haue all thinges in owtwarde shewe which the true church hath in truthe They haue temples lyke vnto ours c. And in th ende concludeth Wherfore only by the scriptures doo we knowe which is the true churche To that which they saye the Masse is the Sacramente of vnitie I answer The breade which we breake accordinge to the institution of the Lorde 1. Cor. 10. is the sacramente off thunitee of Christes Mysticall bodye For we beynge manye are one breade and one bodye forasmuch as we all are partakers of one breade But in the Masse the Lordes institution is not obserued for we be not all partakers of one breade but one deuoureth all c. So that as is it is vsed it maye seme a sacramente off singularitee and off a certen speciall priuelege for one secte off people wherby they maye be discerned frome the reaste rather then a sacrament off vnitee wherin our knyttinge together in one is represented Yea Whatt felowshyp hath Christe with Antichriste H. Laty. Therfore is it not lawfull to beare the yoke with papistes Cōme forthe frome amōge thē and separate your selfes frome them sayeth the Lorde It is one thinge to be the churche in dede another thinge to countrefayte the churche 2. Cor. 6. Wolde godde it wer well knowen what is the forsakynge of the churche In the kynges dayes that deade is who was the churche of Englande The kinge and hys fautors or Massemongers in corners Yf the kynge and the fautors of his procedinges why be not we now the churche abidinge in the same procedinges Yf clancularie Massemongers myght be of the churche and yett contrarie the kinges procedinges why maye not we aswell be off the churche contrarienge the qwenes procedynges Not all that be couered with the title off the church are the churche in dede Separate thy selfe frome thē that are suche saieth S. Paule frome whom 1. Tim. 6. The texte hath before Yff anie mā folowe other doctrine c. he is pufte vp and knoweth nothinge c. Weighe the hole Texte that ye maye perceaue what is the fruyte of contentiouse disputations But wherfore are such men sayd to knowe nothynge when they knowe so many thynges You knowe the olde verses Hoc est nescire sine Christo plurima scire Si Christum bene scis satis est si caetera nescis That is This is to be ignorante to knowe manie thīges withoute Christe Yf thow knowest Christe well thow knowest inough though thow knowe no more Therfore would S. Paul know nothing 1. Cor. 2. but Iesus Christe crucified et c. As manie as are papistes and massemongers they maie well be saide to knowe nothing for they know not Christe forasmoche as in theyr massinge they take much awaie from the benifite and merite of Christe Anton. obiect 6. That church which you haue described vnto me is īuisible but christes church is visible knowē For els why would Christ haue saide dic Ecclesie Tel it vnto the church Matt. 18. For he hadde commaunded in vaine to goo vnto the churche yf a man can not tell whiche is it N. Ryd Ansvu. The churche which I haue described is visible it hath members whiche maie bee seen and also I haue afore declared by what markes and tokens it maie be knowen But if either our eies are so daselled that wee can not se it or that Sathan hath brought suche darkenes into the worlde that it is hardde to discerne the true church that is not the faulte of the churche but either of our blindenesse or of sathans darkenesse But yet in this most depe darkenesse there is one moste cleare candle which of it selfe alone is able to put awaie all darkenesse Thy worde is a candle vnto my feete and a lyght vnto my steppes Psal. 119. The church of Christe is a Catholique or vniuersall church dispersed throughout the whole world Anton obiect 7. 2. Tim. 2. Matt. 25. Mat. 3.13 This church is the great house of God in this are good men and euel mingled together goates and sheepe corne and chaffe it is the nette whiche ga thereth of all kinde of fishes This churche can not erre because Christe hath promised it his spirite which shal lead it into all truth Ioan. 16. Mat. 16.28 and that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it that he will bee with it vnto th ende of the worlde What so euer it shall lose or binde apon earth shal be ratified in heauen c. 1. Tim. 3. Cōtra epi. funda c. 5. This churche is the piller and staie of the treuth this is it for the whiche S. Augustine saith he beleueth the gospell But this vniuersall church alloweth the Masse because the more parte of the same alloweth it Therfore c. I graunt that the name of the churche is taken after three diuerse maners in the scripture N. Rydl. Ansvu. Sometime for the hole multitude of them which professe the name of Christe of the which they are also named christians But as S. Paul saith of the Iew Rom. 2. Rom. 9. Not euery one is a Iew that is a Iew outwardly et c. Neither yet all that bee of Israell are counted the seed Euen so not euery one which is a christian outwardly is a christian in deed Rom. 8. For if any manne haue not the spirite of Christe the same is none of his Therfore that church which is his body and of which Christ is the heade standeth onely of liuing stones and true christians 1. Pet. 2. not only outwardly in name and title but inwardli in harte and in truth But forasmuch as this church whiche is the seconde takinge of the churche as touching the outward felowshippe is contained within that great house and hath with the same outwarde societie of the sacramentes and ministerie of the woorde many thinges are spoken of that vniuersall church whiche S. Austen calleth the mingled churche whiche can not truely be vnderstanded but onely of that purer parte of the churche So that the rule of Tyconius concerning the mingled church may here well take place Augu. de doc Crist. l. 3. cap. 32. When there is attributed vnto the whole churche that whiche canne not agree vnto the same but by reason of th one parte therof that is either for the multitude
such Philippians to whome it is geuen nott only to beleue butt also to suffer c. But who is hable to doo these thinges Surely all our habilitee all our sufficience is off godde He requireth and promyseth Let vs declare our obedience to hys wille whan it shal be requisite in the tyme of troble yea in the myddes of the fyre Whan that numbre is fulfylled which I wene shall be shortely then haue at the papistes when they shall saye Peace 1. Thess. 5. all thynges are safe when Christe shall comme to kepe his greate Parlamente to the redresse off all thynges that be amysse But he shall not comme as the papistes fayne hym to hyde himself and to playe bopiepe as it wer vnder a piece off breade but he shall comme gloriously to the terrour and feare off all papistes but to the greate consolation and comforte of all that will her suffer for hym 1. Thess. 4. Conforte your selfes one another with these wordes Lo syr her haue I blotted your paper vaynely and played the foole egregiously but so I thoughte better then not to doo your reqweste at thys tyme Pardon me and praye for me praye for me I saye praye for me I saye For I am sometime so fearefull that I wold creape into a mowschoole sometyme godde doth visitte me agayne with his comforte So he commeth and goeth to teach me to fele and to knowe myne infirmitee to thintente to geue thankes to hym that is worthye least I shuld robbe hym of his dutye as manye doo and almoste all the worlde Fare you well What credence is to be geuen to papistes it maye appeare by theyr rackynge wrythinge wrynginge and monstrously iniuryeng of goddes holy scripture as appeareth in the popes lawe But I dwell her now in a scoole of obliuiousnesse Fare you well ones agayne And be you stedfaste and vnmoueable in the Lorde 1 ▪ Cor. 15. Paule loued Timothee meruelouse well nott withstanding he sayeth vnto hym Be thow partetaker off the afflictions off the gospell and agayne 2. Tim. 1. 