or 40. yeares haue not receiued the Sacramēt Notwithstanding this Oration is nothing to the purpose For Christ spake to the blinde and vnbeleuyng Iewes testifieng to them that they could haue no lyfe excepte they should first eate his flesh and drinke his bloud Ergo this eatyng and drinkyng is meant onely of that thyng that first bryngeth lyfe into the soule and that is faith by your owne confession And therfore must it be vnderstand of fayth onely and not of the Sacrament And Mathew the last I am with you alwayes euen vnto the end of the world which may well be vnderstand and so was it of old Doctours that by his spirituall beyng with vs by fayth and in his spirite and so may that text of Mathew 18. be vnderstand where two or thre are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them There is many tymes ij or three good men that mete together in Christes name where the Sacramēt is not And Paule Ephes 3. boweth his knees for the Ephesians to God that he would geue thē his riches to be strenghthened with his spirite that Christ may dwell in their hartes thorough fayth Where the hart then beleueth in Christ there dwelleth Christ in the hart though there be no bread in the hart neither yet in the maw The two first partes takyng the old Doctours to be on their side I aunswere many of the old doctours spake so mystically that they sente sometimes to affirme playnly that it is but bread and wyne onely concernyng the substaunce And that it is a figure of the body and bloud of Christ onely some tyme that it is his very body bloud therfore it were nedelesse to wade any further herein And vnto them of the second opiniō that the bread is his very body I aunswere ye must remember that the old Doctours as earnestly call it a sacrifice as they do Christes body But that ye denye And say with the Epistle to the Hebrues that he was but once sacrificed for altogether whē he offered sacrificed him selfe to the father for our sinnes and can now no more be sacriced Christ dieth no more now and therfore is no more sacrificed Neither do we properly offer him to God But he in his mortall flesh offered him selfe for vs to GOD the father and purchased therewith a generall pardon for euer And now doth God the father profer him and giueth him to vs. And the Priestes in Gods stede proferre hym and giue hym vnto the people for a remission and absolution of their sinnes dayly if they by the mouyng and styrryng of the Sacramēt beleue in the body and bloud of Christ Wherfore ye ought of no right to be angry with them of the thyrd opinion though they denie the Doctors where they seme to say that the Sacrament is the very body of Christ As they be not angrie with you when ye deny them where they as earnestly affirme that it is a sacrifice Neuerthelesse they aunswere that Doctours call it a sacrifice onely because it is the memoriall the earnest and seale of that euerlasting sacrifice offered once for all And euen so say they that the Doctours called the Sacrament the body bloud of Christ after the same maner onely because it is the memoriall the earnest and seale of body and bloud as the vse of Scriptures is to call signes by the names of thynges signified therby And vnto them of the first opinion I aunswere with the same reason that it is impossible that the Sacrament should be a very sacrifice For neither the sacrifices of the old law which prophecied the sacrifising of Christ neither yet our redemption was fulfilled at night For if the Scriptures and prophecies were then fulfilled and we thē redemed Christ dyed on the morow in vayne and false are the Apostles and Euangelistes that preache hys body breakyng and bloud sheddyng vnder Pontius Pylate by the persecution of Cayphas and Annas to bee our redemption Moreouer for all the breakyng and deuidyng of the Sacrament of his body among his Apostles His body abode still alyue and for all the pouryng out of the Sacrament of his bloud of the pot into the cup and out of the cup into the mouthes and belyes of his Disciples hee blede as fresh on the morow as though he had blede then nothyng at all He was verely much more easely sacrificed that night in the breakyng diuidyng of the bread and pouring out of wyne then he was on the morow The Sacrament was that night no doubt but a description of his passiō to come And it is now a memorial of his passiō past He instituted the maner of the Sacrament then and taught hys Disciples also that they after vnderstode when he was risen agayne and not then as they neuer had capacitie to vnderstand hym when he spake of his death For they then imagined carnally of Christ as the Iewes yet do that Christ should neuer dye as he dyd not concernyng his Godhead but should lyue euer bodily as he now doth concernyng his resurrection Wherfore seyng that all the Doctors with one accorde cal the Sacrament so earnestly a sacrifice they cannot otherwise vnderstand them that they so say after the vse of the Scripture onely but because it is the memoriall of the sacrifice of his death blousheddyng Why should they then of right be offēded if we vnderstand the Doctours after the same maner whē they call it his body and bloud And that they so call it after the vse of the Scripture because that it is onely a memoriall of his body and bloud As concernyng the transubstantiation I thinke that such a speech was among the old Doctours though they that came after vnderstode thē amisse Their hartes were grosse through busiyng thē selues to much with worldly busines for the bread and wyne are but onely bread wine till the wordes of the Testament bee rehearsed ouer them then they ceasse to be any more bread wyne in the hartes of the true beleuers for the hart after these words once spoken thinketh onely vppon the couenaunt made in the body and bloud of Christ and through fayth eateth hys body and drinketh his bloud though the eyes and other sences perceaue nothyng but bread and wyne As when a man sometyme seeketh for a text in the Bible he seeth paper and iuke and the figure of letters yet his hart not once thinketh of any other thyng thē on the wordes and sence of his text And therof no doubt came vp this transubstantiation through false vnderstandyng Another thyng is this none of those wicked heretickes which denied Christ to be very God or any of them that denyed Christ to bee man or to haue a very body saue a phātasticall body dyd cast the true beleuers in the teth at any time of the fayth of Christes body present
taught and vnderstand and receiued a right Hereof ye see also that as the Hebrues wrote their stories in couenaūts and signes giuyng their signes such names as could not but keepe them in mynde so God the father dyd follow the example of the people or they followyng hym and commaunded hys promises couenaunts and prophecies to be written in gestures signes and ceremonies geuyng them names that could not but kepe his couenauntes in mynde Euen so Christ wrote the couenaunt of his body bloud in bread and wine geuyng thē that name that ought to keepe couenaunt in remembraunce And hereof ye see that our Sacraments are bodyes of stories onely and that there is none other vertue in thē thē to testifie and exhibite to the senses and vnderstanding the couenauntes promises made in Christs bloud And here ye see that where the Sacramēts or ceremonies are not rightly vnderstād there they be cleane vnprofitable And as the Circumcisiō in the flesh their hartes still vncircumcised hating the law of God and beleuyng in their owne imaginations were Circumcised to their damnation And as the Baptised in the fleshe onely the hart still vncleane neither beleuyng in Christ for the forgeuenes of their sinnes neither louyng their neighbour for Christes sake are Baptised also vnto their greater damnatiō For though God haue right to al mē because he hath created and made mā yet to all such persons by reason of the signe and badge and of their owne cōsent graunt and promise he hath more right to the callyng of them to the keepyng of his law if they trust in hym onely or to damne them bicause when they know their duety or might if they would the signe mouyng them and giuyng them an occasiō to aske the rather and yet do it not Euē so all that come to the Sacrament for any other purpose then it was ordeined and instituted for that is to say to seke absotion of their sinnes with a set purpose to sinne no more as nigh as they 〈…〉 to cal to me 〈◊〉 y e benefite of the passiō of Christ with y t meditatiō to weaken the flesh to strēgth the spirite Agaynst her to giue thankes agayne that is to say to call to mynde how much hee is bounde to loue his neighbour to helpe his neede and to 〈◊〉 his infirmitie and to forgeue him 〈◊〉 haue offended and desire forgeuenes promising to amēde whereunto Christ bindeth all that wil be partakers of his bloud All such as are not thus prepared come to their greater damnation I passe ouer with silence the wicked 〈◊〉 damnable doctrine of these seruauntes of Mammon whiche for lucre peruert the true vse of the Sacrament and hide it from the people for theyr gayne teachyng it to be a sacrifice instituted of God to helpe the soules of the dead in Purgatorie and that it wil make men rich and bring them to such promotion as Christ neuer promised his Disciples but forbad it them Some will say This Sacrament needed not Baptisme is inough Baptisme is a receiuyng into Religiō and there is the couenauntes made what we shall do and what we shall haue And baptisme is a signe wherby God hath right to vs and we to God and to Christ and wherby euery man hath right to call other to do their dueties and to rebuke them that will not Neither our saluation so greatly standeth in that or any other Sacrament that we could not be saued without them by preachyng the word onely Neuerthelesse