recoÌ„cyle make at one God and man to offer him selfe vp for a pacifiynge Sacrifice vnto his father for mannes transgression Whiche thing the vnspeakeable mercye and the naturall kindnes of God beynge not required dyd vndeseruedly graunt vnto man as he was yet hys very enemie and most disobedient rebell And thys was the sole and onelye raunsome that redemed Adam and all hys posteritye oute of the greadye chawes of the olde Serpente Al the pacifiyng sacrifices of Moses lawe were but significations of christes sacrifice thys was the sole and onelye propiciatory sacrifice that pacified the yre of god that wholy satisfied for mannes synnes and restored man againe into frendeship and fauour of God And so all the Pacifiynge Sacrifices that euer GOD instituted and commaunded hys Seruaunte Moses to publyshe and sette forthe to the Israelites or Iewes dyd alonelye signifye the sayde Sacrifice of Christe For after that the worlde had continued aboute two thousande yeares wythout lawe or any other prescribed maner of liuynge than nature it selfe dyd minyster at the laste it pleased the hyghe maiestie of God that the mooe myghte be saued to establyshe a lawe The bâ—â— of Moses lawe whiche shoulde as it were declare and open the Lawe that was obscurate darckened and farre degenerated by the sinister corruption which liniallye did issue from the fyrste father Adam into all hys ofsprynge Howebeit as God dyd not gyue thys lawe vnto all Nations but only to the Iewes beyng but a few in numbre in comparison of all the people in the worlde so dyd not he forthwith open the misteries conteined therein but ouer shadowed them with manifold sacrifices and diffuse rites and ceremonies being significations of good thynges to come And moreouer as the lord weÌ„t before theÌ„ in the wildernes the day time in a piller of a cloude to lead theÌ„ the waye and the nyght tyme in a pyller of fire to giue their corporal eies lyght that they might iorney both day night toward the laÌ„d of promyse so lykewyse dyd the tender loue of God practise in furtheringe them to the very lande of promission for he did so tempre hys traditions which he commauÌ„ded vnto theÌ„ that they which were neuer wont before to be grouerned by the light of anye morall lawe and therefore grosse rude and pore blind might be traded vnder a clowdye and misticall doctrine but yet hauing many sparcles of his sunny bright gospell and so the eies of their mynde beyng nother vnmeasurably darkned nor noseled in blindnes nor yet ouermuche daseled and ouercome wyth the eyeing of shyning brightnes they mighte rather atchiue the ende of their spirituall progresse And therfore all the ceremonies coÌ„teined in this law were none other thing The ceremonies of the lawe but introductioÌ„s to lead vnto Christe And all these fleshe sacrifices betokened the fleshe sacrifice of Christes bodye once offered vpon thaltare of the crosse But nowe to beate downe the Iewishe bulwark that the Popes souldiours haue round about their fortresse we will recite certaine testimonies as well out of the olde testamente as of the new whyche shal euidently proue that god delighteth not though he required them for a time in the externe oblation or the vtter offerynge of the sacrifices commaunded by hym in Moses hys lawe The abrogation of sacrifice Wherefore he declared the same by the mouth of diuerse of his prophetes as it is written Mala. i. I haue no pleasure in you sayeth the Lorde of hostes and as for youre meat offerynge I wyll not accepte it at your haÌ„d Again Ose v. They kyll sacrifices bi heapes and turne farre froÌ„ the lorde and I haue bene a rebuker of them all And agayne Prou. xv The lorde abhorreth the sacrifice of the vngodly c. Item Eccle. xxxiiii The hiest doth not alowe the giftes of the wicked And God hath no delite in the offerings of the vngodly nether may sinne be reconsiled in the multitude of oblations Who so bringeth an offering out of the goodes of the pore doth eueÌ„ as one that killeth the soÌ„ne before the fathers eyes And in the .l. Psal I wil not reproue the saith the lord bicause of thy sacrifices or for thy burnt offerings bicause they were not alway before me I wil take no bullock out of thy house nor no he goates out of thy folde For all the beastes of the foreste are myne and so are the cattell vpon a thousande hylles I knowe all the foules vpoÌ„ the mountaynes and the wild beastes of the feild are in my syght If I be hungry I wyl not tell the for the whole worlde is mine al that therin is Thinkest thou that I wil eate Bulles fleshe and dryncke the bloude of goates And in Ieremy .iii. Chapter you shal read not of the abrogation of Sacrifices onely but also of the abrogation disanullynge of all the lawe The abrogation of the olde lawe and of the olde testamente wtall The texte goeth thys When ye are increased and multiplied in the lande than saieth the Lorde there shal no more boaste be made of the arcke of the Lordes testament No man shal thinke vpon it nether shal anye man make mention of it For from thence forth it shall neither be visited nor honoured with giftes Moreouer in the .xxxi. Chapter of the same prophete you shall not alonely reade of resoluyng and repellyng of the olde couenaunt or testamente and the cause therof but also of the substitution of the newe of the descriptioÌ„ nature and tenure of the same The new testament prophecied of And the words of the text be these Beholde the daies wyll come saith the Lorde that I wil make a new couenaunte with the house of Israell and wyth the house of Iudah not after the couenaunte whyche I made wyth their fathers whan I toke them by the hande and ledde them oute of the lande of Egypte whiche couenaunt they brake Yea euen whan I as an husbande had rule ouer them sayeth the Lorde But thys shall be the couenaunte that I wyl make with the house of Israell after those dayes sayth the Lorde I wyll plante my lawe in the inner part of them and write it in theyr hertes wyl be theyr god and they shal be my people from thence forth shall no man teach his neighbour or his brother and saye knowe the Lorde but they shall all knowe me from the loweste to the hyeste sayth the Lorde For I wyl forgiue their misdedes and wil neuer remeÌ„bre their sinnes any more These testimonies I thyncke shall easilye perswade euerye true christian whyche hath not a verye Iewyshe herte to be certified that as wel the carnall gratifiyng sacrifices required in Moses lawe be as vtterli determined and as clearly abolished as the other pacifiynge sacrifices whom mooste speciallye we treated of hytherto And if the gunne shote of these olde culuerynge pieces and double Cannons haue not sufficientlye ouerthrowen the bulworcke of
