gaue thankes and broke it and sayde Take and eate thys is my bodye that shal be geuen for you thys do in the remembraunce of me And lykewyse he toke the cup when supper was done saying Thys cuppe is the newe testamente in my bloude thys do as often as ye drynke it in the remembraunce of me Here ye se by these wordes that it was ordeyned to kepe the death of Chryst in mynd to testyfy that his body was geuen and hys bloud shed for vs And Luke .xxij. Thys is my body that is geuen for you thys do in the remembraunce of me And thys Cuppe is the new testament in my bloud whych shal be shedde for you Loo here ye see agayne that it was instituted to kepe the deathe of Chryste in mynde and to testifye wherfore he dyed euen to saue vs from synne death and hell that we shuld seke non other meanes to be delyuered with For there is none other Actes .4 For as the chylderen of Ireaell stonge of the fyrye serpentes colde haue none other remedy to saue them from present deathe then to go and beholde the brason serpēt hanged vp by moyses in the wyldernes whych lokyng on only healed them euē so yf the styng of daeth whych is synne i. Corr. xv haue wonded the soule with the workyng of the lawe in the conscyences there is none other remedye then to runne to Chryste whyche shedde hys bloude hangyng vppon the crosse And to hys euerlastyng testament and mercyfull Promysse that it was shedde for vs for the remyssyon of our Synnes if thys be stonge wyth conscyence of synne and they coketryse of thy Poysoned nature hath beholde her self in the glasse of the ryghtuous lawe of God there is non other salue or remedi thē to rūne to Chryst immediatli and to the Father throw hym And to say father I haue synned agaynst the and the godly and holy and ryghtuous law and agaynst my brother whom I ought of all ryght to loue for thy sake as wel as my self for geue me o father for the dere sonne Iesus bloude sake accordyng to the moste mercyfull promyses and testament and I wyll axe my brother for geuenes yf the peace I meane be not made alredy and wyll make to my ▪ powre such satysfactyon to hym as shal seame ryght in hys eyes yf he be reasonable or as the congregacyon shuld assygne or faythful men therto apoynted by the congregacyō or such as I he shall agre vppō wyll indeuoure my selfe to do so no more 〈◊〉 the helpe of the grace And wyl submit my selfe to the holsō ordynaunce of the congregacyon acordȳge to the doctryne of the sone Iesus and of hys faythfull apostles for ther is none other name vnder heuen then Iesus geuen to mē that we may be saued by Act .4 Here of ye se that the sacrament is an absolucyon of oure sīnes as ofte as we receiue it where it is truly taught and vnderstande receued a ryght Here of ye se also that as the Ebrewes wrote they re storyes and couenaunts and signes geuing ther signes suche names as cold not but keape them in mynde And as god the father dyd folowe the ensample of the people or they folowynge hym and cōmaunded hys Promysses ▪ couenauntes and prophesyes to be wrytē in gestes Signes and cecrmonyes geuynge them names that colde not but kepe hys couenauntes in mynde Euen so chryste wrote the couenaunt of hys bodye and bloud in bread and wyne geuynge them that name the ought to kepe the couenaunt in remembraūs And hereof ye se that our sacramentes are bokys of storyes only and that ther is none other vertu in thē then to thestyfye the couenauntes and promysses made in chrysts bloud And here of ye perceyue that where nought is vnderstand by the sacrament or ceremonyes ther they be clene vnprofitable And as the circumcisyon in the flesh ther hartes stylle vncyrcumcysed But hatynge the lawe of god and beleuynge in ther oune ymagynacyons were circūcysed vnto theyr great dampnacyon And as they baptised in the flesh only the harte styll vnclene nether beleuyng in chryst for the forgeuenes of ther sīnes Nether loue ther neyboure for chrystes sake are baptysed also vnto ther greatter dampnacyon for though god haue ryght to all men bycause he hath creaed and made man ▪ yet to all such persones by the reason of the sygne and bage and of there owne consent graunt and promysse hath he more ryght to callynge of them the kepyng of hys law And that they trust in hym onlye or to dampne them bycause when they knowe theyr duety or myghte if they wolde the sygne mouynge them and geuynge them an occasyon to axe therafter and yet do not Euen so all that comme to the sacramēt for anye other purpose then it was ordeyned and instytuted for that is to say so fette absolucyon of theyr synnes with a sette purpose to synne no more as nye as they can and to call to memorye the Benefyttes of the Passyon of Chryste with the medytacyon to weak the flesh and strenght the Spyrite agaynste her And to geue thankes ▪ agayne that is to saye to calle to mynde Howe