✚ A bryef short declaracyon made wherbye euerâ— chrysten man maye knowe what is a sacrament Of what partes a sacraments consysteth and is made for what intent sacramentes were instituted and what is the pryncypall effect of sacramentes finally of the abuse of the sacrament of chrysten body and bloud Imprinted At London by Robert Stoughton Dwellynge wythin Ludgate at the sygne of the Bysshoppes Myter AFter the mynd of Saynte Augustyne A Sacrament is a vysyble shappe or sygne of an inuysyble grace that is as moch to saye a sacrament is an owtward signe whereby God thorowghe hys worde declared in the admynystracyon of the same testyfyeth and assureth our coÌ„scieÌ„ce of his fauour good wil iÌ„ this differth a sacrameÌ„t froÌ„ other natural synnes For euerye naturall sygne representeth sygnyfyeth the thynge whreof it is a sygne But it hath no promysse of God ther vnto annexed But a Sacrament hath a promisse of god ther vnto annexyd Whych maketh the same sygne and outward substauÌ„ce to be a sacrament And yf the receyuer of the sacramente beleue not the worde of promysse declared to hym before the admynystracion of the sacrameÌ„t then he receyueth not any spyrytuall grace represented aÌ„d offered in the sacrament Allthough he receyue the sacrameÌ„t a thousaÌ„d tymes Thys suffyseth for the dyscrecyon of a sacrament and allso the dyuersyte of a sacramente from other naturall sygnes The partes wherof a sacrament consisteth and is by these folowyng An owtward vysyble substaunce and a promysse of God made vnto vs whych pronounced and declared vnto vs makyth the vysyble substauÌ„ce to be a sacrameÌ„t vnto vs whych heare the promisse of god declared the thynge and Spyrytuall grace represented and offred in the sacrament is such a Parte of the Sacramente that they only receyue it whych beleue the promysse of god declared vnto them And al such as beleue not the promysse of god declared vnto them in the admynystracyon of the sacramente Allthough they receyue the sacrament yet they receue not the grace represented therein The cause wherefore sacramentes were Instytuted is to declare and set fourthe the benyfyttes of god exhybyted aÌ„d done to vs. And to prynte and grafte them yn owre Myndes And so confyrme owre fayth so that we maie boldlye reyoyce saye that christe and al chrystes merytes and deseruinges beowres The effect of Sacramentes is to comfort euery conscyence troubled vexed oppressed wyth the condemnacyon and iudgemente of goddes lawe and sentence gyuen vpon al synnes Also to comfort them whyche be greued wyth the syght of the multytud and gretnes of theyr Synnes and no lesse wyth the long cotynuaunce vse and perseueraunce in the same Such Iudgement and sentence gyuen agaynst Synnes wyth the syght of their synnes and of the multytude and greatnes and the long contynuance therein desperacyoÌ„ must nedes ensue folowe vntyll they here this promysse of God vnto thys sacrameÌ„t annexed or such other lyke which they heryng reioyce inwardly with great gredenes cofort come to receue the sacrameÌ„t as an erneste pledg of remyssyon of synnes purchased by Christ onlye wtout they re deseruynges bi faith iÌ„ the promisse they beleue chrystes body and bloude to be flaiÌ„ shed for the remyssyoÌ„ of their siÌ„nes And thus they eate Chrystes flesshe and drynk hys bloude the clargy of englaÌ„d be herein to be reformed by cause they mayntayne errours coÌ„trary to these true priÌ„ciples taught by the premitiue church al the blessed fathers auncient doctores The fyrst abuse Fyrste where saynct Augustyne aÌ„d other Auncyent wrytters haue taught that the worde of God in the mynystracyon of the vysyble substauÌ„ce maketh a sacrameÌ„t there of oure clergye admynyster the vysyble substance wythout any declaracyon of any worde of Chrystes Instytutyon which is not onely agaynst the doctrine of the primityue church but also agaynst Chrystes fyrste Practysse which he vsed whan he fyrste instytuted the Same and mynystred it vnto hys Appostles It is allso agaynst the Appostles practyse as it aperyth by Paule whyche saythe He hath deliuered to them that which he receyued of the lorde The lord Iesus in the same nyght that he was betrayed toke breade and gyuynge thankes brake it and sayde take eate Thys is my body whych shall be betrayed for you do thys in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of