againste the vniuste intrusion of altares But well worthe the tyme of the olde prymatiue church whan euerye thynge as Polidorus Vergilius recordeth in the administration of the Lordes supper was playne ☜ syncere and wythoute any minling of ceremonies contaynynge more vertue than solemnitie Herken than to thys testimonye al ye Papistes and giue good credite vnto it for he that fyrst wrote it is the Pope his owne countrey manne For surely he speaketh herein as trulye as dyd the bishop Cayphas whan he affirmed that it was better that one man should dye for the people than all the people shoulde peryshe But woulde God it had pleased hys holye Spirite to speake by the mouth of the pope as he hath done bi the mouth of Balaam Cayphas and of other as euyll menne Than shoulde not all the people haue perished but rather one manne And would God I saye that thys Polidorie of Polidorus had ben more liberally bestowed on the common people in Englande Than would they more frelye and wyth a better wyll obeye and imbrace the ecclesiastical proceadynges of the hygher powers And seynge than that of a verye trueth accordinge to the golden seÌ„teÌ„ce of Polidorus the religioÌ„ of Christe was replenished wyth more vnfeyned holines and garnished wyth manye mooe godly vertues before it knewe any thynge of these newe fouÌ„de solemne ceremonies and holylyke traditions What the deuill than was it that put into the Popes braynes to ouer charge the religion wyth so manye folde vayne ceremonies and so diuerse pernitious traditioÌ„s it was but euen the same deuill that sette a worcke Mahometh the notorious false prophete to play the like part Yea it was the selfe same blynd deuyll that maketh euen at thys daye all the Papistes and the Mahumethistes to adhere stycke to their false goddes the Popes and Mahamethes disceitful lawes vaine traditions more than to the Lorde Christ and hys healthsome gospel But nowe to let passe these two greate vsurpers of Christes dignitie and moste hyghe power and to let them syncke in theyr owne sinne and to talk no more of them but rather styckinge stedfaste to our tacklynge to defende oure selues frome the dartes whom we se already directed and shaken agaynste vs by oure aduersaryes the poysonfull Papystes Howe be it bycause my chiefest entente is to wryte thys treactyse for them that be vnlearned I wyl fyrste open and declare somewhat of the nature of one terme lately borowed of the Latines and therfore not so well knowne of euerye Englyshe Reader whyche terme peraduenture I shall haue occasion to vse nowe and than ere I shal haue done wyth this matter What is â—o allude The terme is to Allude And a manne doeth allude whan he speaketh that whyche hath a priuye respecte or resemblaunce to an other thynge as somtime a man alludeth to a worde as thus The good mome is fole a towne meanynge that the good manne is forthe of the towne Here the allusion is in mome and foole for man and forth Sometyme a man alludeth to a practice or a dede doynge as when I saye Let me alone with hym for I wyll walke hym I wyll dresse hym lyke a Lennarde I will make Stockefishe of hym c. And sometime a man alludeth to an history as thus By lyke oure Kynge God saue hys grace after his fathers departynge dyd aske of GOD in hys prayer Wysedome and vnderstandyng not long lyfe neither riches neither reuengment on his enimies seynge the Lord hath so endued his herte wyth suche vnspeakable wisdome vnderstaÌ„dyng c. and hys maiestie wyth such ryches and honour c. Nowe in so sayinge the allusion is had vnto the history of SolomoÌ„ iii. Reg. iii. And so at the laste to re turne frome alludyng to defeÌ„dyng Where soeuer therfore ye do read in the newe testament of thys word altare if ye marke it well and circuÌ„spectly ye shall clearly perceiue that the vse therof is not ther awhyt renewyd or confirmyd but by some occasion spoken of and rather determined ended and adnulled As in the .v. of Math. The text I wyll not reherse now because it is here once before rehersed the seÌ„ce wherof though in many wordes is not farre disagreable from this 〈…〉 place of Math. expounded You Iewes sayth Christ which receyued a Lawe of my Father by the ministerie of Moses by whych Lawe ye were commaunded to vse certaine outwade ceremonies as it wer to enure your selfes in a religioÌ„ and that it shoulde appeare to all nations that you were my fathers owne peculiar People And ye were also coÌ„maundyd by the same Lawe that when so euer you shuld transgresse or breake the same or any Article therof that theÌ„ you shoulde offer vp Sacrifices or Offeryngs vnto my Father where ye myght be blamelesse holden excused and be acquited by the same lawe al youre former trespaces synnes notwithstaÌ„dyng and rather iustified before the worlde than in the presence of God But sence ye haue altogether abused the sayed sacrifices chewynge the Barcke therof and grossely fedynge on the vtter parte of it takynge no fode of the inner pyth neyther haueynge any regarde to those thynges which were chiefly signified by the same sacrifices my father hath warned alredy by the