owne grossenes Howe dare you for shame name this christes bodie that you do eate and saie that you eate it bodily May any thing be called a bodie but that may be perceyued bi some of our outwarde sences For by theÌ„ onely as by corporall instruments appointed of God to the same purpose maye we iudge what so euer is a bodie Seinge then our senses and bodilie instrumenâ—es perceiue no suche bodie the worcke beinge inwarde by the spirite what neade we to speake grossely and carnallie of the bodie or whaâ— profite can come by that strange doctringe Seinge then that Christe is not the meate of the soule that waye it is to muche shame thus to contrefaite a Christ in the breade good for nothinge But we beleueinge that Christe hath died for vs haue all the conforte that maye be continuallie refreshed wyth the body and bloude whyche are the onely foode of the soule For of thys spirituall eateinge the spirite encreaseth like as of the carnal eateing flesh onelie can be cherished and encreased For this worde must euer staÌ„d true That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that whiche is borne of the spirit is spirite And for this cause doeth Christe vnderstand a spiritual eateinge But howe I praye you That 〈…〉 maye be eaten carnally and bodily Then shal it be al one thinge to eate hym bodily 〈…〉 spiritually which euen by your sophistrie you must nedes iudge impossible If the eaâ—â—ng of Christ be spiritual â–ª why do you say that you eate hym bodilye If it be bodilie what other thyng can it confort butthe bodi Christ saiâ—h that except we eat his flesh that is beleue that he died and shed his bloud for vs we cannot haue lyfe in vs. Agayn if we 〈◊〉 his flesh that is beleue that it was slaine for vs and drinke his bloude that is beleue shed that his bloud is shed for vs than is Christ in vs and we in him But is Christ in any man corporally and bodilie Naye ve rily What neadeth it vs than to make any â—…o doubtes of cateinge hym bodily for thaÌ„ do we eate hys bodie when we beleue that it was slaine for vs. It is fayth therfore and â—…e other eateinge wher of Christ speaketh for man consisteth of two partes bodie and soule The bodie nether can nor dare by any meanes eate him because it is horrible and a gainste nature No thoughe it coulde and woulde eate hym it shoulde auaile hym no more then the bodilie kisse of Iudas and the handeling of the Iewes auailed them It remaineth therfore that the soule shal eate him which can be none other wayes but by liuely faieth in the bodie and bloude â–ª offerred for vs vnto hys father The soule hath no teth and therfore none other maner of eateinge Thus do we conclude that the soule beinge a spirite and the meate spirituall no maÌ„ ought to seke for to eate Christe in this sacrament bodilie really and carnally but onely spiritually as hys worde is spirite and lyfe But stil you wyl vse your eloquence and saye Thys is spoken by intollerable arroyancie deuillishe sophistrie carnall reasones deceitfull expositions croked argumentes contrefaite contradictions by the spirite of the deuell it is lies erroure and blindnesse Captiue your wittes vnto vs of the cleargie Christe speaketh still in the priest at the aultare and saieth This is my bodie And therfore it is his natural bodie Thys is it that you haue to saye Oh howe full of Christes holy worde and the conforte of the scriptures is thys blessed byshoppe These are the blesseinges that flowe from thê so sone as they wagge theire pope holye membres I wyll not raile againe to your worthynesse But as I haue begoue I wyll answere wyth scriptures The tonge is a worlde of wickednesse So is thetonge set in our membres that â–ª it defyleth the whole bodie and setteth on fire all that we haue of nature and is it selfe set onfire euen of hel Therwith do we blesse god and curse men made to hys owne Image Out of one mouth procedeth blesseinge and curseinge where it is contrarie by course of nature that one fountayne shoulde bringe fourth both swete and bitter water If any man be wyse and endued wythknowledge amonge you let him shewe hys worckes out of hys good conuersasion wyth mekenesse and wisedome But if you haue bitter enuie and striffe in y our herte reioyce not neither be ye lyars agaynst the trueth For such wise dome desceudeth not froÌ„ a boue but is erthly naturall and deuellishe For where enuie ann strife are ther is vnstablenesse and all maner of iuell workes But the wysdome that is from aboue is first pure than peaceable gentile and easye to be entreated Full of mercie and good fruites wythout iudgeing wythout simulacion Yea and the fruitte of rightuousnes is sownein peace to them that maintaine peace But to go forth with our purpose No arrogancie no deuellishe spirite or sophistrie can haue the whole course of scriptures thus to maintayne their cause To proue farther therfore that we be taught the spiritual worship onely and not the sâ—eshely and carnall that perisheth and consumeth by tyme marke the scriptures First howe Christ con maundeth to worcke the meate not that perisheth but that remaueth into lyfe euerlastinge whiche the sonne of man shal geue you Nowe Christ did geue vs none other meate wherbye we lyue for euer but thys gospell aâ—d glade tidinges that he freely hath sufferred death for vs. Againe this is the worke of God To beleue in him whom he hath sent Lo the plain wordes of christ Fayeth in him whom the father hath set worketh the meate that neuer perishe It is fayeth therfore in Christ crucified that maketh vs â–ª blessed and not to eate the bodie carnally bodilie and naturally For then should we haue two waies to lyfe The one by fayth and the other by this bodilie eateinge which no man I trowe wyll graunte Againe Christe sayeth that it is the true breade that cometh downe from heauen and geueth lyfe vnto the worlde So that Christ is the liuely fode as he is God and geueth lyfe vnto the world as he is God the sonne of God not as he is fleshe For if the bodily meate that we do eate be but a burthen vnto â—s tyll it be chaunged iâ—to spirite and altered from the grosse substaunce to nourish the liuely spirites and spirituall partes what do we so grossely thyncke that the flesh of christ swalowed into oure bealies shall do vs so muche good â–ª Thys opinion is verie grosse Therfore sayeth Christe to the Capernites in the same blindenesse What if you shal see the soÌ„ne of man go vp where he was before It is the spirite that geueth lyfe the fleshe profiteh nothing The wordes that I speake vnto you are spirite and lyfe Thus doeth he call from the earth to heauen from the fleshe to the spirite lyke
the good man for he hath no Idoll I know there haue ben good men whiche haue hated all Idolatrie and the persecution of al ages can report the same The bokes also of theyr fayth so many as haue escaped your handes do yet testifie that they were sore offended wyth thys blynde chaunge of these dead ceremonies in the steede of the lyuely feaste of the Lorde where al men shoulde be fed wyth the body and bloud of Christ the sonne of God not turned into bread but lyuely workynge by the spirite in our soules And they do aâ—he thys question why you do breake his body in three and why you do put one piece into the chalice to the wyne seinge you dâ— teache that the wine alone is fleshe bones though you do put no grosser substaunce thereunto For because it is liquidum you can make it what you lust and dare entre some deale far ther then Christe did for he at the vttermost made it but bloude but you wyll make it bloud bones and fleshe say we shalbe breÌ„t if we do not beleue you and yet for all the stickinge to the bare letter you haue not one word through out the whole Bible wherby you maye clooke thys matter that the wyne shalbe the whole body fleshe bloud bones though ye crie The worde the word Faith fatyh These heritickes wyll not beleue the worde of God For your terme really preseÌ„t you shal vnderstande that after Bonifacius the thirde about the yere of our Lorde vi C. and. iij. obteyned of Phocas the false Emperour to be the heade of the churche by the craftie practise of the monkes Paschasius Humbertus Guimundus Algerus Rogerus Frauciscê° Anselmus and such other was realitie inueÌ„ted and termed to the sacrameÌ„t Before that time the spiritual eating only was