In the Sacrament bread is receaued either leauened or vnleauened j. Ergo in the Sacrament is substaunce of bread and not accidences onely ¶ Argument Ba The body of Christ is named of that which is proportioned round and is vnsensible in operation ro Accidences only of bread haue no figure of roundnes co Ergo the body of Christ is not named of accidences but of very bread substantiall ¶ Argument The wordes of the Euangelist speaking of that whyche Christ tooke blessed brake and gaue do importe it to be bread and nothing else but bread Ergo the substance of bread is not to be excluded out of the Sacrament Chrisostome Christ in bread and wyne sayde do this in remembraunce of me Chrisost. â— Cor. 11. 〈◊〉 27. Cyrillus He gaue to them peeces or fragments of bread Cyrill in 〈◊〉 lib. 4. 〈◊〉 14. Also the same Cyrill sayth In bread we receaue his precious body and his bloud in wyne Ergo by these Doctours it remaineth bread after consecration Ambrose Before the blessing of the heauenly words it is called another kynde of thyng After consecration the body of Christ is signified ¶ Arguments of Peter Martyr disputing with M. Chadsey vpon the first question Da The Analogie and resemblaunce betwene the Sacrament and the thing signified must euer be kept in all Sacraments ti In the Sacrament of the Lordes body this Analogie or resemblaunce can not be kept if bread be transubstantiated si Ergo the substance of bread must needes remayne in the Sacrament of the Lords body The Maior of this Argument is certaine by S. Austen Lib. De catechisandis rudibus â—ugust eâ—â—st ad â—ardanum Epist. ad Dardan Where hee sayeth Sacramentes must needes beare a similitude of those thyngs whereof they are Sacramentes or else they can be no Sacramentes The Minor is thus proued ¶ Argument Ba The resemblaunce betweene the Sacrament and the body of Christ is this â—â—alogi◠〈◊〉 proporâ—â—â—n beâ—â—eene the â—â—tward â—â—urishing 〈◊〉 bread in 〈◊〉 bodyes 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 Christes 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 soules that as the properties of bread and wyne do nourish outwardly so the properties of the body of Christ do nourish spiritually ro Without the substaunce of bread and wine there is no resemblaunce of nourishing co Ergo without the substaunce of bread and wyne the Analogie can not hold ¶ Argument Ba Agayne another resemblaunce and similitude or Analogie of this Sacramente is this that as one loafe of bread and one cuppe of wine conteineth many cornes and many grapes so the mysticall congregation coÌ„teineth many members and yet maketh but one bodie ro Without the substance of bread wine no such resemblaunce or similitude of coÌ„iunction can be represented co Ergo without the substaunce of bread and wyne the Analogie of this spirituall coniunction can not holde ¶ Another Argument Ba Euery Sacrament consisteth in two thynges that is in the thing signifieng and the thing signified ro Without the substance of bread and wine there is nothing that signifieth in the Sacrament co Ergo the substaunce of bread and wyne in the Sacramente can in no wise be transubstantiate from theyr natures The Minor is thus to be proued Fes There is no signification in any Sacrament without the element â—i The substaunce of bread and wine is the elemente of this Sacrament â—o Ergo without the substaunce of bread and wine there is no similitude nor signification in this Sacrament And for somuch as the aduersaries ground their transubstantiation so much vpon these wordes of Christ This is my body which they expound onely after y e litteral sense Three causes prouing that these wordes of Christ. Hoc est corpus meum are not to be taken literally but spiritually without troupe or figure now that this their exposition is false and that the sayde woordes are to be taken figuratiuely and spiritually by three causes it is to be proued 1. First by the wordes of the Scripture 2. By the nature of a Sacrament 3. By the testimonies of the fathers 1. First by these wordes of the scripture where he sayth Doe this in remembraunce of mee for so muche as remembraunce properly serueth not for thinges corporally preseÌ„t but for thinges rather being absent 2. Secondly where he saith Vntill I come Places of Scripture making agaynst transubstantiation Which words were vayne if he were already come by consecration 3. Thirdly where S. Paule sayth The breaking of bread is it not the communion of the body of Christ Which words of breaking in no case can be verified vppon the body of Christ which for the glory thereof is vnpossible 4. Furthermore where as the Lord biddeth theÌ„ to take and eate it is euident that the same cannot be vnderstand simply of the body of Christ without a trope forsomuch as he cannot be eaten and chawed with teeth as we vse properly in eating other meates to doe 5. The wordes moreouer of Luke and Paule spoken of the cuppe doe argue likewise that the other words spoken of the bread must needes be taken mistically As where it is sayd This cup is the new testament which woordes must needes be expounded thus thys cup doth signifie the new Testament 6. Item these wordes of S. Iohn chap. 6. My wordes be spirite and life The flesh profiteth nothing c. 7. IteÌ„ where in the same place of S. Iohn Christ to refell the carnal vnderstanding of the Capernaites of eating his body maketh mention of his Ascension c. The second cause why the wordes of Christ The secoÌ„d cause the nature of a Sacrament This is my body cannot be litterally expounded without trope is y e nature of a sacrament whose nature and propertie is to beare a signe or signification of a thinge to be remembred which thing after the substantiall and reall presence is absent As touching which nature of a sacrament sufficiently hath bene sayd before The third cause the testimonye of the fathers The third cause why the woordes of consecration are figuratiuely to be taken is the testimonie of the auncient Doctours Tertullianus This is my body that is to say this is a figure of my body Tertullianus Contra Martionem Lib. 4. Augustinus Psal. 3. August contra Adamantum Cap. 12. Hiâ—ronimus August Psal. 3. Christ gaue a figure of his body August Contra Adamantum Manichaeum He did not doubt to say This is my body when he gaue a signe of his body Hieronimus Christ represented vnto vs his body August August in his booke De Doctrina Christiana declareth expressely that this speache of eating the body of Christ August de Doctrina Christiana Lib. is a figuratiue speach Ambrosius As thou hast receaued the similitude of his death so thou drinkest the similitude of his precious bloud ¶ Argument Fe The death of Christ is not present really in the sacrament but by similitude ri The precious bloud of Christ is present in the Sacrament
holy and sacred doctrine but also a special giâ—t pledge of his loue He gaue the only materiall breaâ— wine sanctified as the first rude and plaine elements or principles to allure them withall but he gaue them the gift of his grace and heauenly doctrine as the very things signified by the sensible elementes which thing playnly appeareth by the wordes of Christ our sauiour Non bibam c. I will not drinke hereafter of the fruite of this vine vntill I drinke it new with you in the kingdome of God Nowe this fruit or iuoise of y e vine is nothing els but wine as Chrisostome saith And moreouer to proue the same true if it be reserued after the coÌ„secratioÌ„ for a time it becommeth sower and tarte therefore it is but wine And as touching the bread S. Paul sayth thus is not the bread which we breake the communion or participation of Christes body hee brake breade therefore it was but bread whiche he gaue them for the body of Christ is not broken as the scripture saythe of y e same os non coÌ„minuetis ex eo you shall not breake a bone of him Also he saith this is my bodye not that the bread was his body and the wine his bloud but he spake those wordes to and of his owne mortall bodye there sitting amongest them at supper or hee spake yet doubtfully as thus this signifieth my body it is one thing whiche is seene but it is an other thing which is vnderstanded for y t which is seen hath a bodely form but y t which is vnderstood thereby hath a spirituall fruite S. Austen sayth Let the word haue accesse to the element so is it made a sacrament marke he sayth let the word haue accesse and not successe Now the thinge that hath accesse to an other thinge doth not quench the thinge that it commeth to no more doth iâ— here ergo it is bread and wine still as before how be it sacred and holy What saw you yesterday sayth S. Austen vppon the aulter Truely bread and wine whiche your owne eyes can witnesse said he what playner testimonye can be had of so auncient a father as he was and of so rare knowledge in the scriptures of God Seeing then y t oure eyes doe behould nothing but bread and wine it must needes follow that it is so in deede or els our sences â—e deceaued in their owne proper obiecte which cannot be by any reason or naturall philosophy And yet notwithstanding some papistes dreame and phantesie such a corporal reall and grosse presence of Christs body in the sacrament as they affirme it to be there euen as verily as it was vpon the Crosse. Indeede the bread is chaunged after a certayne maner into Christes bodye for Christ gaue not hys owne natural bodye to his Disciples at his last supper but an onely signe or figure thereof Christes body is there with the bread our sences cannot be deceaued about the substaunce of bread but they doe iudge there to be but one body that is of bread Ergo so it is Also the very definition of a sacrament doth playnly repugne vnto transubstantiation Bread nourisheth the substaunce of Christes body but the accidentes doe not so Ergo the substaunce doth remayne of the bread that nourisheth it is also called bread in the Actes and in diuers other places of the scriptures wherefore it is so but in deede after a sorte more holy then before what gaue he in the supper bread which is the body that is to say an holy signe of his body as Austen doth witnesse saying hee doubted not to say this is my bodye wheÌ„ it was but a signe of his body The vnleauened bread was but a bare and naked signe of Christes bodye and so is this bread the same body euen as baptisme is Now indeed there be two maner of signes one that signifie onely the other that doth exhibite the thing it self The first is applyed to the old lawe chiefly â—he other to the law of grace The old ancient learned fathers did neuer vse to speake of the substanciall chaunge for because that all the mutation is but condicionall not substanciall nor we deeme not the bodely substaunce sacramentally but yet we saye that this proposition that is my bodye is but a figuratiue speache and no proper speache as some doe deeme But it is as muche to saye as this signifieth my bodye or els thus this is a sacrament of my body for the bodiâ—ye bread and Christes body are not contayned in place locally but mistically This portenteouse and monstrouse transubstanciation began first to enter when the popishe prelates priestes began to vnderstaÌ„d this said proposition this is my body of the carnall and reall presence of Christes body as hugo de sancto victore Gracian Peter Lombard and 〈◊〉 3. the very pestilent poyson of al Christâ—n religion vnto whome we haue of long season yea alâ—as too long geuen credite vnder the which Innocente the said deuilish terme or vocable of transubstantiation began anno 1315. And Boniface after him Bishop of Rome made the sayde â—ad blinde transubstantiation to be the 3. article of the fayth full wisely no doubt whereas an other bishop of Rome after him affirmed plainly against Nestor the hereticke that bread remayneth there still whose name was Gâ—â—â—sius 3. Now as touching y e most shamefull and detestable inconueniences which must needes follow this diuelish tâ—rme or vocable of transubstantiation you shall vnderstand the first is that then suche Papistes will haue Christes body still prostituted and receaued euen of the wicked and naughty people which is cleane contrary to that place of our sauiour Christ where he sayth Whosoeuer eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him Nowe it is plaine that euill persons dwell not in Christ nor Christ in them wherefore they receiue not his body therin at all For S. Austine tract 8. super Iohannem saith that it is but bread which is seene after the Consecration Ergo the substance of bread is there still 2. The seconde inconuenience that groweth heereof is the fonde and superstitious reseruation of the sacrament in pixes boxes and such like with vaine tabernacles ouer the alter where oftentimes it did putrifie for all their foolish honour which began in Honorius daies the third Bishop of Rome of that name which corruption declareth it to be but onely bread say all Papists what they list 3. The third inconuenience that must needes follow Transubstantiation is adoration which is too plaine Idolatry as the Papists do know themselues if they list but they are so stiffenecked that they will not know it and so both haue and yet also will keepe the world in blindnes still if they might be suffered But to be short with you euen as we are chaunged into Christ by receiuing the sacrament so is the bread chaunged into the body of Christ. But our substance is not chaunged
bene from these our latter dayes the purer it was in all respectes and especially touching this barbarous article of traÌ„substaÌ„tiation Haymo ¶ Anno. 800. We will now draw more neare our owne time coÌ„ming to the age of Bertrame and of Haimo who were about the yeare of our Lord 810. vnder Carolus Magnus By whose writings it is euident that the church was infected as yet with no such phantasy of transubstantiatioÌ„ neither did any almost dreame of taking away y e substance of bread from the Sacrament For although Haymo Remigius Rabanus and other which liued in that age doe attribute to the Sacrament the honorable name and reuerence as we also doe of the Lordes body and bloud yet they exclude not from thence all substaunce of mele bread leane the bare accidences as our new come Catholickes do Haymo de Sermonum proprietate lib. 5. cap. 11. as by the wordes of Haymo doth appeare Where he folowing the wordes of Bede sheweth also the cause why it is so called by the name of the Lordes body Quia sayth he panis corpus confirmat ideo ille corpus Christi congruenter nuncupatur Vinum autem quia sanguinem operatur in carne ideo ad sanguinem Christi refertur That is Because bread confirmeth the hart of man therefore it is called conueniently the body of Christ and because wine worketh bloud in the fleshe of man thereof is it referred to the bloud of Christ. What canne be more effectually spoken to proue the substaunce of breade there to remayne For take away the substance of bread wine what is in the accidences left that can confirme maÌ„s hart or ingender bloud in the flesh And therefore seeyng there must nedes something remaine that must be referred to Christes body bloud in that SacrameÌ„t it either must be the substaunce of bread and wine or els it canne be no Sacrament And furthermore speaking of the visible thinges which are sanctified how and whereunto they be conuerted he sayth that by the holy ghost they passe to a Sacrament of the Lordes body And likewise the same Haymo in an other place speaking of the feuites of the earth that is of corne and wyne declareth Haymo lib. 7. in ecclesial cap· 8. how our Sauiour making of them an apt mistery coÌ„uerteth them to a Sacrament of his body and bloud c. Lib. 7. in Ecclesiast cap. 8. Bertramus likewise as he liued in the same age so in like sort he shewed his opinion therein to the like effect as Haymo did For as Haymo writing in these words declareth quia aliud est Sacramentum aliud virtus sacramenti sacramentum enimuero percipitur virtute Sacramenti interior homo satiatur Haim ibid. that is the sacrament is one thing and the vertue of the sacrameÌ„t is an other thing for the sacrament is receiued with the mouth but with the vertue of the Sacrament the inward man is satisfied So after like maner Bertramus according to y e same thus writeth Ille panis qui per Sacerdotis ministerium Christi corpus efficitur aliud exterius humanis sensibus ostendit aliud interius fidelium mentibus clamat c. That is the bread which by the ministery of y e priest is made the body of christ doth import one thing outwardly to the senses of man ¶ An. â—10 Bertram 〈◊〉 de corpore sang Domini an other thing it speaketh to the mindes of the faythfull Outwardly it is bread the same as was before the same forme is pretended the coulour appeareth the same taste remayneth But inwardly there is an other matter fare more precious and more excellent because it is heauenly which is the body of Christ that is scene not with the outwarde eyes of the fleshe but with the syght of a faythfull minde c. We will now proceede to the testimonye of Rabanus Maurus byshop of Mentz scholer somtime to Alcuinus in Paris an english man Rabanus Maurus Bishop of Mentze Anno. 800. who liuing also in the same age with Haymo and Bertrame which was 800. yeares after Christ geueth the like testimony of this doctrine in his booke of Institutions Where he asking the question why the Lord would geue the misteries of his body and bloud then vnder suche thinges as might be kept and reserued whole with great honor thus he aunswereth agayne The Lord sayth he would rather that the Sacramentes of his body and bloud should be receiued with the mouth of the faythfull Rabanus 〈…〉 and made to be theyr food that by the visible action the inuisible effecte might be shewed For like as materiall meate outwardlye nourisheth and quickeneth the body so also the word of God inwardly nourisheth and strengtheneth the soule For man lyueth not onely by bread but by euery word proceeding from the mouth of God And after foloweth For this bread and drink signifieth the eternall society of the head and of the members together And agayne For the Sacrament is one thing and the vertue of the Sacrament is an other thing The SacrameÌ„t is receiued with the mouth with the vertue of the Sacrament the inwarde man is nourished For the Sacrament is turned to the nourishmeÌ„t of the body but the vertue of the Sacrament the dignity of eternall life is gotten Wherfore like as the same is turned into vs when we eate of it so also are we turned into the body of Christ when we liue obediently and godly c. Who seeth not by these wordes of this Byshoppe what forme of doctrine was then in the Church receiued concerning this article of the Sacramet much diuers from this our grosse opinion of transubstantiation With the sayd Rabanus also accordeth an other of the like standing and also doctrine called Christianus Druthmerus who writing vpon Math. The wine sayth he doth chere and cherish the bloud and therfore not incoÌ„uenienlty the bloud of christ is figured therby for whatsoeuer procedeth froÌ„ him to vs it chereth vs with true gladnes encreaseth al goodnes vnto vs. And a â—itâ—e before the sayd Druthmarus sayth The Lorde gaue to his Disciples the Sacrament of his body to the remission of sinnes and keeping of charity that they alwayes remembring his doing might do that in figure which he should doe for them This is my body sayth he that is in Sacrament This Druthmarus liued also in the time of Carolus Magnus as witnesseth Abbas Spaynehemensis After Bertamus was Ioannes Scotus or els as some call him Ioannes Erigena Ios. 〈◊〉 a man well accepted with Carollus Caluus and afterward with Lodouicus Balbus about the yere of our Lord 880. He wrote a Booke De corpore sanguine Domini so affirming therein teaching as he knew that Bertramus had taught a litle before in Fraunce This booke y e pope caused to be condemned in Vercellensi Synodo Of the life and conuersation of this Iohannes Scotus