me Lykewise after he had supped he toke the cuppe Sayenge Thys cuppe is the newe Testament iÌ„ my bloud as oft as ye shal drink of it drynk it in the remembraunce of me Thys practyse of Chryst and of his dyscyples so longe also continued vsed frequeÌ„ted in the church of god shuld haue ben a suffycyeÌ„t doctryne to all Christes church ouer and besydes that Chryste in the admynistracyon of the Sacramente demauÌ„ded hys dyscyples saying do this in remeÌ„braunce of me which word thys hath relacyon to the hole maner of dooynge and also speakyng of Chryste Also our clergye speake the woordes of Chrystes instytutyon secretely which can not proffytte hym whyche heareth the not and also yf that he shuld heare the wordes of chrystes institucyon pronounced in the latin tong as our clergy vse to speake theÌ„ it could not ê“fyt the herer which vnderstaÌ„deth not the latiÌ„g toÌ„g for he heareth not theÌ„ so that he by hys heryng vnderstandeth them 1. Cor. ij so the vysyble substauÌ„ce is not become a sacramente vnto hym for Paule sayth that he whych speaketh in the tong or straunge langage or speach speketh to God and not vnto men for no man heareth hym meanynge therbye no man vnderstandeth hym / because the hearer knoweth not the speache as it appeareth after wher Paul sayth yf I knowe not the vertue meaning of the voyce I shal be to hyÌ„ which speaketh an alyaunt to me he shal be an alyaunâ— or straunger further he sayth Bretheren yf I shall come vnto you speakyng in tonges or straung speaches what shall I profyt you except I speake vnto you eyther in reuelacioÌ„ or knowledg or in prophesy or in lerniÌ„g for he which preacheth or prophecyeth speaketh vnto me for edyfyeng and confort he which speketh in the tong edyfyeth hiÌ„ selfe he the prophesyeth edyfyeth the church of god Wherfore Paul comaundeth all thinges to be done accordyng to an ordre to the edyfyeng of the Church so the Paul sayth that he had rather speke fyue wordes in his sence that he might therw t instruct teach other then x. M. wordes in the tounge in so much as he concludeth that if any man speake in a straung tong in the church let hiÌ„ pray that hys speach may be interpreted and yf there be no interpreter to declare the meanynge of hys tonge or straung speache then let hyÌ„ hold hys pease kepe sylence in the Church speake to hyÌ„ self and to God By al this chapter meanyÌ„g that no maÌ„ shuld speake in the church to the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ in such toÌ„g or spech which they kno not nor
of the bodye Chryste and membres your mysterye is see vpon the boorde of the lorde / you receyue the mystery of the lord vnto that you be ye Answere Amen And so answerynge you subscrybe or affyrme also the same doctours wrytynge vpon the holye feaste of Easter saythe because Chryste hath suffred for vs he hath commended to vs iÌ„ thys sacramente hys bodye and bloude whych also he hath made vs our selues for we be made his body and through his mercy we be the same whych we receyue Thus the holy doctors in the prymatiue Church cauled the sacramente a sacrifice wherin we offer owre selues a lyuynge Sacryfyce from all synnes mortyfyed and deade not meanynge that the pryests shulde offre a Sacryfyce to GOD for synne whych oblacyons should defyne remyssyon of Synne euer for the workes sake as folysh Sophysters wryte contrary to the holy scryptures What lyuynge Creatures hearynge Sayncte Augustyne wrytting in thys maner of the sacrament wyl not Iudg it the speache a Mystycall speache and not to be taken as the woordes sounde Also oure clargye offerynge vs the SacrameÌ„te geue it to GOD as a Sacryfyce for Synne whyche we be commaunded of Chryste to receaue as a memoryall of a benefytte geuen by hym vnto vs to nourysshe and confyrme oure faythe thereby and not to be geuen by vs vnto hym Thus they declare them selues to be ryghte Antychrystes whyche manyfestlye chaunge CHRISTES or denaunces and vse them cleane contrary turnyng receauyng to geuing thys is not to do these thynges in the remembraunce of Christ but rather to put al Christes doynges out of remembraunce They sell the same to vs for moneye whych Christ hath geuen vs frely wherfore they make vs very fooles to bye with our money that thynge whych is our oune most surely alreadye by goddes gyfte And thus by byenge of oure owne we