2. Tim. 4. Apoc. 2. Harden thy selfe to suffer afflictions Be faythfull vnto the death and I will geue the a Crowne of lyfe sayeth the Lorde To H. Latymer IN writyng agayne ye haue done me an vnspeakeable pleasure and I praye that the Lorde maye reqwyte it you in that daye N. Rydl. For I haue receyued greate comforte at your wordes butt yett I am nott so fylled withall but that I thurste moche more now thē afore to drinke more of that Cuppe of yours wherin ye mingle vnto me profytable with pleasaunte I praye you goode father let me haue one draughte more to comforte my stomacke For surely except the Lorde assiste me with his graciouse ayde in the tyme of his seruice I knowe I shall playe but the parte of a white lyuered knight But truly my truste is in hym that in myne infirmitee he shall trye hymself strōge and that he can make the cowarde in his cawse to fighte lyke a mā Syr now I looke dayely when Diotrephes with his warriours shall assaulte me wherfore I praye you goode father for that you are an olde sowldyar and an experte warriour and godde knoweth I am but a yonge sowldyar and as yet of smalle experience in these fyttes helpe me I praye you to buckle on my harnesse And now I wolde haue you to thynke that these dartes are caste at my heade off some one of Diotrephes or Antonius sowldyars The obiection of the Antoniane All men meruelle greately why you after the libertee which you haue graunted vnto you Anton. obiect 1. more then the reaste doo not goo to Masse which is a thynge as you knowe now moche estemed off all men yea and off the Qwene her selfe The answer Bicawse no man that Layeth hande on the plowghe and looketh backe N. Ryd Luc. 9. is fytte for the Kyngdome off godde And also for the selfe same cawse why S. Paule wolde not suffer Titus to be circūcised which is that the truthe of the gospell mighte remayne with vs vncorrupted Gal. 2. and againe Gal. 2. Iff I buylde agayne the thinges which I destroyed I make my selfe a trespasser This is also another cawse least I shuld seeme by owtewarde facte to allowe the thynge which I am perswaded is contrarie to sownde doctrine and so shulde be a stumblynge stocke vnto the weake But woo be vnto hym by whome offense commeth it wer better for hym that a Milnestone wer hanged abowte his necke and he caste into the myddes of the sea Matt. 18. Marc. 9. Except the Lorde helpe me ye saye Truthe it is For withowte me sayeth he ye can doo nothinge moche lesse suffer death off our aduersaries H. L. Ioan. 15. through the bloudye Lawe now prepared against vs. But it foloweth if ye abyde in me and my wordes abyde in you aske what ye will and it shall be done for you What can be more comfortable Syr you make answer your selfe so well that I can not better it Syr I begynne now to smelle what you meane by traueling thus with me Yow vse me as Bilney dyd ones when he conuerted me pretending as though he wold be tawghte off me he sowghte wayes and meanes to teache me and so doo you I thanke you therfore moste hartely For in dede you minister armour vnto me wheras I was vnarmed before and vnprouyded sauinge that I geue my selfe to prayour for my refuge What is it then that offendeth you so greately in the Masse Anto. obiect 2. that ye will not vouch safe ones eyther to heare it or see it And frome whence commeth thys new religion apon you haue not you vsed in tymes paste to saye Masses your selfe N. Ryd Ansvu. I confesse vnto you my faulte and ignorance But knowe you that for these matters I haue done open Penaunce Longe agoo both at Paules Crosse and also openly in the pulpett at Cambridge and I truste godde hath forgeuen me this myne offence for I did it apon ignorāce But if ye be desyrouse to know 1. Tim. 1. and will vouchsafe to heare what thynges doo offend me in the Masse I will rehearse vnto you those thynges which be moste cleare and seme to repugne mooste manifestly agaynst goddes worde And they be these The straunge tounge The wante off the shewynge off the Lordes death The breakynge of the Lordes commawndement of hauyng a communion The sacrament is not communicated to all Matt. 26. vnder bothe kyndes accordynge to the worde off the Lorde The signe is seruyllie worshipped for the thinge signiffyed Christes Passion is iniuryed forasmoch as this Masse sacrifice is affirmed to remaine for the purginge off sin̄es To be shorte The manyfolde superstitions and triflynge fondenes whych are in the Masse and abowte the same H. Laty. Better a few thynges well pondered then to troble the memorie with to moche You shall preuayle more with prayeng then with
studyeng thoughe mixture be best For so one shall alleuiate the tediousnesse off the other I entend not to contend moche with thē in wordes after a reasonable accowmpte off my fayth geuen for it shall be butt in vayne They will saye as their fathers saied Ioan. 19. Whē they haue no more to saie We haue a lawe ād by our lawe he owght to dye Be ye stedfast ād vnmouable saieth saincte Paule ād agayne persistito stande fast 1. Cor. 15. 2. Tim. 3. Ioan. 15. Col. 1. And how ofte is this repeted if ye abide yf ye abide c. But we shall be called obstinate sturdie ignoraūte headye and what not So that a man hath nede of muche patience hauing to do with suche men But yow knowe how great a crime it is to separate your selfe from the communion or feloushippe of the churche and to make a schisme or diuision Anton. obiect 3. You haue ben reported to haue hated the secte of the Anabaptistes and alwaies to haue impugned the same More ouer this was the perniciouse erroure of Nouatus and of the heretikes called Cathari that they woulde not communicate with the churche I knowe that the vnitye of the churche is to be retained by al meanes and the same to be necessarye to saluation N. Ryd Ansvu. But I do not take the masse as it is at this daye for the communion of the churche but for a popisshe deuyse wherby bothe the commaundemente and institution of oure sauior Christe for the ofte frequēting of the remēbrance of his deathe is eluded and the people of god is miserablye deluded The secte of the Anabaptistes and the heresie of the Nouatians oughte of righte to be condemned for as muche as with oute anye iuste or necessarie cause they wickedlye separated them selfes from the communion of the congregation for they did not alledge that the sacramentes were vnduelye ministred but turninge awaie their eies from them selfes wher with accordinge to saincte Paules reule they oughte to examine them selfes 1. Cor. 11. and castinge theyr eyes euer vpon others either ministers or communicātes with them they alwaies reproued some thinge for the which they absteined from the communion as from an vnholie thinge H. Laty. Hilarius contra Auxent I remembre that Caluine beginneth to confute the Interim after this sorte withe this sayeng of Hilarie The name of peace is beautifull and the opinion of vnitee is fayre but who doubteth that to be the true and onlye peace of the churche whiche is Christes I woulde you hadde that litle boke there shulde you see how muche is to be geuē to vnitie Rom. 15. S. Paule when he requireth vnitee he ioyneth streyght withall Secundum Iesum Christum accordyng to Iesus Christe no further Diotrephes now of late dyd euer harpe apon vnitye vnitye Yea Syr quod I but in veritee not in poperye Better is a diuersitee then an vnitye in poperye I hadde nothinge agayne but scornefull gieres with commaundement to the Tower But admitte there be in the masse that perauenture mighte be amended or at leaste made better Anton. obiect 4. yea seing you wil haue it so admitte ther be a faulte yf yow do not consente therto why do you troble your selfe in vaine Cypr. l. ◠ep 2. Au. ep 152. doo not you knowe bothe by Cyprian and Augustine that communion of sacramentes dothe not defile a man but consente of dedes Yf it wer anye one trifling ceremonie N. Ryd Ansvuer or yf it wer some one thinge of it selfe indifferēte althoughe I woulde wishe nothinge shulde be done in the churche whiche dothe not edifie the same yet for the continuance of the commen quietnes I coulde be contente to beare it But for asmuch as thinges done in the masse tende openlye to the ouerthrowe of Christes institution I iudge that by no meanes either in worde or dede I oughte to consente vnto it As for that whiche is obiected oute of the fathers I acknowledge it to be wel spokē if it be well vnderstanded But it is mente of them whiche suppose they are defiled yf anie secret vice be either in the ministers or in them that communicate with