magnified amonge the olde doctours But then beganne the churche of Rome to be gyueÌ„ ouer to al poÌ„pe wickednes and Idolatrie the mother church of al mischiefe The bishop his adhereÌ„tes of the Antichistes generation are now fully bent to lifte vp theÌ„ selues against euery thynge that is good and godly commaunding Images and other vile creatures to be worshypped But the Emperour Leo the. iiij gathered a counsayle at Bysantium of CCC bishoppes which decreed that only God ought to be worshypped and caused the Images to be breÌ„t and destroyed Then Damasâ—en becommeth their proctoure stubburnely resistynge the Emperour so longe tyll he had his ryghte hande cut of howe he gatte it agayne you must bringe some credible authoure or els we wyll not beleue you longe after when Idolatrie had gotten the vpper hande then dyd Petrus Lombardus maister of your sophisticall senteÌ„ces bringe vp your transmutation and transaccidentatioÌ„ About the yere of our Lorde M. Cxlvi gathered out of certeyne blynde wordes of the doctours afore his tyme. Then Pope Innocent the thyrde gaue it thys newe name that you maynteyne wyth fyre He called it Accidens sine subiecto Of the whiche Sophisme doctoure Duns doctoure Dorbell and doctoure Thomas de Aquino do dispute verie subtilely Theyr termes you may see more at large by the moste diligent confounder of theyr errours Ihou Bale in his boke named the misterie of iniquitie Then folowed the blynde rable of Scotistes and Thomistes and they haue broughte the worlde into thys contention that we nowe heare and are busyed wyth all Thus was thys high misterie of mannes saluation and moste comfortable sacrament cleane chaunged from the institution of Christe whiche was to be taken wyth thankesgyuynge in coÌ„mune amongest christian men that wyth open herte euerie man myght reioyce in the death of his Sauiour and gyue thankes for his redemption that thereby fayth myghte be established and brotherly loue nourished But nowe it is become a vayne gasyng and starynge vpon the sacrament in the steede of the Sauiour takyng the sacrament for hym that made it a sacrament Worshippyng the creature in the steede of the creatoure as we see nowe thys blynde swarme whiche for the lyuely preachynge of the death of Christ to be the life of the soule do cause mumbling al in a straunge tonge that the people might surely be kept from the consideration of the misterie And where Christ coÌ„maundeth vs to deuide it amongest vs and that we shoulde all dryâ—… of the â—â—ppe the popishe priest muste get him into a corner alone and there so many shall be part takers of the merites of his blowing blessyng and other coniuringe aâ—… wyll gyue hym any thynge They shall be prayed for in the middest of his Masse and shal haue their sinnes takeÌ„ away This winâ— they that wyll be the priestes benefactouâ—s The other shal see Christ really they saye but because he is dombe there and can not speake and the pristes lesson is no peny no Pater noster they maye knocke hande on breast and worship they wot not what lyfte vp their haÌ„des and stroke their heades lyke the Popes owne deare chyldreÌ„ but they shal haue no parte there neither of the sacrament whereof they are appoynted to be part takers by the opeÌ„ worde of Chiste eate and drinke of this you all nor yet of the remissioÌ„ of those synnes that the priest worâ—heth for â—nlesse they gyue some money Thys money it is that causeth it to fyght so sore agaynste Christes institution and to maynteyne your gaynful sacrifice and reall preseÌ„ce This money for the maynteinaunce of your dignities and Lordelyke porte hath caused you euer sith you were first poisoned therewyth to magnifie your owne handy worke But the God immortal wil aduenge his iniuries vpon al Idols and Idolatours Nowe to mistrust the immortalitie of the euerlastynge God as you laye vnto oure charge by whom all thynges endure were extreme blindnes And so likewise to compt your God which neuer had breath of lyfe immortall when the priest that hath made him and perchaunce eaten him the same day that he dyeth is mortall and goeth to the graue with his newe made God and many other meÌ„ as you say that dye wythin a quarter of an houre after they haue eaten him In whoÌ„ you make the doubte whether the hoste consecrate shall mouide corrupte or coÌ„sume lyinge in their bodies beinge deade for you are the first to my knowledge that euer moued that question To call this immortall I saye that neuer lyued lyeth in the grounde wyth the dead man maye well be called foâ—de Sophistrie But to toutche your wordes a little more You call thys the hoste wherein the body of Christ is preseÌ„t You begynne me thynketh to waxe ashamed to call this your hoste the bodie of Christ contrary to your playne text of scripture Thys is my bodie I must also laye thys vnto your charge Why you dare call hym hoste by a newe terme and not breade by the olde terme Some thynke it is because you take your owne wordes to be wyser then the wordes of Christe and his chosen Apostles And surely it is
bicause the houre is at hande wheÌ„ the Masse and all mans inuentions shal melt like waxe before the brenning fyre of the word of god But what mattier maketh it whereof thys worde cometh seinge al the worlde seeth that your Masse is a Masse and heape of ceremonies and fonde gestures nothinge after the forme that Christ our maister did institute it Seinge therfore you haue both geuen it a newe name chaunged the thinge it selfe also men that do mislyke your doinges maye wythout blame gyue it the name that they fynde in scriptures to call Christes deede into remembraunce whiche you haue almoste extinguished We therefore do coÌ„munely call it the supper of the Lorde as Paule doeth because at his last supper Christ dyd ordeine this sacrameÌ„t for a memorie remembraunce But for the worde Cena it is inough for chyldren to daly as you do in the scholes And the text of Paule is playne inough It is the mattier that we coÌ„tende for not the termes Thys terme the supper of the Lorde doeth signifie vnto vs the worke that Christe dyd and the thing that shoulde be had in memorie Your masse you say signifieth but no maÌ„ caÌ„ tell by what propertie of laÌ„guage al these thynges The gloriouse presence of the bodie and bloud of Christ the whole circumstauÌ„ces vsed and ceremonies done the deuoute prayers that be spoken by the priest Wel it is a smal mattier for you that can chaunge thynges and creatures to chaunge wordes and names at your pleasure Polidore semeth to speake in differeÌ„tly for vs both in this mattier where he sayeth that in the Masse there was an offeringe and gathering for the poore whiche fauoureth some thynge of the Hebrue worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tributum collectum But the pore are dispised and therfore there remayneth only the songe that is called the Offertorie sayth he which was songe whiâ—se the money was in gathering Finally whether you prelates whiche cal your selues the church may say with Paule Ego accepi a domino quod et tradidi vobis Let al me iudge that haue knowledge to perceyue what is in your Masse and what the Lorde dyd at his supper when he coÌ„maunded vs to do this in the remeÌ„braunce of hym and that we shoulde al drinke thereof Yea that so ofte as we eate of this bread drinke of thys cup we shoulde shewe furth the death of the Lorde vnto that he come whiche is the onely thynge that we desyre to haue the death of Christe preached in thys sacrament for that is the only fode life of the soule where you wyll haue nothynge but blynde diguisinges wherwith neither the body nor soul caÌ„ be fed ⧠Of theues that steâ—e awaye the fode of the soule THey would steale awaye the precious fode of the body and bloude of Christ make it a bare drinking of breade and wine Iudge you that be of god how we would steale awaye the precious fode of the body bloud of Christ wheÌ„ we do coÌ„tinually teach that this is the only fode of the soule and the working of the meate that neuer perisheth to beleue hym whom the father hath sent And would haue therfore the coÌ„ming sufferyng of Christ preached vnto the people by this sacrameÌ„t that they mighte continually feede of his body brokeÌ„ for them for the only fode of their soules Yea rather you are the theues the whole worlde to