swearing dronkennes whoredome couetousnes idlenes c. all such I say shal not nor cannot enter into Gods kingdome but hell fire is prepared for them weeping and gnashing of teeth whereunto alas I feare me very many wyll needes go in that very many wil be as they haue bene let vs euen to the wearing of our toung to the stumps preach and pray neuer so much to the contrary and that euen in the bowels of Iesus Christ as now I besech you all all all and euery mothers childe to repent and lament your synne to trust in Gods mercy and to amende your lyues Now me thinkes ye are somewhat astonied wherby I gather that presently you desire this repentāce that is this sorow good hope and newnes of lyfe The which that you may the rather attaine and get to your comforts as I haue gone about to bee a meane to stir vp in you by Gods grace this desire of repentance so through the same grace of God wyl I go about now to shew you how you may haue your desire in this behalfe And first concerning this part namely sorow for your syns and harty lamenting of the same For this if you desire the hauing of it you must beware y you thinke not that of your selues or of your own freewyl by any meanes you can get it You maye easelye deceiue your selues and mock your selues thincking more of your selues then is seemely All good thinges and not peeces of good thinges but al good things saith S. Iames come from God the father of light If therefore penance be good as it is good then the partes of it be good Frō God therfore do they come and not of our free wyll It is the Lord that mortifieth that bringeth down that humbleth saith the scriptur in sundry places After thou haddest stricken my thigh saith Ieremy I was ashamed Loe he sayth after thou hadst stricken me and therfore praieth he euen in the last words almost he writen Turne vs Lord and we shall be turned The which thing Dauid vseth verye often Wherfore first of al if thou wouldest haue this part of penance as for the whole because it is Gods gift so for this part go thou vnto God make some litle praier as thou canst vnto his mercy for the same in this or like sort Mercifull father of our Sauiour Iesus Christ bicause I haue synned and done wickedly thorow thy goodnes haue receiued a desire of repentance wherto this thy long sufferaunce doth draw my hard hart I beseche thee for thy mercies sake in CHRIST to worke the same repentance in me and by thy spirit power grace so to humble mortify and teare my concsience for my syns to saluatiō that in thy good time thou mayest comfort and quicken me again through Iesus Christ thy dearely beloued Sonne Amen After this sort I say or otherwyse as thou thinckest good if thou wilt haue this first part contrition or sorow for thy sins do the beg it of God thorow Christ And when thou hast asked it as I haue laboured to driue thee from trusting in thy selfe so now I go about to moue thee from flattering of thy self from sluggishnes and negligence to be diligent to vse these meanes folowing Unto prayer which I would thou shouldest fyrst vse as thou canst secondly get thee Gods law as a glas to toote in for in it and by it commeth the true knowledge of synne without whych knowledge there can bee no sorrow For how can a man sorow for his synnes which knoweth not hys synnes As when a man is sycke the fyrst step to health is to know his sycknes euen so to saluation the first step is to know thy damnation due for thy synnes The law of God therfore must be gotten and wel tooted in that is we must looke in it spiritually not corporally or carnally as the outward word or letter doth declare and vtter and so our Sauiour teacheth vs in Mathew expounding the sixt seuenth commaūdements not onely after the outward deede but also after the hart making there the anger of the hart a kynde of murther lusting after an other mans wyfe a kinde of adultery And this is one of the differences betwene Gods law and mās lawe that of this mans law I meane I am not contemnable so long as I obserue outwardli the same But gods law goeth to the roote to the hart condemning me for the inwarde motion allthough outwardlye I lyue most holyly As for example If I kil no mā though in my hart I hate mans law condemneth me not but otherwyse doth Gods lawe And why for it seeth the fountain whence the euil doth spring If hatred were taken out of the hart then loftynes in lookes detraction in toūg