of participation in so much as we communicating therof do participate the grace of Christ so that you meane hereby only the effect therof But our conclusioÌ„ standeth vpon the substance and not the efficacye onely which shall appeare by the testimony both of Scriptures and of all the fathers a thousand yeare after Christ. And first to begin with the Scripture let vs consider what is written in Math. 26. Mark 14. Luke 22. fyrste to the CorinthiaÌ„s 11. Mathew sayth Math. 26. As they sat at supper Iesus tooke bread c. In Marke there is the same sense although not the same wordes Math. 14. who also for one part of the Sacrament speaketh more playnely Iesus taking breade c. After the same sense also writeth Luke 22. Luke 22. And when Iesus had taken bread c. In the mouth of two or three witnesses sayth the Scripture standeth all truth Here we haue three wytnesses together that Christ sayd that to be his body which was geueÌ„ for many and that to be his bloud which should be shed for many wherby is declared the substance and not onely the efficacy alone therof Ergo it is not true that you say there to be not the substance of his body but the efficacy alone therof Cran. Substance and efficacie both graunted in the Sacrament Thus you gather vpon mine aunswere as though I did meane of the efficacy and not of the substance of the body but I meane of them both as well of the efficacye as the substance And for so much as all things come not readily to memory to a man that shall speake ex tempore therfore for the more ample and fuller aunswere in the matter this writing here I do exhibite An other explication for aunswere exhibited in writing by the Archb. ¶ An explication exhibited by Cranmer OUr Lord and Sauior Iesus Christ at the time of his Maundy preparing himselfe to die for our cause that he might redeeme vs from eternall death to forgeue vs all our sinnes and to cancell out the handwriting that was agaynst vs y t we through ingratefull obliuion should not forget his death therfore he at y e time of his holy supper did institute a perpetuall memory of this his death to be celebrated amoÌ„g christians in bread wine The 〈◊〉 cause 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 wa◠〈◊〉 according as it is sayd Do this in remembraunce of me And so often as you shall eat this bread drinke this cup you shall shew forth the Lordes death till he come And this remembraunce or sacrament of his holy passion that is of his body slayne bloud shed he would all christians to frequent celebrate in bread and wine according as he sayd Take eate and drink ye all of this Therfore whosoeuer for mans tradition denyeth the cup of Christes bloud to lay men they manifestly repugne agaynst Christ forbidding that which Christ commaundeth to be done and be like to those Scribes and Phariseis of whom the Lord spake Ye hipocrites ye haue reiected the coÌ„maundementes of God for your traditions Math. 2â— Well did Esaye prophecy of you saying This people honoureth me with theyr lips but theyr hart is farre from me Luke 7. Without cause do they worship me teaching the doctrines and preceptes of men The sacrament and misticall bread being broken and distributed after the institution of Christ and the mysticall wine likewise being taken and receiued be not onely sacramentes of the fleshe of Christ wounded for vs and of hys bloudshedding but also be most certaine sacraments to vs and as a manne would say seales of Gods promises and giftes Sacramâ—â—â— seales 〈◊〉 Gods pâ—â—â—mises and also of that holy felowship which we haue with Christ and all his members Moreouer they be to vs memorials of that heauenly food and nourishment wherwith we are nourished vnto eternall life and the thyrste of our boyling conscience quenched and finally wherby the harts of the faythfull be replenished with vnspeakeable ioy and be corroborated and strengthened vnto all workes of godlines We are many sayth S. Paule one bread and one body all we which doe participate of one breade 1. Cor. 11 and one cuppe And Christ sayth Eate ye this is my body And drinke ye this is my bloud Math. 2 And I am the liuing breade which came downe from heauen He that eateth me shall also liue for me Iohn 6. Not as your fathers did eate Manna in the desert and are dead He that eateth me shall also liue for me Thus therefore true bread and true wine remaynfull in the Eucharist vntill they be consumed of the faythfull to be signes as seales vnto vs annexed vnto Gods promises making vs certayne of Gods gifts towardes vs. Bread 〈◊〉 wine remayne in the Eâ—â—charist 〈◊〉 be seale vs 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 promisâ—â— Also Christ remaineth in them they in Christ which eate his flesh drinke his bloud as Christ himselfe hath promised They that eat my flesh drinke my bloud abide in me I in them Moreouer he abideth also in them which worthely receiueth the outward sacrament neither doth he depart so soone as the sacramentes is consumed but continually abideth feeding and nourishing vs so long as we remayne bodies of that head meÌ„bers of the same I acknowledge not here the naturall body of Christ which is only spirituall intelligible and vnsensible hauing no distinctioÌ„ of meÌ„bers partes in it but that body onely I acknowledge worship which was borne of the virgin which suffred for vs which is visible palpable hath all the forme shape and partes of the true naturall body of man Christ spake not these wordes of any vncertayne substance but of the certayne substance of bread which he then held in his hands shewed his disciples wheÌ„ he sayd Christâ— wordeâ— spoken of an 〈◊〉 certaine substaÌ„câ— of a 〈…〉 bread 〈◊〉 which had in 〈◊〉 handeâ— Eat ye this is my body and likewise of the cup when he sayd Drinke ye this is my bloud meaning verely of that bread which by nature is vsuall and common with vs which is taken of the fruit of the ground compacted by the vniting of many graynes together made by man by mans hand brought to that visible shape being of a round compasse without all sense or life whiche nourisheth the bodye and strengtheneth the hart of man Of this same bread I say and not of any vncertaine and wandring substance the old fathers say that Christ spake these wordes Eate ye this is my body How doctoâ—â— doe 〈◊〉 speachâ—â— Chrisâ—â— Tropiâ—â—â— Figuraâ—â—â—â— Anagoâ—â—â—call 〈◊〉 Bread 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 name 〈◊〉 body And likewise also of the wine which is the creature and fruite of the vine pressed out of many clusters of grapes maketh mens hart mery of the very same wine I say Christ spake drinke ye this is my bloud And so the olde Doctors doe call this
body of our Lord Iesu Christ in the Eucharist Christ is true which sayde the wordes The wordes are true whyche he spake yea truth it selfe that cannot faile Lette vs therefore pray vnto God to sende downe vnto vs his holye spirite which is the true interpreater of his woorde whiche maye purge away errours and geue light that veritye may appeare Let vs also aske leaue and libertie of the Churche to permit the truth receiued to be called this day in question wythout any preiudice to the same Your partes therefore shal be to implore the assistaunce of almighty God to pray for the prosperitie of the Queenes maiestie and to geue vs quiet and attentiue eares Now go to your questions Doct Smith This day right learned M. Doctor 3. questions are propounded whereof no controuersy among christians ought to be mooued to wit 1. Whether the naturall bodye of Christ our Sauiour conceiued of the Virgine Marie The quesâ—â—â—ons and offred for mans redemption vppon the crosse is verilye and really in the sacrament by vertue of Gods worde spoken by the Priest c. 2. Whether in the sacrament after the words of consecration be any other substance c. 3. Whether in the Masse be a sacrifice propiciatorie c. Touching the which questioÌ„s although you haue publikely and partly professed your iudgemeÌ„t and opinion on Saterday last yet being not satisfied with that your aunswere I wil assay againe to demaund your sentence in the first question Whether the true body of Christe after the woords pronounced be really in the Eucharist or els only the figure In which matter I stande heere nowe to heare your aunsweare The Preface or protestation of D. Ridley before his disputation I Receiued of you the other day right worshipful M. prolocutor and yee my reuerend Maisters The proteâ—station of B. Ridley Commissioners from the Queenes maiestie and her honorable Counsell three propositions whereunto ye commaunded me to prepare against this day what I thought good to aunsweare concerning the same Now whilest I weied w t my selfe how great a charge of the Lords flocke was of late committed vnto me for the which I am certaine I must once render an accompte to my Lord God and that howe soone he knoweth and that moreouer by the commaundement of the Apostle Peter I ought to be redy alway to geue a reason of the hope y t is in me with mekenes and reuerence vnto euery one that shall demaund the same besides this coÌ„sidering my duty to the Church of Christ What mâ—â—ued Doct. Ridley to alter his iudgemeâ—â— from the Church of Rome and to your worships being commissioners by publicke authority I determined with my selfe to obey your commaundement and so opeÌ„ly to declare vnto you my minde touching the foresayd propositions And albeit plainely to confesse vnto you the trueth in these things which ye now demaund of me I haue thought otherwyse in times past then I now do yet God I call to record vnto my soule I lie not I haue not altered my iudgemeÌ„t as now it is either by constraint of any man or lawes either for the dread of any daungers of thys world either for any hope of commodity but onely for the loue of the truthe reuealed vnto me by the grace of God as I am vndoubtedly perswaded in his holy woorde and in the reading of the auncient Fathers These things I do the rather recite at this present because it may happen to some of you hereafter as in times past it hath done to me I meane if ye thinke otherwyse of the matters propouÌ„ded in these propositions then I now doe God may open vnto you in time to come But how so euer it shall be I will in fewe woordes do that which I thinke yee all looke I shoulde doe that is as plainely as I can I will declare my iudgement heerein Howbeit of this I would yee were not ignoraunt that I will not in deede wittingly and willingly speake in any poynt against Gods worde â— Ridley submitteth himselfe to the Church of Christ. or dissent in any one iote from the same or from the rules of faith and Christian religion which rules that same most sacred word of god prescribeth to the Churche of Christe whereunto I nowe and for euer submit my selfe and all my doinges And because the matter I haue now taken in hand is waightie and yee all wel know how vnready I am to handle it accordingly aswell for lacke of time as also lacke of bookes therefore heere I protest that I will publickly this daye require of you that it may be lawfull for me concerning all mine aunsweares explications and confirmations to adde or diminish what soeuer shall seeme hereafter more conuenient and mete for the purpose through more sound iudgement better deliberation and more exact triall of euery particular thing Hauing nowe by the way of Preface and protestation spoken these fewe woordes I will come to the answearinge of the propositions propounded vnto me and so to the most brief explication and confirmation of mine answeres West Reuerend maister Doctour concerning the lacke of bookes there is no cause why you should complaine What bookes soeuer you will name The promise was not â—ept ye shall haue them as concerning the iudgement of your answeres to be had of your selfe wyth farther deliberation it shall I say be lawfull for you vntill Sonday next to adde vnto them what you shall thinke good your selfe My minde is that we shoulde vse short arguments least we shuld make an infinite processe of the thing Rid. There is an other thyng besides whyche I woulde gladly obtaine at your handes I perceiue that you haue wryters and Notaries here present By all likelihoode our disputations shal be published I beseech you for gods sake let me haue libertie to speake my minde freely wythout interruption not because I haue determined to protract y e time with a solemne Preface but least it maye appeare that some be not satisfied God wotte I am no Oratour nor I haue not learned Rhetoricke to set colours on the matter West Two Notaries permitted to Doct. Ridly These 2. Notaries were M. Iâ—ell sometime bishop of Salisbury 〈◊〉 M. Gilbert Mounson Among this whole company it shall be permitted you to take two for your part Rid. I would chuse two if there were any here w t whome I were acquainted West Here are two whych M. Cranmer had yesterdaye Take them if it please you Rid. I am contente wyth them I truste they are honest men The first proposition In the Sacrament of the aultare by the vertue of Gods word spoken of the Priest the naturall body of Christ borne of the virgine Marie The first proposition and his naturall bloude is really present vnder the formes of bread and wine The aunswere of N. Ridley In matters appertaining to God we may not speake according to the sence of man D. Ridleys aunswere
Earle of Darby because you desired to conferre with vs. Brad. I neuer desired your comming nor to conferre with you or any other But seeing you are come of charitie as you say I cannot but thanke you and as touchyng conference though I desire it not yet I wil not refuse to talk with you if you will Alphon. It were requisite that you did praye vnto God that ye might follow the direction of Gods spirite that he woulde inspire you so that ye be not addict to your owne selfe will or wyt ⧠The talke betwene M. Bradford and two Spanish Fryers Brad. Whereupon Bradford made a prayer and besought God to direct all theyr willes Bradford willed to pray 〈◊〉 his prayer wordes and works as the wils wordes and workes of his children for euer Alph. Yea you must pray with your hart For if you speak but with toung onely God will not geue you his grace Brad. Syr do not iudge least ye be iudged You haue heard my words now charity would haue you to leaue y e iudgement of the hart to God Alph. You must be as it were a neuter and not wedded to your selfe but as one standing in doubt pray and be ready to receiue what God shall enspire for in vain laboreth our toung to speake els Brad. Syr my sentence if you meane it for Religion must not be in a doubting or vncertain as I thanke God I am certayne in that for which I am condeÌ„ned I haue no cause to doubt of it but rather to be most certayne of it and therfore I praye God to confirme mee more in it For it is his trueth and because it is so certayne and true that it may abide the light I dare be bold to haue it looked on and conferre it with you or any man in respect wherof I am both glad of your comming and thanke you for it Alph. What is the matter whereof you were condemned we know not Brad. Syr I haue bene in prison almost 2. yeares I neuer transgressed any of theyr lawes wherefore I might iustlye be prisoned now am I condeÌ„ned onely because I franckly confessed wherof I repeÌ„t not my fayth concerning the sacrament when I was demauÌ„ded in these 2. poynts one that there is no transubstantiation the other that the wicked do not receiue Christes body Alph. Let vs looke a little on the firste Doe you not beleue that Christ is present really and corporally in the forme of bread Brad. No I do beleue that Christ is present to the fayth of the worthy receiuer as there is present bread and wyne to the sences and outward man as for any such preseÌ„ce of including and placing Christ I beleue not nor dare beleue Alph. I am sure you beleue Christes naturall body is circuÌ„scriptible And here he made much ado of the 2. natures of Christ how that the one is euery where the other is in his proper place demauÌ„ding such questions as no wise man would haue spent any time about At length because the Frier had forgotten to conclude Bradforde put him in mind of it and thus then at length he concluded how that because Christes bodye was circumscriptible concernyng the humayne nature in heauen therefore it was so in the bread Brad. How hangeth this together Euen as if you should say because you are here Ergo it must needes followe that you are at Rome For this you reason Because Christes bodye is in heauen Ergo it is in the Sacrament vnder the forme of bread which no wise man will graunt Alph. Why will you beleue nothing but that which is expressely spoken in the Scriptures Brad. Yes Syr I will beleue whatsoeuer you shall by demonstratian out of the Scripture declare vnto me Alph. He is obstinate quoth Alphonsus to his felow and then turning to Bradford sayd is not God able to do it Christ is able to doe it Ergo he doth it Brad. Yes but here the question is of Gods will and not of his power Alph. Why doth he not say playnely this is my body Brad. Yes and I deny not but that it is so to the fayth of the worthy receyuer Alph. To the fayth how is that Brad. Forsooth Syr as I haue no toung to expresse it so I know ye haue no eares to heare vnderstand it For fayth is more then man can vtter Alph. But I can tell all that I beleue Brad. You beleue not much then For if you beleue y e ioyes of heauen and beleue no more therof then you can tell you wil not yet desire to come thither For as the mind is more capable receiueable theÌ„ the mouth so it conceiueth more then toung can expresse Alph. Christ sayth it is his body Brad. And so say I after a certayne maner Alph. After a certayne maner that is Hoc est corpus meum Quodam modo Augustinus Epistola ad Bonifacium Argument As grace is in the water of baptisme so is the body in the Sacrament But grace is in the water by signification Ergo so is the body in the Sacrament A Popish distinction of Sacramentes after an other maner then it is in heauen Brad. S Augustine telleth it more playnely that it is christes body after the same maner as Circumcision was the couenaunt of God and the Sacrament of fayth is fayth or to make it more playne as baptisme and the water of baptisme is regeneration Alph. Uery well sayd Baptisme and the water therof is a Sacrament of Gods grace spirite in the water clensing the Baptised Brad. No Syr away w t your enclosing but this I graunt that after the same sort Christes bodye is in the breade on which sort the grace and spirit of God is in the water Alph. In water is Gods grace by signification Brad. So is the body in the bread in the Sacrament Alph. You are much deceiued in that you make no differeÌ„ce betwene the Sacramentes that be standers and the sacramentes that are transitory and passers by As for example the Sacrament of Order which you deny though S. Augustine affirme it it is a standerd although the ceremony be past But in Baptisme so soone as the bodye is washed the water ceaseth not to be a Sacrament Brad. Uery good and so it is in the Supper of the Lord no longer then it is in vse is it Christes Sacrament Here was the Fryer in a wonderfull rage and spake so high as often he had done before that the whole house rang agayne chaâ—ing with om and cho Hee hath a greate name of learning The Frier in a chafe but surely hee hath little pacience For if Bradford had bene any thing hote one house coulde not haue held them At the length hee commeth to this poynt that Bradford coulde not finde in the Scripture Baptisme and the Lordes Supper to beare any similitude together And here he triuÌ„phed before the conquest saying that these men would receiue nothing