mouthe of hys Prophetes that he passethe nought of your sacrifices and offerynges that you offer vnto hym on Altares whiche were but tokyns of inwarde holynes but the sacrifices and offerynges whych he is reconciled and pleased wythe al are these Psal ii a stomake broken with repentaunce and a herte smytten wouÌ„ded with sorow Ose vi and to shew mercie one to an other And if ye wil offer vp these my Father shall neuer despise them Therfore thou Iewe whaÌ„ so euer thou brekest ani of the x. coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes as whan thou kyllest anye man other by thought or dede whan thou arte angrye with thy brother by hys faulte or misdemeanour or els whan thou hast geuen him occasion by reuilyng scofyng or callyng hym knaue or other wise by vseyng or practiseyng anye dispytfull worde or dede towardes hym to be moued to wrath and to be displeased wyth the. Than if thou wylt pacifye the wrath and Indignation of my Father for the Iniurie and displeasur that thou hast don to hys seruaunt verilye I tell the it auayleth the nothyng at all to come and offer any maner of bodily sacrifices or oblations vpon the altare yea though thou be come nere vnto the altare and thy gyft wyth the euen redy to be offered if it chaunce the than to remeÌ„bre any maner of displeasure betwixt the and thy brother thou must not I saye offer vp thy gyfte immediatly as though thy offeriÌ„g should rather pacifie more please my father than brotherly loue and concorde thou muste not I say go that way to worke but thou must leaue thy gifte as a thynge nought worthe of it selfe before the altare and than go thy way to
The baterie of the Popes Botereulx commonlye called the high Altare Compiled by W. S. in the yere of oure Lorde 1550. ii Cor. x. The wapons of our war are not fleshly but mighty before God to cast downe strōg holdes wherwyth we ouerthrowe ymaginacions and euerye hygh thynge that exalteth it selfe agaynst the knoweledge of God and bringe in captiuitie al vnderstanding to the obediēce of Christe and are ready to take vēgeaunce on all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled ¶ To hys singuler good Lord syr Richarde Ryche Lorde Ryche Lord Chauncelloure of Englande his mooste fayethfull and humble seruaunte Wyllyam Salesburye wysheth euerlastynge felicitie EVen as I can not refrayn but disclose and opēly publish it so can I not worthyly expresse or declare howe ioyouse a thing it is to our eares how confortable to our herte and howe pleasant to our eyes to hear vnder stande and se that your lordshyppe hauynge such power geuen you of God and your Prince to suppresse beate downe and vtterly abolish al vayne supersticion and false religion as you haue doeth nowe by the abundaunte grace of almighty God workinge in your hert openly repugne suppres beate downe those vayne ceremonies and supersticiouse obseruaunces founded by the Byshoppe of Rome that heretofore ye haue to the moste part of men bene thought to fauoure vpholde and maintaine In very dede These manifest tokens that do nowe appeare in your good Lordeshyp are verye ioyous vnto all suche men as delite to se al superstition abolished and true religion set forth and maintened but much more ioyous to me and suche other as be towarde your lordship in seruice For nowe the lord be thāked therfore we haue aboundaūtlye inoughe wherewyth to stoppe the mouthes of the euil speakers so that if they wyll not otherwyse be answered we maye saye as Christ dyd to the froward Iewes Operibus credite Lette the worckes whiche ye se openlye done cause you to leaue of your euyll speakyng and to learne to speake wel of such as god hath set in authoritie And to declare myne opinion of your Lordshippe I haue thought it my dutye beynge moued in conscience to write agaynst the deuilish abuse of altares so stifelie mayntened by the stifenecked Papistes to dedicate the same mi labours vnto youre good Lordeshyppe trusting that if you will vouchesalfe to sette it forthe vnder your name the people will with better will embrace it and be the more edified by it Wyth full truste therefore that your Lordeshyp will be my buckeler and shylde of defence whylse I fyghte vnder the banner of the lord of Hostes I haue couragiouselye geuen the onset vpon the Romishe Enemyes bendynge myne ordynaunce against the strong mighty Botereulx of their Bulwarke the hygh altare I meane whyche beiyng shaken downe I doubt not the forte wyll sone be yelded vnto my grande capitaine Iesu Christe Who preserue your lordship to his honoure your lordships euerlasting wealth Amen William Salesburye to the christen Reader FOr as muche good christē Reader as since the fyrste begynninge of the derogacyon of the Popes Lawes in Englande and synce the firste segregacion seueringe of hys vayne supersticyons frome Chrystes true religion here among vs I haue not lyghtly sene the leaste toye the most folyshe fantasye nor the moste vnfrutefull ceremonye forbidden and taken away bi the godly maiestrates wythout much detraction backebitinge of suche papystes as had anie learnyng nor wtout secret murmuracion and ofte stumblynge of the vnlerned symple people who are nothynge so soore to be blamed therefore as the learned and crafty Papistes whiche will neyther euē as the Phariseis receiue the worde of God theim selues nor yet suffer other to do it Therfore haue I alwaies not onely detested the stubburne maner of the one sorte lamētynge the miserable state of the other but also dyd euer misdread the verification of the Prognosticatiō to truly calculed by the said papistes vnder the meridiā of their Romishe proceadinges But now bicause I wold in as much as in me mayly put to my helpyng hād to falsifie or rather to preuent al such inconueniences and mischiues as now bi experiēce euery mā might prognosticate to happen of the vntaught ignoraunce of the simple people I haue here made a rude and a