and murther by hand could neuer ensue If lusting wer out of the hart curiosity in countenaunce wantonnes in wordes baudy boldnes in body would not appeare In that therfore this outward euyll springes out of the inward corruption seyng Gods law also is a law of liberty as sayth saynt Iames and spirituall as saith s Paule perfectly spiritually it is to be vnderstand if we wyll truly come to the knowledge of our syns For of this inward corruption reason knoweth but litle or nothing I had not knowen sayth Paul that lusting which to reason and to them which are guided only by reasō is thought but a triste I had not knowen sayth he this lusting to haue ben syn if the lawe had not sayd Non concupisces Thou shalt not lust To the knowledge therefore of our syn without which we cannot repent or be sory for our syn let vs secondly get vs Gods law as a glasse to toote in and that not onely literally outwardly or partly but also spiritually inwardly and throughly Let vs consider the hart and so shal we see the foule spots we are stayned withal at lest inwardly wherby we the rather may be mooued to harty sorow and sighing For as s Austen saith it is a glasse which feareth no body but euen looke what a one thou art so it paynteth thee out In the law we see it is a foule spot not to loue the lord our God withal all I say our hart soule power might and strength and that continually In the law it is a foule spot not onely to make to our selues anye grauen Image or similitude to bowe thereto c. but also not to frame our selues wholy after the image whereto we are made not to bow to it to worship it In the law we see that it is a foule spot not onely to take Gods name in vayne but also not earnestly hartely and euen continually to call vpon his name onely to geue thankes vnto him to beleue to publish and lyue his holy word In Gods lawe we see it is a foule spot to our soules not onely to bee an open prophaner of the Saboth day but also not to rest
knoweth he hath to much synne vnwyllingly in him so that thereto he wyl not adde willing offences This willing witting offending synning whosoeuer doth flatter him selfe therin doth euidently demoÌ„strate shew that he neuer yet in dede tasted of Christ truly He was neuer truly perswaded or beloued how soule a thing sin is how greuous a thing Gods anger is how ioyfull and precious a thyng Gods mercy in Christ is how exeeding broade wyde hye dâ—eepe Christes loue is Perchance he can write prate talke preach of this geare but yet he in part by faith neuer felt this geare For if he did once feele this geare in dede then would he be so far from continuing in syn willingly wittingly that wholy and hartely he would geue ouer himself to that which is contrary I mean to a new lyfe renuing his youth euen as the Egle doth For as we being in the seruitude of syn demoÌ„strate our seruice by geuing ouer our members to the obeying of syn from iniquitie to iniquity euen so we being made free from synne by faith in Iesus Christ endued with Gods spirite a spirit of liberty must nedes demonstrate this fredom liberty by geuing ouer our members to the obedience of the spir it by the which we are lead guided from vertue to vertue all kynde of holynes As the vnbeleuers declare their vnbeliefe by the working of the euil spirit in them out wardly the fruits of y â—â—esh euen so the beleuers declare their faith by the working of Gods good spirit in them outwardly the fruits of the spirit For as the deuyll is not dead in those which are hys but worketh styll to their damnation so is not God dead in them which be his but worketh styl to their saluation The which working is not the cause of the one or the other being in any but onely a demonstration a signe a fruit of the same as the Apple is not the cause of the Appletree but a fruite of it Thus then you see briefly that newnes of lyfe is not in deede a part of penance but a fruit of it a demonstration of the iustifying faith a signe of Gods good spirit possessing the hart of the peniteÌ„t as the old lyfe is a fruit of impenitencie a demonstration of a lip faith or vnbeliefe a signe of Sathans spirit possessing the hart of the impenitent which al those be that be not penitent For meane I know none He that is not penitent the same is impenitent he that is not gouerned by Gods spirit the same is gouerned by Sathans spirit For al that the Christes are gouerned with