in their owne sapience which is playne foolishnes amongest the wise indeede that is amongest such as haue heard Gods worde and doe followe it for they onely are counted wise of the wisedome of God our Sauiour In deede if I should simply consider my life with that whiche it ought to haue bene He confesseth his sinnes before God and as God in his lawe requireth then could I not but cry as I do Iustus es domine omnia iudicia tua vera i. Righteous art thou O Lord and all thy iudgemēts are true For I haue much greeued thee and transgressed thy holy preceptes not onely before my professing the Gospell but sithen also yea euen sithen my comming into prison I do not excuse but accuse my selfe before God and al his Church that I haue greeuously offended my Lord God I haue not loued his Gospell as I should haue done I haue sought my selfe and not simply and onely his glory and my brethrens commoditie I haue bene to vnthankefull secure carnall hipocriticall vayneglorious c. All which my euils the Lord of mercy pardon me for his Christes sake as I hope and certaynly beleeue he hath done for his great mercy in Christ oure redeemer But when I consider the cause of my condemnation I cannot but lament that I doe no more reioyce then I doe For it is Gods veritie and trueth The Papistes condemne not Bradford but Christ. So that the condemnation is not a condemnation of Bradford simply but rather a condemnation of Christ and his trueth Bradford is nothing els but an instrument in whome Christe and his doctrine is condemned And therefore my dearely beloued reioyce reioyce and geue thankes with me and for me that euer God did vouchsafe so great a benefite to our countrey as to choose the most vnworthye I meane my selfe to be one in whome it would please him to suffer any kinde of affliction muche more this violent kinde of death whiche I perceiue is prepared for me with you for his sake All glory and prayse be geuen vnto God our father for his great exceeding mercy towardes me through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen But perchaunce you will saye vnto me what is the cause for the whiche you are condemned we heare say that ye denye all presence of Christ in his holy Supper and so make it a bare signe and common bread and nothyng els My dearly beloued what is sayde of me and what will be I cannot tell It is tolde me that Pendleton is gone doune to Preach with you not as he once recanted for you all knowe hee hath preached contrary to that hee was wont to preach afore I came amongest you but to recant that which he hath recanted D. Pendleton recanted first in K. Edwardes tyme and now agayne in Q. Maryes tyme. Howe hee will speake of me and report before I come when I am come and when I am burned I muche passe not for he that is so vncertayne and wil speake so often agaynst him selfe I can not thinke hee will speake well of me except it make for hys purpose and profite but of this inough The causes why M. Bradford was cōdemned In deede the chiefe thing which I am condemned for as an hereticke is because I deny in the sacrament of the aultar whiche is not Christes supper but a playne peruerting of it being vsed as the papistes now vse it to be a reall naturall and corporall presence of Christes bodye and bloud vnder the formes and accidences of bread and wine Transubstantiation the deuills darling and daughter of Antichrist that is because I deny transubstantiation whiche is the dearling of the Deuill and daughter and heyre to Antichristes religion whereby the Masse is mayntayned Christes supper peruerted his sacrifice and Crosse imperfited hys Priesthood destroyed the ministery taken away repentaunce repelled and all true godlynes abandoned In the supper of our Lord or sacrament of Christes body and bloud I confesse and beleeue that there is a true and very presence of whole Christ God and man to the fayth of the receiuer but not of the stander by and looker on as there is a verye true presence of bread and wine to the sences of him that is partaker thereof This fayth this doctrine whiche consenteth with the worde of God and with the true testimony of Christes Church whiche the Popishe Churche doth persecute will I not forsake and therefore am I condemned as an hereticke and shall be burned But my dearely beloued this trueth whiche I haue taught and you haue receiued I beleued and do beleue and therein geue my life I hope in God shall neuer be burned bound nor ouercome but shall triumphe haue victorye and be at libertye maugre the head of all Gods aduersaries For there is no counsayle agaynst the Lord nor no deuise of man can be able to defeate the veritie in anye other then suche as be children of vnbeliefe whiche haue no loue to the truth and therefore are geuen vp to beleue lyes Frō which plague the Lord of mercies deliuer you and all the realme my deare harts in the Lord I humblie beseeche his mercy Amen M. Bradfordes farewell to the countrey of Lankeshire And to the ende you might be deliuered from thys plague right deare to me in the Lorde I shall for my fare well with you for euer in this present lyfe hartely desire you all in the bowels and bloud of our most mercifull Sauiour Iesus Christ to attend vnto these things which I now shall shortly write vnto you out of the holy scriptures of the Lord. You knowe an heauy plague or rather plagues of God is fallen vpon vs Gods manifold plagues vpon England in Q. Maryes dayes in takyng away our good Kyng Gods true Religion Gods true Prophetes and Ministers c. And setting ouer vs such as seeke not the Lorde after knowledge whose endeuours GOD prospereth wonderfully to the tryall of many that his people may bothe better knowe themselues The cause of Gods plagues is our iniquities and not knowing the tyme of Gods visitation and be knowen Nowe the cause hereof is our iniquities and greeuous sinnes We did not know the tyme of our visitation we were vnthankefull vnto God we contemned the Gospell carnally abused it to serue our hipocrisie our vaynglory our viciousnes auarice idlenes securitie c. Long did y e Lord linger and tary to haue shewed mercy vppon vs but we were euer longer the worse Therefore most iustly hath God dealt with vs and dealeth with vs yea yet we may see that his iustice is tempered with much mercy whereto let vs attribute that we are not vtterly consumed For if the Lord should deale with vs after our desertes alas howe coulde we abide it In his anger therfore seeyng hee doeth remember his mercye vndeserued yea vndesired on our behalfe let vs take occasion the more speedily to goe out to meete him not with force
and plagues behoâ—d hys iudgements where through learne to feare hym Beware of sinne as the serpent of the soule which spoileth vs of all our oâ— nature and seemely apparel in Gods sight Let Christ crucified be your booke to study on and that both night and day Marke your vocation and be diligent in the workes thereof Vse harty earnest prayer and that in spirit In all thyngs geue thanks to God our father through Christ. Labour to haue here lyfe euerlastyng begun in you for els it will not be elsewhere enioyed Set Gods iudgement often before your eyes that nowe examinyng your selfe you may make diligent sute and obtaine neuer to come into iudgement Vncouer your euils to God that he may couer theÌ„ Beware of this Antichristian trash defile not your selfe in soule or body therewith but accomplish holynes in the feare of God beare no yoke with vnbeleeuers Looke for the commyng of the Lord which is at hand by earnest prayer and godly 〈…〉 it God our father accomplish his good worke in you Amâ— Commend me to my good mother maistres Wilkinson to my very deare sister maistresse Warcuppe I shall daily commend you all to God and I pray you do the lyke for me Iohn Bradford ¶ To a friend of his instructing hym how he should aunswer his aduersaries MY good brother our mercifull God and deare Father through christ opeÌ„ your eyes effectually to see An other letter 〈◊〉 Bradfâ—â—â— his friâ—â—â— with iâ—â—structiâ—â— how â—â—â—swere 〈◊〉 aduersâ—â—â—â—â— your heart ardently to desire the euerlasting ioy which he hath prepared for his slaughter sheep that is for such as shrink not from his truth for any such stormes sake Amen When you shall come before the Magistrates to geue an aunswer of the hope which is in you do it with all reuerence and simplicity And because you may be somthing afrayd by the power of the Maiestrates cruelty which they will threaten against you I would you set before you the good father Moses to follow his example Exampâ—â— Moyses â—â—â—swering â—â—â—fore king Pharao for hee set the inuisible God before his eyes of fayth and with them looked vpon God and his glorious Maiestie and power as with his corporal eies he saw Pharao and all his fearefull terrors So doe you my dearely beloued let your inward eies geue such light vnto you that as you know you arâ— before the magistrates so and much more you they also are present before the face of God which will geue such wisedome to you fearing him and seeking his prayse as the enemies shall wonder at and further he will so order their harts and doyngs that they shall will they â—ill they serue Gods prouidence towards you which you can not auoyd though you would as shall be most to his glory and your euerlasting comfort Therefore my good brother let your whole study bee onely to please God put hym alwayes before your eies for he is on your right hand lest you should be mooued he is faithfull and neuer will suffer you to be tempted aboue that hee will make you able to beare Yea euery haire of your hed he hath numbred so that one of them shal not perish without his good will which cannot be but bee good vnto you in that he is become your father through Christ and therfore as he hath geuen you to beleue in hym God increase this beliefe in vs all so doth hee now graciously geue vnto you to suffer for his names sake the which you ought with all thankefulnesse to receiue in that you are made worthy to drinke of the self same cup which not only the very sonnes of God haue dronke of before you but euen the very natural sonne of God himself hath brought you good lucke Oh he of his mercy make vs thankefull to pledge him agayne Amen Because the chiefest matter they will trouble you and go about to deceiue you withall is the Sacrament not of Christes body and bloud but of the aulter as they call it thereby destroieng the Sacrament which Christ instituted I would you noted these two things First that the Sacrament of the aulter which the Priest offereth in the Masse and eateth priuately with himselfe is not the Sacrament of Christes body add bloud instituted by him as Christes institution plainely written and set foorth in the scriptures beyng compared to their vsing of it playnely doth declare Againe if they talke with you of Christes Sacrament instituted by him whether it be Christes body or no aunswer them that as to the eyes of your reason to your tast and corporall senses it is bread and wyne and therfore the Scripture calleth it after the consecration so eueÌ„ so to the eyes taste and senses of your faith which ascendeth to the right hand of God in heauen where Christ sitteth it is in very deed Christs body and bloud which spiritually your soule feedeth on to euerlasting life in faith and by faith eueÌ„ as your body presently feedeth on the sacramentall bread and sacramentall wyne By this meanes as you shall not allow transubstantiation nor none of their popish opinions so shal you declare the Sacrament to be a matter of faith and not of reason as the Papistes make it For they deny Gods omnipotencie in that they say Christ is not there if bread bee there but fayth looketh on the omnipotencie of God ioined with this promise and doubteth not but that Christ is able to geue that he promiseth vs spiritually by fayth the bread still remaining in substaÌ„ce as wel as if the substance of bread were takeÌ„ away for Christ saith not in any place this is no bread But of this geare God shal instruct you if you hang on his promise and pray for the power wisdome of his spirit which vnâ—oubtedly as you are bounde to looke for praying for it so he hath bound himselfe by his promise to geue it the which thing graunt vnto vs both and to all his people for his names sake thorough Christ our Lord Amen Iohn Bradford ¶ To certaine godly men whome he exhorteth to bee pacient vnder the crosse and constant in the true doctrine which they had professed MY dearely beloued in the Lord as in him I wish you well to fare so I pray God I and you may continue in his true seruice that perpetually we may enioy the same welfare as here in hope so in heauen in deed and eternally You know this world is not your home but a pilgrimage place wherein God trieth hys children and therfore as it knoweth you not nor can know you so I trust you know not it that is you allow it not nor in any poynt will seeme so to doe although by many you be occasioned thereto For this hote sunne which now shineth burneth so sore that the corne which is sowen vppon sande and stony ground beginneth to wither that is many which before tymes were taken for harty
Lorde meekly paciently gaue himselfe to the stake where with a corde drawne about his neck he was secretly strangled of the hangman in the Cittie of Ferraria three houres before day to the intent y e people shuld not see him nor heare him speake and after about dinner time his body in the same place was burned At the burning whereof such a fragrant and odoriferous sent came to all them there present A myracle as it is reported and so stroke theyr senses that the sweetenes therof semed to refresh them no lesse then hys words would haue done if they had heard him speake The custome is of that cittie that the bones and ashes which be lefte The death and martyrdome of Faninus should be caryed out of the city but neyther the magistrate nor the Byshop nor hys great Uicar or Chauncellor nor anye Diuine els would take any charge thereof euery man transferring that burden from themselues to him whiche was the cause of hys death Wherby it may appeare what secret iudgement and estimation all they had of that good blessed man At last the people tooke his burned bones with the cinders and caried them out of the streete of the Citie Ex Henri Pantal lib. 7. Ex Ioan Crisp. pag. 363. The name of the persecutor in the story appeareth not Dominicus de Basana Dominicus de Basana martyr At Placentia Ann. 1550. The same yeare y t the foresayd Faninus suffered in Ferraria Dominicus also suffered in the Citie of Placentia This Dominicus was Cittizen in Basana and followed the wars of Charles the Emperour in Germany where he receiued the first taste of Christes gospel Wherin he encreased more more by conferring reasoning with learned men so y t in shorte tyme hee was able to instruct manye and so did working and traueling in the Churche till at length in y e yeare 1550. he comming to y e City of Naples there preached the worde from thence proceding to Placencia preached there likewise vnto y e people of true confession of Purgatorye of Pardons Furthermore the next day entreated of true fayth of good workes howe farre they are necessary to saluation promising moreouer y e nexte daye to speake of Antichrist and to paynt him out in his colours Antichrist can not abyde to be detected When the houre came that he should begin hys sermon the magistrate of the cittye commaunded hym to come downe from the chayre in the market place deliuered him to the officers Dominicus was willing ready to obey the commaundement saying that hee did much maruayle that the deuill could suffer hym so long in that kind of exercise From thence he was led to the bishops Chauncellour and asked whether he was a priest and how he was placed in that function He answered that he was no priest oâ— the pope but of Iesus Christ by whom he was lawfully called to that office Then was he demaunded whether he would renounce hys doctrine He answered that he mayntayned no doctrine of hys owne but onely the doctrine of Christ whiche also he was readye to seale with hys bloud and also gaue harty thankes to God wbiche so accepted hym as worthye to glorifie hys name with his martyrdome Upon this he was committed to a filthy and stinking prison Where after he had remayned a few monthes he was exhorted diuers tymes to reuoke otherwise he should suffer but still he remayned constaunt in hys doctrine The martiâ—dome of Dominicus de Bassana Wherupon when the tyme came assigned for his punishment he was brought to the market place wher he preached and there was hanged Who most hartely praying â—or his enemies so finished his dayes in this miserable wretched world Ex Pantal. lib. 7. The byshop of Santangelo hys priestes Galeazius Trecius At the Cittye called Laus Pompeia in Italy Ann. 1551. Santangelo is a certayne fortresse