not only loâ—se our monye but also commit Simony byeng the spyrytuall gyfte of God for temporall rewarde The clergy also robbe not onelye the poore wyddowes but manye other also takyng money for the applyenge of a sacrament as a sacrifyce for the dead which caÌ„not eate it nor do it in the remeÌ„braunce of Chryste nor geue thankes for it which is required of euery faythfull receauer therof to do For as the wordes of God profyteth no man but only such as hereth it beleueth it that so in lyke maner the sacrament profyteth not any man except he receue it and beleue the promyses therto annexed thys is the moost wycked crafte subtilty of the deuel that all such thing whych be moost Godly so proffitable to all men that by theyr craft or subtilty they can not cause such thinges to be had in hatred then seke they out newe pellices craftes wherby the vse of such godly thiÌ„ges way be kept secret or els vnknowen or not regarded or els so altered chaunged that the proffytable effect therof be not perceyued yet whyle they permyt and let the name of the thing continue in a graet admyration and estimacyon but not profytable to men And thus oftentymes it is come to passe that such thinges which we reinstituted and ordeyned very proffytable to men nowe through the vse or more truly sayde abuse of them they be bee â— me very vnpoffytable hurtfull and also wycked The onely cause of thys is that we followe not Chryste in doctryne and exaÌ„ple but with great gredynes folow the fond opynyon of men where God by hys prophet reproueth vs saying my people haue done twoo euelles Esayeâ—â— they haue forsaken me the fountayne of lyfe and dygged theÌ„ sesternes euen such as can not holde waters also Cypryane that blessed Martyr and auncyent wryter Sypryane to SesyliuÌ„ sayth Iesus christ our lord he is the hygh Pryst by god the father and he fyrste offred Sacryfyce to god the father and commaunded that to be done in the remembraunce of hym Verelye that pryste occupyeth trulye the Roume / and stede of chryst whych foloweth that whych chryste dyd and then offreth a true sacryfyceful in the church to god the father when he Begynnythe euen so to offer as he seeth and parceyueth chryste to haue offred But otherwyse all the Lernyng of relygyon and of the trueth is conuerted and ouerthroweÌ„ yf that whych is spyrytually commaunded be not faythfully obserued and kept Therfore the cleargye ought to be reformed by the kynge and hys honorable couÌ„sell that from Henceforthe they shulde not make any sacryfyce for quycke and dead of the sacramente whych sacryfyce for the workes sake shulde deserue remyssion of synnes for ther is no thyng more contrarye to remyssyon of synnes / frely gyuen by grace also it is playne contrary to Christes fyrst institucyon of the sacrament which ordeyned it to be a memory all of Chrystes onely sacryfyce wherin we receaue remyssyon of Sinnes And yf the pryestes sacramente be a sacryfyce for the synnes of the quick and of the deade why than is not the sacrament whych the lay men receyue as well a sacryfyce for the quyck and the dead or els let our clergy shewe by the scrypturs howe theyr sacrament is of more value befor God then ours of the layety And yet I doubt not but yf a laye man shuld dayly receaue the sacrament and take money therfore sayinge that he dyd make a sacryfyce for the remissyon of the synnes of the quyck and the dead that our clergy wold not sease vntyl they wyth fyer had made hym dead and not lyuing and quicke Thus it is come to pas that the vse of the sacrament onely serueth the couetouse appetyte Dronkennes whordome and iust of the wycked pryests And not one ministre therof administre it duely as Chryste instytuted it that is for the spyrytuall comforte and for the confyrmacyon of the faythe of the receyuer of the sacrament because the word of Christes Instytucyon is not declared in the admynystracyon of the Sacrament chryste is not Receyued whyche onelye by faythe muste be receyued thorough the hearynge of hys woorde declared And because in the admynystracyon of the Sacrament the cleargye doo not declare the woordes of chrystes Instytucyon whych woordes by Goddes promysse of remyssyon of Synnes through Chrystes Bodye betrayed and hys bloud shedde The receyuers of the Sacrament receyue it wyth out Fayth to they re Dampnacyon for Faythe commeth by