the spirit of Christ which spirite hath his fruites Al other y be not Christs are the deuils He that gathereth not â—â— Christ scattereth abroad Therfore dearly beloued I befech you to consider this grace deceiue not yourselues If you be not Christes then pertain you to the deuil of which thing the fruits of the fleshe doth assure you as whordom adultecy vncleannes wantoÌ„nes idolatry witchcraft enuy strife contention wrath sedition murther dronkeÌ„nes glut tony blasphemy slothfulnes idlenes baudy talking scâ—aÌ„dering c If these apples grow out of the appletrees of your haries surely surely the deuel is at Inne with you you are his birdes whom when hee hath well fed he wyll broth you eate you chaw you and champ you worlde wythout end in eternall wo and mysery But I am otherwyse perswaded of you al. I trust you be al Christ Iesus hys people and chyldren yea brethren by fayth As ye see your sins in Gods law and tremble sigh sorow and sob for the same euen so you see hys great mercies in his Gospell and free promises therfore ar glad mery ioyfull for that you are accepted into Gods fauour haue your sins pardoned are endued with the good spirit of God euen the seale signe manuell of your election in Christ before the beginuing of the world The which spirit for that he is the spirit of life geuen to you to worke in you with you by you here in thys life saÌ„ctification holynes wher unto you are called that ye might be holy euen as your heauenly father is holy I besech you all by admonition and warning of you that you would styr vp the giftes of God geuen to you generally particularly to the edifying of his Church that is I pray you that you would not molest the good spirit of God by rebelling against it when it prouoketh and calleth you to go on forwards that the which is holy might yet be more holy hee which is ryghteous myght be more righteous as the euil spirit moueth and stirreth vp the filthye to be yet more filthy the couetous to be more couetons the wicked to be more wycked Decclare you now your repentance by woorkes of repentance Bryng fouth frutis and worthy fruites Let your sorowing for your euyls demonstratine it selfe departing froÌ„ the euyls you haue vsed Let your certainty of pardon of your syns through Christ and your ioyin him be demoÌ„strated by pursuing of the good things which Gods word teacheth you You are nowe in Christ Jesus Gods workmanship to do good workes which God hath prepared for you to walke in For the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared teacheth vs that we should deny vngodlynes worldly lustes and that we should lyue soberly righteously godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope glorious appearing of the mighty God of our sauiour Iesus Christ whych gaue him selfe for vs to redeme vs from all vnrighteousnes to purge vs a peculiar people vnto himself feruently geueÌ„ vnto good works Againe Titus 3. for we our selues also wer in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing iustes diuers pleasures liuing in maliciousnes and enuy full of hate hating one another But after that the kindnes and loue of God our Sauiour to manward appeared not by the deedes of righteousnes which we wrought but of his mercy he saued vs by the fouÌ„â—aine of the new birth with the renning of the holy Ghost which he shed on vs abnudantly thorow Iesus Christ our Sauiour that wee once iustified by his grace should be heires of eternall lyfe through hope This is a true saying But I wyll make an end for I am to tedious Dearely beloued repent your syns that is be sory for y which is past beleue in Gods mercy for pardon how deepely soeuer you haue sinued both purpuse ear nestly pernse a new life bringing forth worthy true fruites of repentance As you haue geueÌ„ ouer your members from syn so syn to serue the deuyll your tounges to sweare to lie to slaiter to scold to iest to scost to baudy talk to vain ianglyng to boasting c. your handes to picking groping ydlenes fighting c your feete to skipping going to euil to dauÌ„sing