or castle in Italy within Lombardy Galeazius Trecius martyr not farre from the Cittye called Laus Pompeia belongyng also to the same dioces In this sort of Santangelo was an house of Augustine Friers vnto whome vsed muche to resorte a certayne fryer of the same order dwelling at Pauia named Maianardus a man well expert in the study of scripture and of a godly conuersation By this Maianardus diuers not onely of the Fryers but also of other townesmen were reduced to the loue knowledge of Gods worde to the detestatioÌ„ of the popes abuses AmoÌ„g whom was also this Galeazius a gentle man of a good calling welthy in worldly substaunce and very beneficiall to the pâ—ore Who first by conference with y e fryers and also with hys brother in law began to conceaue some light in Gods truth and afterwarde was confirmed more thoroughly by Caelius Secundus Curio who then being driuen by persecution came from Pauia to the sayd place of Santangelo In proces of tyme as this Galeazius encreased in iudgement and zeale in settyng forward the wholesome word of Gods grace as a light shining in darkenes coulde not so lye hyd but at last in the yeare of our Lorde 1551. certayne were sent from the forenamed Cittie of Laus Pompeia to lay handes vppon hym The iniurious fraudulent dealyng of the Papistes and brought hym to the bishops Pallace where he was kept in handes hauing vnder hym but onely a pad oâ— straw Although his wife sent vnto him a good fetherbed with shetes to lye in yet the Byshops chaplaynes and officers kept it froÌ„ him deuiding the pray among theÌ„selues When the tyme came that he should be examined he was thrise brought before the Commissioners where he rendered reasons and causes of hys fayth answering to theyr interrogatories w t such euidence of Scriptures constancy of mind that he was an admiration to them that that heard hym Albeit not long after through the importunate perswasions of hys kinsfolkes frendes and other colde Gospellers laying many considerations before hys eyes Galeazius relenteth he was brought at length to assent to certain points of the popes doctrine But yet the mercye of God which began with him so left him not but brought him againe to suche repentance bewayling of his facte that he became afterward according to the example of Peter Galeazius repenteth and S. Cyprian and other doublewise more valiaunt in defence of Christes quarrell neither did he euer desire any thing more then occasion to be offered to recouer agayne by confession that he had lost before by denyall affirming that hee neuer felt more ioy of hart then at the tyme of his examinations where hee stoode thrise to the constant confession of the truth and contrary that he neuer tasted more sorrow in al his life then when he slipt afterward from the same by dissimulation Declaryng moreouer to hys brethren A sentence of a martyr to be marked that death was muche more sweete vnto him with testimony of the veritie then
soone as he came vnto him Frith by and by began in the Latine tongue to bewaile his captiuitie The Schoolemaister by and by beinge ouercome wyth his eloquence did not onely take pitie and compassion vppon him but also began to loue and embrace such an excellent witte and disposition vnlooked for especially in such a state miserie Afterward they conferring more together vpon many things as touching the Uniuersities scholes and tongues fell from the Latine into the Greeke Wherin Frith dyd so inflame the loue of that Schoolemaister towardes him that he brought him into a marueilous admiration especiallye when the Schoolemaister hearde him so promptly by hart rehearse Homers verses out of his first booke of Illiades Whereuppon the Shoolemaister weÌ„t with all speede vnto the Magistrates greeuously complaining of the iniurie which they did shew vnto so excellent and innocent a young man Thus Frith through the helpe of the schoolemaster was freely dimitted out of the stockes Iohn Frith through the helpe of the Schoolemaister was deliuered out of the stockes set at libertie without punishment Albeit this his safetie continued not loÌ„g thorow the great hatred and deadly pursuit of sir Tho. More who at that time being Chauncelour of Englande persecuted him both by land and sea besetting all the waies and hauens yea promising great rewardes if any maÌ„ could bring him any newes or tydings of him Thus Frith beinge on euerye part beset with toubles not knowing whiche way to turne hym Syr Tho. More a deadly persecuter of Iohn Fryth seeketh for some place to hyde him in Thus fleeting from one place to an other and often chaunging both his garmentes and place yet coulde he be in safetie in no place no not long amongst his frindes so that at the last being trayterouslye taken as ye shall after heare hee was sent vnto the Tower of London wheras he had many conflicts with the bishops but specially in writyng with Syr Thomas Moore The occasioÌ„ of Frythes writing agaynst More The first occasion of his writyng was this Uppon a tyme hee had communicatioÌ„ with a certaine olde familiar freende of his touching the SacrameÌ„t of the body bloud of Christ. The whole effecte of which disputation consisted specially in these foure poyntes 1 FIrst that the matter of the sacrament is no necessarye article of fayth vnder payne of damnation 2. Secondly that for somuch as Christes naturall bodye in like condition hath all properties of our bodye sinne onely except it it cannot be neyther is it agreable vnto reason that he should be in two places or moe at once contrarye to the nature of oure bodye 3. Moreouer it shall not seeme meete or necessarye that wee should in this place vnderstand Christes words according to the literall sense but rather accordyng to the order and phrase of speache comparing phrase wyth phrase accordyng to the Analogie of the Scripture 4. Last of all how that it ought to be receaued accordyng to the true and right institution of Christ albeit that the order which at thys tyme is crept into the Church and is vsed now a dayes by the Priestes do neuer so much differ from it And for somuche as the treatise of this disputation seemed somewhat loÌ„g The occasioÌ„ of Frythes writyng vppon the Sacrament his frend desired hym that such things as he had reasoned vpon he would briefly committe vnto writing and geue vnto hym for the helpe of his memory Frith albeit he was vnwilling and not ignoraunt howe daungerous a thing it was to enter into suche a contentious matter at y e last notwithstanding he being ouercome by the intreaty of hys frend rather followed hys wil then looked to his owne safegard There was at that tyme in London a Taylor named William Holt which fayning a great frendshyp towarde this party William Holte a Iudas instantly required of him to geue him licence to read ouer that same writing of Frithes whiche when hee vnaduisedly dyd the other by and by caryed it vnto More being theÌ„ Chauncellour which thing afterward was occasion of great trouble and also of death vnto y e said Frith Syr Tho. More ChauÌ„celâ—r For More hauing gotten a copy of this booke not onely of this Sicophant but also two other copies whiche at the same time in a maner were sent hym by other promoters he whetted his wittes and called his spirites together as much as he might meaning to refute his opinioÌ„ by a contrary booke This in a maner was the whole summe of the reasons of Frithes booke First to declare the Popes beliefe of the Sacrament to be no necessary article of our faith that is to say that it is no article of our fayth necessary to be beleued vnder payne of damnation The summe 〈◊〉 â—rythe 〈◊〉 of the Sacrament that the Sacrament should be the naturall body of Chryst. Whych he thus prooueth For many so beleue yet in so beleuing the Sacrament to bee y e naturall bodye are not thereby saued but receyue it to their damnation Agayne in beleuyng the Sacrament to bee the naturall body yet that naturall presence of his body in the bread is not that which saueth vs The not beleuâ—â—â— the coâ—poâ—all 〈◊〉 of Christ in the Sacraments is no damnation but his presence in our harts by fayth And likewise the not beleuing of his bodyly presence in the Sacrament is not the thynge that shall damne vs but the absence of him out of our hart through vnbeliefe And if it be obiected y t it is necessary to beleue gods worde vnder payne of damnation to that he aunswereth that the woorde taken in the right sense as Christ meant mayntayneth no such bodyly presence as the Popes churche dothe teache but rather a Sacramentall presence And that saith he may be further confirmed thus ¶ Argument None of the olde fathers before Chrystes incarnation were bound vnder paine of damnatioÌ„ to beleue this point Ce All we be saued by the same fayth that the olde fathers were la. Ergo none of vs are bounde to beleue this point vnder paâ—â—e of damnation â—ent The first parte sayth he is euydent of it selfe For howe coulde they beleue that which they neuer hearde nor sawe The seconde part sayth he appeareth plainly by sainct Augustine August ad Dardanum writinge ad Dardanum and also by an hundreth places more Neither is there any thing that he doth more often inculcate theÌ„ this that the same fayth y t saued our Fathers saueth vs also And therfore vppon the truth of these two parts thus proued must the coÌ„clusion saith he nedes folowe ¶ An other Argument None of y t olde fathers before Christes incarnation did eate Christ corporally in their signes but only mistically spiritually and were saued Al we do eate Christ euen as they did and are saued as they were Ergo none of vs do eate Christe corporally but mystycally and spiritually in our signes
therefore Chrisostome a little before the woordes whiche they alleadged sayth Lifte vp your mynds and hartes Wherby he admonysheth vs to look vpon and consider those heauenly thynges whiche are represented and signified by the bread and wyne and not to marke the bread and wyne it selfe Here they sayde that was not Chrisostomes minde but that by this example hee declareth that there remayned no bread nor wine Al misteries to be seene with inward eyes I aunswered that was false for the example that he taketh tendeth to no other purpose but to call away our spirituall eyes from the beholdyng of visible thynges and to transport them an other waye as if the thynges that are seene were of no force Therefore he draweth awaye our mynde from the consideration of these thinges and fixeth it vppon him whiche is signified vnto vs by the same The very woordes whiche followe sufficiently declare thys to be the true meaning of the authour where as he commaundeth vs to consider all thynges with our inward eyes that is to say spiritually But whether Chrisostomes woordes doe tend eyther to to this or that sense Chrisostom agaynst the popish doctrine of the Sacrament yet do they indifferētly make on our part agaynst our aduersaryes which way so euer we doe vnderstand them For if he thought that the bread and wyne doe remayne we haue no further to trauayle but if he meant contrariwyse that they doe not remayne but that the natures of the bread and wyne are altered then are the bread and wyne falsely named Sacramentes and mysteryes The obiection of Chrisostom auoided by a-Dilemma whiche can be sayd in no place to be in the nature of thynges For that whiche is in no place howe can it be a Sacrament or supplye the roume of a mysterye Finally if hee speake onely of the outwarde fourmes and shapes as we call them it is most certayne that they doe continually remayne and that they by the substaunce of the bodye are not consumed in anye place wherefore it must necessarily followe the woordes of Chrisostome to be vnderstanded in suche sense as I haue declared Here peraduenture many would maruaile that for somuch as the matter touching the substaunce of the Sacrament A question asked with the cause declared why that seeing the matter of the sacramēt it selfe importeth neither saluation nor damnatyon why then Frythe offereth himselfe to death for the same beyng seperate from the articles of fayth and binding no man of necessitie eyther vnto saluation or damnation whether hee beleeue it or not but rather may be left indifferently vnto all men freely to iudge eyther on the one part or on the other accordyng to hys owne mynde so that neyther part do contemne or despise the other but that all loue and charitie be still holden and kept in this dissension of opinions what then the cause is why I would therfore so willingly suffer death The cause why I dye is this for that I can not agree with the diuines other head Prelates that it shuld be necessarily determined to be an article of fayth and that we should beleeue vnder payne of damnation the substaunce of the bread and wyne to be chaunged into the body and bloud of our sauioure Iesus Christe the fourme and shape onely not being chaunged Whiche thing if it were most true as they shall neuer be able to proue it by any authority of the Scripture or Doctours yet shall they not so bring to passe that that doctrine were it neuer so true shoulde be holden for a necessarye article of fayth For there are many thinges both in the Scriptures and other places whiche we are not bounde of necessitye to beleeue as an article of fayth So it is true that I was a prisoner and in bondes when I wrote these thinges and yet for all that I will not holde it as an article of fayth * * This is to be weyed with tyme when Frythe wrote but that you may without daunger or damnation eyther beleeue it or thinke the contrarie But as touchinge the cause why I cannot affirme the doctrine of Transubstantiation diuers reasons doe leade me thereunto First for that I do playnelye see it to be false and vaine and not to be grounded vpon anye reason either of the Scriptures Three causes why transubstātiation is not to be be beleued or of approued Doctours Secondly for that by my exāple I woulde not be an author vnto Christians to admit any thing as a matter of fayth more then the necessary points of ther Creed wherein the whole summe of oure saluation doth consist specially such thinges The 2. cause the beliefe whereof haue no certaine argument of authoritie or reason I added moreouer that their Church as they call it hath no such power and authoritie that it eyther ought or maye binde vs vnder the peril of our soules to the beleuing of any such articles Thirdlye because I will not for the fauour of our Diuynes or Priestes be preiudiciall in this poynt The third cause vnto so manye nations of Germaines Heluetians and other whiche altogether reiecting the transubstantiation of the bread and wyne into the bolye and bloud of Christ are all of the same opinion that I am as wel those that take Luthers part as those which holde with Oecolampadius Which thinges standing in this case I suppose there is no mā of any vpright conscience which will not allow the reason of my death which I am put vnto for this only cause that I do not think transubstantiation although it were true in deede to be establyshed for an article of faith And thus muche hytherto as touching the articles and whole disputation of Iohn Frith whiche was done wyth all moderation and vprightnesse But when as no reason woulde preuaile against the force and crueltie of these furious foes the xx day of Iune in the yeare of oure Lorde 1533. hee was brought before the Byshoppes of London Winchester and Lincolne who sitting in Paules vpō Friday the xx day of Iune ministred certaine interrogatories vpon the Sacrament of the Supper and Purgatorie vnto the sayde Frith as is aboue declared To the whiche when he had answeared shewed his minde in forme and effect as by his owne wordes aboue doth appeare hee afterward subscribed to his answears with his owne hand in these wordes Ego Frithus ita sentio quemadmodum sentio ita dixi scripsi asserui affirmaui That is to say The subscriptiō of Iohn Fryth ¶ I Frith thus doe thinke and as I thinke so haue I sayde written taught and affirmed and in my bookes haue published But when as by no meanes he coulde bee perswaded to recant these articles aforesaid neither be brought to beleue that the sacrament is an article of faith but said Fiat Iudicium iustitia Iohn Fryth condemned he was condemned by the Bishop of London to be burned and sentence geuen agaynst