symple litle boke euē for the rude simple people that as I haue now signified before they beynge the better perswaded bi manifestes textes of holye scripture shal not haue the like occasiō to murmure to grudge or to be offended neither wyth the godlye proceadynges of the victorious Metropolitane of Englande who as redoubted grād captaine hath fyrst enterprised on this moste notable feact nor with any other byshop or lawfull officer that attemteth the lyke affaires that is Allusio siue periphrasis e ticolai Nepiscopi Lōdoniensium to plucke down remoue the popish alters out of Christes churches or temples And moreouer bicause I perceiued as one of the best lerned papistical doctors in England gaue me occasion by defending his aultares and that with toth and nayle fumishe fearcenes rather with the auctoritie of wrested Scryptures and was full perswaded that all the learnede papistes will styflye continue in the mayntenaunce of their hallowed aulters therefore was I constreyned to make the sayd lytle boke more pithy and substauncial and so more diffuse and harder to be vnderstand then I wyllingly had intended Wherfore who so euer wyll vnderstand it let him reade it thorowlye and if he therby get any more lyght or perfect knowledge in the matter intreated let him thanke and prayse God the grauntor therof To whom be all honour and glorye Amen ¶ The baterye of the Popes Botereulx AS it is a poynt of infamye in a valeant warryour to steale on his enymyes ere they be ware or to go aboute to entrappe them and haue them at a vauntage vnlesse he do fyrste gyue them a notable warnyng eyther by the thunderinge of a bombarde eyther by the bounchynge on a drumslade eyther by scrikinge of a trumpet eyther els by some other couragiousse alarme noyse or shoutynge whereby hys audacitie hardynes and cōfidence of victorie myght rather be insituated vnto his enemies than crafty wyles sely cowardnes and distruste of hauynge the vpper hande so myne enemyes peraduenture wold impute vnto me the lyke in glory reproch if I do not admonysh thē before hād of my proposed cōflict in besieging their Botereulx Forth auoidinge wherof and for that in no wyse I may be faynt or false harted as longe as I war vnder the most triūphātestādert blased with the gioriouse armes of the moost victoriouse Lyō of the trybe of Iehuda let thē therfor take this for a warning pece that now I intēd furthw t for euerye mā knoweth the opē war is proclamed betwixt vs lōg ago to batter bet down arase not the oldmā nor the yōg mā but an other like fortres of the old
of hys tribulacyon buylded an altare vnto the Lorde and called the place the God of Bethell bycause that God had apeared vnto him there when he fled frome he face of his brother c. And farther ye shal reade how that God after that he had yeuen the ten Commaundementes by the hande of Moses commaunded also thus An altare of earth thou shalt make vnto me and theron offre thy burnt offringes and thy peace offringes thi shepe and thine oxen in al places where I shal put the in remēbraūce of my name thithir wil I come vnto the and blesse the. Item Exodi xxix Seuen dayes sayth the lorde thou shalt reconcile vpon the altare sanctify it it shal be an altermost holy Exo. xxx And thou shalt make an altare to burne incēce Of Sethim woode shalt thou make it a cubit lōg a cubite bredth euen fowre square shall it be and .ii. cubites hye c. Item .iii. Reg. xviii The holy Prophet Elias vtterly to bringe to confusion the false God Baall his prophetes to set furth the glory of the liuynge God toke xii stones accordynge to the numbre of the twelue Tribes of the Sonnes of Iacob with the stones he made an altare in the name of the lord c. We could alledge .vi. hūdred places out of the bible beside these that we now recited which shold styl make on oure parte if nede requyred but bicause they are so comenly knowē of all mē we wyl at this time ouerpasse them for we trust that we haue alredy brought auctorities inough to proue the aūcientie the laudabilitie cōtinual acteptaūce of alters before almighti God in the old law But now to proue the confirmaciō of them bi the new law ye shal read these other textes But first marcke well how that Chryst himselfe sayd Mat. v. If thou offrest thy gift at the altare and ther remembrest that thy brother hath ought against the leaue thē thine offringe before the altare and go thy way firste and be reconciled to thy brother and then come offer thy gyft Lo ye may se here how the altare is twyse spoken of and that where the reason consysteth but of very few wordes Itē ye shal reade of this word altare in the xxiii chapt of the same Euangelist wher Christ himselfe also sayth from the bloud of the rightouse Abel vnto the bloud of zacharias the sōne of Barachias whom ye slew betwen the temple the altare Itē Lu. i. Ther appered vnto zacharias an Angel of the lord stāding on the right side of the altare of incēse Itē Act. xvii As I passed bi saith s Paule beheld the maner how ye worship your gods I foūd an alter wherin was writtē to the vnknowē god And again the holy Apostell Paule to putte vs herein oute of all doubtes sayeth Do not you knowe howe that they which minister about holy thinges lyue of the sacrifice and they whyche wayte on the alter are partakers of the alter More ouer in the sixte chapter of the Apocalipsis ye shal reade of an altare to And whē he had opened the fifth seale sayth Iohn I saw vnder the altare the soules of them that were killed for the worde of god and for the testimonye whiche they had c. And in the eyght chapter of the same Apocalipsis you shall reade of thre altares and so nighe togither that they fall wtin the cōpasse of thre lines almoste and one of them beynge a golden altare c. Item Apoca. xi Than was geuen me a reed sayth thys holy Euaungelist like vnto a rodde and an angel stode and said Ryse and measure the tēple of God and the altare thē