herynge of goddes woorde whyche they here not declared wherfore they can not beleue Note well ChrysteÌ„ Reader whether our clargy be not most detestable sacrameÌ„taryes which take awaye chrystes woordes of InstytucyoÌ„ of the sacrameÌ„te of hys body and bloude in the admynystracyon there of wherby the materyal substauÌ„ce of bred and wine shuld be made a sacrament to the receyuers therof marke well also whether they doo not contrarye to Goddes comaundement adde and put to wordes of theyr oun faynt imagynacyon taÌ„tasâ— whych nother chryste nor hys Apostles nor the prymatyue church dyd other practysse or commaunde Thyrdely consydere gentell reader that oure cleargye do not declare any benyfytes of god shewed to vs in Iesu Chryst nor they â—omforte not vs whych be oppressed wythsynne nor confyrme owre fayth through chrystes bodye be trayed And hys bloude shed for the remyssyon of oure synnes thus depriue they vs both of the sacrament and of all chrystes benefytes and of all consolacyon and yoye which we shulde receyue therby so that bothe the cause porpose and effecte wherfore chryst instytuted thys sacrament of hys bodye and Bloud be vtterly obscured and taken awaye from vs And yet when we other preache or wryte agaynst these theyr errours by them practyssed contrary to the hosy scryptures and all the auncyent doctours they call vs sacramentaryes and when we desyre to haue the ryght sacramentes practysed by Chryste and hys apostles to be restored vnto hys Churche than they crye a fagot a fyre for these heretykes But nowe Chrysten Reader by the authorytyes before alleged Iudge that who be both heritikes and sacramentaryes And thus I commytte the Chrysten Reader to God who sende true and faythfull administratours of his sacrameÌ„t and true preachers of hys woord Amen Compyled by Rychard Tracye Finis Anno .1548 the .10 of Nouembre
lawfull Tertllian in hys boâ— called prescripcions xcv leafeâ— for vs to Cheryshe or Fauour anye thynge of oure owne Fre wyll nor yet to chose any thyng that any other man shall briÌ„g in hys owne wyl we haue the Apostles of the Lorde authores and Examples whych dyd not chose any thynge of ther owne Fre wyll that they wolde brynge in but dyd sett forthe that doctryne faith fullye to the nacyons whych they had receyued of Chryste Nowe I truste euery Chrysten manne maye perceaue howe oure clergy contrary to Chrystes doctryne and also practise haue abused thys mooste blessed sacrament of hys body and bloud and no lesse contrary to all the auncyent wryters as it appeareth by saynt Sipriane Sypryane to SesyliuÌ„ whyche sayth yf chryst ought onely to be hard we ought not to take hede or regard what any man before vs haue taught to be done but what he whych before al is chryst fyrst hath done nor we ought not to follow the custume of men but the truth of God Nowe chrysten Reader pondre and also wel remember that CHRIST when he Admynistred the Sacramente to hys dyscyples declared what benefyt proffit they shuld receaue by hys death which was remissyoÌ„ at theyr syÌ„nes but our clergy whan they adminystre the sacrament to the congregatyon eyther speake so secretlye that no man heareth them or speake in suche a speache that the congregacyon vnderstand them not or els wheÌ„ they adminystre they speake of theyr oâ—ne and not the wordes of chrystes instytucyon whych is manyfeste contrarye to chrystes instytucyon and commaundement so that euerye man / whych wel consydereth theyr doiÌ„ges / caÌ„ not otherwyse Iudge them but the naturall seade of Antychryste also where chryste admynystred / he destrybuted the sacrament to all his dysciples but oure clargy receyue all the sacrament in their pryuat Masse to them selues and dystrybute it vnto none other contrarye to the practis of Chryste and of hys Appostles / aÌ„d no lesse contrary to the practyse doctrine of the pryuat Church and the most godly clarkly ancyent wryters so that I think ther is nether godly nor lerned maÌ„ that compareth the lernynge vse and practysse of Chryste / and hys Appostelles / with the lernynge vse practysse of our clargy But that he will Iudge our clargy to be the moost hatefull ennemyes of Chryste and all the chrysten Relygyon The thyrd abuse Wher I sayde iÌ„ mi third princyple / that the effecte of sacrameÌ„tes was to coÌ„forte al troubled conscyences whych be oppressed wyth the