with the Church all the good that euer it or any member of it had hath or shall haue This is the coÌ„munion of Sainctus which we beleue in our Creede which hath wayting on it remission of synnes resurrection of the flesh and lyfe enerlasting To the end that we should be most assured and certayne of all these Christ our Sauiour did institute this his Supper therfore would haue vs to vse it So that there is no man I trow which seeth not great cause of geuing thankes to God for this holy Sacrament of the Lord wherby if we worthely receine it we ought to be certayne that all our syns what soeuer they be are pardoned clearly that we are regenerate and borne agayne into a liuely hope into an inheritaunce immortall vnderiled and which can neuer wither away that bee are in the fellow shyp of God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost that we are Gods Tenples at one with God and God at one with vs that we are meÌ„bers of Christes Church and felowes with the Sainctes in all felicity that we are certayne of immortalitie in soule and body so of eternall lyfe then whych thyng what can be more demaunded Christ is ours and we are Christes he dwelleth in vs and we in him Oh happy eyes that see these things and most happy hartes that feele them My deare brethren let vs pray vnto the Lord to open our eyes to see these woÌ„derfull thinges to geue vs fayth to feele them Surely we ought no lesse to bee assured of them now in the worthy receiuyng of this Sacrament then we are assured of the exteriour symboles and Sacramentes If an Angell from heauen should come and tell you these things then would you reioyce be glad And my deare hartes in the Lord I euen now though most vnwyrthy am sent of the Lord to tel you no lesse but that you worthely receiuing this Sacrament shall receiue remission of all your syns or rather certainety that they are remitted and that you are euen now Gods darlinges Temples and fellow inheritours of al the good that euer he hath Wherefore see that you geue thankes vnto the Lorde for this his great goodnes prayse hys name for euer Oh sayth one I cold be glad in very deede and geue thankes from my very hart if that I dyd worthely receiue thys sacrament But alas I am a very greuous synner I feele in my selfe very little repentance and fayth and therefore I am a frayde that I am vnworthy To the answering of thys obiection I thinke it necessarye to speake somthing of the worthy receiuing in this Sacrament in as great breuity and playnes as I can The Apostle wylleth al men to proue and examine themselues before they eate of the bread and drinke of the cup for they that eate and drinke vnworthely eate and drinke damnation Therefore this probacion and examination is necessary If men wyll try their golde and syluer whether they be coper or no is it not more necessaryâ— that men should trye their consciences Nowe howe this should be the Papists teach amysse in sendyng vs to their auriculer confession which is impos sible The true probacion and tryall of a Christian conâ—cience consisteth altogether in faith and repentance Faith hath respect to the doctrine and articles of our beliefe repentance hath respect to maners conuersation Concerning the former I meane of faith we may see the Apostle teacheth vs. 2. Corint 11. Concerning the latter for our conuersation those syns which are called commonly mortall or deadly are to be remoued These syns are discerned from other syns by the Apostle Rom. 6. in saying Let not syn raygne and beare aswynge in your mortall bodies For truly then wee synne deadly when we geue ouer to synne and let it haue the bridle at his liberty when we striue not agaynstie but allow it and consent to it How be it if we striue against it if it displease vs then trulye though synne be in vs for we ought to obey God without all resistaunce or vnwillyngnes yet our syns be not of those syns which seperate vs from God but for Christes sake shall not be imputed vnto vs beleuing Therfore my dearely beloued if that your synnes doo now displease you if you purpose vnfaynedly to be enemies to iyn in your selues and in others as you may during your whole lyfe if you hope in Christ for pardon if you beleue according to the holy scriptures and articles of the ChristiaÌ„ fayth set forth in your Creede if I say you nowe trust in Gods mercy through Christes merites if you repent and earnestly purpose vefore God to amende your lyfe and to geue ouer yourselues to serue the Lord in holynes and righteousnes al the daies of your life although before this present you haue most greuously synned I publish vnto you that you are worthy gestes for this table you shall be welcome to Christ your syns shall be pardoned you shall be endned with hys spirit and