as his death is present Ambros. de Sacram lib. 4. cap. 4. o. Ergo the precious bloud of Christ is not present really in the Sacrament The Minor of this argument is proued before by the wordes of Ambrose The second question Whether the body and bloud of Christ be in the bread and wine The second conclusion or vnder the formes of bread and wine carnally and corporally ¶ Argument Di The true natural body of Christ is placed in heauen sa The true naturall body of man can be but in one place at once where he is mis. Ergo the true naturall body of Christ can be in no place at once but in heauen where he is The Maior is playne by the Scriptures Iesus was taken vp to heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God Math. 26. Iohn 12. Math. 26 The poore ye haue alwayes with you but me you shall not alwayes haue Iohn 12. I leaue the world and go to my Father Ioh. 16. Many shal say in that day Loe here is Christ Iohn 16. Math. 24. and there is Christ beleue theÌ„ not Mat. 24. WhoÌ„ the heaueÌ„s must receiue for a time vntill the restitution of all Actes 3. Seeke those things that are aboue where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God c. Col. 3. The Minor likewise is euident by S. Austen who speaking of the glorified body of Christ Actes 3. Col. 3. August ad Dardanum affirmeth the same to be in one certayne place Propter veri corporis modum that is for the maner of a true body ¶ Argument Da Euery true naturall body requireth one certaine place August ri Christes body is a true naturall body j. Ergo Christes body requireth one certayne place ¶ Argument Comparatio a Maiori Austen giueth not to the soule of Christ to be in mo places at once but one August ad Dardanum Ergo much lesse is it to be giuen to the body of Christ to be in mo places at once but in one ¶ Argument The nature of the Aungels is not to be in diuers places Comparison betweene Aungels and the body of Christ. but they are limited to occupy one certaine place at once Basilius de spirit sanct cap. 22. Ergo the body of Christ being the true naturall body of a man can not fill diuers places at one time ¶ Argument Ba Whatsoeuer is in many diuers places at once is God ro The body of Christ is not God but a creature co Ergo the body of Christ can not be in moe places together ¶ Argument Fes We must not so defende the Diuinitie of Christ that we destroy his humanitie August ti If we assigâ—e to the body of Christ pluralitie of places we destroy his humanitie no. Ergo we must not assigne to the body of Christ pluralitie of places ¶ Argument Fes Whatsoeuer thing is circumscribed that is to say conteined in the limits of any peculiar place can not be dispersed in mo places at once ti The body of Christ is a thing circumscribed no. Ergo the body of Christ is not dispersed in mo places at one time ¶ Argument Da Euery quantitie that is euery body hauing magnitude length and other dimensions is circumscribed in one peculiar place ri The bodye of Christe hathe his dimensions and is a quantitie j. Ergo the body of Christ is circumscribed Cyrillus The Maior is proued by Cyrillus Whatsoeuer is vnderstanded to be a body Cyrillus De crenit Lib 2. pag. â—â—5 the same is verely in a place and in magnitude and in quantitie And if it be in quantitie it can not auoyd circumscription that is to haue his place ¶ Argument Ba If Christ had giuen his body substantially and carnally in the Supper then was that body either passible or impassible ro But neither can you say that body to be passible or impassible which he gaue at Supper co Ergo he did not giue his body substancially and carnally at Supper August The Minor is proued thus For if ye say it was passible August in Psal. 98. Austen is against it which sayth Ye shall not eate thys body which you see nor drinke the same bloud which they shall shed that shall crucifie me c. And if ye say it was impassible that may not be admitted by the words of the Euangelist which sayth Eate this is my body which shall be geuen for you So that that body was passible and not impassible wherein Christ was geuen Vigilius One creature can not receaue in it selfe two contrary or diuers thynges together Vigilius contra Eutichen lib. 4. But these two thyngs be diuers and farre vnlike that is to say to be conteyned in a place and to be euery where For the word is euery where but the fleshe is not euery where ¶ Argument Fe Bodyes origanicall without quantitie be no bodies ri The Popes doctrine maketh the body of Christ in the Sacrament to be without quantitie o. Ergo the Popes doctrine maketh the body of Christ in the Sacrament to be no body ¶ Argument Da All things which may be deuided haue quantitie ri The body in the Popes Sacrament is deuided in iij. partes j. Ergo the body in the Popes Sacrament hath quantitie which is against their owne doctrine ¶ Argument Fe No naturall body can receaue in it selfe and at one time contrary or diuers qualities Vigilius ri To be in one place locall and in another place not locall in one place with quantitie in another place without quantitie in one place circumscript in another place incircumscript is for a naturall body to receyue contrary qualities o. Ergo the body of Christ can not be in one place locall and in another not locall in one place with quantitie and in another without quantitie as our aduersaries do affirme ¶ Argument Fe The wicked receaue not the body of Christ. ri The wicked do receaue the body of Christ if transubstantiation be graunted son Ergo transubstantiation is not to be graunted in the Sacrament ¶ Argument for probation of the Maior Ca To eate Christ is for a man to haue Christ dwellyng and abiding in him Augustine mes The wicked haue not Christ dwelling in them tres Ergo the wicked eate not the body of the Lord. Cyprian Cyprianus de Coena Domini The eating of Christ is our abyding in hym Cyprian De Coenâ— Domini ¶ Argument Bo The holy Ghost could not come if the body of Christ were really present car That the holy Ghost is come it is most certayne do Ergo it can not be that Christ himselfe should be heere really present For proofe of the Maior Iohn 16. Vnlesse I go from you the holy Ghost shall not come It is expedient for you that I go hence Iohn 16. ¶ Argument of Peter Martyr Ba If the wicked and infidels doe receaue the bodye of Christ they receaue him either with sense or reason or
with fayth ro But they receaue him neither with sense reason nor with faith co Ergo wicked men and infidels receaue in no wise the body of Christ. For declaration of the Maior if yee say they receaue him with sense that is against their owne lore Declaratiâ—â— of the Maâ—ior for the body of Christ in the blessed Sacrament say they is not sensible nor to be perceaued by any sense neither with reason can they receaue him by their owne learning for so much as this Sacramente exceedeth all reason Nec fides habet meritum vbi ratio praebet experimentum And if ye say that they receaue him with faith how can that be seeing infidels haue no faith What is to eate the body of Christ the teachyng of the Papistes heerein is straunge and differeth from the olde Doctours For where the Papistes do teache What i◠〈◊〉 eate the body of Christ by the Papiâ—â— that wicked persons and infidels albeit they receaue not the effect of the Sacrament yet the matter of the Sacrament which is the very body of Christ they receiue with their mouth and with their sense the accidences of bread and thus imagine a certaine body of Christ suche as euill men and infidels may eate and yet being eaten it geueth them no nourishment nor life nor maketh them no partakers of his spirite and grace both Scripture and the auncient expositours of the Scripture do teach much otherwise For the Scripture knoweth no such kinde of eating Christes body but onely that which is fruitefull wholesome and effectuall What is 〈◊〉 eate the body of Christ bâ— Scripture Doctourâ— He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloud abideth in mee and I in him c. Iohn 6. And therefore it may appeare that the Scripture meaneth by eating Christes flesh to beleeue in Christes Passion which none can doe but onely the faithfull And to the same sense sound all the old Doctours Cyprianus That we should knowe that eatyng is our dwellyng in hym and our drinkyng is as it were Cyprian De 〈◊〉 Domini a certayne incorporation in hym Item the same Cyprian The eatyng therefore of hys fleshe is a certayne desire to abyde in hym The 〈◊〉 and infidâ—â— do not eaâ—â— the body 〈◊〉 Christ. and sayeth moreouer that none eateth of thys Lambe but suche as be true Israelites that is true Christen men without colour or dissimulation And agayne hee sayeth That as meate is to the fleshe the same is fayth to the soule the same is the woorde to the spirite c. Moreouer And therefore sayth hee doing this we whet not our teeth to bite but with pure faith we breake the holy bread and distribute it c. Augustinus It may not be sayde that any suche doe eate the body of Christ because they are accompted amongst the members of Christ. Neither can they be both members of Christ â—ugust De 〈◊〉 Lib â— cap. 25 â—â—hn 6. and members of an harlot c. Furthermore when Christ sayeth He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him hee sheweth what it is not Sacramentally but in deede to eate hys body and drinke his bloud which is when a man so dwelleth in Christ that Christ dwelleth in him For so Christ spake those wordes as if hee shoulde saye he that dwelleth not in me and in whome I dwell not let him not say nor thinke that he eateth my body or drinketh my bloud Also in other places the sayde Austen affirmeth that to drinke is to liue And sayeth moreouer Why preparest thou thy belly and thy teeth beleeue and thou hast eaten c. All which kindes of eating can not be sayd of the wicked and infidels but only of the godly and faithfull And thus briefly we haue runne ouer all the arguments and authorities of Peter Martyr in that disputation at Oxford with Doctour Tresham Chadsey and Morgan before the Kings visitours aboue named an 1549. Furthermore who so listeth more fully to be satisfied and resolued in all the occurrents touching the matter of thys Sacrament let him reade the bookes first of the Archbishop Cranmer against Winchester Secondly the tractation of Peter Martyr made in Oxford translated and extant in English and thirdly the booke of Bishop Ridley made in prison called A briefe declaration of the Lordes Supper The lyke disputation also about the same time was appointed and commensed at Cambridge coÌ„cerning the same matter of the Sacrament the Kings visitours being directed downe for the same purpose by the King The names of which visitours were these Nicholas Ridley Byshop of Rochester Thomas Bishop of Ely M. Iohn Cheeke the Kings Scholemaister Doctour May Ciuilian and Thomas Wendy the Kings Phisician The conclusions in that disputation propounded were these The first disputation holden at Cambridge the 20. day of Iune ann 1549. before the Kings Maiesties Commissioners by Doctor Madew respondent whose first conclusion was this Transubstantiation can not be prooued by the playne and manifest wordes of Scripture nor can thereof be necessarily collected nor yet confirmed by the consents of the auncient Fathers for these thousande yeares past Doctour Glin M. Langedale M. Segewike M. Yong opponents Doctour Madew FIrst of all quoth he I am very sory and do not a little lament the shortnes of time to declare and discusse such waighty matters of Religion in as these be But that notwithstaÌ„ding if I had had more plenty of time indeede yet you shall vnderstande how that I haue euer both in hart and mind if otherwise I could haue auoided it abhorred all scholasticall disputations and subtile sophistications In consideration whereof I beseech those that are to dispute not to alledge or bring foorth any dismembred or curteled sentences or wrested as hapneth many times but the whole and full sentences eyther of the Scriptures or of the auncient Doctors yea and to auouch suche Authors sayings as are not suspected or fayned but suche as be theyr owne very sayings indeede which if they do there is no doubt but the cleare light of this our disputation shall the sooner appeare and be manifest to this auditorie And for a further declaration of my part you shall vnderstande that this my preface in my said former most catholique godly conclusion shall consist in three principall points 1. First what thing it was that Christ gaue to his disciples 2. Secondly what season or time this transubstantiation did begin 3. Thirdly how many diuelish abhominatioÌ„s haue ensued vpon that horrible and pestileÌ„t inuention As concerning the first that is what thing Christ gaue to his disciples that may very well appeare euen by our owne naturall sences as namely by the sight by the touching by the tasting whiche can not be deceiued of their naturall iudgement For the eye seeth nothing but bread and wine the tasting sauoureth nothing else and the handes touche nothing else He gaue also to their vnderstanding not â—â—ly his
offering hath he made perfect for euer those that are sanctified 〈◊〉 10. These scriptures do perswade me to beleeue that there is no other oblation of Christ albeit I am not ignoraunt there are many sacrifices but that which was once made vpon the crosse 〈…〉 offered 〈◊〉 once 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 Epist. 〈◊〉 August 〈…〉 coÌ„â—tanstum 〈◊〉 â—1 The testimonies of the auncient Fathers which confirme the same are out of Augustine ad Bonifac. Epist. 23. Agayne in his booke of 43. Questions in the 61. Question Also in his 20. booke agaynst Faustus the Manichie cha 21. And in the same booke agaynst the sayd Faustus cap. 28. thus he writeth Now the Christians keepe a memoriall of the sacrifice past with a holy oblation and participation of the body and bloud of Christ. Fulgentius in hys booke De Fide calleth the same oblation a Commemoration And these thynges are sufficient for this tyme for a scholasticall detâ—rmination of these matters Disputations of Martin Bucer OUer and beside these disputations aboue mentioned other disputations also were holden at Cambridge shortly after by Martin Bucer vppon these conclusions followyng Conclusions to be disputed 1. The Canonicall bookes of holy Scripture alone Conclusions disputed at CaÌ„bridge by Martin Bucer do sufficiently teach the regenerated all thinges necessarily belongyng vnto saluation 2. There is no Church in earth which erreth not as well in faith as in maners 3. We are so iustified freely of God that before our iustification it is sinne and prouoketh Gods wrath agaynst vs what so euer good worke we seeme to doe Then beyng iustified we do good workes In these three Propositions agaynst Bucer disputed M. Segewike Yong and Perne Disputers agaynst M. Bucer at Cambridge Which disputations because they are long here to be recited I mynde the Lord willyng to reserue them to some other conuenient place In the meane season because great controuersie hath bene and is yet amongst the learned and much effusion of Christen bloud about the wordes and meanyng of the Sacrament to the intent that the veritie thereof more openly may be explained and all doubtfull scruples discussed it shall not be out of place to adioyne to the former discourses of Peter Martyr and of Doctour Ridley aboue mentioned an other certayne learned treatise in fourme of a Dialogue as appertaynyng to the same Argument compiled as it seemeth out of the tractations of Peter Martyr and other Authours A learned Dialogue betweene Custome and Truth by a certayne learned and reuerend person of this Realme who vnder the persones of Custome and Veritie manifestly layeth before our eyes and teacheth all men not to measure Religion by Custome but to try Custome by truth and the word of God for els custome may soone deceyue but the worde of God abydeth for euer A fruitfull Dialogue declaring these wordes of Christ This is my body CVSTOME VERITIE CVstome I maruell much what madnes is cropen into those mens harts A Dialogue betwene Custome and Veritye which now a days are not ashamed so violently to tread downe the liuely worde of God yea and impudently to deny God hymselfe Veritie God forbid there should be any such In deede I remember that the Romish bishop was wont to haue the Bible for his footestoole so to tread downe Gods worde euermore when he stood at his Masse But thankes be to God he is now detected and hys abhominations be opened and blown throughout all the world And I heare of no moe that oppresseth Gods word Cust. No mo say you Yes doubtles there are an hundreth thousand moe and your parte it is Veritie to withstande them Veri As touching my part you know it agreeth not with my nature to stand with falsehood But what are they disclose them if you will haue them reprooued Custome What are you so great a stranger in these quarters Heare you not how that meÌ„ do daily speake against the Sacrament of the aulter denying it to be the real body of Christ Veritie In good sooth I haue bene a great whyle abroade and returned but of late into this countrey Wherfore you must pardon me if my aunswere be to seeke in such questions But goe foorth in your tale You haue bene longer here and are better acquainted then I. What say they more then this Cust. Then this why what can they possible say more Veri Yes there are many things worse then this for this seemeth in some part to be tollerable Cust. What me thinketh you dally with me Semeth it tolerable to deny the sacrament Veritie They deny it not so much as I can gather by your wordes Custome Nay then fare you wel I perceyue you wil take their part Veri I am not parciall but indifferent to all parties For I neuer go further then the truth Cust. I can scarsly beleue you But what is more true then Christ which is truth it self or who euer was so hardy before this tyme to charge Christ with a lye for sayeng these wordes Math. 26. This is my body The words are euident playne there is in them not so much as one obscure or darke letter there is no cause for any man to cauill And yet that notwithstanding where as Christ himselfe affirmed it to be his body Christs wordes The Euangelistes The old writers The Catholicke Church meÌ„ now a days are not abashed to say Christ lyed it is not his body The Euangelists agree all in one the old writers stand of our side the vniuersall and catholike church hath bene in this mynd these xv hundred yeare and more And shall we thinke that Christ hymselfe hys Euangelists all the whole Catholike church hath bene so long deceyued and the truth nowe at length begotten and borne in these dayes Veri You haue mooued a matter of great force and waight and whereto without many words I can make no ful answer Notwithstanding because you prouoke me thereto if you will geue me licence I will take part with them of whome you haue made false report The doctrine of the Papistes coÌ„monly standeth vpon false reporters for none of them euer reproued Christ of any lye But contrarywise they say that many men of late days not vnderstanding Christs words haue builded and set vp many fonde lyes vpon hys name Wherfore first I will declare the meaning of these words This is my body The sense of Hoc est corpus meum expounded and next in what sense the Church and the old fathers haue euermore taken them First therefore you shall vnderstand that Scripture is not so to be taken always as the letter soundeth but as the intent and purpose of the holy ghost was by whom the scripture was vttred For if you follow the bare wordes you will soone shake downe ouerthrow the greatest part of the christiaÌ„ fayth What is plainer then these words Pater maior me est My father is greater then I am