that worshyp therin and the quyre that is within the temple c. Lo syr here ye maye playnelye reade in the verye texte of a tēple of an altare of a quyre to yet these mē of the new learning wyl nether haue temple altare nor quyre or at the leaste wayes if they muste haue a temple they by their wyl woulde haue it to be without quyre wtoute altare without images and without any maner of holy ornamētes vestimentes and deckynges Yea they wold haue it like a barne or like a mannes dwelling house hauynge neyther respecte to the fashyon of the tabernacles nor the temples of the Hebrues nether to the tēples of the church of Rome But blessed be God that lefte vs in the holye wryte suche manifeste testimonyes as wee haue nowe rehearsed whereby we maye easilye confoūd all such naughty heritikes as wil presume to talk against our laudable ceremonies or any other decent things which haue bene accustomed to be had in our temples and haue continued amonge all natiōs since Christ was borne many hūdred yeres before as I haue already declared by sōdry textes of the scripture as well of the new testamēt as of the olde And beside all thys we might ratifye the same by diuerse places of our Canon lawe vnles it were now abrogated by thauctoriti of very aunciēt doctors For doth not the holy doctour S. Augustine Li. xxi cap. x. De ciui dei speaking of the infideles wryght thus They vnto their gods haue builded tēples also haue set vp alters haue offred sacrifices Now bicause these felowes of the new lerning cā scāt away with the lerning of old catholike doctours we wil cite no more of their work But shal we not be as blameles as s Paule to brīg in for our purpose such places of noble Poets as may be thought cōuenient For as I remēbre Ouid in a certaine place of hys worckes writeth much after this sence Whan Medea was come home without the dores she stode Vsynge no mannes companye whyle she was in that mode Twey alters thā of soddes she made and garnished with bowes And a blacke Kamme she Sacrificed to twey greate Goddases Ye may read also in the chiefeste Poete amōg the Latines as thus Firste with these thre thrūmes of thre hewes I the enuiron do And rounde aboute these altares eke wyth thyne image I go But bicause mē now a daies giue no credite in a maner to poetry and not very much to the gloses of the olde fathers we wil allege no mo places of them nother trusting the al good catholike people wil be established by these sufficiēt proues which are brought hitherto seyng the alters haue bē vsed had in such cōdigne reuerence euer since Noes floude who is it that can tell the contrarye but that Cain and Abel the sonnes of Adam offred their oblacions vpō altares And wher al maner of naciōs thorowe out the wide worlde were they neuer so ignorāt in true knowledge ether by the instinction of the Lawe of Nature printed by Gods fyngere in their hertes ether by imitacion of Gods owne electe people the Hebrues thought it very expedyent and no lesse necessarye to buylde them altares whereupon they myght offre theire sacrifices
I thinke it an exceadyng good dede for such as inioye their ryght wytte to pick out from amongest them selues as manye as are vexed wyth the spirite of the sayde kynde of phrenesy and seÌ„d them to Bedlem or to their owne citye of Rome For els they shall styll infect other and do more hurte then euery man is ware of At the laste to drawe toward an ende in thys matter Where thys worde altare is read in the .vi. viii and .xi. Chapters of the reuelation of saint Iohn if altare in those places admittynge the lyke trope and figuratiue speache do not signifye Christe also God knoweth it signifieth nothynge lesse than the confirmation of suche Altares as the Pope hathe fylled euerye corner of Christes churche wythall And if the Papystes after that all the testimonies as wel of thold and the new testament haue fayled them go aboute to wreste the sayinge of the old doctours for the stablyshyng of their altares they shal get nothynge therby but styl vtter their owne grosse ignoraunce or theyr peruerse blyndnes For wher so euer thold catholyke doctours vsed thys worde altare for the lordes Table than alluded they vnto the Iewes altare and mente thereby the crosse whyche serued as an altare to offer vpon the sacrifice of Christes naturall bodye And forsoth ye Papistical priestes as many of you as vnderstode the Latine and marked what you reade and if ye hadde bene Bees The Bee gathereth honi on the same flour that the Spider gathereth poyson and not Spiders you might haue gathered the nature of thys maner of allusion or resemblauÌ„ce of Christes crosse vnto the Altares of the Iewes euen out of your own poysoned masse Whyche well myghte be called Massa farrago vel Chaos quo sacra prophanis miscebat Papa Euen a very hotch pot in the whych the Pope put al maner of religioÌ„s and al maner of rites ceremonies both good bad lessons of holy scripture and of vnholye scripture thys hotch pot I saye ordeyned he euen for hys deare children catch who catche maye happe good or badde happe holye happe vnholy happe godlye happe deuillyshe For do you not remembre howe ye muÌ„bled howe ye redde I wold saye in a certayne ryme of youre sayde hotche potte whyche began Laudes crucis extollamus nos qui crucis crultâ—mus c. O quaÌ„ feliâ— quam pre clara fuit hec salutis ara rubens agni sanguine O howe excellent and howe happye was thys Altare of tree besprynckeled wyth Lambes bloud And agayne in an other prose Ara crucis lampas lucis vera salus hominum Whose sence in Englyshe worde for worde is thys The altare of the cros the lampe of light and the verye healthe of men Nowe thoughe your owne time makers of youre Popyshe seruyce haue vsed so manye Metaphories so many tropes and so manye borowed speches vsurping one word for an other vntyll at the laste they ran on the rocke of vnexcusable Idolatrye and plaine superstition you muste