God hath written his will to haue his benefites kept in memorie to his glorie and our benefite and namely this benefite of all benefites wherin onely the pith of our saluation resteth therfore though the effect of it be signified by Baptisme and though we be baptised to beleue in y t death of Christ and to dye with him by the mortifieng of the flesh yet doth this Sacrament through y t rehearsing of the couenaūt and breakyng of the bread and powryng out of wine much more lyuely expresse the whole storie kept it better in memorie by dayly repeatyng therof and hath more might and vehemencie to heale the conscience stong with fresh sinne For the nature of mā is so weake so feble and so frayle that he can not but sinne as there is no mā that liueth and sinneth not And when he is so fallen then the law looketh vpon him with so terrible a countenaunce so thundereth in hys eares that he dare not abide but turneth his backe and to go but the enemie still assayleth him on the other side to persuade him that GOD hath cast him away saying they that be Gods haue power to kepe his law thou hast not but breakest them Ergo thou art a cast away a damned creature and hell gapeth and setteth opē her mouth to deuoure him the flesh also wrestleth with the spirit to kepe him down and to take prisoner and to stoppe his mouth that he crie no more vpon her that she might sinne at pleasure without all feare The careles swyne that consent vnto sinne feele not these thinges neither the hypocrites that haue put a visard on their face of the law and make her looke with such a coūtenaunce as pleaseth thē but the poore folkes that haue the eyes open and consent and fayne would do the law they feele that can not be expressed with toung Neither is there liuyng any man that feeleth the vertue and power of the bloud of Christ whiche hath not first felt the strong paynes of hell Seyng then that this mā is so sicke so prone and ready to fall and so cruelly inuaded whē he hath sinned of the feende the flesh and the law that he is oft put to flight and feared and made to runne away from his father Therfore hath the God of all mercy and of his infinite pitie and bottomlesse compassion set vp this Sacrament as a signe on an high hill whence it may be sene on euery side a farre and neare to call againe them that be fled and runne away And with this Sacramēt he as it were clocketh to them as an henne doth for her chickens together them vnder the wynges of his mercy And hath commaunded his Sacrament to be had in continuall vse to put them in mynde of mercy layd vp for them in Christes bloud and to witnesse and testifie it vnto them and to be the seale therof For the Sacrament doth much more vehemētly print lyuely the fayth and make it sinke down into the hart then do bare wordes onely As a man is more sure of that he heareth seeth feeleth smelleth and tasteth then that he heareth onely Now when the wordes of the Testament and promises are spoken ouer the bread This is my body that shal be broken for you This is my bloud that shal be shed for you they confirme the faith but much
to consecrate Christes body to bryng it into the bread But there be the wordes of God left in the first chapter of Genesis wherby he made all the world with whiche wordes all be it we yet haue them yet is it denyed vs to make that thyng that he made with theÌ„ Now sith we hauyng his wordes of the creation can not yet make any new creature of nothyng how then shall we without any wordes of consecration and makyng make the maker of all thynges Vnto this action or supper or deliuerauÌ„ce of the bread he added a reason and signification of this signe or Sacrament and what also is the vse therof as though any should aske theÌ„ therafter what Sacrament Religion or rite is this They should aunswere euen in a like maner of spech as it was coÌ„maunded their fathers to make aunswere to their children at the eatyng of the old passeouer wherof this new passeouer was the veritie and that the figure saying When your children aske you what Religion is this ye shal auÌ„swere them It is the sacrifice of the passyng by of the Lord. c. Lo here the lambe that signified and did put them in remembraunce of that passing by in Egypt the Israelites spared and the Egyptians smitten was called in like phrase the selfe thyng that it represented signified and did put them in remembraunce of none otherwise then if Christes Disciples or any man els seyng in that Supper the bread taken thankes giuen the bread broken distributed and eaten should haue asked hym What Sacrament or religion is this He had to aunswere them that Christ sayd This is my body whiche is for you broken This thyng do ye in remembraunce of me that is to say so oft as ye celebrate this Supper giue thankes to me for your redempcioÌ„ In which auÌ„swere he calleth the outward sensible signe or SacrameÌ„t that is the bread with all the other action euen the same thyng that it signifieth representeth and putteth such eaters of the Lordes Supper in remembraunce of For when he sayd which is broken for you euery one of them saw that then it was not his body that was there broken but the bread for as yet he had not suffered but the bread broken was denided in peeces euery one of the twelue takyng and eatyng a peece before hee sayd This is my body c. Now sith M. More will sticke so fast in his litteral sense vpon these wordes This is my body c. Then do I aske hym what thyng hee sheweth vs by this first worde and pronoune demonstratiue Hoc in Englishe this If ye shew vs theÌ„ bread so is the bread Christes body and Christes body the bread which saying in the litterall sense is an hygh heresie after them And for this saying they burned the Lord Cobham Also I aske whether Christ speakyng these wordes This is my body c. had then the bread in his hands wherwith he houseled his Disciples or no That he had it not but had now deliuered it them and had commaunded them to eate it to the order and woordes of the text playnly proue it as is declared before And S. Marke telleth the story also in this order The cuppe taken in his handes after he had giuen thaÌ„kes he gaue it them they all dranke therof And he sayd to them This is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many Here it is manifest that they had all dronken therof first ere he said the wordes of consecration if they be the wordes of any coÌ„secration Besides this if ye be so sworne to the litterall sense in this matter that ye will not in these woordes of Christ This is my body c. admitte in so playne a speche any trope for allegory there is none if ye knew the proper difference of them both whiche euery Grammarian can teach you theÌ„ do I lay before your old eyen and spectacles to Christes wordes spoken of the cup both in Luke and Paul saying this cup is the newe Testament through my bloude which is shed for you Here Christ calleth the wyne in the cup the selfe cuppe whiche euery man knoweth is not the wyne Also hee calleth the cuppe the new Testament and yet was not the cup nor yet the wyne conteined therin the new Testament and yet calleth it the new Testament established confirmed with his bloud here ye see hee called not the cuppe his bloud but the Testament Where is now your litterall sense that ye would â—o fayne frame for your Papistes pleasure If ye will so sore sticke to the letter why do your faction leaue here the plaine letter saying that the letter slayth goyng about the bush with this exposition and circumlocution expoundyng This is my body that is to say this is conuerted turned into my body this bread is transubstantiated into my body How farre lo M. More is this your straunge Thomisticall sense from the flat letter If ye be so addictt to the letter why fray ye the commoÌ„ people from the litteral sense with this bugge tellyng theÌ„ the letter slayeth but there is neither letter nor spirite that may bridle nor hold your stiffe necked heades Also ye shall vnderstand that Christ rebuked the Iewes for theyr litterall sense and carnall vnderstandyng of his spirituall woordes saying My flesh profiteth you nothyng at all to eate it c. And their litteral takyng of his spirituall woordes was the cause of their murmure c. For euen there as also lyke in other places to eate Christes flesh c. after the common phrase of the Scripture is not els theÌ„ to beleue that Christ suffered death shed his bloud for vs. Read ye Paul Our fathers did all eate the same spirituall meate and drinke the same spirituall drinke that we now eate drinke Here I thinke M. More must leaue his litterall sence materiall meate or els deny Paul and deny to that our fathers did eate Christ and drinke his bloud whiche all here Paule sayth for to eate and to drinke this spirituall meate and drinke was as him selfe declareth to eate drinke Christ They dranke of the stone sayth Paule that went with them Whiche stone was Christe And we eate and drinke the very same stone Whiche is nothyng els then to beleue in Christ They beleued in Christ to come we beleue in him comeÌ„ and to haue suffered where is now thinke ye M. Mores litterall sense for the eatyng of Christes material body Our fathers were one and the same Church with vs vnder the same Testament and promise and euen of the same fayth in Christ And euen as they eate him and dranke his bloud euen the same spirituall meate drinke that we do eate and drinke so do we now in the same faith For what elles was signified by this maner of spech our fathers did eate and drinke Christ then that they