de eo qui se dixit panem esse aeternae vitae All mysteries must be considered with inwarde eyes that is to say spiritually As the inwarde eyes when they see the bread they passe ouer the creatures neither do they thinke of that bread which is baked of the baker but of him which called himself the bread of eternal life For these two causes the bread and wine are called the body and bloud of Christe Nowe I thinke you are satisfied concerning the meaning of these woordes This is my body Cust. Yet one thing mooueth me very much Veri What is that Cust. The Doctors and old wryters men inspired with the holy Ghost haue euermore bene against your doctrine Custome standeth vpon authority coÌ„mon voyce Yea and in these daies the wisest men and best learned call you heretickes and your learning heresie Veri As touching the olde wryters I remember well they speake reuerently of the Sacramentes like as euery man ought to doe The right meaning of the Doctours misconstrued of custome keepers But where as they deliuer their minde wyth the right hand you Custome receiue it wyth the lefte For where as they say that it is the bodye of Christe and that it must be verely eaten meaning that it doeth effectually lay before the eyes Christes body and that it is to the faithfull man no lesse then if it were Christe him selfe and that Christe must be eaten in faith not torne nor rent wyth the teeth The Doctours how they call the Sacrament the body of Christ why The wordes of the Doctours against the Popes doctrine you say that howsoeuer it be taken it is Christes bodye and that there is none other eatyng but wyth the mouth And that the fathers meant no other thing then I haue sayde it shall appeare by their wordes But as touching the learned and wise men of these dayes I can not blame them if they call my doctrine heresie for they would condemne al auncient wryters of heresie if they were now aliue But I will aunsweare you to them anone In the meane while marke you how well their learning agreeth They say you must follow the letter you must sticke to the letter Origines in Leuit Hom. 17. But Origenes sayeth Si secundum literam sequaris id quod scriptum est nisi manducaueritis carnem filij hominis non erit vita in vobis ea litera occidit If ye folow after the letter that which is wrytten vnlesse yee shall eate the flesh of the sonne of man August de doctrina Christiana Lib. 3 cap. 16. there shal be no life in you this letter killeth Augustine in the third booke De doctrina Christiana Principio cauendum est ne figuratam dictionem secundum literam accipias Ad hoc enim pertinet id quod ait Apostolus 2. Cor. 3. litera occidit Cum enim figuratè dictum sic accipitur tanquam propriè dictum sit carnaliter sapitur neque vlla animae mors congruentius appellatur i. First thou muste beware that thou take not a figuratiue speache after the letter For thereto pertaineth that the Apostle sayeth The letter killeth For when a thing is spiritually meant and the same is takeÌ„ litterally and properly spoken that is a carnall taking Neither can any other be called the killing of the soule rather then that And in the same booke he teacheth a man to know the plain sense from a figure August de doctrina Christiana Lib. 3. cap. 16. saying thus Si praeceptiua loquntio est flagitium iubens aut beneficentiam vetans figurata est Nisi mâ—nducaueritis carnem filij hominis biberitis eius sanguinem non erit vita in vobis Flagitium videtur iubere Ergo Figura est praecipiens passioni Domini esse communicandum A rule to know a figuratiue speach from the litterall suauiter in memoria recoÌ„dendum quòd pro nobis caro eius crucifixa sit i. If the commaunding speach be such as commandeth a thing wicked and horrible to be done or a charitable thing to be vndone then this is a figuratiue speach Unlesse ye shal eat the flesh of the sonne of man and shall drinke his bloud there shall be no life in you Because in this speach he seemeth to commaund a wicked thing it is therefore a figuratiue speache commaunding that we should communicate with the passion of our Lorde and sweetely to retaine it in our remembraunce In like manner Chrysostome plucketh you from the plaine letter and the bare woordes by this saying Caro non prodest hoc est secundum spiritum verba mea intelligenda sunt Quia qui secundum carnem audit nihil lucratur Quid est autem carnaliter intelligere Chrisost. in Ioan. hom 46. Simpliciter vt res dicuntur neque aliud quip piam cogitare Non enim ita iudicanda sunt quae videntur sed mysteria omnia interioribus oculis videnda sunt hoc est spiritualiter i. The flesh profiteth not that is to say my wordes must be taken and expounded after the spirite For hee that heareth after the flesh gaineth nothing Nowe what is it to vnderstaÌ„d carnally To take things simply as they be spoken and not to consider any meaning further therein For things must not be iudged as they are seene but all mysteries must be seene with inwarde eyes that is to say spiritually What is so hainous in these dayes as to cal the Sacrament the token or the remembrance of Christes body Yet did the olde wryters in manner neuer call it other Tertullian in the 4. booke against the Martionistes Christus accepit panem â—â—rtullianus â—â—ntra Martion Lib. 4. corpus suum fecit Hoc est corpus meuÌ„ dicendo id est figura corporis mei Christ took bread made it hys body saying This is my body that is to say a figure of my body Ambrose vpon the 11. to the Corinthians Quia morte Domini liberati sumus huius rei memores in edendo potando Ambros. â— 1. Cor. 1â— carnem sanguinem quae pro nobis oblata sunt significamus Because we are deliuered by the Lords death in y e remembraunce of the same by eating and drinking we signify the body and bloud which were offered vp for vs. Chrisost. Matth. Hom. â—3 Chrysostome in the lxxxiij Homily vpon the Gospel of Mathew Quando dicunt vndè patet Christum immolatum fuisse haec adferentes eorum ora consuimus Si enim mortuus Christus non est cuius Symbolum ac signum hoc sacrificium est When they obiect vnto vs and aske howe knowe you that Christe was offered vppe then alledging these things we stoppe theyr mouthes For if Christ died not then whose signe or token is this sacrifice Augustine to Adimantus Non dubitauit Christus dicere Hoc est corpus meum cum daret signum corporis sui August 〈◊〉 Adimanâ—â—â— Christ doubted
wee say that there is a great difference and separation betwixt the body in the which Christe suffered and the bloud which he shed vpon the Crosse thys body which euery day is celebrated in the mysterie of the Passion of Christe For this body is a pledge and a similitude but the other is the very truthe it selfe Ergo it appeareth that these two are seperated a sunder by no lesse difference then is betweene a pledge and the thing whereof y ◠pledge is geuen or then is betweene an Image of a thing and the thing it selfe whereof the Image is or then is betwene the forme of a thing and the veritie it selfe This wrote Bertramus Druthmarus manye other Bertramus Ioan. Scotus Druthmarus and yet were neuer in all their time once reprooued of heresie Thys wrote Ioannes Scotus also in whose life time men had not eies to espie his heresies But about 200. yeare after his death he was iudged and condemned for an hereticke his bookes burned in a Councell holden at Vercellae in Lombardie in the yeare of our Lorde God .1015 Bertramus condemned for an hereticke 200. yeares after his death Since which time euen vntill this day although Idolatrye had great encrease yet there neuer wanted some good men whiche boldly woulde professe and sette foorth the truth although they were well assured that theyr worldly reward shoulde be spite malice imprisonning sworde fire and all kindes of tormentes Thus so shortly and in so few woordes as I could I haue declared to you what Christe meant by these woordes This is my bodye what the Apostles thought therein in what sorte they deliuered them to theyr successors in what sense and meaning the holy Fathers and olde wryters and the Uniuersall and Catholicke Churche hath euermore taken them The ende and deceasse of king Edward the sixt THus hauing discoursed thinges done and past vnder the raigne of king Edwarde The decease of king Edward .6 suche as seemed not vnfruitfull to be knowen we will now draw to the ende and death of this blessed king our young Iosias Who about a yeare and a halfe after the death of the Duke of Somerset hys Uncle Anno 1553. in the yeare of our Lorde 1553. entring into the 17. yeare of his age and the 7. yeare of his raigne in the month of Iune was takē from vs for our sinnes no dout Whome if it had so pleased the good wil of the Lord to haue spared with longer life not vnlike it was by all cōiectures probably to be esteemed by those his towarde and blessed beginnings but proceeding so as he began he would haue reformed suche a Common wealth heere in the Realme of England as by good cause it might haue bene sayd of hym y t was sayd in y e olde time of the noble Emperour Augustus in reforming and aduauncing the Empire of Rome Quam quum ille lateritiam vt aiebat accepit Ex Suetonio marmoream reliquit Which Empire he receiued he sayd of bricke but he left it of fine Marble But the condition of this Realme and the customable behauiour of English people whose propertie is commonly to abuse the lighte of the Gospell when it is offered deserued no suche benefite of so blessed a reformation but rather a contrarye plague of deformation suche as hapned after his raigne as ye shall heare the Lord graunting in the nexte Queenes dayes that followed Thus then this godly and vertuous Impe in the time and moneth aboue mentioned was cut from vs of whose worthy life and vertues haue bene partly afore declared Neuerthelesse to haue some monument of him remaining to testifie of the good nature and gentle disposition of that Prince we will adde heere for a remembraunce thys little Epistle of his own hand wryting to the Archb. of Canterbury his Godfather as followeth An Epistle of yong Prince Edward to the Archb. of Canterbury his Godfather Prince Edward when he wrote this epistle seemed to be very younge not aboue seauen yeares of age lying then at Antile IMpertio te plurima salute colendissime Praesul charissime Susceptor Quia abes longè a me vellem libenter audire te esse incolumem Precor autem vt viuas diu promoueas verbum Dei Vale. Antilae decimo octauo Iunij Tuus in Christo filius Edwardus Princeps An other Epistle of the young Prince Edward to the Archb. his Godfather ETsi puer sum colendissime Susceptor non tamen immemor sum vel officij erga te mei An other Epistle of Prince Edward to his godfather vel humanitatis tuae quam indies mihi exhibere studes Nō exciderūt mihi humanissimae tuae litterae pridie diui Petri ad me datae Quibus ante hac respondere nolui non quòd illas neglexerim aut non minerim sed vt illarum diuturna meditatione fruerer fideliue memoria reponerem atque demum bene ruminatis pro mea virili responderem Proinde affectum erga me tuum verè paternum quem in illis expressisti amplector veneror optoque vt multos viuas annos tuoque pio ac salubri consilio pergas esse mihi venerandus pater Nam pietatem ante omnia mihi amplectendam exosculandam esse duco quoniam diuus Paulus dicit 1. Tit. 4. Pietas ad omnia vtilis est Optimè valeat tua paternitas in plurimos annos Hartefordioe tertio decimo Ianuarij Tui studiosissimus EDOVARDVS Princeps The aunswere of the Archbishop to Prince Edwardes Epistle Alludit ad verba Terentijin Comoedia NOn magis poterit ipsa me seruare salus fili in Christo charissime quam salus tua Mea vita non dicenda est vita absque tua salute valitudine Quapropter cum te incolumem ac saluum intelligo vitam etiam mihi integram esse incolumem sentio The aunswere of Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Cant. to the epistle of Prince Edward Neque certè absentia mea tam est iniucunda tibi quà m sunt litterae tuae periucundae mihi Quae arguunt tibi iuxta adesse ingenium dignum tanto principe praeceptorem dignum tanto ingenio Ex quibus tuis litteris te sic litteras video colere vt interim doctrinae coelestis tua nequaquam minima sit cura quae cuicunque sit curae non potest illum quaeuis cura frangere Perge igitur qua via incoepisti Princeps illustrissime Spartam quam nactus es hanc orna vt quam ego per literas video in te virtutis lucem eadem olim illuminet vniuersam tuam Angliam Nō scribam prolixius tum quidem vt me intelligas breuitate non nihil affici tum etiam quod credam te aetate quidem adhuc paruulum paruo gaudere similem simili tum etiam praeterea ne impolita mea oratio in causa sit quò generosa illa tua indoles
Christ to be now on earth but onely his diuine presence and touching his humanitie to bee in heauen we ought to confesse and beleeue the same But if we put a third presence of Christ that is corporally to bee present always in the sacrament of the aultar inuisibly according to your suppositions whereof S. Augustine maketh no mention at all in all his works you shal seeme to iudge that which S. Augustine did neuer comprehend Why quoth Watson S. Augustine in the place by me alledged maketh he not mention how S. Steuen beyng in this world saw Christ after his ascension It is true said Philpot but he saw Christ as the scripture telleth in the heauens beyng open standyng at the right hand of God the father Further to this Watson answered not Then the Prolocutor went about to furnish vp an answere to S. Augustine saying that he is not now in the world after that maner of bodily presence â— Weston but yet present for all that in his body To whom Philpot answered that the Prolocutor dyd grate much vpon this worde Secundum in S. Augustine Philpot replyeth to Weston which signifieth after the maner or in forme but he doth not answer to id quod which is that thyng or substance of Christ in the which Christ suffred arose and ascended into heauen in the which thing and substance he is in heauen and not on earth as S. Augustine in the place specified most clearely doth define To this nothing els beyng aunswered the Deane of Rochester proceeded in the maintenance of his argument The Deane of Rochester and read out of a booke of Annotations sundry authorities for the confirmation therof To the which Moreman who was appointed to answer him made no direct aunswer but bade him make an argument Moreman saying that maister Deane had recited many wordes of Doctors but he made not one argument Then said the Deane the authorities of the doctors by me rehersed be sufficient arguments to proue mine intent to the which my desire is to be answered of you But still Moreman cried make an argument to shift of the authoritie which he could not answer vnto After this y e Deane made this argument out of the institution of the sacrameÌ„t Do this in remembraunce of me and thus ye shall shew foorth the Lordes death vntill he come The sacrament is the remembrance of Christ Ergo Argument the sacrament is not very Christ for yet he is not come For these words Vntill he come do plainly signify the absence of Christes bodye Then the Prolocutor went about to shew that these wordes Vntill he come Weston answereth to the Argument Donec in Scripture M. Deanes questions did not import any absence of Christ on the earth by other places of scripture where Donec vntill was vsed in like sense but directly to the purpose he answered nothing In conclusioÌ„ the Deane fel to questioning with Moreman whether Christ did eate the Paschal lambe with hys disciples or no He answered Yea. Further he demanded whether he eate likewise the Sacrament with them as he did institute it Moreman aunswered Yea. Moreman affirmeth that Christ did eate his owne body Then he asked what he did eate and whether he eate his owne naturall body as they imagine it to be or no Which when Moreman had affirmed then said the Deane it is a great absurditie by you granted and so he sate downe Against this absurditie Philpot stood vp and argued Philpot. saying he could proue it by good reason deduced out of scripture that Christ eat not his owne natural body at the institution of the sacrament and the reason is this Ba Receiuing of Christes body hath a promise of remission of sinnes with it annexed Argument ro Christ eating the sacrament had no promise of remission of sinne co Ergo Christ in the Sacrament did not eate his owne body To this reason Moreman answered Moreman denieth the Sacramen to haue a promise of remission of sinnes annexed vnto it Philpot. deniyng the former part of the argumeÌ„t that the sacrament had a promise of remission of sinnes annexed vnto it Then Philpot shewed this to be the promise in the sacrament Which is geuen for you which is shed for you for the remission of sinnes But Moreman would not acknowledge that to be any promise so that he droue Philpot to the 6. of S. Iohn to vouch this saying with these words The bread which I will geue is my flesh which I will geue for the lyfe of the world Moreman aunswering nothing directly to this argument Harpesfield affirmeth that which his fellow denyed Harpsfield start vp to supply that which wanted in hys behalfe and thinking to haue answered Philpot confirmed more strongly his argumeÌ„t saying Ye mistake the promise which is annexed to the body of Christ in the Sacrament for it pertained not to Christ but to his Disciples to whom Christ said This is my body which is geuen for you and not for Christ hymselfe You haue sayd well for me quoth Philpot Philpot. for that is myne argument The promise of the body of Christ tooke no effect in Christ Ergo Christ eate not his owne body Then the prolocutor to shoulder out the matter sayd the argument was naught Weston also is contrary to Moreman For by the lyke argument he might go about to proue that Christ was not baptised because the remission of sinne which is annexed vnto Baptisme tooke no effect in Christ. To the which Philpot replied that like as Christ was baptised M. Philpots argument not soluted so he eate the sacrament but he tooke on hym Baptisme not that he had any neede thereof or that it tooke any effect in hym but as our maister to geue the church an example to folow him in the ministration of the sacrament and therby to exhibite vnto vs himselfe and not to geue himselfe to himselfe No more was said in this But afterward the Prolocutor demanded of Philpot whether he would argue against the naturall presence or no To whom he answered Yea if he would heare hys Argument without interruption and assigne one to aunswer him and not many which is a confusion to the OpponeÌ„t specially for him that was of an ill memory By this time y e night was come on wherfore the Prolocutor brake vp the disputatioÌ„ for that tyme and appointed Philpot to be the first that should begin the disputation the next day after The conuocatioÌ„ continued to the next day concernyng the presence of Christ in the sacrament ¶ The Acte of the fourth day M. Philpot not sâ—ffered by the Prolocutor to make his declaration ON the Wednesday the xxv of Octob. Ioh. Philpot as it was before appointed was redy to haue entred the disputation mynding first to haue made a certaine Oration and a true declaration in Latine of the matter of Christes presence which was