witnes that robbe the shepe of the fode of their soules You rob the pore people of the testament of their father You rob vs lay leude meÌ„ of the one halfe of the sacrament You take froÌ„ vs the testament which only was strikeÌ„ and established in the bloud which was coÌ„mauÌ„ded in the olde testameÌ„t to be sprinckled vpoÌ„ al the people of the which we were al coÌ„mauÌ„ded in the new testament to drinke And bisides that in the ministering of this sacrameÌ„t you wyl preach nothing of the death of Christ vnto vs though it be the sacrament therof No you will not speake one worde of his death passion nor once name vnto vs his body broken and his bloude shed for our synnes that it mighte be the fode of our soules You cause vs to gape gase at dead dombe ceremonies whereby the soule that is spiritual caÌ„ not be fed Yea that is worste of al in the steede of this fode of Christ you do kyl the soule not only with famine for lacke of this fode but also wyth the moste present poyson of Idolatrie The vtter confusion and distruction of all that wyllyngly folowe it And where they wyll passe none of their owne suppers on the greatest fastinge daye without fleshe yet in this supper of the lorde they diuise a diete wythout deinties to haue nothynge present but breade and wyne In our owne suppers we do vse no superstitioÌ„ of meates nor daies because God hath created al his creatures to be takeÌ„ with thankes giuinge as his good creatures and hath made maÌ„ Lorde ouer dayes and times to vse theÌ„ to his necessitie to serue to his vse And though the Iewes were nourterid for a time with shadowes of daies meates like ordinauÌ„ces tyl Christ the body did come set vs at libertie froÌ„ al such boÌ„dage yet because we christiaÌ„s haue once professed to worshyp god in spirite truth we may not turne backe froÌ„ the same to folowe the grosse superstitioÌ„ that the Pope hath soweÌ„ thorowout his kyngdoÌ„ but labour to breake it to take it awaye for the wealth of our brethreÌ„ leste peraduenture they that be weake do stil thinke it an high honour vnto god great holines to eate fish vpoÌ„ certeine daies coÌ„mauÌ„ded by the Pope to be so fasted and coÌ„trariwise that the eating of fleshe on those daies is dishonour vnto him a crime deseruing sore punishment And thus by our streÌ„gth the weake be offeÌ„ded established in their errour EueÌ„ as thei did that dyd styll eate of the meate offered vnto the Idols amongest the Corhinthians though thei dyd know that nothing was poluted or vucleane of it selfe yet thei sitting at the table of the Idoles were the occasion that the weake brothers who fraimed their fayth after thexeÌ„ple of theÌ„ that had knowledge were established in their errour by seing theÌ„ sit at the meate of Idols For it was not the maner that any maÌ„ shoulde syt at the Idoles table but suche as would be partakers of the Idolatrie In this point dyd Peter offeÌ„de also wheÌ„ he disseÌ„bled in the eating of â—eat paul rebuked him therfore In our owne suppers therefore we eate flesh or fish indiffereÌ„tly as is offred vnto vs giue god thaÌ„kes for his creatures WheÌ„ we fast we absteine froÌ„ both And not regarding bodily things for the time we do occupy our selues in spiritual meditation in mournynge for our sinnes the sinnes of the people And wheÌ„
we returne to bodily fode to coÌ„forte the body withal then knowinge that the thinge whiche entreth in at the month defileth not the body we do without superstition and excesse vse indiffereÌ„tly al such meates as occasion ofsereth And why should not we as well do thus as you bishops to eate on the greatest fastynge dayes you haue swete sucket grene ginger marmilade such like deinties for the punishinge of your Pope holy carkases Is a piece of biefe or bakoÌ„ more perilous for the prouocation of sleshly appetite in vs pore meÌ„ of the contrey that labour al the day long in hoÌ„ger colde theÌ„ these subtilties are to your sleuthful idle bealies If we do not fast the true fast lameÌ„t for our sinnes so oft as were coÌ„uenient the great cause is that we are neuer taught of this true faste very seldoÌ„ do we heare the worde of god truly preached whiche might moue vs to this repeÌ„taÌ„ce mourning for our sinnes So that alwaies the fautes of the people must needes returne vpoÌ„ your neckes O bishops the bloude of the shepe that perish must berequired at your haÌ„des because you are negligeÌ„t in doinge of your duties Now this great matter that ye do lay so ofteÌ„to our charg Thatin the lords supper we diuise a diete without ani dainties that we wil haue nothing preseÌ„t but bread wine we haue partly proued to be vntruly reported of vs who do in the Lordes supper set forth the fode that feadeth into lyfe euerlasteynge But the same thinge may well iustly be spoken of you that do set vp the muÌ„blinge of a masse in a tonge not vnderstand in the steade of the lyuely fedyng of the faithfull in the death of Christe which ought all waies to be preached shewed forth in thys supper of the Lorde that the flocke of Christ may continually feade on these dainties of the heauenly manna accordinge to the sayeinge of Christ Not Moyses but my father geueth the true breade frome heauen For it is the bread of God that coÌ„meth from heaueÌ„ and geueth lyfe vnto the worlde I am the same bread that am come down from heauen He that coÌ„meth vnto me shall not be hongrie he that beleueth in me shal neuer be â—hyrstie Lo what dainties we do set forth in our supper But what daintis do the pore people find in your masse You saye that ther is rawe flesh bloude and bones which thynges coÌ„pared vnto oures are no daynties The people saye that you do eate al in a cornar and will gyue no man part with you What so euer daynties you haue they go home hongrie boeth in theyr bodies and soules Yea what geare is ther in your masse the gospell and epistle Hoc est corpus meum onli excepted that can fead the soule of the vnlearned man Yea how doeth that gospel epistle fed their soules that vnderstaÌ„d not one word that you speake As for yourblasphemus collectes geueing so much to the merites of sanctes your secretes where in you do talke with Annas and Cayphas your beadroles one of benefactours and an other of hallowes as Peter Paul and Crisogonus whose memorial you name it to be not the memorie of Christ by whose merites and prayers you desyre to be defended in all poyntes If all this I saye were in english and vnderstand what daynteis Yea what deuellieshnes shoulde hereby enter into the hearers herteâ— This is no fode but filth this is no breade but poyson But you thynke perchaunce that we lewde people maye feed vpon fonde gestures vpon youre fonde bloweynges and blesseinges mockeinge and moweynge vpoÌ„ your cake holden vp betwyxt your fyngers and hopped about the chalice These be all your spiritual workes But they neither feed soules nor yet bodies For you are those shep herdes that fede theim selues and despise the flocke The best you haue to say is that you do eate this supper for vs that you drynke this cup of the newe testament for vs. But nowe haue we learned of late in the testameÌ„t of our master which you haue most vilanouslye plucked forth of our handes beynge no gentillmen that it is hys wyll and pleasure that all we should eate drinke of the breade and wyne of this supper Wherfore I praye you eate our meat no lenger neither for vs nor from vs. For that which you do eate caÌ„ do vs no more good theÌ„ if you did eate away from vs our bodilie diner And if you wilbe partakers of our bodily labours goodes let vs be partakers with you in this supper And if you compt vs saued redemed by the bloude of the newe testameÌ„t theÌ„ suffer vs to drinke of the cup of the same in Christes blud If you do caste vs froÌ„ it esteme vs so lewdly as you haue done herebefore thinke non other but the arme where vpon you haue trusted shalbe broken the donge of your soleÌ„nyties shalbe scatered vpon your faces But to come to your dainties agayne You doe mixt the thyrde parte of your cake with the wyne then you saye Hec sacro sancta commixtio this â–ª holye mixture be helth of bodie soule By the whiche blasphemouse wordes wherein you wysh that thys same mixture that you make shoulde be saluacion of bodie and soule we may espie that you haue here dainties prepared for the deuilles