it thorowe the death passion and bloud shedding of his sōne Iesu Chryst. But none of all these thyngs ar done Wherfore ye must confesse though ther were none other thynge amysse y t all that ye doe is moste vngodlye And who hauyng a good cōscience would be glad to agree to such an vngodlynes No man I trowe y t loueth hys soules health Priest is thys all that ye can say cōcerning thys matter Is thys al the faute that ye can fynde Ye are a wyse mā for south Ye shalbe made one of the counsell Ye shall appoynte howe and after what fashyon all thynges shalbe done and vsed in y e ministracion of thys holye sacrament Prentyse Now master persōe in thyngs that belonge to this holy and blessed sacrament we nede not to goe to man for to haue instruction in the matter for as the holy martyr S. Ciprian saieth if y e trueth wauereth or is doubted of in any poynt we ought to flye to y e originall of the lorde and to the Euangelicall and Apostolical tradition And therefore Saint Paul beeyng aboute to set forth to the churche and congregacyon of Corinthus the ryghte vse of thys sacramente goeth to the very institution it selfe saying that thyng whyche I haue receaued of y e lord I haue delyuered vnto you And thys dyd he speake .xxvi. yeares after the ascension of the lord hauīg trauailed through many countries of the world and hauyng seen many churches that the Apostles had planted in that space both in Asia and in many other regions besids Priest But I prai you now what is the institution of Chryste Prētyse The institution of Chryste is set forth at large in the xxvi chap of mathew in the xiiii chapter of Marke in the xxii of Luke and in the xi chap. of the first to the Corinthiās wher we haue these words The LORDE Iesus in the same nyght that he was betrayed toke bread and when he had geuen thankes he brake it and said Take ye and eate Thys is my body whyche is broken for you This do ye in the rememberaunce of me After the same maner also he toke the cup when supper was dō saying Thys cup is the newe testamente in my bloud Thys doe as ofte as ye drynke it in rememberaunce of me Thys faute then doe I fynde besydes all other fautes y t I haue rehearced alredye that ye robbe y e congregacion of halfe the sacramente taking awaye from them that moste treaterously the mistycall cup. Wherefore I muste nedes condemne in thys poynte your proceadynges as most vngodly and detestable And verely I cā not iudge thys to be the sacramente of the body and bloud of Chryste but rather an apishe counterfeytynge of the same seeyng that ye do besids the idolatrye and other innumerable blasphemyes that are committed about it take awaye the chefest part of it that is to say the cuppe whyche is a moste lyuely rememberaunce and playne certyficat of the free remission and forgeuenes of our synnes that we haue in the bloud of our sauyour Iesu Chryst. Therefore who hauyng one crome of godlynes in hys heart woulde not detest abhorre your doings Who beholdyng your presumptuous boldnes would not tremble quake for feare of the vengeaunce of god that he threatneth vnto all them that adde any thyng vnto hys worde or minyshe any thynge from it Or that do sacrilegeously take vpon them to alter chaunge hys institucions and ordinaūces Priest What payne is it to heare vnlearned and rude people talke Ye do not perceiue nor vnderstād why nor wherefore thys is done that is the cause that ye dooe so shamefully erre Prentyse I wold fayne heare of you some probable reason for the satisfying of my cōscience Priest Ye shal vnderstand yonge man that when the churche was yet rude it did vse both kids but afterwardes when it dyd perceaue that the one kynde myghte suffise the lay people that the errour of some myght bee stopped whyche peraduenture wold haue thought that the body of Chryste in the sacrament is geuen beeynge separated from the bloud and the bloud beeyng seuered from the body it hath ordeyned that y e Prists onelye shoulde in their masses vse both kyndes and that the one only shoulde be ministred to the lay people Dooe ye not heare nowe why and wherefore it hath been done Prentise Ye say master person that the church dyd at the begynnyng when it was yet rude vse both kyndes Woulde god we were as wel learned in thyngs that belong to true chrystyan religion as they were in the primityue churche when they folowed onely the lyghtsōe worde of god for theyr guide The churche saye ye dyd afterwardes perceaue that the one kynde was sufficient for the laite What cold I pray you your Pope catholikes see and perceyue that y e Apostles and fathers of y e primitiue church whych were all indued with so aboundant a spirite had not perceaued and seen What is our knowledge in comparison of their knowledge but mere darkenesse blīd supersticion ye say furthermore that it hath ben don to cause vs to putte awaye the erroure of them whyche peraduenture woulde beleue or thynke that the bodye of Chryste is geuen separatly from the bloud asthough the body shold syt in heauen at the ryghte hand