them And is not mente of them whiche doo abhorre superstition and wicked traditiōs of men and will not suffer the same to be thruste up on them selfes or vpon the churche in steade of goddes worde and the trewethe of the gospel The verye maye bones of the masse are all to gither H. Laty. detestable and therfore by no meanes to be borne withal so that of necessitye the mendinge of it is to abolisshe it for euer For yf yow take awaie oblation and adoration which do hange vpon consecratiō and transubstantiacion the most papistes of them all will not sett a button by the masse as a thinge which they esteame not but for the gaine that foloweth theron For yf the Englyshe communion whiche of late was vsed wer as gainefull to them as the masse hathe ben heretofore they woulde striue no more for their masse From thens groweth the griefe Anton. obiect 5. Consider into what daungers you caste your selfe yf you forsake the Churche and you can not but forsake it if you refuse to goo to Masse For the Masse is the sacrament off vnytie withowte the Arke ther is no saluation The Churche is the Arke and Peters shyppe Ye knowe thys saying well in oughe Aug. li. 4. de Sym. c. 10. In ep post col contra Donat. He shall not haue godde to be his father which acknowlegeth not the Churche to be his mother More ouer withoute the Church sayeth S. Augustine be the lyfe neuer so well spente it shal not enheritte the kyngdome of heauen The holie Catholique or vniuersalle Churche which is the communion of sayntes N. Ryd Ansvuer 1. Tim. 3. Apoc. 21. Ephes. 1. the howse of godde the Citee of godde the spowse of Christe the bodie of Christe the pyller and staye off the truth This Church I beleue accordinge to the Creede Thys Church I doo reuerence and honour in the Lorde But the rewle off this church is the worde off godde accordyng to which rewle we goo forward vnto lyffe And as many as walke accordyng to thys rewle I saye with S. Paule peace be apon them Gala. 6. and apon Israel which perteyneth vnto godde The guyde off this Churche is the holie ghooste The markes wherby this Churche is knowen vnto me in this darke worlde Phil. 2. and in the myddes of this Crooked and frowarde generatiō are these The syncere preachinge of goddes worde The due administration off the sacramentes Charitee and faythfull obseruynge off Ecclesiasticall discipline accordyng to the worde off godde And that Church or congregation which is garnisshed with these markes is in verie dede that heauenly Hierusalem which consisteth of those Apoc. 21. Ioan. 3. Gala. 4. that be borne frome aboue Thys is the mother of
example of the prophetes of Christe and of thapostles are cleane contrarie Therefore et c. The firste part of the argument is euident and the seconde parte I proue thus In the tymes of the Prophetes of Christ and his Apostels all things were mooste corrupte The people was miserablye geuen to superstition the priestes dispised the law of god and yet not withstanding we neither read that the prophetes made any schismes or diuisiōs and Christ himselfe haūted the temple and taught in the temples of the Iewes Luc. 21. Acto 3. Acto 13. Peter and Ihon wēt vppe into the temple at the ninthe howre of praier Paule after the readinge of the lawe being desyred to saie something to the people did not refuse to doe it Yea further no mā can shewe that either the Prophetes or Christ and his Apostles did refuse to praie together with others to sacrifice or to be partakers of the Sacramentes of Moses law I graunt the former parte of youre argumente and to the seconde parte I saie N. Rydl. Ansvu. that althoughe it containe mani true thinges as of the corrupt state in the times of the Prophetes of Christe and the Apostles and of the temple being haūted of Christ and his Apostels yet notwithstāding the seconde parte of your argument is not sufficientlie proued For ye oughte to haue proued that either the Prophets either Christ or his Apostles did in the temple communicate with the people in any kinde of worshippinge whiche is forbidden by the lawe of God or repugnant to the worde of god But that can no where bee shewed And as for the churche I am not angrie with it and I neuer refused to goe to it and to praie with the people to heare the worde of God and to doe all other thinges whatsoeuer maie agree with the worde of God S Augustin speakinge of the Cerimonies of the Iewes I suppose in the Epistle ad Ianuariū although he graunt they greuousely oppressed that people Ep. 119. both for the numbre and bondage of the same yet he calleth them burdens of the lawe whiche were deliuered vnto them in the worde of God not presumptions of men which notwithstanding if thei were not cōtrarie to gods word might after a sort bee borne withall But nowe seing they are contrarie to those thinges whiche are in the worde of god written Whether they ought to be borne of any Christian or no let him iudge which is spiritual which feareth God more then mā and loueth euerlastinge life more then this shorte and transitorie life To that which was saied that my facte lacketh example of the godlie fathers that haue goone before the contrarie is moste euident in the historie of Tobie Of whome it is saied Tob. 1. that when all other went to the golden calues which Hieroboam the Kinge of Israel hadde made he himselfe alone fledde all their companies and gotte him to Ierusalē vnto the temple of the Lorde and there worshipped the Lorde God of Israel 3. Reg. 13. Did not the man of God threaten greuouse plages both vnto the priestes of Bethell and to the aulter whiche Hieroboam had there made after his owne fantasie Whiche plages Kinge Iosias the true minister of god did execute at the time appointed 4. Reg. 23. And where doe we read that the Prophetes or thapostles did agree with the people in their Idolatrie When as the people went a whoring with their hill aulters for what cause I praie you did the prophets rebuke the people so muche as for their false worshipping of god after their owne minds and not after gods woorde For what was so muche as that was wherfore the false prophetes ceased not to maligne the true prophetes of God Therfore they bet them they bannisshed them Hier◠20. Hebr. 11. et c. Howe elles I praie you canne you vnderstande that S. Paule alledgeth When he saithe What concorde hath Christe with belial 2. Cor. 6. Either what parte hath the beleuer with the infidele or howe agreeth the temple of God with Images For ye are the temple of the liuing God as god himselfe hath saide Leuit. 26. I will dwell amonge them and walke amonge them and will be theyr godde and they shall be my people Wherfore come owte frome amonge them and separate your selfes frome them sayeth the Lorde and towche none vncleane thinge Esa. 52. so will I receiue you and will be a father vnto you and ye shall be my sonnes and dowghters sayeth the Lorde Allmightye Iudith that holye woman wolde not suffer her selfe to be defiled with the meates of the wicked Iudith 12. All the sayntes off godde which trulye feared godde when they haue ben prouoked to doo anie thinge which they knew to be contrarye to goddes lawe haue chosen to dye rather then to forsake the lawes of their godde 2. Mach. 7. Wherfore the Machabees putte them selfes in daunger of deathe for the defense of the lawe yea and at Lengthe died manfully in in the defense of the same Yff we doo praise sayeth S. Augustine the Machabees ād that with greate admiration Conr 2. Ep. gaudē tij cap. 23. bicawse they did stoutely stande euen vnto death for the lawes of theyr Cowntrey how moche more owghte we to suffer all thinges for our Baptisme for the sacramente of the bodie and bloud of Christe c. But the supper of the lorde suche a one I meane as Christe cōmaundeth vs to celebrate the masse vtterlye abolisheth and corrupteth most shamefully Who am I that I should adde anie thīg to this which you haue so wel spokē Nay H. Laty. I rather thanke iou that iou haue vouch safed to minister so plētiful armour to me beīg otherwise altogether vnarmed sauyng that he cāne not be lefte destitute of helpe whiche rightly trusteth in the helpe of God I onli learne to die in reading of the new testamēt and am euer now and then praiyng vnto my god that he will be an helper vnto me in time of neede Psal. 9. Seing you are so obstinatly set against the masse Anton. obiec 13. that you affirme because it is done in a toūge not vnderstanded of the peple and for other causes I cā not tel what therfore it is not the true sacramēt ordeined of Christ I begin to suspect you that you thinke not catholiquely of baptisme also Is oure baptisme which wee do vse in a toūge vnknowen to the peple the true baptisme of Christ or no If it be thē doth not the straūge toūge hurte the masse If it be not the baptisme of Christ tel me how were you baptised Or whether ye will as the anabaptistes doe that all whiche were baptised in latyn should be baptised againe in the English tounge Althoughe I wolde wisshe baptisme to be geuē N. Rydl. Ansvu. in the vulgar toung for the peoples sake which are presente that they maye the better vnderstande theyr owne profession