owne toth Your preparatiues to these daynties are like to the daynties them selues That is to saye deuillishe Reade the Rubrica of the masse to eschew mortalitie and the masse of the fyue wouÌ„des where as it is written that what priest so euer sayeth the office of this masse v. tymes either for hym selfe or any other he shall in thys worlde haue grace and health in the world to come euerlasteynge lyfe if he continewe in good And in what so euer tribulacioÌ„ a man shalbe in this worlde if he procure this office to be sayed for him v. tymes by a priest wythout dout he shalbe deliuered And if it be read for the soule of the dead strayt after it is read v. tymes the soule shalbe deliuered froÌ„ payn Wyth such lies and blasphemies do you prepare the peoples mindes to your dayntie dyshes Now your cautiles subtillities that you haue about these daynties declare you to be more supersticiouse then were the phariseis and far more foleish then the heathen In so moch that I am ashamed to write them ⧠Of the pure sacrifice of Malachie the prophete BVt you do establishe your masse and â–ª sacrifice as you suppose verie strong lie by the prophete Malachie whom your doctour DamasceÌ„ doeth alledge for the vnbloudie sacrifice And you brynge hym in againe here in the ende of your boke though he speake cleare agaynst you These be hys wordes after he hath rebuked the priestes of couetousnesse I haue no pleasure in you sayeth the Lord of hostes I wyll allowe none offeringe of
speake are spirit and lyfe Wher vpon Peter saied Lord why ther sâ—hal we gooâ—thou hast the words of euerlasting life And these are the waters that Christe wyll geue after the whiche no man shall euer thurste But the water whiche I shall geue hâ—m saieth Christe shalbe made in hym a fountaine of water springeinge into lyâ—â—e euerlasteing Blessed be they that heare the worde of God and kepe it whiche was sharpely answered agaynste them which dyd so highlie aduaunce to knowe God in the fleshe Against whom also Paule sayth we know none after the fleshe etc. Moreouer saieth he though we haue knowne Christ after the fleshe yet nowe do we not knowe hym so any longer But he that is in Christe muste be a newe creature in the spirite accordeinge to the saieinge of Christe to him Nâ—codemus Excepte a man be borne a newe from aboue from heauen euen of the spirite the can not enter the kingdoÌ„e of heaneÌ„ That whych is borne of the fleshe is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit Againe it is profitable that I go from you for it I go not the spirite of confort shal not come vnto you but if I go I wyl sende hym vnto you he shal leade you into al truthe Therefore should you reioyce because I saie that I go vnto my father Thys profite of the bodilie departeing to haue the confort of the spirite dyd appeare manifestelie in Petre and the other Apostles who deniynge and forsakeinge theyr maister whome they hade bodily present dyd nothing doubt to die for hym whan he was in bodie absent Besides that thys bodilie presens in euerie corner to take awaye sinne is preiudicial to the liuely fealeing of oure faith Firste for that he is verie man in al thinges haueing a naturall bodye as we haue sufficiently paiyng oure raâ—â—some to hys father vpon the crosse SecoÌ„dly it may cause vs to doubt whether we shall saye that he hath ascended into heauen and there sitteth at the right hand of the father and froÌ„ thence shal come to iudge the quicke and the deade other else saie with you that the prieste muste dayly offer hym a sacrifice here vpon earth for vs and that he muste kepe him heare styl in a boxe to ware mouldie and mustie and then chaunge hym for a newe Christe beinge infinitly created Who shall at the daye of dome starte forth of all these boxes at once into a newe shape I trowâ— to iudge all the eâ—â—h or elfe muste you â—…des confesse that they shall al be iudged and â—…ned where they lye in their boxes The scripture I saye the liuely sâ—aâ—eing of my fayeth grounded onely vpon the spirite of Christâ— and your owne madnesse that I haue reade in your owne bokes and no pride or arroganciâ— what so euer you saye I take god to recorde caâ—se me that I dare not so carnally and grossely vnderstaÌ„d the wordes of Christe as you do And I daâ—e maintaine 〈…〉 I haue many of your owne doc tours whose testimonie either in thys poynt or any other vnâ—es they bringe open scripture wâ—…h them I do not greately regarde but to your confution Yet haue I the better parte of them whiche do spiritually vnderstande and interprete thys scripture wyth me â–ª How be it I knowe we shall neuer make aâ— ende 〈◊〉 we bringe doctour vpon doctoure To answere therfore to thys text this is my bodye whyche is your onely shoâ—eaukere And to 〈…〉 aâ— your wode wordes tauÌ„tes that flowe frome your eloquet mouth as smoke doeth from a lake of brimstone But firste I wyll bringe forth the whole texte of Mathewe Marke and Luke And by the open worde of God I truste I shall declare the true sence and meaneing to him that wyth a spirituall eie shall iudge therof Christ in the xxvi of Mathewe when he was together wyth hys Apostles eateinge the passouer whyche was the most liue lyke figure in the olde lawe nowe makeing an ende in Christe the lambe wythout all spoâ—e and blemishe did ordeine this godly sacrament for the remembraunce of hym selfe to the worlde folowinge and that hys death myght be shewed and published vnto the worldes and like as in the passouer was cotinually mencioned and declared to the posteritie foloweinge the benifite of God in the deliueraunce from Egipt And as that ceremonie the eateinge of the lambe was called the passouer and he hym selfe called the lambe of god so like wise calleth he thys hight misterie and sacrament hys bodie and a newe testament in hys bloude That as truely as the Israelites were deliuered forth of Egipte the angel passing by not hurting the people of that house the dore posts wherof were sprinkled wyth the bloude of that lambe so verily shoulde Christe delyuer vs out of the Egipt of sinne and perfourme the thynge before figured For thys cause saieth Iohn beholde the lambe of God whych taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde And Christe sayeth Thys is my bodye whyche is gyuen for you And thys cup is the newe testament in my bloude whiche is shede for you By the which wordes it maye appeare that Christe dyd meane no chaunge of natures or traunssubstancion but onely that where the bloude of the lambe in the olde testament was sprenkled on the postes to saue frome the aduengeinge angell so many as shoulde be saued so lykewise thys bloude of Christ in the newe testament should be shede to saue vs so mani as haue our soules sprink led wyth the bloude of thys lambe Christe Iesâ— Therfore in lyke maner as the fathers of the olde lawe dranke of the spirituall ston that folowed them â–ª whiche was Christe euen so are we all commaunded to drinke of thys bloude none other wyse then the chyldren of Israell were commaunded that the bloude of the lambe shoulde be theire token in all the houses wher they were Ther was 〈◊〉 man so mad to saye that these wordes this cup is â—he newe testameÌ„t in my bloud dyd chaunge the substaunce of the cup into the newe testament And yet are thei christes owne wordes who can not lye If you therfore be driuen to your â–ª gloses tropes and figures in the wordes spoken of thys sacrament why should we be coÌ„demned to death because we can not vnderstande youre carnal gloses â–ª You must neades haue one glose to declare what is meÌ„t by the cup. Whether the wiâ—e the bloude or the cup it selfe either else a signe and sacrament of the newe testament or a performeinge of the same in the bloude of Christe as Luke teacheth you to speake and as Mathew and Marcke boeth do wittnesse This is my bloud of the newe testament whyche is shed for many to the remission of their sinnes Thus were the Apostles nothinge curiouse in wordes as they ought to haue bene if the wordes had made the cup or the wine God chaunging the substaunce therof so sone as they hadâ—â—eâ— spoken Thus you