ridden 40. miles on horsebacke as their busines doth sometime require they should not be able to say at night that they sawe their horses all y e day but only the colour of theyr horsses and by hys reason Christe must go to schole learne of Aristotle to speake For when he saw Nathanaell vnder the fig tree if Aristotle had stand by he would haue said no Christe thou sawest not him but the colour of him After this Watson sayde what if it were graunted that Theodoret was on the other side whereas they had one of that opinion there were an hundred on the other side Then the Prolocutor called for M. Morgan to helpe and sayd Morgan is called for 〈◊〉 helpe at 〈◊〉 pinche that Theodoret did not more then he might lawfully do For first he graunted the truthe and then for feare of suche as were not fully instructed in the faythe he spake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is couertly and in a mysterie and thys was lawfull for him to do for first he graunted the trueth and called them the body of Christ bloud of Christ. Then afterward he seemed to geue somwhat to the sences and to reason but that Theodorete is of the same minde that they were of the words folowing quoth he do declare For that which followeth is a cause of that whiche went before and therefore he sayth The immortalitie c. Morgan is taken with false alleaâ—ging of thâ— texte Whereby it doth appeare that he meante the diuine nature not the humane Then was Morgan taken w t misalleging of the text For the booke had not this word for For the Greeke word did rather signify truly not for so that it mighte manifestly appeare that it was the beginning of a newe matter not a sentence rendring a cause of that he had sayd before Then was it said by Watson again suppose that Theodoret be wyth you whych is one that we neuer hearde 〈◊〉 printed but two or three yeres ago Yet he is but one and what is one against the whole consent of the church After this M. Cheyney inferred that not only Theodorete was of that minde that the substance of bread and wine doe remaine but diuers other also speciallye Irenaeus who making mention of this sacrament sayth thus when the cuppe whych is mingled with wine and the breade that is broken Irenaeus Lib. 5. contra Valenâ—â—um doe receiue the worde of God it is made the Euchariste of the bodye and bloude of Christ by the whiche the substaunce of our flesh is nourished and doeth consist If the thankes geuing doe nourish our body then ther is some substance besides Christes body To the which reason both Watson and Morgan aunsweared that Ex quibus By the whych Watson in the sentence of Irenaeus was referred to the next antecedent that is to the body and bloud of Christ and not to the wine which is in the cup and the bread that is broken Master Cheiney replied M. Cheynâ—â— that it was not the bodye of Christ which norished our bodies And let it be that Christes flesh norisheth to immortalitie yet it doth not answere that argument although it be true no more then that aunswere which was made to my allegation out of S. Paule The bread which we breake c. w t certaine other like whereunto you answered that bread was not taken there in hys proper signification but for that it had bene no more then the rod of Aaron which was taken for the serpent because it had beene a serpent After this M. Cheyney broughte in Hesechius Anno 1553. and vsed the same reason that hee did of the custome of burning of Symboles and hee asked them what was burnt Master Watson sayd we must not enquire nor aske but if there were any faulte impute it to Christ. Then sayde M. Cheiney whereof came those ashes not of a substance or can anye substance arise of accidents Then was M. Harpsfield called in to see what he could say in the matter Harpesfield calle◠〈◊〉 to helpe watson Who told a faire tale of the omnipotencie of God and of the imbecilitie and weaknesse of mans reasons not able to attaine to godly things And he sayde that it was conuenient whatsoeuer we sawe felt or tasted not to trust our sences And he tolde a tale out of S. Cyprian how a woman sawe the Sacrament burning in her cofer Here is goodly 〈◊〉 as if 〈◊〉 were out of the Legends of â—yes and that which burned there quoth Harpsfielde burneth heere and becoÌ„meth ashes But what that was that burnt he could not tell But M. Cheiney continued still and forced them with this question what it was that was burnt It was eyther sayde he the substance of breade or els the substaunce of the body of Christe which were too much absurditie to graunt At length they answeared that it was a miracle wherat M. Cheiney smiled and sayd that he could then say no more Then D. Weston asked of the company there whether those menne were sufficiently answeared or no Westâ—â— woulde know whether they were sufficiently answered when he and his had answered no argument Certaine Priestes cried Yea but they were not heard at all for the great multitude which cried No no. Which cry was heard and noised almost to the ende of Paules Whereat D. Weston being much mooued answered bitterly that hee asked not the iudgement of the rude multitude vnlearned people but of them which were of the house Then asked he of M. Haddon and his fellowes whether they woulde aunswere them other three dayes Haddon Cheiney and Elmar sayd No. But the Archdeacon of Winchester stoode vp and sayde that they should not say but they should be aunsweared and though all other did refuse to answer yet he would not M. Philpot. but offered to answere them all one after another Marke Westonâ— impudencie wyth whose profer the Prolocutor was not conteÌ„ted but raised on him and sayd that he should goe to Bedlem to whome the Archdeacon soberly made this answer that he was more worthy to be sent thether who vsed himselfe so ragingly in that disputation without any indifferent equalitie Then rose D. Weston vp and sayde All the company hath subscribed to our Article sauing only these men which you see A strong argument of Weston Where he is not able to answere he would out face What their reasons are you haue heard We haue answeared them 3. daies vppon promise as it pleased him to descaÌ„t wythout truth for no such promise was made that they should answer vs againe as long as the order of disputation doeth require and if they be able to defend theyr doctrine let them so doe Then M. Elmar stood vp prooued how vaine a man Weston was M. Elmers reason why they would not answer for hee affirmed that they neuer promised to dispute but only to open testifye to
he doth communicate to vs hys owne nature Ex exâ—â—â—plari 〈◊〉 Cranmer descriptoâ— and so is Christ made one with vs carnally and corporally because he tooke our nature of the Uirgine Mary And Hillary doth not onely say that Christ is naturally in vs but that we also are naturally in him and in the father that is that we are partakers of their nature which is eternitie or euerlastingnes For as the worde receiuing our nature did ioyne it vnto himselfe in vnitie of person and did coÌ„municate vnto that our nature the nature of his eternitie Naturallâ— expoundâ—â— that is 〈◊〉 bodyes to participatâ— the naturâ— propertâ— of Christ holy iâ—â—mortall bâ—â—dy that like as he being the euerlasting word of the Father had euerlasting life of the Father euen so he gaue the same nature to hys flesh Likewise also did he communicate with vs the same nature of eternitie which he and the father haue and that we should be one with them not onely in wil loue but that we should be also partakers of y e nature of euerlasting life West Hilary where he saith Christ coÌ„municated to vs his nature he meaneth y t not by his natiuity but by y e sacrament Cranmer He hath communicated to vs his flesh by hys natiuitie West We haue communicated to him * Then 〈◊〉 Christ a sinfull flesh our flesh when he was borne Cran. Nay he communicated to vs his flesh wheÌ„ he was borne and that I will shew you out of Cyrill vppon this place Et homo factus est West Ergo Christ being borne gaue vs his flesh Cran. In his natiuity he made vs * That is made vs partakers the propeâ—â—ties life iâ—â—nocencye resurrectioâ— of his bodâ— D Chadâ—â— agayne dâ—â—â—puteth Hillar 8. 〈◊〉 Trinitate partakers of his flesh West Write Sirs Cran. Yea write Ched This place of Hilary is so dark that you were compelled to falsifie it in your booke because you coulde not draw it to confirme your purpose If Christ haue taken verily the flesh of our body and the man that was verely borne of the Virgin Mary is Christ and also wee receaue vnder the true mistery the fleshe of his body by meanes wherof we shal be one for the father is in Christ and Christ in vs how shall that be called the vnitie of will when the naturall propertie brought to passe by the Sacrament is the Sacrament of vnitie we must not speake in the sence of man or of the worlde in matters concerning God neither must wee peruersly wrast anye straunge or wicked sence out of the wholesome meaning of the holy scripture through impudent and vile contentioÌ„ Let vs read those thinges that are written and let vs vnderstand those thinges that wee read and then wee shall performe the duetie of perfect fayth For as touching that naturall and true being of Christ in vs except wee learne of him wee speake foolishly and vngodly that thing that we doe speake For he sayth My flesh is meate in deede and my bloud is drinke in deede He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloud abideth in me and I in him As touching the veritie of his fleshe and bloud there is left no place of doubt for now both by the testimonie of the Lord and also by our fayth it is verily flesh and verily bloud Here you haue falsified Hillary Thus 〈◊〉 was their talke in Englishe Seing M Cranmeâ— had twyâ—â— veré 〈◊〉 once verâ— they had cause to 〈◊〉 greeued 〈◊〉 that they were 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 a knot in rushe for you haue set verò sub mysterio for verè sub mysterio we receiue truly vnder a mystery Hillary thrise reporteth verè sub mysterio and you interprete it twise verè sub mysterio but the third tyme you haue verò for verè Cran. Assuredly I am not guilty of any deceite herein It may be that the copy which I followed had Sub vero mysterio i. vnder a true mysterye although touching y e sense it differeth little God I call to witnesse I haue alway hated falsifieng and if you had laisure and lust to heare false citations I could recite vnto you vj. hundred West Here shall be shewed you two copies of Hilary the one printed at Basill the other at Paris Cran. I suppose that D. Smiths bookes hath vero Weston Here is Doctour Smith let him aunswere for hymselfe M. Smith M. Doctor what say you for your selfe speake if you know it ¶ Here Doctor Smith eyther for the truth in hys booke alledged or els astonied with Doctor Westons hasty calling stayd to answer For he onely put of his cappe and kept silence West But your owne booke printed by Wolfe your owne Printer hath vero Cran. That Booke is taken from me which easily myght haue ended this controuersie I am sure the booke of Decrees hath vero Cole Now you admit the booke of Decrees when it maketh for you Cran. Touching the sence of the matter there is little difference The chaunge of one letter for an other is but a small matter West Noâ—s Pastor as you know signifieth a Byshop and Pistor signifieth a Baker But Pastor shal be Pistor a Bishop shall be a Baker by this your chaunge of one letter If verè and vero doe nothing chaunge the sence Cran. Let it be so that in Pistor and Pastor one letter maketh some difference Yet let Pistor be either a Baker or maker of bread ye see here the change of a letter and yet no great difference to be in the sence Young This disputation is taken in hand that the truth myght appeare I perceiue that I must goe an other waye to worke then I had thought It is a common saying againste hym that denyeth principles we must not dispute Therfore that we may agree of the principles I demaund whether there be any other body of Christ then his instrumentall body Cran. There is no naturall body of Christe but his organicall body Young Againe I demande whether sence reason ought to geue place to faith Cran. They ought Yong. Thirdly whether Christ be true in all his wordes Cran. Yea he is most true and trueth it selfe Yong. Fourthly whether Christ at his supper mineded to doe that which he spake or no Cran. Dicendo dixit non fecit dicendo sed fecit Discipulis Sacramentum That is In saying he spake but in sayinge hee made not but made the sacrament to his disciples Yong. Answer according to the truthe whether did Christ that as God and man 〈◊〉 Yonges â—â—ophisticall 〈◊〉 whych he spake when he sayde This is my body Cran. This is a sophistical cauillation go plainly to work There is some deceite in these questions You seeke subtlenesse leaue your craftie fetches Young I demaunde whether Christe by these woordes wrought any thing or no Cran. He did institute the Sacrament Yong. But answere whether did he worke any thing Cran. He did worke in instituting the
Sacrament Yong. Now I haue you for before you said it was a figuratiue speache 〈…〉 speaâ—â—â—g of a 〈◊〉 hath 〈◊〉 perfect 〈◊〉 nor 〈◊〉 But a figure worketh nothing Ergo it is not a figuratiue speach A lyar ought to haue a good memorie Cran. I vnderstoode your Sophistrie before You by working vnderstande conuerting into the body of Christe but Christ wrought the Sacrament not in conuerting but in instituting Young Woe be to them that make Christ a deceiuer Did hee worke any other thyng then hee spake or the selfe same thing Cran. He wrought the sacrament and by these wordes he signified the effect Fes Yong. A figuratiue speach is no working thing ti But the speach of Christ is working no. Ergo it is not figuratiue Cran. It worketh by instituting not by conuerting Young The thing signified in the sacrameÌ„t is it not in that Sacrament Cran. â—â—were D. yonge 〈◊〉 Saint 〈◊〉 It is For the thing is ministred in a signe He followeth the letter that taketh the thing for the signe Augustine separateth the Sacrament from the thing The Sacrament sayeth he is one and the thing of the Sacrament an other Weston Sticke to thys Argument It is a figuratiue speach Ergo it worketh nothing Young But the speach of Christ is a working thing Ergo it is not figuratiue Cran. O howe many craftes are in this Argument they are meere fallacies I sayd not that the words of Christ do worke but Christ himselfe and he worketh by a figuratiue speache Weston If a figure worke it maketh of bread the bodye of Christ. Cran. A figuratiue speach worketh not West A figuratiue speach by your owne coÌ„fession worketh nothing But the speach of Christ in the supper as you graunt wrought somewhat Ergo. The speach of Christe in the Supper was not figuratiue Cran. I answer these are meere sophismes The figuratiue speach worketh not but Christ by the figuratiue speach worketh the Sacrament the speach doth not worke but Christ by the speache doth worke the sacrament I looke for Scriptures at your handes for they are the foundation of disputations Young Are not these wordes of scripture This is my body The word of Christ is of strength and by the Lordes wordes the heauens were made He sayd This is my body Ergo he made it Cranmer He made the Sacrament and I deny your Argument Young If he wrought nothing nothing is left there Hee sayde This is my body You say contrary to the Scriptures it is not the body of Christ and fall from the faith Cran. You interprete the scriptures contrary to all the old wryters and faine a straunge sense Yong. Ambrose De ijs qui initiantur sacris cap. 9. sayeth De totius mundiâ— operibus legisti quia ipse dixit facta sunt Ambros. De ij qui initiantur c. cap. 9. ipse mandauit creata sunt Sermo Christi qui potuit ex nihilo facere quod non erat non potest ea quae sunt in id mutare quae non erant 〈◊〉 enim minus est nouas res dare quam mutare naturas Sed quid argumentis vtimur suis vtamur exemplis incarnationisque exemplo astruamus mysterij veritatem Nunquid naturae vsus praecessit cum Dominus Iesus ex Maria nasceretur Si ordinem quaerimus viro mixta foemina generare consueuit Liquet igitur quod praeter naturae ordinem virgo generauit hoc quod conficimus corpus ex virgine est Quid hic quaeris naturae ordinem in Christi corpore cum praeter naturam sit ipse Dominus Iesus partus ex virgine Vera vtique caro Christi quae Crucifixa est quae sepulta est verè ergò illius Sacramentum est Clamat Dominus Iesus Hoc est corpus meum Ante benedictionem verborum coelestium alia species nominatur post consecrationem corpus significatur Ipse dicit sanguinem suum Ante consecrationem aliud dicitur post consecrationem sanguis nuncupatur Et tu dicis Amen hoc est verum est Quod os loquitur mens interna fateatur quod sermo sonat affectus sentiat That is Thou hast read of the workes of all the worlde that he spake the word and they were made he commaunded and they were created Can not the word of Christ which made of nothing that which was not chaunge those things that are into that they were not For it is no les matter to geue newe things then to chaunge natures But what vse wee Argumentes let vs vse hys owne examples and lette vs confirme the veritie of the mysterie by example of hys incarnation Did the vse of nature goe before when the Lord Iesus was borne of Marye If you seeke the order of nature coÌ„ception is wont to be made by a woman ioyned to a man It is manifest therfore that contrary to the * As Christ Iesus was conceaued agaynst the order of nature so in the instituting of this Sacrament the order of nature is not ot be sought order of nature a virgin did conceiue and this that we make is the body of the virgin What seekest thou heere the order of nature in y e body of Christe when against the order of nature the Lorde Iesus was conceiued of a Uirgine It was the true flesh of Christe whiche was crucified and which was buried therefore it is truely the sacrament of him The lord Iesus himselfe crieth This is my body Before the blessing of the heauenly wordes it is named another kinde but after the consecration the body of Christ is signified He calleth it his bloud Before consecration it is called an other thing after consecration it is called bloud and thou sayest Amen that is it is true That the mouth speaketh let the inward mind confesse that the word souÌ„deth let the hart perceiue The same Ambrose in his 4. booke of sacraments the 4. chap. sayth thus Panis iste Ambrosius lib. De Sacramentis cap. 4. panis est ante verba SacrameÌ„torum vbi accesserit consecratio de pane fit caro Christi Hoc igitur astruamus quomodo potest qui panis est corpus esse Christi consecratione consecratio igitur quibus verbis est cuius sermonibus Domini Iesu. Nam ad reliqua omnia quae dicuÌ„tur laus Deo defertur oratione petitur pro populo pro regibus pro caeteris vbi venitur vt conficiatur venerabile Sacramentum iam non suis sermonibus Sacerdos vtitur sed sermonibus Christi Ergò sermo Christi hoc conficit Sacramentum Quis sermo nempe is quo facta sunt omnia Iussit Dominus factum est coelum iussit Dominus facta est terra iussit Dominus facta sunt Maria. c. Vides ergo quam operatorius sit sermo Christi Si ergo tanta vis est in sermone Domini vt inciperent esse quae non erant quanto magis operatorius est vt sint quae erant in