of the father wythout bloud These bee your monsterous inuencions for no heretikes sence the cōminge of Chryste dyd euer imagine this kynde of erroure and blasphemye But graunte that there hath been such an heresye coulde it be put awaye none otherwyse but by mutilatyng mangling and deprauatīge the sacramente and takynge halfe of it awaye There maye aryse many pernycyous opynions touching that other parte whyche is leafte woulde ye therfore take it awaye cleane how muche rather oughte we to take hede that we doe in no wyse swarue from the institucyon of Chryste nor preache otherwyse then Chryste his apostles haue preached Thys oughte to bee the chiefe principle in diuinite whervnto all thynges must be resolued The Lord hath spoken this is the worde of god that remayneth for euer If we shoulde be called from it to mens constitucions and ordeīnaunces whyche are alwayes mutable we should haue no stablenes in religion but shoulde be dryuen from that whyche is moste certain and sure to that whyche is moste vncertayne and vnsure mans autorite beeyng made equall wyth gods autorite It is wrytten in the Epistle to the Galathyans if we or an aūgel from heauen shoulde preache otherwyse than ye haue heard lette him be accursed If Paul wil haue neyther aungels nor apostles to be harkened vnto if they teache anye thyng or appoynte anythyng cōtrary to the gospell shall we geue eares to a sorte of beastes y e dare presume to peruerte and altere Chrystes holy institucion in hys sacraments Priest Was not this confyrmed in the counsel of Constance And ye
are to be imputed to your own foolysh superstition and not to the institucion of the lord Pryest What shal we doe with them that eyther of nature doe abhorre wyne or els by reason of their sicknes can not awaye wyth it Prentyse When there is suche necessite that the lawe canne take no place to suche kynde of menne one parte onelye of the sacrament may be geuen But neuerthelesse it can not be gathered thereof that touchynge the other that can away with wine the sacrament ought to be mutilated or halfe cut of by the lawe and decree of men For it is god that semeth to haue broughte or cast that man into this necessite wherby it foloweth that he doth not wittingly and willingly violate the sacrament SoÌ„e there be that make thys answere if any doe so abhorre wyne that they can by no meanes awaye with it suche drinke may be geuen vnto them as they can wel away with al so that the sacrament be kept whole the wordes of the Lorde fully rehearced Priest But Chryst hath not so instituted and ordeyned therefore they that shoulde dooe sa shoulde breake the Lordes institucion Prentise This aunswere they wyl make that Chryste dyd vse that kinde of drinke that menne coulde awaye withall and that did agree with them that receaued it that therfore they swarue not from the institucion of Chryste when they minister to all men that kynde of drynke that thei can brooke For in so doing they seeme rather to submitte themselues to the inbecillite and weakenesse of theyr brethren than to violate the sacramente To thys may I adde that if a man caÌ„ not receaue the sacrament as christ hath instituted he shold altogether refrayne from it For if he doeth desier it and beleue he shal lose no fruite or profit thereof but it shalbe imputed vnto hym as though he had receaued it As if a man shold earnestly desier to be baptised and cold not obtaiÌ„e it it would be imputed vnto hym as if he had been baptised in very dede But we may not because of suche rare and seldome chaunces cut away halfe the sacrament Pryeste I perceaue that ye seke nothing els but mere confusion that ye wyl haue no honor to be geuen to the ministers Prentyse The dignite of the ministers consisteth not in thys that they shoulde receaue .2 partes of y e sacrament and the lay people but one or that they should receaue a greater cake than the common sort of the people that doe communicat wyth them Paul in hys firste Epystel to Timothe and in hys Epystell to Titus doeth sufficiently describe the godly qualites of the ministers wherein consisteth theyr dignitye And agayne wrytyng to Timothe he sayeth that the elders are worthy of double honour when they rule wel and laboure in the word of god Pryeste I am almost weary to talke wyth you ye are so obstinate I perceaue that ye wyl in no wyse yelde to your betters but are full of wordes and of vnlearned contention Prentyse I doe froÌ„ my very heart detest and abhorre vaine wordes and vngodly contencion but that I shoulde in thys matter yelde to you I see not yet why I shoulde doe it For besydes all other reasons argumentes and autorites of the Scriptures that haue beeÌ„ alleged hetherto thys I doe reade in the .3 to the Galathians that though it be but a mans testament if it be alowed no man despyseth it or addeth any thyng thereto how much lesse oughte menne to be so temeraâ—ious and rashe as for to adde any thyng to y e testameÌ„t of Christ MeÌ„ beeyng frayle and mortall do only in their testamentes bequeathe