as in all hys other preacheinges and scripturs so heare he calleth to the heauenly â—ateinge wherby we haue lyfe and at once stoppeth the mouth of carnal iudgmeÌ„ts How you do examine this texte it shall be opened when we come to the place In the meane ceason we wyl take this text the fleshe auaileth nothynge wyth out any contencion onely to driue awaie the grosse opinion of the Capernits and all such as styke to muche to the fleshe and can not lyfte vp their heades to the misteries of the spirite for the whiche purpose these wordes were spoken by Christe and not to thincke that Christe whose worckes were al wayes profitable woulde teache any suche wayes or do any suche deades as were nothynge profitable vnto man For no man I dare well saye is able to proue any more profite by the fleshe bodily eaten in the sacramente than wee haue in scripture graunted vnto vs whiche do worshipe hym and eate hym in spirite and trueth Let vs therfore consider the greate goodnesse of our sauiour Christ in thys sacrameÌ„t Who beinge the verie lambe that taketh awaye the â—…es of the worlde caused al the Iewes ceremonies to cease and their passeouer to haue an ende and therfore saieth that he hath greatly disired to eat thys passeouer that the promises of God the father concerneâ—ge thys newe testameâ—t might be fullfilled Namely that the sede of the woman shoulde breake the heade of the serpent That by thys sede all the nacions of the earth shalbe blessed That the saluacion and sauiour of the worlde shoulde be declared the light of the heathen and the glorie of Israell published Al these thinges were fulfilled in hys passion and suffereinge accordinge to hys owne saieinge Whan I shalbe exalted from the earth I shall drawe all vnto my selfe And when he had dronken that bitter drinke vpon the crose he saied that all was finished and fulfilled All these thinges together do we receiue in the supper of the Lorde whiche he dyd therfore celebrate and make the nyght before he suffred for to enstructe hys Apostles more deapelie in these great misteries of the saluacion of the whose worlde by hys death wherin he would geue him selfe frely vnto them and therefore dyd he testifie vnto them the selfe same thinge be fore hande in thys holie sacrament And because the life of the rightuouse standeth here in that they beleue in the same he geueth charge that they haue hys death in remembraunce saiâ—inge Thys is my bodie whiche is geuen for you do thys in the remeÌ„braunce of me Likewyse the cup after he had supped sâ—â—einge This cup is the newe testament in my bloude which is shed for you That like as by thys sensible meate corporall lambe whiche they had eaten in theyre supper their bodies was nourished cherished and streghned â–ª so by this spiritual lambe and heauenly meate bi this blessed memorie â–ª I saie wherby we knowe that oure sauiour and redemer Christ Ieâ—â— died for vs that we might liue are our soules certified that the same oure sauiour dyd so clearely take awaye our trespasses that hys father wyll nowe take vs for his children and heires and geue vs frely euerlasteinge lyffe Wyth thys therfore we maye continually fede oure soules that they encreaseinge in full fayeth of goddes mercie whiche is the lyfe of the rightuouse myght be nourished growe and encrease to the full age of a perfect man in Christe Iesu If you marke the wordes of Christe wyth a singuler eye you shalbe coÌ„pelled to grauÌ„te these two thynges onely to be taught therin That Christ gaue hys bodie for vs and eoÌ„maunded vs to do thys thinge That is to take and to eate thys Accipite et manducate The wordes are plaine do thys in the remembraunce c. For by what scripture maye it be fouÌ„de true that you do glose saieinge God dyd consecrate hym selfe into accideÌ„tes qualites of breade And that you shoulde make God in the remembraunce of God in mine opinion is agaynst reasone I maye saye and raile not it is a made heresie Christe sayeth Take and eate He geueth no prieste powre to consecrate and to make his bodie neither with his worde nor by his worde And thys whiche is the chiefe pointe of your newe beldame whyche you establishe wyth the fire we require you for the loue of Christe if you â—eale any thynge of hys mercies either to proue it by some scripturs whiche I knowe is impossible for you or else to call backe your tiranye You haue no worde of God wher vp on onely fayeth maye be gâ—ownded that commaundeth you once to repeâ—e these wordes agayne Thys is mi bodie much lesse are you able to proue that these wordes at any tyme repeted and rehersed by any one of you shoulde chaung the nature of thynges and not onely worke in creatures but also in the creatoure and maker of all God and man whose maiestie ought rather to be praised and had in admiracion than thus vnreuerenly to be taingled wyth your transsubstanciacion whyche is muche after the arte of magike thus by prescript wordes to worcke wonders God hath appoynted hys holy worde to be preacheâ— to vs reasonnable creaturs and that moste especially in this sacrament as the most sure token of our saluacion As it is plaine by the wordes of Paule So ofte as you shal eate thys breade sayeth he and drinke of thys cup you shall shewe forthe the death of the Lorde vnto that he come So that it is ouer muche shame to vse Christes worde as an enchauntmeÌ„t ouer deade creaturs to chaung them no man can tell howe to call downe Christe into breade to bringe hym into the chalice Where he beinge a whyle blessed and blowene wyth your stinkeinge breathes shall taâ—ie so longe a god as it shall please man yea and that scant an honest man sometymes Surely it maketh vs leude people to thinke that you do not take him as a God when we se you so vnreuerently breathe oa him make himâ—…eape about the chalice break hym â—…nd that nothinge after the institucion wherin we shoulde all together be partetakers of the breade and cup of Christe for the foode of oure soules And where as the stength of your sophistrie lieth in the blinde worde consecracion whych you do not leâ—ne here of Christ but you thinke you maie haue some cloke because it is reade that Iesus when he dyd take the breade in hande blessed and breake it you shal heaâ—… an answere I truste that maye satisfie any herte that is not bent vpon contencion In al places wher Christ dyd take breade in hys handes he blessed and gaue thankes as it appeareth Iohn vi and Luke ix where as we reade the same wordes that he hath at thys supper as the treade of hys commone vsage wherby we shall lerne to blesse renowme praise god alwayes to geue him humble thankes wheÌ„ so euer we do vse any
hande of the father Then when you haue wroughte so wittilie and myghtely wyth Christe you take man in hande and woulde bewitche hym to beleue that that cake is no cake and that the breade is fleshe bloude and bones You tell hym his eyes be blynde His taste and senses deceyue hym His reason is nothynge worth in your mattiers For thoughe all the miracles of Christ dyd eueÌ„ apeare as he wrought them As if they were spirituall they so appeared vnto the soule of man and were felte spiritually as the forgyuenesse of synnes the healynge of soules and suche lyke so doubtles the miracles that Christe wrought bodilie dyd appeare in the bodies wherein he wroughte them But thys straunge miracle of yours muste clearely mocke and delude all oure senses and vnderstandynge and leade vs captyue to beleue that you can make God by his worde of a vyle piece of paste Yet surely in conscience I thynke it your selues do not beleue that there is so greate power in the wordes of God For if you dyd surely you coulde not be so bolde as to burne it For no fayle if it can make God it can destroye wycked men yea though they be byshoppes Moreouer you saye Two thynges are to be considered in the Sacramente of the aultare one that it is a Sacramente An other that it is the thynge it selfe of the Sacramente that is to saye Christes mooste precious bodye and bloude Vpon thys I demaunde what you do meane by thys terme Sacramente If you saye that a Sacramente is a signe or remembraunce of an holie thynge as all your owne Doctours haue defined a Sacramente then wyll we saye as the trueth is and as we haue taughte heretofore that this is the moste holie signe and blessed remeÌ„braunce of Christ our Sauiour which offered his bodie for our sinnes and coÌ„maunded vs to frequent and vse the same in the remembraunce of him who dyed once for vs and sitteth nowe at the right hande