muche he is bounden for Chrystes sake to loue hys neyghbour to helpe hys neade and to beare hys infyrmitye and to forgeue hym if he haue offended and desyre forgeuenes promysyng to amende where vnto Chryste byndeth all that wyll be partakers of hys Bloude The same I saye came therto to theyr greatter dampnatyon I passe ouer wyth sylence the wycked and dampnable Doctryne of these Seruauntes of Mammon whych for lucre peruerte the true vse of the sacramente and hyd it from the people for neante teachyng it to be a sacryfyce instituted of God to helpe the soules of the deade in purgagatory and that it wyll make men ryche and brynge them to such promocyon as Chryst neuer promysed hys discyples but forbadde it them Some wyll say Thys sacrament neaded not Baptisme is Inough Baptysme as a receyuyng into relygyon ther is the couenantes made what we shall do and what we shall haue And Baptyme as a sygne wherby god hath ryght to vs and we to god and to chryst and wherby euery man hathe ryght to call other to do ther dutes and to rebuk them that wyll not Nether owr saluacyon so greately standeth in ther or any other sacramente that we coulde not be saued wyth owt them By preachynge the worde only Neuer the later god as ryght is wyll haue hys benefittes kept in memory to hys glory our benefyte and namely thys benefytte of all benefittes wherin onely the pythe of our saluatyon resteth therfore though the affecte of it be sygnyfyed by baptysme And though we be Baptysed to beleue in the death of Chryst and to dye wyth hym by mortyfyeng of the flesh yet doth thys sacrament thorow the rehearsynge of the couenaunt and breakyng of the breade pouryng oute of wyne much more
lyuely expresse the whole storye and kepe it better in memorye by dayly repetyng therof and hath more myght and vehemeÌ„cye to heale the conscyence stonge wyth fresshe synne For the nature of man is so weake so feble so frayle that he caÌ„ not but synne As there ys no man that lyueth and syneth not the thyrd to the kynges the .iiij. And when he is so fallen then the lawe loketh vpon hym wyth so terryble a coÌ„tynaunce and so thundreth in hys eares that he dare not abyde but turneth hys backe and to god and the ennemye assayleth hym on the other syde to persuade hym that god hath cast him away saying They that be Gods haue power to kepe hys lawe thou hast not but breakest them ergo thou art cast away and dampned creature And hell gapeth and setteth open her mouthe beneth to deuoure him And the fleshe also wresteleth wyth the Spyrite to kepe hym down and to take hym prysoner and to stoppe hys mouthe that he crye no more vppon her to vnquyet her that she myghtte synne at pleasur and with out all feare The carles swyn that consent vnto siÌ„ne fele not these thinges neyther yet the hypocryts that haue put a visare on the face of the lawe and make her loke wyth suche a contenaunce as please them It is but losse of winde to talke with them but the poore folkes that haue the eyes open aÌ„d consent and fayne wolde do the lawe They fele that caÌ„ not be expressed with tounge Neyther is there lyuynge anye man that fealyth the vertue and power of the bloud of Chryste whych hath not fyrste felt the strong paynes of hell Seing then that man is so sycke so prone and ready to fal and so cruelly inuaded wheÌ„ he hath sinned of the fynde the fleshe and the lawe that he is oft put to flyght and feared and made to runne away from hys father Therfore hathe the God of all mercye and of Infynyte pytye and botomlesse compassyon set vp thys sacrament as a sygne on an hygh hyll whence it may be sene on every syde farre and neare to call agayn them that be fled and ronne away And with this sacrameÌ„t he as it were clocketh to them as an henne doth for her chyckens to gether them vnder the wyngs of hys mercye And hath commaunded hys sacramente to be had in contynuall vse to put them in mynde of mercy layd vp for theÌ„ in Chrystes bloud And to wytnes and testefy it to them and to be the seal ther off For the sacrament doth much more vehemently prynt lyuely the fayth aÌ„d make it synke downe into the hart then doo bare woordes onelye As a manne is more sure of that he heareth seythe feleth smelleth and tasteth then that he heareth only Now wheÌ„ the words of the testament and Promises is spoken ouer the breade Thys is my body that shal be brokeÌ„ for you This is mi bloud that shal be shed for you They confirme the faythe but much more when the sacrament is sene wyth the Eyes and the breade broken the wyne powred out or loked on And yet more when I Taste it and Smell it As ye se when a maÌ„ makyth a promisse to an other wyth slyght words betwen them selues And as they be departid he to whome the promysse is made begynneth to doubt whether the other spake earnestlye or mocked And whether he wyl remembre hys