earthly thinges but Christ which is God almightye bequeatheth to hys churche his heauenlye sacramentes which apperteine vnto euerlasting lyfe Therefore it is an intollerable presumption that man being but a worme of the earth should alter any thyng in hys testamente Beesydes thys al the vniuersal church through the whole world dyd neuer in the ryght administracion of the sacramente swarue from the institution of Chryste til y e moste disloial and vnfaythfull consell y t was kept at CoÌ„staunce about .120 yeares ago in which diuelish couÌ„cel these .2 notable and godly learned men Iohn Husse and Hieronymus de Praga were most treacherously burnt for speakyng agaynst thys moste horrible prophanation of the sacramente What should I here speake of the auncieÌ„t fathers who did alwaies from their verye heart abhorre to swarue any thing in this sacrament from the institution and ordeynaunce of Chryste We haue a Canon of Gelasyus which is written de consecratioÌ„e distinctioÌ„e .2 capiÌ„ Comperimus there some are rebuked because y t they receauinge a portion of the Lordes body dyd altogether abstayne from the cup of the Lordes blood Which thyng he calleth supersticious commaundynge them eyther to take the whole sacramente or to abstayne from the whole For sayth he it is a playne sacriledge or robbing of Gods glory y t they shoulde be seuered or separated Pryeste That Canon is to bee vnderstanded of the Priests wheÌ„ they say masse For they are bouÌ„de to receaue both kyndes Prentyse Thys cannot bee gathered of the words of thys holy bishoppe For there playne mencion is made of y e communicantes and of them that shoulde be put from the sacrameÌ„ts whyche thynges can bee applyed but onely to those to whom the sacrament is ministred Moreouer it is not written in the Canon that any iniury is done to the sacrifice but to the sacrament For sayth he no diuision of that one onely misterye can be done wythoute greate sacriledge or intollerable robberye of the glory of god Sith then ye minister the sacrament to the lay people vnder one kynde making a shamefull diuisioÌ„ of thys sacramente ye can not excuse your selues but that ye coÌ„myt playne and manifest sacriledge Chrisostome in the .18 Homilye vpon the seconde Epistell to the Corinthians wryteth that there be certaine things wherin the priest differeth nothynge from the laye man As in receauinge of the dreadefull misteryes It is not with vs as in the olde lawe where one parte of the sacrifice was geuen to the Pryeste and an other to him that did offer but to vs all sayeth he one onely and the same bodye of Chryste is geuen and one onelye and the same cup. Ciprian in hys .2 booke and .3 Epistell proueth that we oughte in no wyse to swarue in thys sacrameÌ„t from the institucion of Christ where among all other thynges he reherceth these .3 principal points firste howe in thys matter Christ onely ought to be harkened vnto Agayne howe we oughte not to care what other haue done afore vs but what Chryste who was before all hath done himself or willeth vs to doe last of al how they that doe otherwyse thaÌ„ christ did doe in vayne worshippe God wyth the doctrynes and preceptes of men Priest O
¶ A confutacion of that Popishe and Antichristian doctryne whiche mainteineth y e ministracyon and receiuing of the sacrament vnder one kind made Dialogewise betwene the Prieste and the Prentyse by Gracyous Menewe ¶ Math. 26. Drinke ye all of this for thys is my bloude whych is of the new testamente that is shed for you for the remission of synnes To all faythfull readers that loue Chryst and his doctrine sincerely Gracyous Menew wysheth grace peace of conscience gostly strength from god the father thorowe our Lorde and sauyoure Iesu Christe SOme there bee moste Chrystian and faythful brethren whyche nowe at thys presente that true relygion goeth to wracke doe not one lye thynke but also are fullye perswaded in themselues that it is no offence at al to Communicate wyth the Papystes that so shamefullye mutilate or mangle the sacramente of the body and bloud of Chryste that they cut of and take awaye y e one halfe from the lay people contrary to the institucion and ordynaunce of the heauenly wysedome of god our sauioure Iesu Chryst. But if they woulde weygh the saying of S. Paul in the .5 Chapter to the Ephesians where he wryteth on this wyse haue no felowshyppe wyth the vnfrutefull woorkes of darkenes and agayne be not partakers of other mens synnes they would be otherwyse mynded and be dryuen cleane away from that foolyshe perswasyon of theyrs For if the cutting of manglyng or takynge awaye of halfe the sacramēt from the people of god is no vnfrutefull worke of darknes and such a synne as none other in a maner is to be compared wyth it I cānot tell what we should cal works of darkenes or what we shold nāe synne Thys is moste sure welbeloued that whatsoeuer man doeth imagyne and inuente besydes wythoute gods worde or agaynst the institucion of hym that is the only true lyghte that lighteth all men that