not therefore thyncke that the holye Doctours ranne so headlynge in their worckes that they abused any one terme of Christes religion wherbi the same might be a stomblinge blocke vnto anye sauynge vnto the chyldrene of perdition who continuallie stumble at the verye worde of God And to confesse the trueth the old holy fathers and catholyke writers no doubte are worthye much commendation for that thei greatly traueyled in reuolutynge and expoundynge the sacred Scriptures committyng to wryting theyr censures thereof wyllynge and requyrynge that al their posteritie should gyue no farther credite thereto thaÌ„ their censures and interpretations shoulde seme to be agreable vnto fayeth Whose worthye antiquitie and graue authority notwythstanding wee yet neades muste preferre and esteme of more importauÌ„ce and beleue also that he is a greate deale of a more infallible and vndeceyuable iudgemente Act. ix Galat. ii whome the Euangeliste saynte Luke so to be doeth beare wytnesse vnto vs. And I meane none other but euen oure Apostle Saynte Paule whoe calleth the borde where the Spirituall feaste of the Lordes Supper is celebrated and eaten vpon the table of the Lorde O the depenes of the riches both of the wysedome and knoweledge of GOD who so manye hundreth yeares passed dyd fore see that hys moste holye worde ne shoulde not be sette to a fall Luke ii but to an vprisyng to all hys chosen people And of thys place we maye gather that it pleased God to poure more aboundaunce of foreknoweledge in hys Apostle Paules compendious doctrine thaÌ„ in the large writing of the notable learned doctor Saynt Augustine For saynte Paule throughe the secrete aduertisement of the holye Gooste dyd knowe before hande that if he hadde geuen the name of an Altare vnto the LORDE hys Table that there would be in time to come certayne Iewysh teachers that woulde builde and sette vppe Popyshe altares in stede of tables to serue the Lordes supper vpon And surely the holy doctor s Augustyne nor anye other godly writer woulde neuer haue vsed thys terme altare so often after that sort as they dyd if they had hadde but the leaste inckelynge in the worlde of foreknowlege what absurditie what inconuenience and what mischiefe and abhomination haue ben grouÌ„ded on their traÌ„slated termes And I praye you what though sainte Augustine or other doctours vsed to terme the lordes supper the Sacrament of the altare Sacrament of the altare whych if it be as I take it I take it after the moste sounde and fayeth fulliste vnderstandynge the vnlearned people shoulde not be greatelye beholden vnto them for their strauÌ„ge termes beyng so farre fetched For thus I vnderstand them The Sacramente of the altare that is to saye the sygne of the Altare whyche altare betokeneth the crosse whych crosse betokeneth the Sacrifice that was offered on the crosse or the passion and deathe of Iesus Christe Wherefore good Christen breathreÌ„ let vs that are homely felowes not be ashamed of the olde termes that wee haue at oure home in the texte of holy scripture whyche calleth the reuerende and healthfull remembraunce of the Lordes death by breakinge of bread i. Cor. x. i. Cor. xi by the name of the Lordes supper or the communion and partakynge of the bodye and bloude of Christe And the thynge wherat we ‡ Vel propter arto latriam vitaÌ„dam tutius erit vt sedensquam genu flecteÌ„s mense dominice populus accuÌ„bere assuescaÌ„t sit deuoutlye to eate the Lordes supper lette vs boeth haue it and call it the Lordes borde or the Lordes table and not a borowed towell nor a Popyshe stone altare nor yet a wodden altare with a Superhaltare And lette vs Presente wyth so far fetched termes and so dearelye boughte the Popes glace and hys fayre Ladyes of Rome Nowe bicause I truste that we haue vaunquished and geuen an ouerthrow to the chiefest part of the Popes souldiers batered and beaten downe to the grounde the onely Botereulx and the greate stay of hys stronge holde Fortecesse therefore shall oure trumpet blow a retreit in this battayle Praised be the Lorde Amen ii Cor. ii ¶ Thanckes be vnto God whyche alwayes geueth vs the vyctorye in Christe and opened the Sauoure of hys knoweledge by vs in euery place For we are vnto God the swete sauour of Christe boeth amoÌ„g theÌ„ that are saued amoÌ„g them that perish To these the sauour of deth to deth to the other the sauour of life to life Imprinted at London by Robert Crowley dwellyng in Elye rentes in Holburne The yere of our Lord. M.D.L. âš¹ ☞ âšœ ☜ âš¹ †⧠†⚜ ¶ Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum
maÌ„s making for the onli defeÌ„ce of his made god whych fortres the papists cal an alter the god the sacrament of the alter But they might as wel as anagogicalli cal their alter the tower their houeriÌ„ge god haÌ„ged therouer the hauke of the tower But as I caÌ„ gyue their god no propre name so at this time for the pariforme proporcioÌ„ situatioÌ„ of it I wil name their alter a Botereulx which if we by might of the lord of hosts caÌ„ bater down to the grouÌ„d the popes church shal greatly stagger the papists woÌ„derously wauer and their god euer houer Nowe therfore ye Papistes take hede to your Botereulx for now I go in hand to charge my baterynge pieces and say not but that I giue you warnyng that neyther the outworne puisauÌ„ce of the douty captain Moses who was so mightye for a time nor yet the preseÌ„ce of your erthly God the glitteringe of his triple crown ne yet the coÌ„iuring charecters crosewise graueÌ„ shal be a sufficiente fortification for to defeÌ„d your sayd Botereulx No though ye cluster daube it rouÌ„d about with woll clods turfes erth mire dyrt such trishtrashe no no though ye pray in aide the greate Turke the Soulden the Sophy al the Saracens yea and though al the hereticall sectes of the whole world came to you and practyse on your syde all the wicked sectes that their high general Sathan