dare presume so to depresse hys prerogatiue and not onely to say but also to publishe it in Print that notwithstanding his graces safe conduite they might lawfully haue burnt hym But here he would say vnto me as he doth in his booke that hee had forfayted his safeconduite and therby was fallen into his enemyes handes Whereunto I aunswere that this your saying is but a vayne glose For I my selfe dyd read the safeconduite that came vnto hym which had but onely this one condition annexed vnto it that if he came before the feast of Christmasse then next insueing he should haue frée libertie to departe at his pleasure And this condition I know was fulfilled how should hée then forfayte his safeconduite But M â–ª More hath learned of his masters our Prelates whose proctour he is to depresse our Princes prerogatiue that men ought not to kéepe any promise with heretickes And so his safe conduite could not saue hym As though the Kynges grace might not admitte any man to go and come fréely into his graces realme but that he must haue leaue of our Prelates For els they might lay heresie agaynst the person and so slay hym coÌ„trary to the Kyngs safeconduite which thyng all wise men do know to be preiudiciall to his graces prerogatiue royall And yet I am sure that of all y â— tyme of hys beyng here you caÌ„ not accuse hym of one cryme albeit vnto your shame you say that hee had forfaited his safe conduite These wordes had ben very extreme and worthy to haue bene looked vpon although they had bene written by some presumptuous Prelate But that a lay man so hyghly promoted by his Prince should speake them and also cause them openlye to be published among his graces commons to reiect the estimation of hys royall power doth in my mynde deserue correction Notwithstandyng I leaue the iudgement and determination vnto the discretion of his graces honorable counsell And as for that holy prayer that this deuote young man as a newe Christ teacheth to make at the receiuyng of this blessed Sacrament all his congregation I would not geue the paryng of a peare for hys prayer though it were better then it is pullyng away the true fayth therefro as he doth How beit hys prayer there is so deuised and penned and paynted with laysure and study that I trust euery good Christen woman maketh a much better prayer at the tyme of her housell by faythâ—ull affection and by Gods good inspiration sodenly Frith is an vnmete master to teach vs what we should pray at the receiuyng of the blessed Sacrament when he wil not knowledge it as it is but take Christes blessed body for nothyng but bare bread and so litle esteme the receiuyng of the blessed Sacrament that he forceth litle whether it be blessed or not Where he discoÌ„mendeth my prayer sayth that I am an vnméete master to teach men to pray seing I take away the true faith from it and sayth that euery woman can make a better when she receiueth the Sacrament I would to God that euery woman were so well learned that they could teach vs both And surely I intended not to prescribe to all men that prayer onely but hoped to helpe the ignoraunt that they might either speake those wordes or els takyng occasion at them to say some other to y e laude and prayse of God And as for your fayth which you call the true fayth must I néedes improue For it will not stand with the true text of Scripture as it playnly appeareth But to the fayth in Christes bloud I exhorte all men and teach them to eate hys body with fayth and not with téeth which is by hauyng hys death in continual remembraunce and digestyng it into the bowels of theyr soule And because you so sore improue my prayer to conclude my aunswere agaynst you I will write agayne And let all men Iudge between vs. Blessed be thou most deare mercyfull father whiche of thy tender fauour and benignity notwithstaÌ„ding our greuous enormities committed agaynst thée vouchsauedst to sende thyne owne and onely deare sonne to suffer most vyle death for our redemption Blessed be thou Christ Iesu our Lord and Sauiour whiche of thyne aboundaunt pitie consideryng our miserable estate willingly tookest vppon thée to haue thy most innocent body broken and bloud shed to purge vs and wash vs which are laden with iniquitie And to certifie vs thereof hast left vs not onely thy word which may instructe our hartes but also a visible token to certifie euen our outward seÌ„ses of this great benefite that we should not doubt but that the body and fruite of thy passion are ours through faith as surely as the bread whiche by our senses we know that we haue with in vs. Blessed be also that spirite of veritie whiche is sent froÌ„ God our father through our Sauiour Christ Iesu to lighteÌ„ our darke ignoraunce leade vs through fayth into the knowledge of hym whiche is all veritie Strength we beseech thée our frayle nature and increase our fayth that we may prayse God our most mercyfull father and Christ hys sonne our Sauiour and redemer Amen The Pascall lambe and our sacrament are here compared togither NOw we shall shortly expresse the pith of our matter and borow the figure of the Pascall lambe which is in all pointes so lyke that the offeryng of the Pascall lambe did signisie the offering of Christes body is playne by Paul which sayth Christ our paschall lambe is offered vp for vs. When the children of Israell were very sad and heuye for their sore oppression vnder the power of Pharao for the more myracles were shewed y e worse were they handeled God sent vnto them by Moyses y t euery houshold should kill a lambe to be a sacrifice vnto God and that they should eate him with their staues in their handes their loynes girded showes on their féete eueÌ„ as meÌ„ y t were going an hasty Iorney This lambe must they eate hastely and make a mery maundye Now because they should not say that they could not bee mery for their oppression and what could the lambe helpe them he added glad tydynges vnio it and sayd this is the passing by of the Lord. Which this night shall passe by you and slay all y e first begotten with in the Land of Egipt shall deliuer you out of your bondage and bring you into y e land that hée hath promised vnto yourfathers Marke the processe and conueyaunce of this matter for euen likewise it is in our sacrament The Apostels were sad and heauie partlye coÌ„sidering y e bondage of sinne wherwith they were opressed partly because hee told them that he must departe froÌ„ them in whoÌ„ they did put all their hope of their deliueraunce While they were in this heauynes Christ thought to coÌ„fort theÌ„ to geue them the seale
of Iuye it is a signe and signifieth that there is wine to bee sold And this sacrament signifieth vnto vs and poynteth out before our eyes that as verely as that bread is broken so verely was Christes body broken for our sinnes and as that bread is distributed vnto vs so is his body fruite of hys passion distributed vnto all his faythfull And as the bread comforteth the body so doth y e fayth in Christes death comfort our soules And as surely as we haue that bread and eate it with our mouth and téeth know by our senses that we haue it within vs are partakers therof no more néede we to doubte of hys body and bloude but that thorough fayth wee are as sure of them as we are sure of that bread As it is sufficiently declared in my booke Agayne you may perceyue how wickedly they report on vs which affirme that we dishonour it whiche geue it the right honour that it ought to haue And you doe playnly dishonour it whiche geue vnto it the honor that is onely due vnto God We geue it the same honour that we geue vnto the holy Scripture and word of God because it expresseth vnto our senses the death of our Sauiour and doth more déepely Print it within vs. And therefore we call it an holy Sacrament as we call Gods word holy Scripture And we receiue this Sacrament with great reuerence euen as we reuerently read or heare preached the holy word of God which cōteineth the health of our soules And we graunt that his body is present with the bread as it is with the word and with both it is verely receiued eaten through faith But if we should knéele downe and pray vnto the holy Scripture men might coūt vs fooles might lawfully say that we doe not honour the scripture by that meanes but rather dishonour it For the right honour of a thyng is to vse it for that intent that it was instituted of God And hee that abuseth it to any other purpose doth in déede dishonour it And lykewise it is in the Sacrament which was instituted to kéepe in memory the death of Christ which if we doe any otherwise honour then we doe the holy Scripture vnto y t which we may in no wise make our prayers I say that then we should vtterly dishonour it Auoyde therfore this poynt of Idolatry and all is safe Finally we say that they speake well faythfully whiche say that they goe to the body and receiue the body of Christ and that they speake vilanously and wickedly whiche say that they onely receiue bread or the signe of hys body for in so saying they declare their infidelitie For the faythful will reckon that hée is euill reported of and reputed for a traytour and an other Iudas if mē should say of hym that hée dyd onely receiue the Sacrament and not also the thyng whiche the Sacrament doth signifie For albeit hée onely eateth the bread and sacrament with hys mouth and téeth yet with hys hart and fayth inwardly hée eateth the very thyng it selfe which the Sacramēt outwardly doth represent And of this spryng the maner of speakynges that the olde fathers doe sometyme vse which at the first sight mought séeme contrary to our senses But if they bée well pondered it may soone bée séene how they should be taken For many times when they speake of the Sacramēt and outward eating they apply vnto y e Sacrament and outward eatyng the fruite conditions of the inward eatyng thyng it selse because that in a faythful man they are so ioyntly ioyned that the one is neuer without the other As by example Mary is named the mother of God and yet she is not the mother of hys Godhead by the which