come in to the worlde It must be mere darkenes But thys mangling of the sacrament is an inuencion of wycked men whych leauyng or rather despicynge the worde of god and ordynaunce of hys sonne Iesu Chryst our Lord folowe the madde phantasyes of their owne braynes therefore it muste nedes folowe that it is a worke of darkenes ▪ not onely vnfrutefull but also most noyesome and hurtefull ye and of all other moste pernytyous For beesydes that by it gods wrath is kyndled and hys vengeaūce prouoked they goe aboute most earnestly by this deuilishe inuentyon of theyrs to nourysh mayntayne defende and vpholde their blasphemous doctryne of transubstantiacion in the sacramente perswadyng the symple and ignoraunt people that after the wordes of consecracyon as they call it be once spoken there remayneth neyther bread nor wyne but the very true and naturall body of our sauioure Iesu Chryste flesh bloud and bones as he was borne of the virgin hangynge on the crosse dyd lie in the graue and afterwardes beeyng raysed again from the dead ascended vp into heauen and therefore say they it cannot be but that vnder the forme of breade they receyue both flesh and bloud except we would haue a body wythout bloud Thys doctryne I say goe they about to establyshe by thys theyr manglynge of the sacrament what pretense or coloure soeuer they haue besydes Therefore haue no felowshyppe wyth theyr vnfrutefull noysome and hurtful workes of darkenesse be no more partakers of their sīne lest ye be also partakers with thē of the ponyshmentes and plagues that god threateneth vnto them that preferryng theyr vnwyse and foolyshe knowledge beefore hys heauenly wysedome doe arrogantly presume and take vpon them to immutate chaunge and alter any of hys ordynaunces and lawes And that thys matter of the sacrament myght the better bee vnderstanded and the intollerable blasphemy of the manglyng therof soner espyed and perceaued I haue here compyled a small treatyse wherein all the argumentes and reasons that the Popes catholiks can bryng for the mayntenaunce of their abomynacyon are I truste so substancially confuted that theī shall not haue one woorde to saye wherein also ye shall learne howe farre they are deceaued that think it no offence to receyue wyth them that so blasphemouslye breake the lordes institucion and ordinaūce what clokes soeuer they can bryng for to cloke their synnefull doings wyth all Onely I desyer this one thyng of you that ye wil take this my rude doyng in good parte and pray wyth me that god of hys fatherly goodnes and mercy vouche safe to loke vpon our afflyctions and forgettyng our offences and the offences of our forefathers delyuer vs from thys moste myserable thraldome and captiuitye of conscience that we bee in that we may wyth a free and vpryght hart honor loue and serue hym in holynes and ryghteousnes al the dayes of our lyfe Whyche thyng wythout all peraduenture if wyth true repentaunt heartes and faythfull prayers we call vpon hym he wyll graunte vnto vs through the merytes of hys sonne Iesu Chryste oure Lord and sauiour to whō wyth the father and the holy goste be all prayse glory and honoure worlde wythoute ende Amen A confutacion of all such argumentes and reasōs as the popes catholikes doe bring for to proue the mutilate and corrupted receauyng of the sacrament vnder one kynde contrary to the Lordes institucyon and ordeynaunce made Dialogue wyse betwene the Priest and the Prentyse compyled by Gracious Menew The Pryeste WHy yonge man wyl ye not receaue y e blessed sacramēt Answere me dyrectly that I may make report to mine ordinary Prentyse Saynct Paul sayeth playnly that whosoeuer eateth of thys bread and drynketh of thys cup vnworthely doeth eate drynke hys owne damnacion And the holy father Ambrose wrytyng vpon that place or text of the Apostel sayeth playnly that they doe receyue vnworthely that doe minister or receaue the sacrament otherwyse then Chryste hath instituted and ordeyned but as ye minister it it is done otherwyse then the lorde hath appoynted and ordeyned therefore it cannot bee but an vnworthy receauinge and so consequently an eatyng and drynkyng of theyr own damnacyon that bee partakers of it Priest I would fayne know what fautes ye fynde in thys kynde of mynystracyon that is now a dais vsed in the church Prentyse First and formest the order of the holye gost is broken whyche wyll haue nothyng to be done in the congregacyon wythoute edyfyinge And what edyfyinge shall the people haue there where all thynges be done in a straunge tonge whyche scarcely the Pryest himselfe doeth vnderstande Secondly the holye goste willeth that whensoeuer we eate of that bread and drynke of y e cuppe we shoulde shewe forth the Lordes death tyll he come meaning therby that whensoeuer the Communyon is ministred y e death of Chryste and the benefytes therof shoulde be preached set forth vnto the Congregacyon whereby they should be moued to hate and abhorre synne and to geue moste earnest thankes vnto god for their deliueraunce from