shall suggerate into theire braynes Take hede therfor yet ne left that your Botereulx haue not a stedfast fouÌ„dacion For if we can proue that it be founded vpoÌ„ Moses and not on Chryst than was it destroyed in effecte M.D.lxxvii yere a goo But fyrst or we go about the demolicion of this Botereulx bi the good dylygence of master Grammer the chiefe vndermyner we wyll searche what foundacioÌ„ it is of and bicause the first Botereulx or altare was vsed amongest the Hebrues we wyl see what was the primatiue name that they gaue it for thereby wee may happeÌ„ to thrust open one window for truly thei according to the veri vse therof in their holy laÌ„gage named the alter Midhsbach that is the sacrary or the place to offre vp sacrifice on The priest the offycer or the doer therof thei called medhsa beach The sacrifice or the offeryng they named it Dhsebach So lykewise the grace of the Greke tong shal declare vnto them the self nature of the same vocables that by the help of these words ThysiasterioÌ„ Thyscos or Thytes Thysia Which words a maÌ„ shal not lightly expresse with the lyke concinnitie nother in latyn nor English except a man wold speake on this wyse SacrariuÌ„ sacrificus sacrificiuÌ„ that is sacrari sacraficer sacrifice And than do we take this word sacrarye for an altare whiche worde altare and none other all Nacions that receiued the faith at their haÌ„ds of the see of Rome do vsurpe stil in this significacion Neuertheles ye do now perceiue bi the Etimology and true exposition of the aboue said Hebrue and greke words that thei be so nighe of kinne in betokening and so like in speakinge in those languages as be these thre wordes in Englishe House husbande husbandry So the ye can not wel denye but that they be so coÌ„iugate yoked and knitte togither as well in signification as in syllabication that vnneth one of them can not be seuered from an other nor the nature of one of theym canne be declared wythout makynge mencion of the other nor one can be abolished forbidden or destroyed excepte the other two be abolyshed forbidden distroyed also Therefore may you gather that we do not greatly stray frome our hygh way at what time so euer we speke of sacrificer or of sacrifice besyde this terme Altare Now therfore O thou Lorde of Hoostes make my face to preuayle agaynst all lyinge braggers faces and harden thou my forhed agaynst their forheades so that my forhead be harder than an adamant or flynt stone that I may be lesse afrayde of them O thou most myghtie Lorde Iah defend me against the cankred malyce and wycked pollecye of the Popes soldiours who I dare wel saye wyl not onelye stand styflye in defence of theyr popysh fortres but with a terrible countenauÌ„ce bi gnasshing their tethe togyther wyl step forth vibrate and shake their venymous dartes towardes me thretenyng me after thys sorte Thou vnexercised tyron thou fresh water soldyoure thou yongeman I saye dareste thou approch vs darest thou assault vs dareste thou once adueÌ„ture to assiege oure inuincible fortresse Yea or thinkest thou it possible for any gunne shote to brose the weakesse part of the wals which continued so manye M. yeares vnassaulted vnuiolated vntouched whose mortare is waxen as harde as the flint stone whose stones are as hard as stele whose timbre is as toughe as durable as it were of fyr tre Recule therfore my good sonne recule But bycause we perceiue the to be so desperate a felow that thou wilt sance remedy other sinke or swymme and either take a fal or giue a fal ether hab or nab we thinke it beste for vs least peradueÌ„ture thi captain come with greater force vpoÌ„ vs thaÌ„ we loke for to make our selues in a redines to defend our holye altare which the calleste Botereulx yea this Botereulx shall not passe on thy baterye but god forgiue me to misname so holy a thynge but nowe I perceiue the olde sayde sawe to be to true Qui taugâ—t picem comquinabitur ab ea I will say no more but good inough And nowe not to dissemble ye are a starcke heritike in that you do fantasy to haue our altares throweÌ„ downe in al churches But thys is a wonderful matter that we must be faine to proue that whiche our mother the holy churche of Rome had neuer in questioÌ„ but let vs alone with this matter wolde god we could proue our transubstanciation oure purgatory fyre our popes primacy other like matters of no lesse importaÌ„ce as wel as euideÌ„tli as we caÌ„ proue this The maner of the papistes in wrestyng the scripturs For we caÌ„ proue how our altares had their beginning .ii. M. odde C. yeres passed as any Christen man that listeth may reade Genesis capitulo octauo How the holye Patriarke Noe after that he had come oute of the Arke buylded an altare to the lord and toke of euery cleane beaste and of euerye cleane foule and offred sacrifices in the altare And the lorde smelled a swete sauour And the Lorde sayd in hys herte I wyll not procede to curse the ground any more for mans sake for the imaginacion of mannes herte is euell from his youth c. And Abraham likewise builded an altare vnto the lord euen in that place where he had appeared vnto hym and dyd call on the name of the Lorde And Iacob also beyng commaunded of the Lord and bycause he had heard hym in the daye