part onely he is called God but because she is his mother as touching his māhode the Godhead is so annexed with the māhode that they both make but one person therfore is shée called the mother of God whiche in déede if it bée wisely weyed shalbée founde to bée abused speach And yet neuerthelesse it may very well bée vsed if men vnverstand what is ment thereby but if thorough the vse of this speach men shoulde fall into such an errour that woulde affirme our Ladye to bée in déede the mother of his Godhead thē necessitie should compell vs to make a distinction betwéene the nature of his Godhead and the nature of hys manhode and so to expoūde the matter vnto them and bryng them home agayne into the right vnderstanding As we are now constrayned to doe in this Sacrament because you misconstrue the sayinges of the Scripture Doctours Which notwithstandyng if a man vnderstand them say very well And many such maner of speaches are contayned in the Scripture As where Christ sayth Ioh. 3. There shall noman ascend into heauen but hée that discendeth from heauen the sonne of man which is in heauen This text doth say that the sonne of man was then in heauen when hée spake these wordes vnto Nicodemus here on earth which thing all wise men cōsent to bée vnderstanded propter vnitatem personae That is to say for the vnitie of the person For albeit his godhed was in euery place at that time yet was not his manhode by the which hée was called the sonne of man in heauen at that time And yet Christ sayde that it was in heauen for the vnitie of his person For his Godhed was in heauen and because the Godhed and manhode made but one person therefore it was ascribed vnto y t manhode which was onely verified vppon the Godhed as S. Augustine ad Dardanum doth diligently declare And likewise in the sacrament of Baptisme because the inwarde working of the holy ghost is euer annexed in the faithfull vnto the outwarde ceremony therefore sometime the fruite of the inwarde Baptisme is ascribed vnto the outward worke And so the scripture vseth to speake of the outward baptisme as though it were the inwarde that is to say the sprite of God And therfore S. Paul saith that we are buried with Christ thorough baptisme And yet as S. Augustine expoundeth it y t outward Baptisme doth but signifie this buriall And agayne Paule sayth as many as are baptised haue put Christ vppō them And yet in déede our outward baptisme doth but signifie that wée haue put Christ vppon vs. But by the inwarde baptisme which is the water of life and spirite of God wée haue in déede put him vpon vs liue in him and hée in vs. Which notwithstanding is very false for all the outwarde baptisme in them that receiue it not in fayth And vnto them it is but a bare signe whereof they get no profite but damnation And here you may euidently perceiue how it is sometyme in scripture ascribed vnto the inwarde worke and ceremony which is onely true in the outwarde veritie And this place shall expounde all
Gene. 32. Iohn 6. Papistes are the wresters of Scriptures The Sacramenteâ—… are confirmations to weake consciences Fayth encreaseth by the worthy receiuyng of the Sacramentes Math. 28. Math. 18. Ephe. 3. The olde Doctours vary in their opinion of the SacrameÌ„t In aunswere to them of the second opinion Christ once sacrificed is a sacrifice for euer The doctrine of the Papistes Papistes be agreued with â—uch as consent not to their gâ—osse opiâ—…on Signes coÌ„monly called by the name of thyngs signified therby Note this worthy true argument followyng All the doctors with one accorde call the Sacrament a sacrifice Papistes should be indifferent in iudgementes as Protestants are TransubciatioÌ„ was a worde vsed among the olde Doctours An effectual and good Argument The Pope confirming transubstantiatioÌ„ did purchase hys own gayne to the ouerthrow of the right vse of Christes Sacrament The commoÌ„ persuasion of Papistes Marke 9. Papistes are cruell persecutâ—rs The faithfull are in good state though the wicked iudge the contrary 1. Cor. 13. Phil. 2. Fayth onely iustifieth what it is to say Gene. 32. Gene. 33. Gene. 35. Exod. 12. Exod. 30. Iudi. 10. Iudi. 15. Iudic. 19. 1. Reg. 6. 1. Reg. 7. 3. Reg. 22. Nume 6. Ierem. 7. Ezech. 12. A short and effectuall collection of the former arguments An obiectioÌ„ made by y t Papistes An aunswere to y u former obiection In excelleÌ„t argument 3. Reg. 8. 3. Reg. 8. Math. 26. Marke 14. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. A letter of Maister Tyndall to M. â—râ—â—h 1. Pet. 2. 1. Ioh. 5. Math. 5. Rom. 8. Phil. 3. Boldnes of spirite Weunde not conscience Standing vpoÌ„ thinges necessary Death after denying euill spoken of by the aduersaries Obedience of God To looke for no maÌ„s helpe bringeth Gods helpe Conslancie in staÌ„ding Pacience in suffering Bylney Perseueraunce to the end Math. 21. Two Martyrs at Antwerpe Foure martyrs in FlauÌ„ders and one at Luke PersecutioÌ„ at Roâ—ne Fiue Doctours at Paris takeÌ„ for y e Gospell In other Letter of M. Tyndall Hygh questions to be auoyded All deedes before they bee iustified by fayth are sinne Preachyng the law of God and mercy of Christ SacrameÌ„ts without significations to be refused M. Tynball heâ—e beareth with tyme. By the affirâ—… he â—…neth the â—…on which M. Luther the â—axoÌ„s be hold of the Sacrament M. Tyndall aâ—… beareth w t tyme. Vbiquetie can not be proued Eating the whores flesh is to spoyle the Popes Churche â–ª onely for y â— praye and spoyle ther of Worldly wisedome so farre as it may serue to Gods glorie may be vsed Low waâ—kyng The vpright handlyng in the translation of M. Tyndall A low hart maketh a man hygh with God Authoritie is the glory of age Meekenes is the glory of youth Purgatory hath no profe by Scripture Iohn 6. The Iewes wer blynd and ignorant vnderstode not the wordes of Christ The true worke that is acceptable before God Abacuk 2. The Iewes desire a sigâ—e or token whereby they might beleue that he was Christ Psal 7. Christ required of the Iewes to haue fayth and trust in hym Christ explaneth sheweth him selfe to the Iewes Fayth onely appreheÌ„deth Christ and all hys benefites Christ rebuketh the incredulitie and lacke of fayth in the Iewes All that the father draw come vnto Christ Christe came from heaueÌ„ into earth to fulfill the will of his father He. y â— beleueth Christes death to be for the remissioÌ„ of his sinnes the same cateth y â— fleshe drinketh the bloud of Christ The cause of y e Iewes murmur Christ reproueth the murmuryng of the Iewes Esay 54. Ierem. 31. Iohn 6. All that beleue hope in Christ haue euerlastyng life M. More had not the vnderstandyng of the scriptures 1. Cor. 11. More is a mocker The eating or the bread of Christ is onely to beleue in Christes â—eath How the bread signifieth and sheweth Christes â—…esh Christes flesh is the spirituall foode of ouâ— soules The obstinate wilfull blyndnes of the Iewes The malice of the Iewes toward our Sauiour Christ The carnal Papistes ceasse not still to offer hym Hebr. 10. Thomistes be y â— schole Doctours Christ in saiyng y â— hys flesh is very meate doth not say that bread shal be transubstaâ—â—ated into hys flesh Christes wordes are spirituall not carnall More declareth hys ignoraunce and wilfull blyndnes More reporteth the Scriptures vntruly Mores first reason is coÌ„futeâ— Iohn 6. 10. 15. Christes Disciples murmured not at hys saying Christes â—…s wâ—… in all thynges to be spiritually vnderstand Abacuk 2. The confutation of his ij argument Christ in that he is God may doe all things that he will but yet he will not falsefye hys holy Scriptures More is a great setteâ—orth of vnwritten veâ—ities Although y e Pope daâ—e â—ot take vppon hym to be God â–ª yet he is coÌ„tented to be named taken for halfe a God Esay 42. Christ â—s touchyng his manhode occupieth at one â—y me but one place but hys Godhead is in all places at once Iohn 14. Iohn 10. Hebr. 11. Hebr. 9. Christes must nedes dye for God had so promised before Iohn 2. and 12. God may not be fouÌ„dâ—… More would haue beleued Christ if he had talked with hym what soeuer hee had said to him Gods almightye power is not to be to busely deale withall More doth but scoffe out the matter Matters of â—ayth are repugnauÌ„t to reason Gods blessed will is declared in his Scriptures More traucâ—leth in his Poetrie Mores similitude of faces in the glasse proueth no faces in substaunce By â—ayth we must eate and drinke Christes body and bloâ—d spiritually More writeth against hym selfe More an vpholder of vnwritten verities Abacuk 2. Fayth is y â— life of the righteous 1. Iohn 4. By fayth we eate drinke Christ and so he abydeth in vs and we in hym Christen religion is fayth and a lyfe correspondeÌ„t The Iewes and also the disciples of Christe were offended at his wordes Here Christ doth playnly shew that it is the spirituall eatyng not the fleshly eatyng of his body that profiteth The eating of Christes flesh profited nothyng The wordes of Christe were spirit and life Christes disciples vnderstode Christ to speake spiritually and beleued Math. 26. Math. 24. Luke 24. 1. Cor. 11. The order of the actâ—… Christ consecrated no bread but deliuered it to his Apostles to eate There is left vnto vs no wordes of consecration wherby we should alter and chauÌ„ge the nature of bread into his body The vse of the Supper The paschal lambe The true meanyng significatioÌ„ of the Sacrament of the body bloud of Christ Mores litterall sense â—s lost Marke 14. The wordes of consecratioÌ„ were spokeÌ„ after Christ had deliuered y â— bread the cup. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. How the Papistes wrest the wordes of Scripture Iohn 6. 1. Cor. 10. To eate Christes flesh is to beleue in hym The maner of Saint Paules speakyng Math. 15. An allegoticall spech wel allowed and