Apoc. 2. ād you haue collered with hym or now blessed be godde that hath euer aided you so well I suppose he maye well holde you at the baye but truly he will not be so willynge I thynke to ioyne with you as with vs yongelynges Syr I beseche you let your seruaunt reade this my bablinge vnto you and nowe and then as it shall seme vnto you beste let youre penne runne on my booke spare not to blotte my paper I geue you good leaue As touchinge this Antoniane whome I haue here made mine aduersarie leste paraduenture anie ymagination mighte carrie you amisse and make you thinke otherwise then I ment Knowe you that I haue alluded to one Antonie a mooste cruel Bisshoppe of the Arianes and a very violent persecuter of them that were Catholique Victor li. 3. de persequut Aphricae and of a righte iudgemente To whome Hunericus a Tyrante of the Vandales knowing Antonies fearcenes committed his whole autoritie that he should either turne the Christians which beleued well vnto his false Religion or els to punish and torment them at his pleasure Which thing Antonius toke in hande to doe and executed the same againste a greate numbre but specially againste two mooste godlie Bisshoppes and most constante in the doctrine whiche was according to godlinesse Tit. 1. The name of th one was Eugenius an aged man thother was named Habet deum This Latter as it appeareth by Victors Historie of the persecutions of the Vandales booth the Tyranne and the false counterfaicte Bisshoppe desiered muche to haue turned vnto their mooste pestilēt heresie This Habet deum was bisshope of the Citee Tamallune wher Antonie hadde ben bisshoppe before And when Antonie hadde vexed hym as the storie sayeth with diuerse and sundrie persequutions and hadde fownde the souldiar of Christe allwaies constante in his Confession it is sayd that at lengthe in a greate rage he swoore and sayd to his frendes on this wise yf I make hym not of our Religion then am I not Antonie it is incredible what harmes and troubles he putte hym to what crueltye he practised against him and it wer to longe now to describe the same vnto you But the man of god stoode allwayes vnmooueable and in the confession of Christes fayth remayned euer vnto th ende the constante and vnfoyled souldyare of Christe Thys goode Bisshoppe Habet deum I praye to godde our heauēly father to geue me grace that I maye fathefully folowe throughe our Lorde Iesus Christe Amen Syr I haue cawsed my man not onely to reade your armour vnto me but also to write it owte H. Laty. for it is not onely no bare armour but also well buckled armour I see not how it could be better I thāke you euē frome the botome of my harte for it and my praier you shall not lacke trustinge that you do the like for me For in deede there is the helpe c. Manie thinges make confusion in memorie And if I were as well learned as was Sainct Paul I woulde not bestowe muche amongest them further then to gaule them and spur-gall to when and where as occasion were geuen and matter came to minde for the lawe shall bee their shote anchour staye and refuge Fare you well in Christe A treatise agaīst the errour of transubstantiation made by the fornamed Reuerende father Nic. Rydley Byshop of London in the time of his emprisonmente MAnie thinges cōfounde the weake memorie A fewe places well weighed ād perceiued lightneth the vndstandinge Trueth is there to bee searched with diligence where it is certaine to be hadde Though God do speake the trueth by man yet in mannes worde which God hath not reueled to bee his a man maie doubt without mistruste in God Christ is the truth of God reueiled vnto man from heauen by God himselfe and therefore in his worde the trueth is to bee founde whyche is to bee embraced of all that be his Christe biddeth vs aske and wee shall haue Searche and we shall finde Knocke and it shal be opened vnto vs. Therfore O heauenly father autour and fountaine of all truth the bottomeles Sea of al true vnderstanding send doune wee beseche thee thy holye spirite into oure hartes and lighten oure vnderstanding with the beames of thy heauenly grace We aske the this O heauenlie father not in respect of our desertes but for thy deare Sonne oure Sauiour Iesus Christes sake Thou knoweste O heauenlye father that the controuersie aboute the Sacrament of the blessed bodie and bloude of thy deare Sonne oure Sauioure Christe hathe troubled not of late onelie thy churche of England Fraūce Germanie and Italye but also manie yeares agoe The fault is oures no doubt therof for we haue deserued thy plage But O Lorde be mercifull and relieue our miserie with some light of grace Thou knoweste O Lorde howe this wicked worlde rolleth vp and doune and rieleth to and fro and careth not what thy wil is so it may abide in welth Yf truth haue wealth then who are so stoute to defende the truth as they But if Christes crosse bee laiede on truethes backe then they vanishe straighte awaie as waxe before the fiere Truthe in tyme of affliction hath sevin frendes But these are not they O heauenly father for whome I make my most mone but for those selye ones O Lorde whiche haue a Zeale vnto thee those I meane whiche woulde ād wisshe to know thy will and yet are lette holde backe and blinded by the subtilties of Sathan and his ministers the wickednes of this wretched world and the sinfull lustes and affections of the fleashe Alasse Lorde thou knowest that we be of oure selues but fleash wherin there dwelleth nothing that is good How then is it possible for man without thee O Lorde to vnderstande thy truth in deede Can the naturall man perceiue the will of God 1. Cor. 2. O Lorde to whome thou geuest a Zeale of thee geue them also we beeseche the knowledge of thy blessed will Suffer not them O Lorde blindelie to bee ledde for to striue against thee as thou didst those alas whiche crucified thine owne deare sonne Forgeue thē O Lorde for thy deare sonnes sake for they knowe not what they doe They do thinke alas O Lorde for lacke of knowledge that they doe vnto thee good seruice euen when againste thee they do moost greuouselie rage Ioan. 16. Remembre O Lorde we besech the for whom thy Martir Steuen did praie Acto 7. and whome thy holy Apostle did so truelye and earnestly loue that for their saluation he wished hymselfe accursed from thee Rom. 9. Luc. 23. Remembre O heauenlye father the prayer of thy deare sonne oure Sauioure Christe vpon the crosse when he saide vnto thee O Father forgeue them they knowe not what thei do With this forgiuenes O good Lorde geue me I beseche the thy grace so here briefelye to sette forth the saiyngs of thy sonne our Sauiour