of God a perpetuall meane betwene God and man And heare is the ful profite vse and commoditie that any man can haue by thys Sacramente Yet this wyll not satisfie you vnlesse you haue vs so captiue that we wyl saye after you The Sacramente is the selfe same thinge that it signifieth Christ must be made in the remembraunce of Christ I demaunde of you in all other thynges be they holie or prophane where you caÌ„ fynde me one thinge that is both the signe and the thinge it selfe The holie Sacramente of Baptisme is not so The holy SacrameÌ„t of circumcision was not so The holy Sacrament of the Paschal lambe was neuer named so in the olde testamente Yet had they as playne wordes for them as you haue for yours For the circumcision is called the couenaunt and the lambe is called the passeoâ—er But you wil haue the Sacrament to be the thinge it selfe and the signe to be the Sauiour For this intent no fayle that you being but the signes and shadowes of true Bishoppes your two forked cappes and labelles the signes of muche holines and knowledge in both the testameÌ„tes your white raichet the signe of chastitie and purenes your precioâ—s shoes the signes of precious fnote steppes in preaching the Gospel may be accompted the verie thinges theÌ„ selues that be signified So shoulde we neither loke into heauen for our only Sauiour sitting at the righte hande of his father nor yet for true holines in you vpon earth being satisfied by your signes and shadowes your lyinge Poprie dombe and deceyueable ceremonies It foloweth in your text When we cal the Sacrament of the aultare God we vnderstande the substaunce of the Sacrament whiche is Christe God and man there present And according to that vnderstanding we attribute al goodly honour vnto it And in thys speache the worde SacrameÌ„t signifieth and giueth vnderstanding by a special significacion and by excellencie as learned men speake of it the thinge signified beinge there present that is to saye the bodie and bloude of our Sauiour Christe whiche can not be broken with hande caÌ„ not be torne wyth teeth or denoured of beastes or putrified Neither can the bodily senses herein beare any witnes to the contrarie for they can not atteyne that But when we vse the worde Sacramente or the worde hoste and applye the speach of it to suche a matter as may not be sayed of the naturall bodie of Christe then the speache is verified in those formes of breade and wyne vnder the which the most preciouse body and bloud of Christ is couered as when we saye the sacrament is broken or moulded or altered it is onely vnderstanded of the sayed forme of breade and wine being the outward accideÌ„tes as the qualities or dimeÌ„tioÌ„s which god ther preserueth not otherwise by outward miracle being theÌ„ susteined by his moste preciouse bodilie substance Then when they be naturally ioyned to the substance of bread whereof that God thus doeth not mans senses because those accidentes be sensile may Iudge for we se it so and those accidentes be perceptible by the bodelie syght and sense â–ª and withe the eie of the soule in faieth we se the presence of oure moste blessed sauiour Christ who ther is the onely substance of the sacrament so longe remayninge vnder those accidentes as the forme of bread and wyne vnder whiche by the omnipoteÌ„cie of his worde it pleaseth him to exhibite him selfe vnto vs doe remayne and contynewe In your first liues wherin is taught that the sacramente is god and man and therfore muste be worshiped withe all godly honour is intollerable blasphemie For neither haue you any scripture to proue it to be God nor yet that euer Christe or his dearely beloued apostles taught that it should haue al godly honour At his holy supper he coÌ„manÌ„ded theÌ„ al to eate this breade and drinke this cup deuiding it amonge theÌ„ To sette vp any newe God therefore not taughte in the scriptures is blasphemie â–ª and the settynge vp therof deserueth stoning to death by the law of Moyses And Paule byddeth that if an Angell come downe froÌ„ heaueÌ„ to preache any other Gospel then that whiche the Apostles haue preached we shoulde take hym as accursed And is not thys a newe Gospell to teach a Sacrament to be a God to teache that the bread which is a vile creature is very God and that it ought to be worshypped wyth all diuine honour worship The sacrameÌ„t that Christ made and ordeined to be a memoriall of his death redeÌ„ption by him to be made Christ him selfe is it not blasphemie A piece of past whiche was made but yesterday can it be made a sacrifice to take awaye synne wythout blasphemie If a man shoulde call the sacrameÌ„t of baptisme god and do al godly honour thereunto woulde you not say he were mad And yet is Baptisme the chiefe sacrameÌ„t both because it is the first sacrameÌ„t 〈◊〉 signe wherein the free mercie of God
is declared and opened vnto vs and that in it no les theÌ„ in the other we do receiue the promises of God and his holie spirite to the confirmation of our faith and sure trust in him Moreouer oure Sauiour Christe sayeth thus of Baptisme Iohn baptised you in water but I wyl baptise you in the name of the holie goste And for a playne euidence and tokeÌ„ of the same he sent downe the holie gost in a visible fourme both vpon the Apostles and them that they baptised in his name If you had so muche in the scripture for the diuinitie of the other Sacramente I woulde not so greatly wonder if your fleshly iudgement did take it for a verie God But seinge that wyth these scriptures you esteme the one litle or nothinge at al and yet wythout these or any other lyke scriptures you maynteyne and defende yea and that with sworde fyre and faggot that the other is God and worthy of all godly honoure I can not but merueile and that greatly Yea and muche the more for that you hauynge the experience of the feyned miracles that haue bene wroughte for the establishynge of the fleshly presence of Christe in this Sacrament as I am sure you had by one Nicholas Geruis priest who pricked his fingar in the tyme of his masse that the bloude might seme to fall from the breade vpon the corpresse and aultare cloth as appeared at Paules crosse wythin the. v. yeres laste paste shoulde yet so blindly and tiraÌ„nously maynteine this deuelishe and most wicked errour I meane the deitie and godly honoure that you attribute to this signe or Sacrament If the whole course of your tale whiche I haue rehearsed be not altogether Sophistrie surely I neuer learned Sophistrie For when you come to tell vs what is broken what is moulded and what the mise do eate then say you that the Sacrament is the host the fourme of breade and wyne and the vtwarde accidentes as the qualities and dimeÌ„sions And this fourme these outwarde accidentes these qualities these dimensions are broken are moulded are altered and muste no more be God Thus you woulde blynde vs wyth your Sophistrie and make vs to beleue that it is God when you call it so and no God but accidentes qualities and dementions when you wyll haue it so Agayne notwythstandyng you do eate the same thynge that you do breake and breake the same thynge that you do eate yet when you eate it it muste be God and when you breake it it must be but accideÌ„tes no God Moreouer if it chaunce you to touche it wyth your teeth and swalowe it downe your throte make it suffre heate in your stomake and become passible otherwayes then is it onely the fourme the outwarde accidentes the qualities and dimeÌ„sioÌ„s and no God But you deceyue your selues with vayne wordes and therfore like as you do breake the outwarde thynges so do you eate and are fed with the same sophistical ware where of ye dreame Thys is muche like a man that dreameth aâ— the night longe that he hath eateÌ„ quaile raile and cur lewe and that he hath drokeÌ„ pleasaÌ„t wine his fyll and yet in the mornynge he is neuer the lesse huÌ„gery and thurstie because he had nothing but the fourmes shadowes outwarde accidences and qualities But the litle mouse is muche wyser then you make your selues For she can knowe the fourme of your cake from the cake it selfe Paynt it in fourme and qualities as craftelie as you can she neither wyl nor caÌ„ feede vpon any suche qualities or fourmes Neither is she so folishe to be mocked with any suche dreames I speake playne englishe nowe yea I