that we are holy righteous full of good deedes if y â— law be preached a right our righteousnes and good dedes vanish away as smoke in the winde and we are left damnable sinners onely And as thou seest how that Christ healeth not till Peter had wouÌ„ded and as an healyng plaister helpeth not till y â— corrosie hath troubled the wounde eueÌ„ so the Gospell helpeth not but wheÌ„ the law hath wouÌ„ded y e conscience and brought the sinner into y e knowledge of his sinne This allegory proueth nothyng neither caÌ„ do For it is not the Scripture but an exaÌ„ple or a similitude borowed of the Scripture to declare a text or a conclusion of the Scripture more expresly and to roote it and graue it in the hart For a similitude or an example doth printe a thing much deper in the wittes of a man then doth a plaine speakyng and leaueth behynd him as it were a stinge to pricke him forward and to awake him with all Moreouer if I could not proue with an open text that which the Allegory doth expresse then were the Allegory a thyng to bee gested at and of no greater value then a tale of Robyn hode This allegory as touching his first part is proued by Paul in ye. iij. chap. of his Epistle to the Romanes where he sayth The law causeth wrath And in y e vij chapter to the Romanes When the law or commaundement came sinne reuiued and I become dead And in the ij Epistle to the Cor. in the third chap. the law is called the minister of death and daÌ„nation c. And as concernyng the second part Paul sayth to the Rom. in the v. chap. In that we are iustified by faith we are at peace with God And in the ij Epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s in the. iij. The Gospell is called the ministratioÌ„ of iustifying and of the spirite And Gala. iiij The spirite coÌ„meth by preaching of the faith c. This doth the litterall sence proue the allegory beare it as the foundatioÌ„ beareth the house And because that allegories proue nothyng therfore are they to be vsed soberly and seldome onely where the text offereth thee an allegory And of this maner as I aboue haue done doth Paul borow a similitude a figure or allegory of Genesis to expresse the nature of the law and of the Gospell and by Agar her sonne declareth the propertie of the law and of her bonde children which wil be iustified by deedes and by Sara and her sonne declareth the propertie of the Gospell and of her free children which are iustified by faith and how the children of the law which beleue in their workes persecute the children of the Gospel which beleue in the mercy and truth of God and in the Testament of his sonne Iesus our Lord. And likewise do we borow likenesses or allegories of the Scripture as of Pharao and Derode and of the Scribes and Phariseis to expresse our miserable captiuitie and persecution vnder Antichrist the Pope The greatest cause of which captiuitie and the decay of the fayth this blindnes wherin we now are sprang first of allegories For Origene and the doctours of his time drew all y e Scripture vnto allegories Whose ensample they that came after folowed so loÌ„g till at the last they forgat y â— order and processe of the text supposing that y e scripture serued but to faine allegories vppoÌ„ In somuch that twenty doctours expounde one text xx wayes as children make descant vpon playne song Then came our sophisters with theâ—â— Anagogicall and Chopologicall sence with an antetheme of halfe an inch out of whiche some of them drawe a threde of ix dayes long Yea thou shalt fynde inough that will preach Christ and proue what soeuer poynte of thee fayth that thou wilt as well out of a fabell of Ouide or any other Poet as out of S. Iohns Gospell or Paules Epistles Yea they are come vnto such blyndnes that they not onely say the litterall sence profiteth not but also that it is hurtful and noysome and killeth the soule Which damnable doctrine they proue by a text of Paule ij Corinth iij. Where he sayth the letter killeth but the spirit geueth life Lo say they the litterall sence killeth and the spirituall sence geueth life We must therfore say they seeke out some choplogicall sence Here learne what sophistrie is and how blind they are that thou mayest abhorre them and spue them out of thy stomake for euer Paule by the letter meaneth Moyses law which the processe of the text folowyng declareth more bright then the sunne But it is not their guise to looke on the order of any text but as they find it in their doctours so alledge they it and so vnderstaÌ„d it Paule maketh a comparisoÌ„ betwene the law and the Gospell calleth the law the letter because it was but letters grauen in two tables of cold stoâ—e For the law doth but kill and damne the consciences as long as there is no lust in the hart to doe that which the law commaundeth Contrary wise he calleth the Gospell the administration of the spirite of righteousnes or iustifying For wheÌ„ Christ is preached and the promises whiche God hath made in Christ are beleued the spirit entereth the hart and looseth the hart and geueth lust to do the law and maketh the law a liuely thyng in the hart Now as soone as the hart lusteth to do the law then are we righteous before God our sinnes forgeuen Neuerthelesse the law of the letter graued in stone and not in the hartes was so glorious and Moyses his face shone so bryght that the children of Israell could not behold his face for brightnes It was also geuen in thunder and lightning and terrible signes so that they for feare came to Moses desired him that he would speake to them let God speake no more Lest we dye sayd they If we heare him any more as thou mayst see Exod. xx Wherupon Paule maketh his comparison saying if the ministratioÌ„ of death thorough the letters figured in stones was glorious so that the childreÌ„ of Israell could not behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenaunce why shal not the administration of the spirite be glorious And agayne if the administration of damnation be glorious much more shall the administration of righteousnes excede in glory That is if the law that killeth sinners helpeth theÌ„ not to be glorious then the Gospel which pardoneth sinners and geueth them power to be the sonnes of God to ouer come sinne is much more glorious And the text that goeth before is as cleare For the holy Apostle Paule sayth ye Corinthians are our Epistle which is vnderstand and read of all men in that ye are knowen how that ye are the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs and written not with ynke as Moyses law but with the
but inuisible and still bodely present hee would neuer haue couered hym selfe with the cloude shewyng them and testifying also by those ij men his very bodely AsceÌ„tion out of their sightes We may not make of hys very bodely AscentioÌ„ such an inuisible iugglyng cast as our Papistes fayne Fashionyng and fayning Christ a body now inuisible now in many places at once theÌ„ so great and yet in so litle a place not decerned of any of our senses now glorified now vnglorified now passible and then impassible and I wote neare what they imagine and make of their maker and all without any woorde yea cleane agaynst all the wordes of holy Scripture For surely in this their imagination and so saying they bryng in a fresh the heresie of that great heretike Marcian which said that Christ tooke but a phantasticall body And so was neither verely borne nor suffered nor rose nor ascended verely neither was he very man Which heresie Tertulian confuteth Christ toke verely our nature such a passible and mortall body as we beare about with vs saue that he was without all maner of synne In such a body he suffered verely and rose agayne from death in such a glorified body now immortall c. as euery one of vs shall ryse at the generall iudgement It is appropried onely to hys Godhead to be euery where and not to bee circumscribed nor conteined in no one place And as for our Papistes prophane voyde voyces his body to be in many places at once indifinitiue incircumscriptiue non per modum quaÌ„ti neque localiter c. which includeth in it selfe contradiction of which Paule warned Timothe callyng them the oppositions of a false named science for that theyr Scholasticall Diuinitie must make obiections agaynst euery truth be it neuer so playne with pro contra whiche science many that professe it sayth Paul haue erred from the fayth as for this contention and battayle about wordes profitable for nothyng els but to subuert the hearers I care not for them For I haue the almighty testimony of the euerlastyng word of God ready to soyle all theyr madde and vnreasonable reasons to wype them cleane away and to turne them into their own confession And for bycause they hold them so fast by Paule I shall loose theyr hold expoundyng the Lordes Supper after Paule which addeth immediatly vnto the cup this y t Luke there left foorth Doe ye this into my remembraunce This doth Paule repete so ofte to put vs in minde that these thankes giuing and Supper is the coÌ„memoration and the memoriall of Christes death Wherfore after all hee repeteth it yet agayne the thyrde tyme saying So oft as ye shall eate this bread hee calleth it still bread euen after the Popes consecration and drinke the cuppe he sayth not drinke this bloude see that ye gyue thaÌ„kes be ioyous and preach the death of the Lord for so much signifieth Anâ—â—â—ciate in this place vntill hee come that is to say froÌ„ the tyme of his death and Ascention vntill hee come agayne to iudgement Furthermore sayeth Paule who so eateth this bread he calleth it still bread or drinke of the cuppe of the Lord vnworthely is giltie of the body and bloud of the Lord. The body and bloud of the Lorde Paule calleth here the congregation assembled together to eate the Lordes