Idolatrie and sacrilege is not be done to the holie Sacramēt then also the wicked I meane the impenitent murtherer adulterer or suche like do not receiue the naturall substāce of the blissed body and bloud of Christ finallie then doth folow that Christes blissed bodie and bloud which was once onely offered and shed vpon the crosse beinge auailable for the synnes of all the worlde is offered vp no more in the natural substaunce therof neither by the prieste nor anie other thinge But here before we goe any further to searche in this matter and to wade as it were to searche and trie oute as we maie the trueth therof in the scripture it shall do well by the way to knowe whether they that thus make aunswere and solution to the former principall question doe take awaye simplye and absolutlye the presence of Christes bodie and bloud from the sacrament ordeined by Christ and duely ministred according to his holye ordinances and institution of the same Vndoutedlye they do denie that vtterly either 〈◊〉 to saie or to meane the same And therof if any 〈◊〉 doe or will doubte the bookes whiche are written alreadye in this matter of them that thus doe answeare will make the matter plaine Nowe then you will saie what kinde of presence do they graunt and what do they denie Vuhat kīde of presence is to be graunted in the lordes supper Briefelye they denie the presence of Christes bodye in the naturall substance of his humaine and assumpte nature and graunt the presence of the same by grace That is they affirme and saie that the substance of the naturall bodie and bloud of Christ is onelie remainynge in heauen and so shall be vntill the latter daie when he shal come againe in glorie accompained with the angelles of heauen Matt. 24 ▪ to iudge both the quicke and the deade And the same naturall substance of the verie bodie and bloude of Christe because it is vnited to the diuine nature in Christe the seconde person of the Trinitie therfore it hath not onelye life in it selfe but it is also able and doth Ioan. 6. geue life vnto so manie as bee or shall be partakers thereof that is that to all that doo beeleue on his Ioan. 1. name which are not born of bloud as Iohn saith or of the will of the fleshe or of the will of man but are borne of God though the selfe same substance abide still in heauen and they for the tyme of their pilgremage dwell here vpon the earth by grace I saie that is by the life mētioned in Ihon Ioan. 6. and the properties of the same meete for oure pilgremage here vpon earth the same bodie of Christe is here presente with vs Euē as for example wee saie the Sunne whiche in substaunce neuer remoueth hys place out of the heauens is yet presente here by his beames light and natural influence where it shineth vpon the earth For gods worde and his Sacraments be as it were the beames of Christ which Malach. 4 is Sol Iustiticie The Sunne of righteousenes Thus thou haste hearde of what sorte or secte soeuer thou be wherin doth stande the principall state and chiefe pointe of all the cōtrouersies whiche doe properlie perteine vnto the nature of this Sacrament As for the vse therof I graunt ther be many other thinges wherof here I haue spoken nothing And now leste thou iustly maist complaine and saie that I haue in openinge of this matter doone nothing els but digged a pitte and haue not shutt it vp againe or broken a gap and haue not made it vp or opened the booke and haue not closed it againe or elles to call me what thou listest as Newtrall Dissembler or what soeuer els thy luste and learning shall serue thee to name me worse Therfore here nowe I will by Goddes grace not onlye shortly but also so clearely and plainelie as I can make the nowe to knowe whether of the foresaide two aunsweres to the former principall state and chief pointe doth like me beste Yea and also I will holde all those accursed whiche in this matter that nowe soe troubleth the churche of Christe haue of God receiued the Keye of knowledge and yet goe about to shutte vp the doores so that they them selues will not entre in nor suffre other that woulde And as for myne owne parte I considre boeth of late what charge and cure of soule hath been cōmitted to me wherof God knoweth howe soone I shall be called to geue an accoumpt and also nowe in thys worlde what peryll and daunger of the lawes concerning my life I am now in at this presente time what folye were it then for me nowe to dissemble with God of whome assuredlye I loke and hope by Christ to haue euerlasting life Seing that suche charge and daunger both before God and manne do compasse me in rounde aboute on euery side therfore God willing I will franklye and freelye vtter my minde And thoughe my bodie be captiue yet my tounge and my penne as longe as I maie shall freelye set furth that whiche vndoubtedlye I am perswaded to bee the trueth of Gods worde And yet I will doe it vnder this protestation call me a protestante who liste A protestation I doe not passe therof My protestation shall be this that my minde is ād euer shal be God willing to set furth syncerlye the true sense and meaning to the beste of myne vnderstanding of Gods most holye worde and not to decline from the same either for feare of worldly danger or els for hope of gaine I do protest also dew obedience and submission of my iudgment in this my writing and in all other mine affaires vnto those of Christes churche whiche bee truelye learned in Gods holye worde gathered in Christes name and guided by his spirite An ansvvere to the cheefe question ▪ After this protestation I doe plainelye affirme and saie that the seconde aunsweare made to the chiefe question and principal pointe I am perswaded to be the verye true meaning and sense of Gods holie worde That is that the natural substaunce of breade and wine is the true materiall substaunce of the holie sacramente of the blissed bodie and bloude of oure sauioure Christe And the places of scripture wherupon this my faithe is grownded be theis both concernyng the Sacrament of the bodye and also of the bloud Fyrst lett vs repete the begynning of the institution of the Lordes supper wherin all the three Euāgelistes and S. Paule almost in wordes do agree sayng that Ihesus tooke bread gaue thankes brake and gaue it to the Disciples sayng take eate This is my bodye Christe calleth verie breade his bodie Here it appereth plainlye that Christ calleth verye bread his bodye For that which he tooke was very bread in this all mē doo agre and that which he tooke after he had gyuen thankes he brake and that which he tooke and brake he gaue it
called because they doe assure vs of the Consecration therof whether it be done before these wordes be spoken or no. But as for this their doubte concerning the sacrament of the bodie I let it passe Let vs now consider the wordes which pertaine vnto the cuppe This is firste euident that as Mathewe muche agreeth with Marke and likewise Luke with Paul doth much agree herein in forme of woordes so in the same the forme of wordes in Mathewe and Marke is diuerse from that which is in Luke and Paule The old Authors doo most reherse the fourme of wordes in Matthew and Marke because I wene they semed to them most cleare But here I wold knowe whether it is credible or no that Luke and Paule when they celebrated the Lordes supper whith their congregations that they didde not vse the same forme of woordes at the Lordes table whiche they wrotte Luke in hys Gospell and Paule in his Epistell Of Luke because he was a Phisition whether some will graunt that he mighte be a Priest or no and was able to receiue the order of Priesthode which they say is geuen by vertue of these words said by the Byshoppe take thou autoritie to sacrifice for the quick and the dead I can not tel Vuith vuhat vuordes the popish priestehod is geuen But if they shoulde be so straite vpon Luke either for his craft or els for lacke of suche power geuen hym by vertue of the aforesaide wordes then I wene both Peter and Paul are in danger to be deposed of their priestehode for the crafte either of fishing whiche was Peters Peter and Paule vuere no priestes of the popish order or of makīg tēts which was Pauls were more vile then the scyence of phisike And as for those sacramentall wordes of the order of priesthod to haue authoritye to sacrifyce both for the quicke and the dead I wene Peter and Paule if they were both a liue were not able to proue that euer Christ gaue them suche authoritye or euer sayd any such wordes vnto them But I will lett Luke go And because Paule speketh more playnely for hym self I will reherse his wordes That sayth Paule whiche I receaued of the Lorde I gaue vnto yow 1. Cor. 11. for the Lord Ihesus c. And so he setteth fourthe the whole instituciō and right vse of the Lordes supper Nowe seing that Paule here saythe that which