can not nor wyl not vse any sophistrie And we al that be englishe men do earnestly desire you to tell vs in englishe what you do meane by those termes accidentes qualities and demensions which I do know you caÌ„ neuer do onles you do reigne in the bowelles of sophistrie For thei are the peculiar termes of that deuelishe arte Yet amongest so many your subtlie termes you haue one good sentence howe it escaped you I can not tell Wyth the eye of the soule you say in faith we see the presence of the moste precious bodie of our Sauiour Christ These your wordes are eueÌ„ the very words of our beliefe This is the thing only wholy that caÌ„ worke in this sacrameÌ„t For if it be the fode of the soule only as doubtles if is theÌ„ caÌ„ not the bodilie instrumeÌ„t meddle therwith It must be receiued by the powers of the soule only which are spiritual But no bodilie carnal thing caÌ„ be eateÌ„ of the spirite for the spirite must be borne nourrished of the spirite likeas the flesh is borne norished of bodilie thinges I coÌ„clude therfore that in the sacrameÌ„t we do not eate bodilie carnally really the bodi of christ but onli spiritually as you haue in this place said ful wel wyth the eies of our soul in faith for the soule hath none other instrument wherby it maye take fode of life but fayth the knoledge of god whiche fedeth euerlastingly as Christ saith This is the wil of him that sent me that euery one that seeth the son beleueth in hym shal haue euerlasting lyfe And I shall repsâ— hym at the laste daye God sende vs soule priestes that wyll teache vs this fode of the soule more diligeÌ„tly theÌ„ you bishoppes haue done For you haue alwaies tolde vs a craftie tale sayinge that Christe remayneth so longe vnder the accidentes as the fourme of breade and wyne doth remayne Lo this is it that you doubt vpon fearing to make such playâ—e answer wheÌ„ you bringe in these doubtes in the sixtene leafe of your boke If there remayne no substaunce but the substaunce of the body and bloud of Christ it muste needes be then that the same corrupteth or elles when goeth it awaye or where haue you scripture to declare the goinge awaye of Christ from the hoste Before you answere subtilly like a Sophister sayinge What if I and suche other prelates can not tell deludynge one question wyth an other as the maister of Sopistrie Iohannes de lapide teacheth to delude argumentes but nowe boldly like a bishop with out'any scripture onely because your father and mother churche of Rome doeth saye the same you affirme that Christe remayneth so longe as the fourme of the bread remaineth that is from the tyme it is made to the tyme it is deuoured ether by man or mouse or els â—oth by other misse fortuue or by mouleyng miscarie Oh foleishe blind guides To what filthy absurdities must ye of necessitie be driueÌ„ by this fond opinion that here is no substaÌ„ce but the substance of Christ and that this substance remayneth so longe onely as the forme of breade remayneth For this forme remaynethe euen when the mouse rennethe awaye withe it The forme of breade remayneth when it
other heade vpon the earth whose honour they laboure to enhaunce euen wyth all theyr myght and diligence endeuour and studi whose kyngdome the labour to enlarge with bokes with writinges wyth sermons and preachinges with faggotâ—es fyre brenninges and all meanes they can possible Oh byshop and Idole dyddest thou not vilainouselie at Paules crosse not long sens seeke and bringe forth al the Argumentes of thy subtyle braine for to stop the kyngdome of Christe spreadeinge by hys worde and scriptures frome the whiche thou dideste affraye men by the terrible inuentions of thy diueillishe subtilties A traitour to God and man But the aduengeinge hande of God thou canst not escape Qui vos spernit me spernit he that despiceth you despiceth me was neuer ment of such bishopes as driue men frome the worde but of the faiethful Apostles and mesengers of Christe whiche dare speake nothinge but that they haue hearde and learned by the spirite of God in hys holy scriptures Whyche muste be receiued not for theyr owne authoritie but because thei are prophetes and preachers of the heauenly misteries and the disciples and scholers of Christ Not preachers agaynst Christ as you such other prelates are in your sermons than who so receiueth hym in the name of a disciple or the name of a prophet the same shall haue the rewarde of a prophet And who so dispiseth hym thus being the disciple of Christ setting furth and promoting the glorie of his maister he dispiseth Christe and not onely hym but his father the authour of his message But you priestes you preach for lucre Oh you prophetes you prophecie for your owne gaine and for money Yet wil you be takeÌ„ as those that holde vpon God say Is not the Lorde amonge vs But woulde God â—ure heades woulde esteme the mattier as it is be no longer blynded wyth your clokes of hypocrisie Let them but coÌ„sidre the cause onely as Cicero doeth monishe in his oration Cui commodo sit et bono It is your coÌ„moditie and profit to maynteyne poperie and dombe ceremonies It is greatly your gayne to keepe the worlde in blyndnesse For by these thynges haue you crept vp to thys lordely pompe and euer as they decaye so decreaseth some thynge of your dignitie So it is no merâ—â—yle though you beinge carnall men do stryue verie sore for your aduauntage We pore men of the contrary part which of a zeale grounded vpon the knowledge of the worde of God do speake agaynste your superstition your pompe and Idolatrie do not onely not gayne one farthynge thereby as I take God to witnesse before whom I shall answere at the greate daye I desyre nothynge of yours but your soule health we pore caytyfes I saye do not onely loke for no gayne but for tellyng of the trueth we loke to lose the litle goodes that we haue our wyues and deare chyldren to be spoyled ourelyues wyth moste spiteful tormentes of â—ackyng and burnyng to be taken from vs. Vide iam cui sit commodo ⧠To the gouernours of the people VVherfore seeke you knowledge ye that iudge the earth Iudge a right in all controuersies betwixte a man and his neighbour Heare O you heades of the house of Iacob and ye leaders of the house of Israel Should not ye knowe what were lawefull and ryght But ye hate the good and loue the yuell The Lorde hath ben sore displeased with your forfathers but turne you vnto me saith the Lorde of hostes and I shall turne vnto you Be not you lyke your forefathers vnto whom the prophetes cried afore tyme sayinge Turuâ— from your yuell wayes and wicked Imaginations but they woulde not heare nor regarde me sayth the lorde What is now become of your forefathers and the prophetes c. I must needes say with Iheremie â–ª Waâ—… to the prophetes that prophecie theyr owne Imaginations myne hert breaketh in my body â–ª All my bones do tremble I am become lyke a drunken man wythout rest disquieted wyth wyne euen for the verie feare of the Lorde and his holy wordes because the land is full of aduouteres where thorowe it is destroyed Yea the waye that men take is wycked and theyr gouernaunce is nothynge like the holy worde of the Lorde For the prophetes and the priestes them selues are poluted hypocrites theyr wickednes haue I founde in my house sayeth the Lorde Theyr waye therfore shall be slepperie in darknesse that they maye stacker and fal therin For I wyl hrynge a plage vpon them euen the yere of their visitasion sayeth the Lorde If you doubt of whom you shall seeke for knowledge remembre what was spoken by God the father from heauen of Christe oure sauiour when he was sent into the worlde This is my dearly beloued sonne heare you him He is the onely maister opener of the wisedome of his father Whiche wisedome who so lacketh let hym aske of hym that gyueth eueÌ„ of God that giueth vnto al men indiffereÌ„tly and casteth no maÌ„ in the teeth and he shall haue it But let him ashe in fayth nothynge doubting But alwayes vse the meanes that God hath appointed As for perfect vnderstanding of the scriptures it muste needes be graunted conuenient to haue the knowledge of the Hebrue greke and latine tonge to vse the diligent comparinge of the scriptures together and counsayle of learned teachers diuers interpretations writinges of men of all ages For hapely thou maist perceiue by