Supper For they are his body and bloud which are redemed with his body and bloud as he said in the x. chapter before The cup of thankes giuyng whiche we receiue with thaÌ„kes is it not the felowshyp of the bloud of Christ The bread whiche we breake is it not the felowshyp of the body of Christ For we beyng many together are one bread and one body Loe here Paule expoundyng hym selfe vseth the same forme of spech that is vsed in these woordes This is my body takyng is for signifieth We are one bread one body that is to say we are signified by one loafe of bread to be one body he sheweth the cause addyng because we be all partakers of one lofe or peece of bread And in the xij chapter folowing he sayth plainly ye be the body of Christ and his particular members and in the first to the Ephesians God dyd set Christ to be the head ouer all vnto hys congregation whiche is his body c. And bicause the comparison in the x. chapter betwene the Lordes borde and his cup and the deuils borde and his cup do declare this matter I shall recite Paules wordes saying ye may not drinke the cup of the Lord and the cuppe of the deuill both together Ye may not bee partakers of the Lordes borde the deuils borde both at once The deuils borde and hys cuppe was not his body and bloud but the earing and drinkyng before their images and Idols as dyd the heathen in the worshyppe and thankes of theyr Gods Of the which thyng thou mayst gather what Paul meant by the Lordes borde and his cuppe Now let vs returne to Paule in the xâ— chapter They eate this bread and drinke of this cup vnworthely that come not vnto this borde with such faith and loue as they professed at their Baptisme They eate vnworthely that thrust them selues in among this congregation hauyng not the loue that this SacrameÌ„t and signe of vnity teacheth and signifieth Which maner of people Paule in y e same chapter rebuketh and bendeth all his Sermon agaynst them for that they were conteÌ„tious and came together not for the better but for the woorse So that their commyng together which should haue bene a token of fayth and loue was turned into the occasion and matter of disscution and strife bycause euery man dyd eate as Paule sayth hys owne supper and not the Lordes supper wherein the bread and drinke is common as well to the poore as to the riche But here the rich disdayned the poore and would not tarye for them So that some as the rich went theyr way dronken and full and the poore departed hungry and dry whiche was a token of no equall distribution of the bread and drinke and that the rich contemned the poore and so became sclauÌ„derous and giltie of the body bloud of Christ that is to witte of the poore congregation redemed with Christes body and bloud Thus they that came together appearyng to haue had that loue whiche the Supper signified and had it not vttered them selues by this conteÌ„tious and vnlouyng dealyng not to be members of Christes body but rather giltie and hurtfull vnto them As if a souldier of our aduersaries part shoulde come in among vs with our Lordes badge hauyng not that hart fayth and loue to our captaine that we haue we would if we espyed it by any token take him for a spye and betrayer rather then one of vs. Let a man therefore sayth Paule proue him selfe well before whether he hath this fayth to Christ
bloud Which precepte of the lawe and bycause that bloud is lyfe we affirme it to be set like as many other almost innumerable sacramentes of those Scriptures full of signes and figures of the preachyng to come whiche now is declared by our Lord Iesu Christ c. And I may interprete that precept to bee layed in a signe For the Lord doubted not to say This is my body when hee gaue the signe of his body And euen so is the bloud lyfe and the stone was Christ And yet when he sayd these wordes he sayd not the stone signified Christ but he sayd the stone was Christ whiche lest they should be taken carnally hee calleth it spirituall that is to say he teacheth it to bee vnderstand spiritually Where is now Mores litteral sense and materiall meate Now shall ye heare Chrisostome Nihil sensibile tradidit Christus licet dederit panem vinum non quod panis vinum non sint sensibilia sed quod in illis mentem haerere noluit Nam in suum corpus quod est panis vitae subuehit dicens Hoc est corpus meum perinde ac dicat Hoc licet panis sit significat tamen tibi corpus Thus it is in Englishe Christ geuyng bread and wyne gaue no sensible thyng not that bread and wine be not sensible but that he would not our mynde to sticke still in them For hee lifted vs vp into hys bodye which is the bread of lyfe saying This is my body as though he should say Though this be but bread yet it signifieth vnto thee my body Now iudge thou ChristeÌ„ reader whether M. More reporteth right of this maÌ„ that alledgeth these holy Doctours or no. Now haue ye the pure vnderstandyng of the wordes of the Lordes supper confirmed with the old holy Doctours That this is my body is as much to say as this signifieth my body And this is my bloud is this signifieth my bloud But yet was there neuer such maner of speaking in the scripture This is that that is to say This is conuerted and transubstanciated into that Or this is conteined in that the thyng conuerted and chaunged kepyng still her forme qualities quantities c. As to say This is my body that is to say This bread is conuerted into my body the bread abydyng still in his fashion tast colour waight c. For Christ when hee conuerted water into wyne dyd not leaue the fourme colour and tast still in the water For so had it bene no chaungyng But let our couetous conuerters choppe and chaunge bread and wyne till we there feele see tast neither bread nor wyne and then will we beleue them so they bryng for them the word of God For as for their false iugglyng we feele it at our fingers ende we see it had we but halfe an eye we tast it at our touÌ„gs end and know it with all our wyttes and vnderstandyng so manifestly that we perceiued them openly long agoe to be the very Antichristes of whom Christ and his Apostles warned vs to come in this last tyme. And if they say That this conuersion is made by miracles Then must euery one of them as hee say a Masse make vs many a miracle the very markes of M. Mores Churche For it is oue great miracle that Christs body should come so sodenly inuisible and so oft out of heauen and that such a miracle as the worde of God neuer knew An other that so great a body should be conteyned in so litle a place and that one body should be at once in so many places and two bodyes in one place An other that it is eaten neither the cater feelyng it nor the body eaten sufferyng nor feelyng the teeth of the eater With as many moe maruelous like miracles or rather absurdities of the bread and wyne that there must be the forme colour tast wayght broken c. and yet neither to be bread nor wyne in our belefe except we will be burned of theÌ„ bycause we beleue not their iugglyng castes O mischieuous miracle makers O cruell conuerters O bloudy butchers But hearke Christen reader and I shall learne thee to knowe Christes playne and true miracles from the sleighty iuggling of these crafty coÌ„neyers Christ would neuer haue done miracle had men beleued hym onely by hys woordes but when hee sayd first these wordes This is my body no maÌ„ doubted at them no man was in any vnbeleue of them wherfore these wordes must needes bee playne single and pure without miracle as these The iij. braunches are thre dayes without any subtile transubstantiation such insensible conuersion or any false miracle Christ wrought all his miracles for the glory of God to declare hym selfe both God and man so that all Christes miracles were coÌ„prehended vnder mans sences or commoÌ„ wyttes which bryng in such knowledge vnto the vnderstaÌ„dyng As when he chaunged water into wyne the miracle was first receiued with the sight open at the eye tasted with the mouth and so conuayed vnto the vnderstandyng And now though we neither see nor tast that miracle yet we heare it see it read it and so vnderstaÌ„d that it was once a miracle done of Christ wheÌ„ he restored the sight to the blynd healed the lame clensed the leprose reared the dead all was seen heard and so comprehended vnder our most swete senses that his very enemyes were compelled to coufesse them for miracles But our miracle makers that make dayly so oft and so many are so farre from this cleare poynt that their miracles in this matter be not neither shal be coÌ„tained nor compreheÌ„ded vnder any of our fiue wittes but they rather delude and deceyue both sight tast feelyng hearyng and smellyng ye our fayth and vnderstandyng to Beware therefore of these mischieuous miracle makers for theyr owne glory and profite and will kill thee to if thou beleuest not their lyes Beware I say of those Marchauntes that will sell the wares which they will not suffer thee to see nor to tast nor to touch but when they shewe the white thou must beleue it is blacke If they geue the bread thou must beleue it without any word of thy fayth that it is Christes body and that of their owne makyng If thou tast see and feele it bread yet thou must say it is none though the Scripture calleth it bread xx tymes Beware beware I say of Antichrist whose commyng sayth Paule He is come alredy sayth Iohn now are there many Antichristes shall be after the workyng of Sathan with an almighty power with false signes and wouders lying miracles with all deceite of vnrighteousnes c. To be to curious in so playne a Sacrament and signe to cauill Christes cleare wordes with sophisticall soâ—…mes and to tryfull out the truth with tauntes and mockes as M. More doth is no Christen maner And if our Papistes and Scholasticall Sophisâ—â—râ— will obiect and