to the first proposition nor of the worlde Therefore this proposition or cōclusion is framed after an other maner of phrase or kinde of speeche then the Scripture vseth Againe it is very obscure and darke by meanes of sundry wordes of doubtfull signification And being taken in the sence whych the Schoolemen teache The proposition put foorth in 〈…〉 and at thys time the church of Rome doth defend it is false and erroneous and plaine contrary to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse The explication How farre the diuersitie and newnes of the phrase in all this first proposition is from the phrase of the holy Scripture and that in euery part almost it is so plaine euident to any that is but meanely exercised in holy wryte that I neede not now especially in this company of learned men to spend any time therein except the same shal be required of me hereafter First The first doubt· there is a doubtfull sense in these woordes by the vertue of Gods word For it is doubtful what word of God this is whether it be that which is red in the Euangelists or in Paul or any other And if it be that which is in the Euangelists or in S. Paule what that is If it be in none of them then how it may be knowen to be Gods worde of such vertue y t it should be able to worke so great a matter Againe there is a doubte in these woordes of the Priest whether no man may be called a Priest 2. Doubt in the word priest but he whych hath authoritie to make propitiatorie sacrifice for the quicke and the deade and howe it may be prooued that thys authoritie was committed of God to any man but to Christ alone It is likewise doubted 3. Doubt in the word sacrificing after what order the sacrificing Priest shall be whether after the order of Aaron or els after the order of Melchisedech For as farre as I know the holy scripture doth allow no moe West Let thys be sufficient D. Weston interrupteth him in his explication Rid. If we lacke time at this present there is time enough heereafter West These are but euasions or starting holes You consume the time in vaine Rid. I can not start farre from you I am captiue bound West Fall to it my maisters Smith That whych you haue spoken may suffice at thys present Rid. Let me alone I pray you for I haue not much to say behinde West Goe forwarde Rid. Moreouer there is ambiguitie in thys word really whether it be to be taken as the Logicians terme it 4. Doubt in the word really transcendenter that is most generally and so it may signifie any manner of thing which belongeth to the body of Christ by any meanes after which sort we also graunt Christes body to be really in the sacramente of the Lordes Supper as in disputation if occasion be geuen shall be declared or whether it be taken to signifie the very same thing hauing body life and soule which was assumed taken of the worde of God into the vnitie of persone In which sence sith the body of Christ is really in heauen because of the true manner of his body it may not be sayde to be here in the earth There is yet a further doubtfulnesse in these words 5. Doubt in the words of formes of bread wine vnder the formes of breade and wine whether the formes be there taken to signifie the onely accidental and outward shewes of bread and wine or there withall the substantial natures therof which are to be seene by their qualities and perceiued by exterior sences Now the error and falsenes of the proposition The proposition erroneous after the sense of the Romishe Church Transubstantiation not founded in scripture after the sense of the Romish church and scholemen may hereby appeare in that they affirm the bread to be transubstantiated and chāged into the flesh assumed of the word of God and that as they say by the vertue of the woorde whych they haue deuised by a certaine number of woordes and cannot be founde in any of the Euangelistes or in Paule and so they gather that Christes bodye is reallye contained in the sacrament of the aultar Which position is grounded vpon the foundation of transubstantiation The Analogie of the sacramēts is the similitude and likenes whiche they haue with the thinges they represent which foundation is monsterous against reason and destroieth the Analogie or proportion of the sacraments and therfore this proposition also which is builded vpon thys rotten foundation is false erroneous and to be counted as a detestable heresy of the Sacramentaries West We lose time Rid. You shall haue time inough West Fall to reasoning You shall haue some other day for this matter Rid. I haue no more to say concerning my explication If you will geue me leaue and let me alone I wil but speake a woord or two for my confirmation West Go to say on The confirmation of the foresaid answere Fes THere oughte no Doctrine to bee established in the church of God Confirmation of his aunswere which discenteth from the word of God from the rule of faith and draweth with it many absurdities that cannot be auoided ti But this doctrine of the first proposition is such no. Ergo Argument it ought not to be established and maintained in the Church of God The Maior or first part of my argument is plaine and the Minor or second part is prooued thus This doctrine maintaineth a real corporal and carnal presence of Christes flesh assumed and taken of the woorde to be in the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper that not by vertue grace onely but also by the whole essence and substance of the body and flesh of Christ. The reall presence of Christes body disagreeth from the scriptures But such a presence disagreeth from Gods word from the rule of faith and cannot but drawe wyth it manye absurdities Ergo the second part is true The first part of thys argument is manifest and the second may yet further be confirmed thus West Thus you consume time which might be better bestowed on other matters D. Weston agayne interrupted D. Ridley Maister Opponent I pray you to your arguments Smith I will heere reason with you vppon transubstantiation which you say is contrary to the rule and Analogy of faith The contrary whereof I proue by the Scriptures and the doctors But before I enter argumentation wyth you I demaund first whether in the 6. chap. of Iohn there be any mention made of the sacrament or of the reall presence of Christ in the sacrament Rid. It is againste reason that I shoulde bee impeached to prosecute that which I haue to speake in this assembly being not so long but that it may be comprehended in few woordes West Let him reade on Rid. First of all this presence is contrary to many
or rise agaynst the magistrates Auenge not your selues but commit your cause to the Lord to whome vengeance pertayneth and he in his tyme will reward it If you feele in your selues an hope and trust in God that he will neuer tempt you aboue that he will make you able to beare Patience be assured the Lord will be true to you and you shall be able to beare all bruntes But if you want this hope flee and get you hence rather then by your tarying Gods name should be dishonored In summe cast your care on the Lorde knowing for most certayne that he is carefull for you with him are all the heares of your head numbred so that not one of them shall perish without his good pleasure and wille muche more thē nothing shall happē to your bodies which shall not be profitable how soeuer for a time it seeme otherwise to your sences Hang on the prouidence of God We ought to depend vpon Gods prouidence alwayes not onely when you haue meanes to helpe you but also when you haue no meanes yea when all meanes be agaynst you Geue him this honour which of all other thinges he most chiefly requireth at your handes namely beleeue that you are his children through Christ that he is your father and God through him y t he loueth you pardoneth you al your offences he is with you in trouble and will be with you for euer When you fall he will put vnder his hande you shall not lye still before you cal vpon him he heareth you out of euill hee will finally bryng you and deliuer you to his eternall ioy Doubt not my dearly beloued hereof doubt not I say this will God your father do for you in respect not of your selues but in respect of christ your Captayne your Pastor your keeper out of whose hands none shal be able to catch you All our hope is only in Christ for his sake to be receaued in him be quiet oftē cōsider your dignitie namely how that ye be Gods children the saints of God citizens of heauen temples of the holy Ghost the thrones of God members of Christ and Lordes ouer all Therfore be ashamed to think speake or do any thing that should be vnseemely for Gods children Gods saynts Christes members To beare the Crosse. c. Marueile not though the deuil and the worlde hate you though ye be persecuted here for the seruaunt is not aboue his mayster Couet not earthly ryches Mortification feare not the power of man loue not this world nor thinges that be in this world but long for the Lord Iesus his comming at whiche time youre bodies shall be made like vnto his glorious body when he appeareth you shall be like vnto him when your lyfe shall thus be reuealed then shall ye appeare with him in glory In the meane season liue in hope hereof Let the lyfe you lead be in the faith of the sonne of God For the iust doth liue by fayth which fayth fleeth from al euill followeth y e word of God as a Lanterne to her feete and a light to her steppes her eyes be aboue where Christ is shee behouldeth not the thinges present but rather thinges to come she glorieth in affliction she knoweth that the afflictions of this life are not like to be compared to the glory whiche God will reueale to vs We must liue in the fayth of Christ. The property of fayth and in vs. Of this glory GOD graunt vs here a liuely taste then shall wee runne after the sent it sendeth forth It wil make vs valiaunt men to take to vs the kingdome of God whyther the Lorde of mercy bryng vs in hys good tyme through Chryste oure Lorde to whome with the father and the holy ghost three persōs and one God be al honour and glory world without end Amen My dearly beloued I woulde gladly haue geuen here my body to haue bene burned for the confirmation of the true doctrine I haue taught here vnto you But that my Countrey must haue Therefore I pray you take in good part this signification of my good will towardes euery of you Impute the want herein to tyme and trouble Pardon me mine offensiue and negligent behauiour when I was amongest you With me repent labour to amend Continue in the trueth whiche I haue truely taught vnto you by preaching in al places where I haue come Gods name therefore be praysed Confesse Christ when you be called whatsoeuer commeth therof and the God of peace be with vs all Amen This xi of Februar an 1555. Your brother in bondes for the Lordes sake Iohn Bradford To the vniuersitie and towne of Cambridge TO all that loue the Lorde Iesus and his true doctrine being in the vniuersitie and towne of Cambridge An other letter of M. Bradford to the vniuersity of Cambridge Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruaunt of the Lord nowe not onely prisoned but also condemned for the same true doctrine wisheth grace peace and mercye with increase of all godlines from God the father of all mercy through the bloudy passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ by the liuely working of the holy spirite for euer Amen Although I looke hourely when I should be had to the stake my right dearely beloued in the Lord and although the charge ouer me is great and strayt yet hauing by the prouidēce of God secretly pen and an ynke I could not but something signifie vnto you my solicitude which I haue for you and euerye of you in the Lord though not as I woulde yet as I may You haue often and openly heard the truth speciallye in this matter wherein I am condemned disputed and preached that it is needeles to do any more but onely to put you in remembraunce of the same but hitherto haue you not heard it confirmed and as it were sealed vp as now you doe and shall heare by me that is by my death and burning For albeit I haue deserued through my vncleannes hypocrisie auarice vainglory idlenes vnthankfulnes and carnalitie wherof I accuse my selfe to my confusion before the world that before God through Christ I might as my assured hope is I shall find mercy eternall death and hell fire much more then this affliction and fire prepared for me yet my dearly beloued it is not these or any of these thinges wherfore the prelates do persecute me but Gods verity and truth yea euen christ him selfe is the onely cause and thing wherefore I nowe am condemned The Martyrs persecuted of the prelates not for their sinnes but onely for Christ. and shal be burned as an hereticke for because I will not graunt the Antichrist of Rome to be Christes vicar generall and supreme head of his churche here and euery where vppon earth by Gods ordinaunce and because I will not graunt suche corporall reall and carnall presence of Christes body bloud in the sacrament as doth transubstanciate the
â—ay of your bodies families children substance pouertie life c. Which things if you would consider a while wyth inwarde eyes as you beholde them with outwarde then perhaps you should finde more ease Doe not you now by the inward sense perceiue that you must part froÌ„ all these and all other commodities in the worlde Tell me then haue not you this commoditie by your crosse to learne to loath and leaue the worlde and to long for and desire an other world where is perpetuity You ought of your own head and free will to haue according to your profession in baptisme forsaken the worlde and all earthly things vsing the world as though you vsed it not Your hart only sette vpon your hourde in heauen or els you coulde neuer be Christes true disciples that is be saued and be where he is And trowe you my good heartes in the Lorde trowe you I say that this is no commoditie by this crosse to be compelled hereto that you might assuredly enioy with the Lord endles glory Howe now doth God as it were fatherly pull you by the eares to remeÌ„ber your former offences concerning these things al other things that repentance and remission might ensue Howe doth God nowe compell you to call vpon him and to be earnest in prayer Are these no commodities Doth not the scripture say that God doth correct vs in the worlde because we shall not be damned with the worlde That God chasteneth euery one whome he loueth that the ende of this correction shall be ioy and holinesse Doeth not the Scripture saye That they are happie that suffer for righteousnesse sake as you nowe doe that the glory and spirite of God is vpon them that as you are nowe made like vnto Christ in suffering so shall you be made like him in raigning Doeth not the Scripture say that you are nowe going the high and right way to heauen that your suffering is Christes suffering My dearly beloued what greater commodities then these can a godly heart desire Therefore ye are commaunded to reioyce and be glad when ye suffer as now ye doe for through the goodnesse of God great shal be your reward Where Forsooth on earth first for your children for now they are in Gods mere and immediate protection Neuer was father so careful for his children as Gods is for yours presently Gods blessing which is more woorth then all the world you leaue in dede to your children Though all your prouidence for theÌ„ shuld be pulled away yet God is not poore he hath promised to prouide for them moste fatherly 〈◊〉 55. Cast thy burthen vppon me sayth he and I will beare it Do you therfore cast them and commend them vnto God your father and doubt not that he will die in your dette He neuer yet was found vnfaithfull 〈◊〉 37. and he wil not nowe begin with you The good mans seede shal not go a begging his bread for he wil shew mercy vpon thousands of the posterity of them that feaâ—e him Care of children to be left to Gods prouidence Therfore as I sayd Gods reward first vpon earth shal be felt by your children euen corporally and so also vpon you if God see it more for your coÌ„moditie at the least inwardly you shal feele it by quietnes and comfort of conscience and secondly after this life you shal find it so plentifully as the eye hath not seene the eare hath not hard the heart cannot conceiue how great glorious Gods reward wil be vpon your bodies much more vpon your soules God open our eies to see and feele this in deede Then shall we thinke the crosse which is a meane hereto to be commodious Then shal we thanke God that he would chastice vs. Then shal we say with Dauid Happie am I that thou hast punished me for before I went astray but nowe I keepe thy lawes This that we may doe in deede my dearely beloued let vs first know y t our crosse commeth from God Secondly 4 Thinges to be considered of all men that be vnder the crosse that it coÌ„meth from God as a father that is to our weale and good Therefore let vs thirdly cal to minde our sinnes and aske pardone Whereto let vs fourthly looke for helpe certainly at Gods hand in his good time helpe I â—ay such as shall make most to Gods glory and to the comfort and commodity of our soules bodies eternally This if we certainely conceiue then will there issue out of vs heartie thankes geuing which God requireth as a most precious sacrifice That we may all through Christ offer this let vs vse earnest prayer to our God and deare father who blesse vs keepe vs and comforte vs vnder his sweete crosse for euer Amen Amen My deare hearts if I could any way comfort you you should be sure therof though my life lay thereon but now I must do as I may because I cannot as I would Oh y t it would please our deare father shortly to bring vs where we shoulde neuer depart but enioy continually the blessed fruition of his heauenly presence pray pray that it maye speedely come to passe pray To morrow I will send vnto you to know your estate send me word what are the chiefest things they charge you withall From the Counter By your brother in the Lord Iohn Bradford ¶ To Maistresse Hall prisoner in Newgate and readye to make aunswer before her aduersaries OVr most mercifull God and father through Christ Iesus our Lord and Sauiour be merciful vnto vs An other letter of M. Bradford to Mistres Hall Math. 5. and make perfect the good he hath begon in vs vnto the end Amen My deare Sister reioyce in the Lord reioyce be glad I say be mery and thankefull not onely because Christ so commaundeth vs but also because our state wherein we are presently requireth no lesse for we are the Lordes witnesses God the father hath vouched safe to chose vs amongst many to witnesse and testifie that Christ his sonne is kyng that his word is true Christ our Sauiour for his loues sake towards vs will haue vs to beare record that he is no vsurper nor deceiuer of the people but gods Embassadour Prophet and Messias so that of all dignities vpon earth this is the highest Greater honor had not his Prophets Apostles The bloud of Martyrs standeth for the verity of Christ agaynst the world Saâ—haÌ„ who would suppresse the same nor dearest friends then to beare witnesse with Christ as we now do The world followyng the counsaile of their Sire Sathan would gladly condemne Christ and his veritie but lo the Lord hath chosen vs to be his champions to let this As stout soldiours therefore let vs stand to our maister who is with vs and standeth on our right hand that we shall not be much mooued if we hope and hang on his meâ—cy he is so faythfull and true that he wil neuer