he receiued of the Lord he had geuen them and that which he had receiued and geuen them before by word of mowthe nowe he reherseth and writeth the same in his epistle ys it credible that Paule wold neuer vse this fourme of wordes vppon the Lordes cuppe whiche as he saithe he receiued of the Lord that he had geuen them before and nowe reherseth in his epistle I trust no man is so far from all reason butt he will grawnt me that this is not likelye so to be Nowe then if yow graunte me that Paule dyd vse the forme of wordes whiche he writeth let vs thē reherse and cōsyder Paules wordes which he saithe Christ spake thus vppon the cuppe This cupp is the newe testament in my bloud this doo as often as ye shall drinke it in the remembraunce of me Here I wold knowe whether that Christes wordes spoken vppon the cupp were not as mightye in worke and as effectuall in signification to all ententes constructions and purposes as our parlyamēt men doo speke as they were spoken vppon the bread Yf this be grawnted which thinge I thinke no man can denye then further I reason thus But the worde ys in the wordes spoken vppon the Lordes bread doth mightelye signefye saye they the chaunge of the substance of that which goeth before yt into the substance of that which followeth after that is of the substance of bread into the substance of Christes bodye when Chryst sayeth This is my bodye Nowe thē if Christes wordes whiche be spokē vppon the cupp whiche Paule here reherseth be of the same might and power both in working and signefyinge then must this word ys when Christ saith This cuppe is the newe testamēt c. turne the substance of the cuppe into the substance of the newe testament And if thow willt saye that this word ys neither maketh nor signefieth any suche chaunge of the cuppe althowgh it be sayd of Christ that this cuppe is the newe testament yet Christ ment no suche chaunge as that Mary syr euen so saye I when Christ sayd of the bread which he tooke and after thankes geuen brake and gaue them sayinge take eate This is my bodie he meant no more any suche chaunge of the substance of bread into the substance of his naturall bodye then he meant of the chaunge and transubstantiacion of the cuppe into the substance of the newe testament And if thow wilt saye that the worde cuppe her in Christes wordes doth not signefye the cuppe it self but the wyne or thinge conteyned in the cupp by a figure called Metonymia for that Christes wordes meant and so must nedes be taken thow sayest verye well But I praye the by the waye here note two thinges fyrst that this word ys hath no such strength or signification in the Lordes wordes to make or to signifie any transubstantiacion 2. necessarie Notes secondly that in the Lordes wordes wherby he instituted the sacramente of his bloude he vseth a figuratiue speache Howe vaine then is it that some soe earnestlye do saie as it were an infallible rule that in doctrine and in thinstitution of the sacraments Christ vseth no figures but all his words are to be streined to their proper significations when as here what soeuer thou saieste was in the cuppe yet neither that nor the cuppe it selfe was taking euerie woorde in his proper signification the newe testament But in vnderstanding that which was in the cuppe by the cup that is a figuratiue spech Yea and also thou canste not verifie or truely saie of that whether thou saiste it was wine or Christes bloude to bee the new testament without a figure also Thus in one sentence spoken of Christe in the institution of the sacrament of his bloude the fygure muste helpe vs twise So vntrue is it that some doe write that Christe vseth no figure in the doctrine of faith nor in the institution of his sacramentes But some saie if we shall thus admitte figures in doctrine then shall all the articles of our faieth by figures and allegories shortlye be transformed and vnloused I saie it is like fault and euē the same to denie the figure where the place soe requireth to be vnderstanded as vainelye to make it a figuratiue speche whiche is to be vnderstanded in his proper signification The rules wherby the speche is knowen when it is figuratiue and wherby it is none Augu. de doc Chri. l. 3. cap. 16. S Austine in his booke called de doctrina Christiana geueth diuerse learned lessons verie necessari to be knowē of
two they beynge soe contrarie the one vnto the other for the one saieth the woorde this demonstrateth the substaunce of breade and the other saith no not soe The breade is gone and it demonstrateth a substaunce whiche is Christs bodye Tushe sayeth thys thyrd man Vuinch in the ansvuere to the 84 obiection Ye vnderstand nothing at all they agree well inough in the chiefe poynte whiche is the grounde of all that is boeth doe agree and beare witnesse that there is transubstanciation They doe agree in deede in that conclusion I graunt but their profes and doctrine thereof doe euen aswell agree together as dydde the false witnesses before Annas and Caiphas againste Christe or the twoo wicked iudges againste Susanna For againste Christe the false witnesse did agree no doubte to speake all againste him And the wicked iudges were both agreed to cōdemne poore Susanna but in exāinatiō of their witnesses thei dissented so far that al was found false that they went about both that wherein they agreed and also those thinges whiche they brought for their proofes Thus muche haue I spoken in searchyng oute a solution for this principall question whiche was what is the materiall substaunce of the holy sacramente in the Lordes supper The consente of the olde Authours Nowe leste I should seame to sette by my owne conceite more then is meete or lesse to regarde the doctrine of the olde Ecclesiasticall writers then is conuenient for a manne of my poore learning and simple witte for to dooe And because also I am in dede perswaded that the olde ecclesiastical writers vnderstode the true meaning of Christ in this matter and haue both so truely and so plainly sette it forth in certaine places of their writinges that no man which wil vouchsase to read them and withoute preiudice of a corrupte iudgement will indifferently wey them and construe their mindes none other wise then they declare them selfe to haue meant I am perswaded I saye that in reding of them thus no mā can be ignorant in this matter but he that will shutt vpp his owne eies and blind feld hym self When I speake of ecclesiastical writers I meane of such as were before the wicked vsurpatiō of the Sea of Rome was growē so vnmeasurablie greate that not onely with tyrannicall power but also with corrupt doctrine yt beganne to subuerte Christes gospell and to turne the state that Christ and his Apostles sett in the church vpside downe For the causes afore sayd I will reherse certayne of their sainges and yet because I take them but for wytnesses and expownders of this doctrine and not as the Authors of the same and also for that nowe I will not be tedyous I will reherse but fewe that is three olde wryters of the Greke churche and other three of the latine church which do seeme vnto me to be in this matter most plain The Greke authours are Origen Chrysostome and Theodoret The Lattin are Tertullian S. Austin and Gelasius I knowe there can be nothing spoken so plainly but the craftye wit furnished with Eloquence can darcken it and wrest it quite frō the true meaning to a contrarie sense And I knowe also that eloquence crafte and finesse of witte hath gone about to bleare mens eyes and to stoppe their eares in the afore named writers that menne shoulde neither heare nor see what those authoures boeth write and teache soe plainelye that excepte menne should be made both starke blinde and deafe they can not but of necessitie if they will reade and weye them indifferentelye boeth heare and see what they doe meane when eloquence crafte and finesse of witte haue done all that they canne Now lette vs heare the olde writers of the greke churche Origene Origene who liued aboue twelue hundreth and fiftie yeares ago a manne for thexcellencie of his learning so highlie estemed in Christes church that he was counted and was iudged the singuler teacher in his time