Austen sayd before the Apostle sayth not we signifie burning but sayth we are buried And likewise here Christ sayd not this signifieth my body but this is my body calling the sacrament signe token and memoriall of so great a thing euen with y e name of the very thing it selfe thus doth S. Ambrose choke our sophisters Neuerthelesse I will alleage one place more out of S. Ambrose where he saith Dicit sacerdos fac nobis inquit hanc oblationeÌ„ scriptaÌ„ rationabileÌ„ quod est figura corporis Domini nostri Iesu Christi That is y e Priest sayth make vs this oblation acceptable c. For it is a figure of the body of our Lord Iesu Christ Here he cauleth it plainly a figure of Christes body which thing you can not auoyde Therfore geue prayse vnto God let his truth sprede which is so plainely testified by these holy fathers Now let vs see what S. Hierome sayth S. Hierome writyng vpon Ecclesiaste sayth on thys maner Caro Domini verus cibus est sanguis eius verus potus est hoc solum habemus in praesenti saeculo bonuÌ„ si vescamur carne eius cruoreque potemur non solum in mysterio sed â—tiam in scripturarum lectione verus enim cibus potus qui ex verbo dei sumitur scientia scripturarum est That is to say The flesh of the Lord is very meate hys bloud is very drinke This is onely the pleasure or profite that we haue in thys worlde that we may eate hys fleshe and drinke hys bloud not onely in a mysterye but also in the readyng of Scriptures For the very meate and drink which is taken out of Gods worde is the knowledge of Scriptures Here may ye sée Saint Hieromes minde in few wordes For first he sayth that we eate hys fleshe and drinke hys bloud in a mysterye which is the sacrament of hys remembraunce and memoriall of hys passion And after he addeth that we eate hys flesh and drinke hys bloud in the reading and knowledge of Scriptures and calleth that very meate and very drinke And yet I am sure ye are not so grosse as to thinke that the letters which you read are turned into naturall fleshe and bloud And likewise it is not necessary that the bread shoulde be turned into hys body no more then y e letters in scripture are turned into hys fleshe And neuerthelesse through â—ayth we may as well eate hys body in receauing of the sacrament as eate hys fleshe in reading of the letters of the Scripture Besides that S. Hierome calleth the vnderstanding of the Scripture very meate and very drinke which you must néedes vnderstand in a mystery and spirituall sense for it is neither materiall meate nor drinke that is receaued with the mouth and téeth but it is spirituall meate and drinke and is so called for a similitude propertie because that as meate and drink comfort the body and outward man so doth the readyng and knowledge of Scripture comfort the soule and inward man And likewise it is of Christes body which is called very meate and very drinke which you must néedes vnderstand in a mysterye or spirituall sense as S. Hierome called it for hys body is no materiall meate nor drinke that is receaued with the mouth or téeth but it is spirituall meate and drinke and so called for a similitude and propertie because that as meate and drinke comforteth the body so doth the fayth in hys body breaking and bloudsheding refreshe the soule vnto lyfe euerlastyng We vse it customably in our dayly speach to say when a childe setteth all hys mynde and delight on sport playe It is meate and drinke to thys childe to playe And also we say by a maÌ„ that loueth well hawking and hunting it is meate and drinke to this man to hawke hunt Where no man doubteth but it is a figuratiue speach And therefore I wonder that they are so blinde in thys one poynt of Christes body and can not also take the wordes figuratiuely as these olde Doctors dyd Agayne S. Hierome sayth Postq mysticum pascha fuerat impletum agni carnes cum Apostolis comederat assumit panem qui comfortat cor hominis ad verum paschae transgreditur sacramentum vt quomodo in praefiguratione eius Melchisedech summi Dei sacerdos vinum panem offerens fecerat ipse quoquè viritatem corporis sanguinis repraesentaret That is to say After the mystical Easter Lambe fulfilled and that Christ had eaten the Lambes fleshe with the Apostles he tooke bread which comforteth the hart of man and passeth to the true sacrament of the Easter LaÌ„be that as Melchisedech brought forth bread and wyne figuryng hym so might he likewyse represent the truth of hys body and bloud Here doth S. Hierome speake after the maner that Tertullian dyd before that Christ with bread and wyne dyd represent the truth of hys body For except he had had a true body he coulde not leaue a figure of it nor represent it vnto vs. For a vayne thyng or phaÌ„tasie can haue no figure nor can not be represented as by example how should a man make a figure of hys dreame or represent it vnto our memorye But Christ hath left vs a figure and representation of hys bodye in bread and wyne therefore it followeth that he had a true bodye And that this was S. Hieromes mynde it doth manifestly appeare by y e words of Beda which doth more copiously set out thys saying of Hierome For he writeth on thys maner Finitis paschae veteris solennijs quae in commemorationem antique de Aegypto liberationis agebantur transit ad nouum quod in suae redemptionis memoriam Ecclesia frequentare desiderat vt videlicet pro carne agni vel sanguine suae carnis sanguinisque sacramentum in panis ac vini figura substituens ipsum se esse monstraret cui inrauit Dominus non poenitebit eum Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech Frangit auteÌ„ipse panem quem porrigit vt ostendat corporis sui fractionem noÌ„ sine sua sponte futuram c. Et paulò post Similiter calicem postquam coenauit dedit eis Quia ergo panis carnem confirmat vinum vero sanguinem operatur in carne hic ad corpus Christi mystice illud refertur ad sanguinem That is to say After the solemnitie of the olde Easter Lambe was finished which was obserued in the remembraunce of the olde deliueraunce out of Egypt he goeth vnto the new which the Church gladly obserueth in the remembraunce of hys redemption that he in the stead of the fleshe and bloud of the Lambe might institute and ordayne the Sacrament of hys fleshe and bloud in the figure of bread and wyne and so declare hym selfe to be the same vnto whom the Lord sware and will not repent thou art a perpetuall Priest after
euē it that I sayd before that it was not possible to stand with the processe of the Scripture which we haue receaued And now hys mastership hath graunted it hym selfe which you may be sure he would not haue done if hee coulde otherwyse auoyde it And here you may see how sore I haue ouerséene my selfe God forbid that any man should be the more prone ready to beleue this yong man in this greate matter because he sayth in the beginning that he will bring all men to a concord a quietnes of conscience for he bringeth men to the worst kinde of quietnes that may be deuised when he telleth vs as he doth that euery man in this matter may without perell beleue which way he list Euery man may in euery matter without any counsell sone set hym self at rest if he list to take that way and to beleue as he list him selfe care not how But and if that way had bene sure S. Paule would neuer haue shewed that many were in perill of sicknes and death to For lacke of discerning reuerently the body of our Lord in that sacrament when they came to receiue hym When Christ should depart this world and go to his Father he gaue his desciples a commaundement that they should loue ech other saying by this shall all men knowe that ye are my disciples if you loue ech other as I haue loued you This rule of charitie wolde I not haue broken which notwithstanding is often in Ieopardie among faythfull folke for this sacrament of vnitie This thing considered I thought necessarie to aduertise both parties to saue this rule of charitie and proued in y e first chapter of my treatise that it was no article of the fayth necessary to be beleued vnder payne of damnatiō and therfore that they were to blame that would be contencious for the matter For sith it is no article of the fayth that may lawfully dissent without all Ieoperdye néede not to breake the rule of charitye but rather to receiue the other like pore brethren As by example Some thinke that the mariage betwéene our most redoubted prince Quéene Katerine is lawfull may stand with y ◠lawes of God some thinke that it is vnlawfull and ought to be disanulled now if we should for this matter breake the rule of charitie and euery man hate his neighbour that would not thinke as he doth then were we greatly to blame and in Ieoperdie of condemnation This I say I proued in y e first chapter against which More maketh no busines and improueth it not whereby you may soone gather that it is very true For els sith his mastership so laboureth in these other pointes he would not haue left y ◠vntouched you may be sure This is the concorde that I woulde bring them vnto And as touching quietnes of conscience I haue knowne manye that haue sore bene combred with it And among all A certaine master of arte which died in Oxford confessed vpon his death bed that he had wept lying in his bed an hundreth nyghtes within one yeares space because he coulde not beleue it Now if he had knowne it had bene no necessarye article what comfort quietnes should it haue bene vnto hym Furthermore euery man can not so quiet him selfe as M. More Imagineth For there are many that thinke them selues no small fooles which when they haue receiued some foolish superstition eyther by their owne Imagination or by beleuing their gossepes gospel and olde wiues tales by and by thinke the contrary to be deadly sinne and vtterly forbidden by Christes Gospell As by example I know an house of Religion