of the Lordis Supper on a Iewish a heathelyk or a Popysh altare then on a decent and a fayre comly Table The vnbeleuynge Iewe defiyth Christes Table and his supper also The vnfaythfull heathen thynke scorne of the same The pope his papists make of it a god or a popet The Iew abhorryth vtterly our Religion The Heathen in no sauce can awaye wyth it The Pope is well contented to be called a christiaÌ„ The pope dissembleth yea to be thoght to be Christ him self so that ye geue hym leaue to lyue lyke a Iewe or an Heathen And shall we seke vpoÌ„ theÌ„ Shal we be partakers of their damnable Ceremonies of theyr execrable Rites and cursed Vsages Or is Christes religion so vnperfit of it selfe so neady beggerly that it muste borowe imbring fastes of the Heathen borowe altares of the Pope and borowe vestimentes of the Iewes beside an vnnumerable sorte of other like baggage Wedes in our religion whych hath bene weded nowe of late oute of Christes religion and now restored home to the owners therof Therefore lette vs either render home againe vnto the Heathen the supersticion of the imbrynge daies and to the pope his halowed altares and vnto the Iewes Exo. xxix their Aarons vestimentes or els let vs like good Companions ioyne togyther in a league wyth theÌ„ The wicked prouisioÌ„ of maÌ„nes faÌ„tasye and be tenauntes in commune and put oure religion wyth theirs in hotche potche according to the lawiers vulgar terme Qui primum happat primum cappat And by my fey that peraduenture were greate wisedome for so dyd oure fathers ancesters and were it not good felowship to do as they did Yea were it not good policy to holde on the bigger side And are not more in numbre of the Papistes Heathens and Iewes than of the Christians yea no doubte thrise so many at the leaste why then let vs be of one religion with them they wyll take vs as their frendes and we lykewyse wyl take their parte And so we beyng than so many in numbre and gathered togither and rayed in a puisaunt and a myghtye army shall rushe into heauen whether God hys angels wyll or no. And if all fayle after that wee haue made mery by the waye in the dominion of the Popes purgatorye we wyl march forward and come to the large and wyde kyngedome of the Prynce of thys worlde euen the myghty prynce SataÌ„ who refuseth no man and there shall wee be so curtesly enterteyned so choisely cherished and so muche made of as though we were his owne dere chyldren For he loueth them alyfe whoe be at defiaunce wyth Iesus Christ haue forsakeÌ„ him for theyr souerayne Nowe as ye haue heard the faÌ„tasticall aduisemeÌ„t brayneles councell of mans naturall wyt who perceyueth not the thynges that belong to the spirite of god so herken what the spirit of god speaketh by the mouth of hys choseÌ„ vessel s Cor. ii s Paule euen by these wordes Dearlye beloued fle from worshippinge of idoles s Cor. x I speake vnto them that haue discretion iudge ye what I say The cuppe of thankes geuynge wherwyth ye gyue thankes is it not the partakynge of the bloude of Christe The breade that we breake is it not the partakinge of the body of Christe For we beynge manye are one breade and one bodye in as muche as we are partakers of one breade Beholde Israell after the fleshe They that eate sacrifices are thei not partakers of the altare What shall I nowe say then Shall I say that the idole is any thynge Or that whyche is offered vnto the idole is anye thyng Naye But thys I saye that loke what the Hethen offer the offer thei to deuils not to god Ye caÌ„ not drink of the cup of the lord of the cup of the deuils Now wold I not that ye shuld be in the felowship with deuils Ye can not be partaker of the lordes table of the deuils Or will ye prouoke the lord Are we stroÌ„ger theÌ„ he I may do al thinges but al things are not expedient I may do al thyngs but all thynges edifye not Nowe I truste that as many of vs as haue receyued the spirite of God shall sone perceyue by the meanyng of the texte nowe before rehearsed that the christians in no wyse maye be partakers with the Heathens or Iewes in idoles altares sacrifices offerynges or suche other vnchristenlyke ceremonies For as the same Apostle sayth what felowshyp hath ryghtuousenes with vnrightuousenes ii Cor. vi what coÌ„pany hath lyght wyth darckenes howe agrreeth Christ and Belial or what parte hathe the beleuer with the vnbeleuer howe accordeth the temple of god wyth images c. But nowe I praye you do you not see wyth what a care with what a diligence and wyth what an earneste affection the holye Apostle of Christe exhorteth The gret â—iligence â—f saynte counceleth and calleth vpon the christians lest they shoulde kepe company or be yoked wyth the Heathen or the Iewes Paule the Christes religion shold not be mingled or leste they should admit and receyue anye of theyr supersticious rites or wycked ceremonies and myngle the same wyth Christes religion Yea the Apostles dyd so much abhorre eschew and feare lest such confuse mingle mangle of straunge supersticions whether they were of the Heathens vayne rites or of the Iewes lawe in so muche that they bade not onely farewell to all the ceremoniall and Iudicial lawe of Moses but also bycause they woulde differ frome the Iewes in keping holyday they traÌ„slated and chaunged the celebration of the saboth from Saturdaye to SoÌ„day For the seuenth day wherupon by one of hys ten commaundementes God commaunded vs to rest was on Saturday and not on SoÌ„day The lyke affection and mynde was Constantine the Emperour of abhorrynge the memorial of the vaine Heathens Goddes whan he sued vnto one Siluester the fyrste Byshoppe of Rome that it myghte be decreed that the dayes of the weke whyche had before the names and tytles of the SuÌ„ne The names of the daies in the weke bi a decre altered Mone Mars Mercury Iupiter Venus Saturne shoulde be called the fyrst ferye the second ferye the thyrde fery the fourthe the fyfte the syxte the seuenth in lyke maner as the Iewes counted theyr dayes from the Saboth daye But it pleased hym that the first fery myght be called Dies Dominicê° also whyche we name Sondaye and that Saturday should be called Sabatum of the olde holydaye and reste of the Hebrues And if suche vigilante circumspection and carefull mynde to flee from hauynge any mutual conuersation as wel in wordes as in thinges with the Iewes other infidels had styll continued in christen mennes hertes euer since the Apostles tyme hytherto Maister NegligeÌ„ce careles holpe the Pope to set vp his altares than neded no man to trauayle at thys presente daye to wryte or inueyghe