of Christes religion the confounder of heresies the scolemaster of many godly martyres and an opener of the high misteries in scripture Eccl. Hist. lib. 6 cap 3. he writinge vpon the 15 Chapter of S Mathewes gospell saieth thus But if any thing entre into the mouth it goth awai into the belly and is auoided into the draught yea and that meate which is santified by the word of god and praier Orig. in 15. Matth. concerning the matter thereof it goeth awaie into the bellye and is auoided into the draught but for the praier which is added vnto it for the proportion of the faith it is made profitable makinge the minde able to perceiue and see that whiche is profitable For it is not the materiall substaunce of breade but the worde whiche is spoken vpon it that is profitable to the man that eateth it not vnworthelye And this I meane of the typicall and Symbolicall that is sacramentall bodie Thus farre goeth the wordes of Origene where it is plaine firste that Origene speaking there of the sacrament of the Lordes supper as the last words doe plainelye sygnifie doeth meane and teache that the materiall substaunce thereof is receiued digested and auoided as the materiall substaunce of other breade and meates is whiche coulde not bee if there were no materiall substaunce of bread at all as the phantasticall opinion of transubstantiation doeth put It is a worlde to see the aunsweare of the papystes to thys place of Origene The disputations in the perlamente house and in the Vniuersities In the disputations whiche were in this matter in the Parlament house and in boeth the vniuersities of Camebridge and Oxforde they that defended transubstanciation saied that this parte of Origene was but sette furth of late By Erasmus and therefore is to be suspected But howe vaine this their aunswere is it appeareth plainely for so maie all the good olde authours whiche laie in olde libraries and are sette fourth of late bee by this reason reiected as Clemens Alexandrinus Theodoretus Iustinus ecclesiastica Historia Nicephori and other suche Another answere they had saiyng that Origene is noted to haue erred in some pointes and therefore faith is not to be geuen in this matter to hym But this aunswear well weighed doth minister good matter to the cleare confutation of it selfe For in deede wee graunt that in some pointes Origene did erre but those erroures are gathered oute and nooted boeth of S Hierom and Epiphanius soe that his workes those erroures excepted are now so muche the more of authoritie that suche greate learned menne toke paines to drawe oute of him what soeuer they thoughte in him to bee written amisse But as concerning this matter of the lordes supper neither they nor yet euer any other aunciēt authour did euer saie that Origene did erre Nowe because these two aunsweres haue bene of late soe confuted and confounded Vuinchester in the aunsvuer to the 166. obiection that it is well perceiued that they will take noe
that this saiyng of this writer is none otherwise to be vnderstanded Yet can I saith the thirde papist finde out a fine and a subtill solution for this place and graunt all that yet is saide both alowing here the writer and also that he mente of the vesselles of the Lordes table Vuinch in the same place For saith he the body of Christe is not conteined in them at the Lordes table as in a place but as in a misterie Is not this a pretie shefte and a mistical solution But by the same solution then Christs bodie is not in the Lordes table nor in the priestes hande nor in the pixe and soe he is here no where For they will not saie that he is either here or ther as in a place This answere pleaseth so wel the maker that he hymselfe after he hadde played with it a litle whyle and shewed the finesse of his witte and eloquence therin he is contented to geue it ouer and saye But it is not to be thoughte that Chrisostome woulde speake after this finesse or subteltie and therefore he returneth againe to the seconde aunsweare for hys shootte anker whiche is sufficientlye confuted before Another shorte place of Chrisostome I wyll reherse which if any indifferencie maie be hearde in playne tearmes setteth fourth the trueth of this matter Before the breade saieth Chrisostome writinge ad Cesarium Monachum Chriso stome ad Caesariū Monachum be hallowed we call it breade but the grace of Godde sanctifiynge it by the meanes of the prieste it is deliuered nowe from the name of breade and esteamed worthy to be called Christes bodye althoughe the nature of breade abyde in it still These bee Chrisostomes woordes wherin I praye you what canne be said or thoughte more playne agaynste this erroure of Transubstantiation then to declare that the bread abideth soe styll Vuin in his aunsvucre to the 201. obiection And yet this soe plaine a place some are not ashamed thus shamefullye to elude it Saiynge wee graunte the nature of breade remaineth still thus for that it maie be seen fealte and tasted and yet the corporall substaunce of the breade therfore is gone lest two bodies be confused together and Christ shoulde be thoughte impanate What contrarietie and falsehoode is in this answeare the simple manne maye easilie perceiue is not this a plaine contrarietie to graunt that the nature of breade remaineth so still that it maie bee seen fealte and tasted and yet to saie the corporall substance is gone to auoide absurditie of Christes impanation And what manifest falsehoode is this to say or meane that yf the breade shoulde remayne styll then muste followe the inconuenyence of impanation as thoughe the verie breade coulde not be a Sacramente of Christes bodye as water is of Baptisme excepte Christe shoulde vnite the nature of breade to his nature in vnitie of person and make of the breade God Nowe let vs heare Theodoretus whiche is the laste of the three Greke authoures Theodorete He writeth in his dialoge Contra Eutichen thus He that calleth his naturall bodie corne and breade and also named himselfe a vine tree Dialog 1. euen he thesame hath honoured the Symboles that is the sacramentall signes with the names of his body and bloud not chaunginge in dede the nature it selfe but adding grace vnto the nature What canne be mor plainlye saide then this that this olde writer saieth that although the Sacramentes beare the name of the bodye and bloude of Christ yet is not their nature chaunged but abydeth still and where is then the papistes transubstanciation The same writer in the 2. Dialoge of the same worke Dialog 2. againste the aforesaid heretique Eutyches writeth yet more plainlie against this error of transubstantiation if any thing can be saide to be more plaine for he maketh theretique speake thus agaīst him that defendeth the true doctrine whom he calleth Orthodoxus As the sacramentes of the bodie and bloude of oure Lorde are one thinge before the inuocation and after the inuocatiō they be chaunged and are made another So likewise the Lordes bodie saith the heretique is after the assumption or ascention into heauen turned into the substaunce of Godde theretique meaninge therby that Christe after his assention remaineth no more a man To this Orthodoxus aunswereth thus and saieth to theretique Thou art taken saith he in thine owne snare for those misticall symbolles or sacramentes after the sanctification doe not go out of their owne nature but they tarrie and abide still in their substance figure and shape yea and are sensiblye seene and groped to bee the same they were before c. At these woordes the papistes doe startle and to say the truth these wordes be so plaine so full The Cutle is a sea fish vuhich casteth as it vuere an yncke about herand so by making the vuater blacke escapeth taking Pli. li. 9. Cap. 29. and so cleare that they can not tell what to saye but yet will not cease to goe about to plaie the Cutles and to caste their colloures ouer them that the trueth whiche is so plainlie tolde shoulde not haue place This authour wrote saie they before the determination of the church As who would saie whatsoeuer that wicked man Innocentius the Pope of Rome determined in his congregacions with his monkes and friers that must bee for so Suns saieth holden for an article and of the substaunce of oure faith Some do charge this authour that he was suspected to be a nestorian which thing in Chalcedon Councell was tried and proued to be false But the foulest shift of all So ansvueres D. Morman in the conuocation house and yet the beste that they canne finde in this matter when none other will serue is to saie that Theodoret vnderstandeth by the woorde substaunce accidents and not substaunce in dede This glose is like a glose of a laweyer vpon a decree the text wherof beginneth thus Statuimus that is wee decree The glose of the lawyer there after manie other pretie shiftes there sette fourth whiche he thinketh will not well serue to his purpose and therefore att the laste to cleare the matter he saieth thus Distinct. 