one that thou canst not vnderstande by an other But for the pore lay man whiche can not haue these later healpes and furtheraunce let him be diligent in readynge the englishe text no faile God wyl graunt him so muche knowledge as shall be expedient for the ordering of his life And therefore maye he nothynge doubte but that his maister Christ which dyd vouchsafe to shed his bloude for him wyll also graunte vnto him so muche knoweledge as shall be thoughte meete for the sauing of that soule whiche he hath so dearly boughte And you muste alwayes beware that you call you no maister vpon earth to be sworne into any mans sayinges but haue you eye vnto the heauenly maister onely vpon whom onely resteth all trueth Where men be they doctours or byshoppes if they bringe not the word of God with them they are but lyars ⧠To the bishoppes IT maye well appeare what mindes you bishoppes haue to the furtheraunce of the knowledge of God by that you do with out cause fynde faute with the diligent translations of good men coÌ„demnyng them by your counsayles and yet wyl not traÌ„slate any parte thereof your selues Yea all your life and labours do teach vs plaine that you woulde stop oure eyes and leade vs captyâ—e in your blinde waies Therfore if we should folowe you beinge blinde guides false prophetes and Idole pastours we shall be styll scattered abrode in the blinde waies of ignoraunce we shall be led with your lyes euen
together with you into the blinde pit of darknesse Thus haue you led our fathers before vs so many as would take you for their scho maisters and had none other secrete motion of the spirite to lifte their hertes vp into the heauens dâ—…nge the ayde and healpe of al other â—râ—… And yet 〈◊〉 can not content your selues with the kingdome that you haue vsurped in the consciences of men where none ought to reigne but God more then these thousande yeres onlesse you maye styll haue the same authoritie in establishinge your popetrie and Idolatrie beating euermore into oure eares that your Idolatrous and superstitious religion hath continued these M. D. yeres Where as we partly haue declared might more at large declare were it not to tedious that it hath crept vp onely with your wicked papacie and possessions of the churche and hath continued onely the tyme that Sathan hath bene lose and sent furth into the worlde to worke his wyll when you his stoute souldiour dyd shit vp the kyngdome of God his worde and neither woulde enter in your selues nor suffre them that woulde entre But now that the lambe hath vnlocked the boke Sathan begynneth to roare for feare of the fal of his kingdome and you bishoppes his champions do rage and fight agaynst God his worde yea agaynste euery thinge that is God or godly But we shal ouercome by the bloude of the lambe and by the worde of his witnesse And therefore do we ieoperde oure soules vnto death not onely against the Romishe Antichriste but the Mahumetaine also who is like to reigne ouer vs as a worthy plage for slidynge from the worde of God eueÌ„ as he hath many yeres reigned ouer many christian nations whiche boeth in life and learning were as holy as we be now coÌ„pted If thys thynge I saye shall come to passe as no man knoweth Goddes secrete working but suche onely as it shall please him to endue with this knowledge we shall be redie both to speake and write as we nowe do for the glorie of God against al Idolatours so far as God shal open our hertes and giue vs strength For without his audacitie and boldnesse of spirite poured into vs we shall stande in as gerate feare to perfourme thys as we shoulde be to write against your abominations knowing your crueltie towardes theÌ„ that haue hertofore moued your pacieÌ„ce What other men haue written in the fauour of Mahumete I can not tell But thys do I see with myne eyes that you bishoppes do opeÌ„ a great dore for him to entre in at by the Idolatrie that you do maynteyne in settyng vp so weake a creature to be God For what playner waye can ye haue to impunge the christian religion then to fynde it to be grouÌ„ded vpon so fonde a foundation as this weake Idol of yours And on the other side by your wicked life and tirannouse handlynge of the pore flocke of Christ you ministre great occasion for vs to thyinke that we shall lyue vnder the turckes as quietly and safly as vnder you both in auoydynge the Popishe Idolatrie and also in escapynge of outragiouse tiranny Beware howe your malice leadeth you to minister suche occasions For though we abhorre eueÌ„ froÌ„ the bottomes of our hertes the turrkeshe Mahumete and his lawes and are ready to wryte and speake agaynste them in the defence of our Christ and his religion rather wishyng to dye then to be subiect vnto him yet thys present necessitie and more greuous bondage that we suffre nowe vnder the byshoppes the lymes of the Romishe Antichrist are so intollerable that we had rather proue any thynge then longe to abyde it If they ouercome here the victorie wyll hardly be stayed from conquest in the reste Call backe your tiranny therefore aboute the worshyppynge of thys Idoll Surely it is full tyme as you saye for you to stryue for your God and to encourage your companions to sticke to their taklynge for if we maye once get the victorie herein all the residue of your Poperie wyl haue a foule fall Note our simplicitie as much as you wil and skoffe on styll wyth the Deuyll is simple iwys we wyll neuer be ashamed to call breade breade so longe as we haue Luke the Euangelist and Paule the Apostle of Christ to take our parte Come you in wyth your double gloses and put furth two faces in owne hoode in euerie thinge you go about as longe as you luste But it is an high mattier to vnderstand what breade meaneth and what the worlde signifieth you saye Go to go to And all the worlde what so euer the worlde signifieth wyll shortly deride you and thynke you worthy of your ii forcked myters for your doublenesse ⧠Of thys name Masse and of the diriuation of the same NOw labour you to haue this name Missa or Masse diriued of an Hebrue worde wherein I wyll not greatly contende thoughe it make not much for your purpose because I know the subtiltie of the generation that fyrste named it whose caste it is alwayes to busie mens myndes wyth straunge names darcke termes and subtile disputations aboute the same to holde men occupied in trifles and to keepe them froÌ„ the playnes of the trueth Other wise they could haue ben coÌ„tent to haue named it the breaking of the bread with Luke or the supper of the Lorde wyth Paule But for the nature of the Hebrue worde Lerne what Sanctes Pagninus wryteth in Thesauro lingue sancte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Missa sufficientiaÌ„ significat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Sufficientiam voluntatis aut spontis manns tue TarghuÌ„ Deut. xv xviii pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est sufficieÌ„tia habet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rabbi Selomoh in coÌ„meÌ„taries exponit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficieÌ„tiaÌ„ Rabbi AbrahaÌ„ hoc pacto scribit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daghessatur samech nam deducitur a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est signâ—m Iheroâ—iâ—nus OblationeÌ„ spontaneaÌ„ manâ— tue Vnde dicuÌ„t noÌ„ nulli quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est oblatio que fit deo propter aliquod munus personale quibus non assentior cum nullus ex Hebreis doctoribus hoâ—dicat quos legerim Hactenus Pagninus These wordes declare the nature of this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by diriuatioÌ„ euen froÌ„ the original Whiche howe wel it agreeth with our englishe word masse let the learned iudge It caÌ„ not be tried hereby that it is a sacrifice for the quicke for the dead but rather cleane coÌ„trarie by that whiche Pagninus affirmeth Ther is yet an other Hebrue worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifiynge a tribute whiche some men saye is the originall because of the contribution and payment that was gathered for the reliefe of the pore in the beginning There is also a verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which betokeneth to melte or to be dissolued awaye where of you may diriue Missa if you wyll