knowledge remembraunce of the sentence of Gods lawe pronouÌ„ced geuen agaynst all synners and with the inward remembraunce and consyde rasyons of the multytude and greatenes of theyr synnes and of the longe coÌ„tynuaunce in the same so that they in remembrance of those thynges be vtterlye adacted and dryuen to extreme desperacyon for remedy wherof Chryst mooste mercyfullye and louyngly as the true bysshop of our soules which suffered al our temptacyons in hys fleshe Hibre ix that he knowyng them myght haue the more compassyon vpon vs dyd instytute and ordeine thys most blessed sacrament of hys body bloud in the admynystratyon wherof he declared and dyuulged to all the receauers therof that hys body shuld be betrayed for vs and his bloud shuld be shed for the remyssyon of theyr Synnes all thys whych he dyd to the adminystracyon of thys blessed sacrament he dyd it for cure example comaunding vs that as of â—â—n as we shuld do this we shuld do it in remembraunce of him And his Appostle commaunded also that as often as we shulde receyue thys sacrament we shuld shewe the death of the lorde To shewe the death of the lorde is to declare that we through oure synnes haue deserued most Iustly eternall deathe from the whyche we be delyuered onelye thoroughe the passyon bloudshedynge and deathe of oure Lorde Iesu Chryste and by none other meanes O what comfort quyetnes / and ioye is thys to the troubled and vexed conscyence when he consydreth this inestimable Loue whych god hath shewed vnto him in thys most paynefull passyon mooste cruell and shamfull death of hys only begotten sonne and owre onlye sauyoure Iesu christe The fearfull and myserable synner can nowe Boldelye wyth greate gladnes reyoyce and saye seyng that god oure father hath gyuen vnto vs hys onlye begotten sonne for oure redempcyon we then beyng hys enemyes howe can it be possyble that he shuld not also now geue vs all thiÌ„ges briÌ„ge his fryndes with hym yea doutles remyssyon of Synnes and eternall lyfe Thys comfort and yoye is taken a waye from vs by oure cleargye with whan they admynystre the Sacramente they neuer shewe the Death of the lorde suffred for oure Redempcyon not onlye hydynge and kepynge secret thys estymable Benyfytte doone for and to vs by Iesu Chryste / but also moost wyckedly conuerte and tourne the benefytte of owr redempcion to them selues declaryng the sacrament offred vppe to God by them to be a Sacryfyce whych Worke for the workes sake deserueth remyssyoÌ„ of SyÌ„nes and eternall lyfe yf that doctryne be True then ther is no thanke to be gyuen to Chryste but to oure Pryestes whych dayly do make innumerable Sacrifyces as they saye and Thynke therbye to take a Waye and remytt Synnes Although the holye scryptures Saye / that chryste was the onlye sacryfyce for synne which offred vppe vppon the crosse ones was a suffycyente sacrifyce for euer / and the sacramente duelye Admynystred in the fourme instytuted of Chryste by the olde fathers called a sacrifice because it was a memoryall of chrystes sacrifyce not because it is in it self a sacrifice ether propiciatory or satisfactorye but onely called by the name of a sacryfyce bycause it was a memoryall therof to bryng to our remeÌ„braunce and to prynte therein the sacryfice of Chryste ones parfectlye done and ê‘formed for vs for euer euen so the auncyent wryters call the sacrament of christes body and bloud a sacryfyce to God for twoo causes wherof I haue rehearsed the one that is to saye because it is a memoryall therof if it be duelye admynistred accordyng to chrystes instytucyon / An other cause is that we that be christes church and membres be represented and sygnyfyed in and by the sacramente for our bodyes truly mortyfyed from all lustes and concupyscence be an acceptable sacrifice to God as it apereth in the .xii. to the romaynes There Paull saythe bretheren I besech you by the mercy of god that ye exhybite youre bodyes a lyuelye and holy sacryfyce acceptable aÌ„d pleasing to GOD also Peter saythe And you as lyuynge stones be buylded a spyritual house / an holy presthode offerenge spyrytual sacrifyces / acceptable to god by Iesu Chryste also sayncte Augustyne in a sermon to yonge Chyldren sayth yf ye wyll vnderstande what is the body of Chryst heare the Appostles sayinge Ye be the body of chryst membres of membre yf therefore ye be