promisse to byde by it or not But yf any man speake wyth aduysemente and delyberacyon the wordes are more credyble yf he swere it coÌ„fyrmeth the thiÌ„g yet the more if he strike handes yf he geue erneste yf he call recorde â–ª yf he geue hys hand wrytyng and seale it so is the promysse more more beleuid For the harte gatheryth Lo he spake wyth aduysement and delyberacyoÌ„ and wyth good saddenes he sware he clapped hands called records put to hys hand and seale the man can not be so faynt wtout the feare of god as to deny all thys Shame shall make hym byde by hys promysse Though he were suche a man that I cold not coÌ„pel hym yf he wold deny it If a yonge maÌ„ breake a rynge betwene him a mayde doth not the facte testyfye and make a presumpcyon to all men that hys hart meant as hys wordes spake Monaha Samsons father when he had sene an angell Iudic. xiij he sayd to hys wyfe we shal suerli dye by cause we haue sene the lorde But hys wyfe gathered other comfort of the cyrcuÌ„staunces and sayd yf the lorde wold kyll vs he wolde not haue receued such offrynges of oure handes Nor shoued vs suche thyngs as he hath nor told vs of thyngs to come EueÌ„ our harts gather of the cyrcumstances protestacyons as othes myracles ernest ceremoneys of god good argumentes And reasons to stablyshe owre weake faythe wythall suche as we colde not gather at bare wordes only And thys we dyspute God sente his sonne in owr nature and made him feale all oure infyrmytyes that mowe vs to synne And named hym Iesus that is to say Sauyour bycause He shuld saue hys peopli from ther synnes Mathew j. And after hys death sent hys apostles to preache the thynges or tydynges and to thruste it in at the ears of vs and set vp the sacrameÌ„t of it to testifie it to be a seal of it to thruste it in not at the eares only by the rehersynge the promysses and testament ouer it nether that our eyes only in be holdiÌ„g it but beate it in thorowe oure fealyng tastynge smellyng also And to be repeted dayly and mynystred to vs. He wolde not thynke we make halfe so muche a doo with vs yf he loued vs not or yf he wold not haue vs fayne come and be as marcyful to vs as he was to hys frindes in the olde tyme that fell and rose agayne God so theÌ„ vsed to the Iewes to whoÌ„ a ceremonyes were fyrst geuen and from whom they came to vs euen suche facyons as they vsed amonge them selues in all hys promyses and couenauntes not for hys necessitye but for oures that suche thynges shulde be a wytnesse and testymony betwene hym and vs to confyrme the fayth of his promys that we shuld not wauer or doubt in them when we loke on the seales of hys oblygacâ—oÌ„s wher with he hath bound hym selfe and to kepe the promyses and couenauntes beter in mynde and to make them the more depe synke into our harts to be more earnestlye regarded and that we shulde axe what such thyngs mente and why god commaunded them to be obserued that ignoraunce shulde not excuse yf we knowe not what we ought to do and beleue For naturall reason ought to teach vs that the outward corporall and bodylye thynge can not helpe the spyrytual soul that god hath no delectacyon in suche fantasye Now if we were dylygent to searche for the wyll of God And wolde axe what suche Ceremonyes meant It were impossyble but ther
and sayd Take ye and eate thys is my body that shal be delyuered for you this do in the remembraunce of me Lykewyse also the cuppe when he had supped saynge Thys cuppe is the new testament in my bloud thys do as ofte as you shall drynke it in the remembraunce of me As oft sayth paul as you shall eate of thys Breade and drynke of thys cuppe ye must declare or preache the lordes death vntyll he come As mathew and marke agre in these wordes So do lucas and paule And as it is aboue declared vppon the wordes of luke and so here by so oft repeting one thyng Thys do in the remembraunce of me This cuppe is the newe testament in my bloud This do as ofte as ye drynke it in the remembrauns of me Agayne As ofte as ye shall eate of thys bread and drynke of the cup as ye must declare the lordes death By thys ofte repetyng I say ye may euydeÌ„tlye perseyue that the cause entent and whole porpose of the Instytucyon of the sacrament was to testyfye and confyrme the faythe of the testament made in the death of chryste How that for his sake oure synnes shal be forgeuen So do this in the remembrauns of me that is to say Take bread and wyne aÌ„d reherse the couenauÌ„t aÌ„d testament ouer them How that my body was broken and mi bloud shed for theÌ„ the geuetheÌ„ the people to eate and drynke to be a sygne an earneste and the seal of the testament and cry vppon them withowt sesing to beleue in me only for remyssyoÌ„ of siÌ„nes not to dispraue how weak so euer they be only yf they hange on me desyre powre to kepe the lawe after my doctryne