wherein is a person that thinketh it deadly sinne to go ouer a strawe if it lye a crosse And if their be on the pauement any paynted picture or any Image grauen on a dead mans graue he will not tread vpon it although he should goe a forelong about What is this but vayne superstition wherewith the conscience is combred and corrupted May not this be wéeded out with the word of God shewing hym that it is none article of the fayth so to thinke then to tell hym that it is not forbidden by the scripture and that it is no sinne Now albeit his conscience be so cankerd that the rust will not be rubbed out yet with Gods grace some other whom he hath enfecte with the same may come agayne to Gods word and be cured full well which shoulde neuer haue bene able to quiet thēselues And likewise there are some which beleue as your superstitious hartes haue informed them and these can not quiet thēselues because they beleue y e you haue fet your doctrine out of scripture But when it is proued to them and they them selues perceiue that scripture sayth not so then can they not be content to thinke the contrary and iudge it no sinne at all And as touching S. Paule suerely ye take hym wrong for I will shew you what processe he taketh and how he is to be vnderstode but because it is not possible to finishe it in fewe words I shall deferre it vnto y e bokes ende and then I shall declare hym at large And what a facion is this to say that we may beleue if we list that there is the very body of our Lord in dede and then to tell vs for a truth that such a fayth is impossible to be true For God him selfe can neuer bring it about to make his body be there Yf a man take the bare wordes of Christ and of simplicitie be deceiued and thinke that his very body be in y e sacrament present to their téeth that eate it I dare not say that he sinneth therein but will referre the matter vnto Gods iudgement and yet without doubt I dare say he is deceaued As by example If a man deceaued by the literall sense would think that men should preach to fishes as Saint Fraunces did because Christ bad his disciples goe preach to all creatures yet would not I thinke y t he sinned therein but will referre hym vnto Gods Iudgment But yet I wene euery woman that hath any wit will say that he was deceiued I am very sure that the olde holy doctours which beleued Christes body and bloud to be there and so taught other to beleue as by there bookes playnly doth apere if they had thought eyther that it could not be there or that it was not ther in dede they would not for all the good in this world haue written as they haue done For would those holy men wene you haue taught that men be bound to beleue that the very body and bloud of Christ is there if thē selues thought they were not bound there to woulde they make men honoure and worship that thing as the very body bloud of Christ which them selues thought were not it this geare is to childish to
similitudes and his argumentes are naught 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. Rastall sayth Purgatory is on the earth 18. Rastalles naturall reason deceaueth himselfe and his Turke Gingemyn 18. 20. Rastall cannot tell where purgatory shoulde bee 21. Rastalles ignoraunce 22. Rastall recogniseth his faulte 61 Rastall sheweth two causes why hee staÌ„deth in y t defeÌ„ce of purgatory 62 Rastals blynd argument 70 Rastall falsefieth the Scripture 71 Repentaunce is no satisfaction for sinne 14 Reconciliation to our neighbour is required of God 14 Reprouyng of hypocrites may not bee called raylyng 6â— Repentaunce what it is 74 Rochester the first patron of Purgatory 5â— Rochester and More agree not 5â— Rochester More and Rastall defenders of one heresie 6â— Rochester contrary to More and More contrary to Rochester 6â— S. SAbaoth kept on Saterday 96 Sabaoth kept on Sonday 96 Sabaoth abrogated 96 Sacramentes why they were instituted 111. 112 Sacramentes hath three thinges to be considered 91. 112 Sacrament to be the body of Christ is no Article of our fayth 108. 109 Sacrament to bee Christes naturall body is to grosse an Imagination 111 Sacrament diligently set forth by our Sauiour Christ 112 Sacrifices of the Iewes 113 Sacrament of Christes body and bloud what it signifieth 113 Sacrament is a figure of the breakyng of Christes body and shedyng of his bloud 115. 130 Sacrament may not bee worshypped 151. 155 SacrameÌ„t is the memoriall of Christes death 128 Sacrament what it is 132 Sacrament of Christes body is a thankes geeuyng 135 Sacrament how it is our body 136 ibidem Satisfaction is of two sortes 23. 57 Scripture maketh no meÌ„tioÌ„ of Purgatory 12 Scripture hath many senses 120 Scripture is to bee vnderstanded spiritually 121 Sectes of heretickes 51 Symon Fish made the supplication of Beggers 6 Siluester Pope in whose tyme corruption entred into the Churche 116 Sinne agaynst the holy ghost what it is 341 Sinnes are not remitted after this life 45 Sinne may bee committed and yet it is no sinne 73 Supplication of Beggers 6 T. TVrkes and Iewes beleeue that there is a Purgatory 33 Truth is not to bee sought at the dead 46 Tracyes last will and testament 77 Theeues and murtherers who they are 86. 87. 88 Tyndall a man of most innocent life 118 V. VOluntary or wilfull ignoraunce is not to bee excused 4 W. WIckleâ—â—e burned 118 Wicked and vnfaythfull persons doe not receaue the body of Christ 136. 141 William Tracyes will 77 Wisedome of the world is foolishnes with God 6 Wordes figuratiuely spoken 44 Worshyppyng of the Sacrament is Idolatry 151 Z. ZWinglius slayne 118 Finis Here endeth the Table of M. Frithes booke DIEV ET MON DRIOT THE WORKES of Doctour Barnes His lyfe and Martyrdome 1 A supplication to K. Henry the viij fol. 183 2 His Articles condemned by Popishe Byshops 205. 3. The disputation betweene the Byshoppes and hym 217. 4. Fayth onely iustifieth before God 226. 5. What the Church is and who bee thereof and whereby men may know her 242. 6. An other declaration of the Church wherin hee aunswereth M. More 252. 7. What the keyes of the Church bee and to whom they were geeuen 257. 8. Freewill of man after the fall of Adam of his naturall strength can doe nothyng but sinne afore God 267. 9. That it is lawfull for all maner of men to read the holy Scripture 282. 10. That mens constitutions which are not grounded in Scripture bynde not the coÌ„science of man vnder the payne of deadly synne 292. 11. That all meÌ„ are bouÌ„de to receiue the holy Communion vnder both kyndes vnder the payne of deadly synne 301. 12. That by Gods woorde it is lawfull to Priestes that hath not the gifte of chastistie to marry wiues 309. 13. That it is against the holy Scripture to honor Images to pray to Saintes 339. 14. Of the originall of the Masse 356. 15. A collection of Doctours testimonies 358. ARISE FOR IT IS DAY The death and burning of the most constant Martyrs in Christ D. Rob. Barnes Tho. Garret and W. Hierome in Smithfielde an 1541. ¶ A briefe discourse of the lyfe and doinges of Robert Barnes Doctour in Diuinitie a blessed seruaunt and Martyr of Christ summarely extracted out of the booke of Monumentes THe first bringing vp of the sayd Rob. Barnes from a childe was in the vniuersitie of Cambridge and was made a Nouice in y e house of y e Fryer Augustines there And beyng very apt vnto learning did so profite that by the helpe of his frendes he was remoued from theÌ„ce to the vniuersitie of Louayne in Brabant where he remained certayne yeares and greatly profited in the study of the tongues and there procéeded Doctour of Diuinitie And then from thence returned agayne into England and so to the vniuersitie of CaÌ„bridge where he was made Prior and Maister of the house of Augustines wherein he was first brought vp And at that tyme the knowledge of good letters was scarcely entred into the vniuersitie all thynges being full of rudenes barbarietie sauing in very fewe which were priuye and secrete whereupon Barnes hauing some féeling of better learning and had red better actours begaÌ„ in his house to reade Terence Cicero and Plautus so that what with his industry paynes and labours and with the helpe of Thomas Parnell his scholer whom he brought from Louayne with him reading Copia verborum et rorum he caused the house shortly to florishe with good letters made a great parte of y e house learned which before were drowned in barbarous rudenes as M. Cambridge M. Felde M. Colman M. Burley M. Couerdale with diuers other of the vniuersitie that soiourned there for learnings sake After these foundations layde then did he read openly Paules Epistles and put by Dâ—ns and Dorbell and yet he was a questionary himself and onely because he would haue Christ there taught and his holy word he turned their vnsauery problemes and fruitles disputations to other better matter of the holy Scripture and thereby in short space he made diuers good deuynes The same order of disputation which he kept in his house he obserued likewise in the vniuersitie abroad when he should dispute with any man in the common schooles And the first man that aunswered M. Barnes in the Scriptures was M. Stafford for his forme to be Bacheler of Diuinitie which disputation was merueilous in the sight of the great blynde Doctours and very ioyfull to the godly spirited Thus Barnes what with his reading disputation and preachyng became famous and mightie in the Scriptures preaching euer agaynst Byshops and hipocrites and yet did not sée his inward and outwarde Idolatry which he both taught and maintayned vntill that good Maister Bilney with other conuerted him vnto Christ The first SermoÌ„ that euer he preached of this trueth was y t Sonday before Christmas day at S. Edwardes Church longyng to Trinitie halle in Cambridge by y e Pease market whose theame was the Epistle