4. Cap. statuimus After the minde of one Lawyer veldic saieth he statuimus id est abrogamus that is or expounde we doe decree that is we do abrogate or disanull Is not this a worthy and Goodlye glose Who will not saie but he is worthye in the Lawe to be retained of Counsell that canne glose soe well and fynd in a matter of dyfficultie suche fyne shyftes and yet this is the Lawe or at the leste the glose of the lawe And therfore who can tell what parrell a manne maye incurre to speake against it excepte he were a lawyer in deede whiche canne kepe himselfe oute of the briars what wynde soeuer blowe Hitherto yee haue harde three writers of the Greke Churche not all what they doe saie for that
were a laboure to greate for to gather and to tedyous for the reader but one or twoo places of euerye one The whiche howe plaine and howe full and cleare they bee againste the erroure of Transubstantiation I referre it to the iudgemente of thindifferente reader And nowe I wil likewise rehearse the saiynges of other three olde aunciente writers of the Lattin Churche and soe make an ende Tertulliā And firste I will begin with Tertullian whom Cypriane the holy Martyr so highlie estemed that whēsoeuer he would haue his booke he was wōt to say geue vs now the Master Lib. 4. contra Martionē This olde writer in his 4. booke against Martion the heritike saith thus Iesus made the bread which he toke and distributed to his disciples his body saiyng This is my body that is to say saieth Tertullian a figure of my bodie In this place it is plaine that after Tertullians exposition Christ ment not by calling the bread his body and the wine his bloude that either the bread was his natural bodie or the wine his naturall bloude but he called them his bodye and his bloud because he would institute them to be vnto vs Sacramentes that is holie tokens and signes of his bodie and of his bloud that by them remembringe and firmelie beleuing the benefites procured to vs by his body whiche was torne and crucified for vs and of hys bloude whiche was shedde for vs vpon the crosse and soe with thankes receiuinge these holye sacramentes according to Christes institution myghte by the same be spirituallie noryshed and fedde to thencrease of all Godlines in vs here in oure pylgremage and iorney wherin we walke vnto euerlasting life This was vndoubtedlie Christe our Sauiours mynde and this is Tertullians exposition The wranglynge that the papistes doe make to elude this saiynge of Tertullian is so far out of all frame that it euen wearieth me to thinke on it Vuinch in his āsuuer to the 161. obiect Tertullyan writeth here saye they as none hath done hitherto before him This saiyng is to to manyfest false S. Augustine and other olde awthors likwise doo call the Sacrament a figure off Christs bodye And wher they saie that Tertullian wrott this whē he was in an heat off disputation with an heretike coueting by al meanes to ouercō his aduersarye As who saye he wolde not take hede what he dyd saye ād specialy what he wold write in so high a matter so that he might haue the better hand off his aduersarie Ys this credible to be trewe in any godly wyseman Howe much lesse then is it worthy to be thowght or credited in a man off so great wyt lernyng and excellency as Tertullian is worthely esteamed euer to haue bene Lykwise this author in his first booke against the the same heretike Martion writeth thus God dyd not reiect bread which is his creature for by it he hath made a representation off his bodye Nowe I prai you what is this to say that Christ hath made a representation by breade of his bodye but that Christ hath Lib. 1. cōtra Mar. instituted and ordeined bred to be a sacrament for to represent vnto vs his bodye Nowe whether the representation of one thinge by another requireth the corporall presence of the thinge which is so represented or no euery man that hath vnderstanding is hable in this pointe the matter is so cleare of it lsefe to be a sufficient iudge The second doctor and wryter off the latine churche whose saiynges I promised to set furth S. August is S. Augustine off whose lernyng and estimation I neede not to speake for all the churche of Christ both hath and euer hath had hym for a man of moost singular learning witte and dilygence both in setting fourth the true doctrine of Christes religion and also in the defense off the same againste heretikes This awthor as he hath written most plenteously in other matters off our faith so like wise in this argument he hathe written at large in manye off his workes so plainli against this error of transubstantiation that the papistsloue least to heare of him off all other writers partly for his authoritye and partly because he openeth the matter more fully then any one other doth Therfore I will reherse moe place off him then heretofore I haue done of the other And firste what can be more playne then that whiche he writeth vppon the 89. psalme speking of the sacramente of the Lordes bodye and bloud and rehersing as yt were Christes wordes to his disciples affter this maner Yt is not this bodie which ye doo see that ye shal eate neither shall ve drincke this bloud which the Soudiares that Crucefye me schall spille or shedde I doe commende vnto you a misterie or a sacramente whiche spiritually vnderstanded shall geue you life Nowe if Christ hadde no moe naturall and corporall bodies but that one whiche they then presentlie boeth harde and saw And none other naturall bloude but that whiche was in the same bodie and the whiche the souldiers cruellye did after shedde vppon the Crosse and neither this bodie nor this bloude was by this declaration of S. Augustine either to be eaten or dronken but the misterie therof spirituallye to be understanded Then I conclude if this saiyng and exposition of S. Augustine be trwe that the misterie whiche the disciples shoulde eate was not the natural bodie of Christe but a misteri of the same spirituallye to be vnderstanded For as S. Augustine saieth in his 20. booke contra faustum Cap. 21 Christes fleashe and bloude was in the olde testament promised by similitudes and signes of their sacrefyces and was exhibited in deede and in trueth vpon the crosse but the same is celebrated by a sacrament of remembrance vpon the aulter And in his booke de fide ad Petrum Cap. 19 he saeth that in these Sacrifices meaninge of the olde lawe it is figuratiuelie signified what then was to be geuen But in this Sacrifice it is euidentlie signified what is alreadie geuen vnderstanding in the sacrifice vpon the aulter the remembraunce and thankes geuing for the fleashe whiche he offred for vs and for the bloude whyche he shedde for vs vppon the Crosse as is in the same place and euidentlye there it maie appeare Another euidente and cleare place wherein it appeareth that bythe Sacramentall breade whyche Christe called hys bodye he meante a fygure of hys bodie is vppon the thyrde Psalme Where Sancte Augustine speaketh thus in plaine tearmes Christe did admit Iudas vnto the feast in the whiche he commended to his disciples the fygure of hys bodye Thys was Christes laste supper before hys Passion Wherein he dydde ordayne the Sacrament of hys bodye as all learned menne doe agree S. Augustine also in his 23. Epistle ad Bonifacium teacheth howe Sacramentes doe beare the names of the thinges wherof they be sacraments boeth in Baptisme and in the Lordes table August Epi.