and ensample of my lyfe and do morne be sory by cause they caÌ„ not do that good thynge whych they wold Furth sayth paule Who so euer eatyth of the brade drynketh of the cuppe vnworthelye is gylty of the body and bloud of the lord that is to say Whoso receueth the sacrament of the body and bloude of chryst wyth an vnclene hart not forsakyng the olde luste of his flesh Nor porposynge to folowe chryst and to be to hys neyboure as christe was to hym only mercyful The same sinneth agaynste the body and bloud of Chryste In that he makyth a mocke of the ernest deathe of chryste And as it is wryten Ebru x. Treadeth chryst vnder fote compteth the bloude of the testamente wherwyth he was washyd as an vnholye thing and dothe dyshonor the sprite of grace of thys ye may ê‘ceyue agayne what the sacramente meaneth and what the intent of the ordinaunce was and howe such ceremonyes came vp And whence they had theyte begynnyng and what the frute therof is what is therin to be sought And thought were Inough So that I myght here wel cease yet bycause the vnquyet Scrupulous and Superstycyous nature of man holy geuen to ydolatry hath styrred vp suche tradycyons about thys one sacrament moost specyally I can not but speake therof some what more and declare what my conscyence thynketh in thys matter Ye shall vnderstand therfore that there is great dyssention and thre opynions about the woordes of Chryste where he saith in prononcyng the testament ouer the breade thys is my body and in pronoucynge it ouer the wyne thys is my bloud One part say they that these sayinges thys is my body thys is my bloud coÌ„pelle vs to beleue vnder payne of damnatyon that the bread and wyne are chaÌ„ged into the very body bloud of chryst ryally As the water at Cana Galylee was turned into very wyne The second part sayth we be not bouÌ„d to beleue that breade and wyne ar changed but only that this body bloud ar ther presentlye The thyrde say we be bounde by these wordes to beleue only tha christes body was broken and hys bloud shed for the remyssyon of our synnes that there is no other satysfaction for synne then the death and passyon of chryste The fyrst say these words This is my body thys is my bloud compell vs to beleue that the thynges ther showed are the veri body bloud of chryst really but bread wyne say they caÌ„ not be Chrysts naturall body therfore the breade and wyne are changed turned altered and transsubstancyat in to the very body and bloud of Chryste And they of thys opinyon haue busyed them selues in sekynge subteltes and symylytudes to proue how the very body and bloud myght be ther vnder the symylytud of bread and wyne only The very bread and wyne thus transsubstanciat and so occupyed in slâ—ynge all that wyll not captiue theyr wyttes to beleue them that they neuer taught nor vnderstode that the sacramente is an absolucyon to al that therbi beleue in the body bloud of Chryst. The second parte graunte with the fyrst that the wordes coÌ„pell vs to beleue that the thyngs shewed in the sacrameÌ„t are the very body aÌ„d bloud of chryst But when the fyrste saye bread and wyn can not be the very body bloud of christ There they vary and dyssent from theÌ„ affyrmyng that breade and wyne maye and also is Chrystes body ryally and very bloud of Chryste And saye that it is as trewe to saye the bread is Chrystes body and that wyne is hys bloud as it is true to saye Chryst beyng a very man is also very god And they say As the god head the maÌ„hod in christ are in such maÌ„ner coupled together the man is very god god very maÌ„ EueÌ„ so the very body the breade are so coupled yâ— it ys as tru to say the bread is the body of chryst the bloud so aÌ„nexed there with the wyne that it is eueÌ„ as tru to say the wyn is chrysts bloud The .i. thogh they haue slain so mani in for the defense of ther opinyon yet thei are readye to receuethe second sorte to fellowship not greatli stryuynge with theÌ„ or abhorryng the presens of bread wiÌ„ wyth the very body and bloud so that they yet by that meanes may kepe hym ther stil hope to sell hym as deare as before also some to bye hym and not to mynyshe the pryce The thyrd affyrme that wordes wyll nomore but only that we be leue by the thyngs that are ther shewed the chrystes body was broken hys bloud shede for our synnes yf we wyll forsake our sinnes and turne to god to kepe hys lawe And they saye that these saynges thys is my bodye thys is my bloude Shewyng bread wyne are trewe as christ meane them as the people of that coÌ„tre to whom chryst spake were acustomed to vnderstand such wordes and as the scrypture vseth in a thowsand places to speke as when one of vs sayth I haue dronk a cupp of good wyne the sayynge it is trew as the man mente that he drank wyne only and not the cuppe which wordes happelye in some other nacyons eares