so with communion with hym and the Father the whole Church of God Christ wyll dwell in you you shall dwell in hym for euermore Wherefore behaue your selues accordinglye wyth ioyfulnes and thankes geuing Do you nowe appeare before the Lord make cleane your houses open the dores of your hartes by repentance and faith that the Lord of hostes the kyng of glory may enter in and for euer hereafter beware of all suche thynges as myght displease the eyes of hys Maiesty Flie from syn as from a Toade come away from popery and all Antichristian religion be diligent in your vocations be diligent earnest in prayer harken to the voyce of God in hys word with reuerence lyue worthys your profession Let your lyght in your lyfe so shine that men may see your good workes and glorify your father which is in heauen As you haue beene darkenes followed the works of darknes so now henceforth be light in the Lord haue society with the workes of light Now hath God renueâ— hys couenaunt with you in Gods sight now are you as cleane and healed froÌ„ all your sores of synnes Go your wayes syn no more lest a worse thing happen vnto you See that your house beyng new swept be furnished with godlines and vertue and beware of idlenes lest the deuil come with seuen spirits worse then himselfe and so take his lodging and then your latter end wyll be worse then the first God our Father for the tender mercy and merites of hys soune be mercyful vnto vs forgeue vs al our syns and geue vs his holy spirit to purge cleanse sanetify vs that we may bee holye in hys sight through Christ that we now may be made ready worthy to receiue thys holy Sacrament with the fruits of the same to the full reioyning strengthening of our harts in the lord To whom be all honour glory world without ende Amen To God be all praise for euer â—il 3. 17. Luke 7. Hebr. 11. Iere. 44. Iere. 7. Amos. 7. Acte 17. Gene. 19. Gene. 6. Exod 2 Math. 4. Deut 6. 2 Math. 22 Mark. 20 Lâ—ke 10. Iohn 3. Math. 6. Lâ—ke 17. Aoc. 22. Deu. 4. 1. Esay 45. 1. Iohn 2. Hebr. 2. Rom. 1. Iames. 1. 1. Reg. 2. Iere. 31. Lamen 5 Acte 11. 2. Tim. 2. Iame. 2. Roma 7. Rom. 7. Iob. 15. Apoâ— â— 2. Tim. 2. Gene. 6. Genes 19. Genes 9 Iosua Caleb Num. 14. Leuit. 24 Num. 15. 1. Reg. 5. 3. Regu 21. 22. 4. Reg. 21. 4. Reg. 10. Gene. 6. Genes 19. Genes 19 Iosua Caleb Num. 14. Leuit. 24 Num. 15. Tim. 2. 1. Reg. â— 3. Regâ— 21. 2â— 4. Reg. â—â— 4. Reg. 10. Gene 9 Genes â–ª â—9 Genes â—9 Iosua Caleb Num. 14. Leuit. 24 Num. 15. Tim. 2. 1. Reg. â— 3. Regâ— 21 22. 4. Reg. 21 â–ª 4. Râ—g â—â— Esay 3â— Math. 7. Hebr. 10. Gene. 9 Genes 19 Genes 19 Leuit. 24 Tâ—â— â— Reg. â— Esay 3u Math. 7. Hebr. 10. Num â–ª 14 Two Sacramentes in christes church Baptisme is in place of circumcision Christian mens chudreÌ„ ought to be baprised Galat 4. who dyd institute this Sacrament 2 what the SacrameÌ„t is Upon traÌ„substantiation all popery almost is buylded The Sacrament of the popysh Masse is not the crament of christes body The first reason against traÌ„substantiation An aunswer to the Papistes cauill for the foresayd reason Math. 26 Exod. 7. The â—â—coÌ„d reason against traÌ„substan Math. 19 Mark. 14 Luke 22. 1. Cori. 11. The third reason against traÌ„substantiacion 1. Cor. 10. The iiij reason against trâ—substantiation The fyft reason Ireneus Augustinus Chrysostomus The syxt reason against traÌ„substantiation â—ipriax in Sermone de Chrysmat Augustinus ad Bonifacium The vij 〈…〉 Calat 3. An aunswer to the Papistes cauill for y foresayd reason The .viij. reason The nidth reason Christes presence in the supper An obiection â—n answer An other obiection of Christs presence in the Sacrament Athanasius Hylarius Cyrillus Basilius Ambrosius Epiphanius Hieronimus Chrysostomus Augustinus Christes presence in the supper wherfore the Sacrament was instituted ☞ Note though I apply thys thus yet I woulde not that any men shuld think that coÌ„munioneÌ„ saÌ„ctorum in the Creede is not set foorth there for the better explication of that which preceedeth it namelye what the holy catholike Church iâ— An obiection of â—nworthy receiuyng The aunswar Imprinted at London by Iohn Awdeley and Iohn Wyght The .xxx. of September Anno Domini 1574.
caÌ„ neuer proue For it being peruerted vsed to a contrary ende as of sacrifieyng propitiatorily for the syns of the quicke and of the dead of idolatry by adorning or worshipping it by godly honor c. is no more Christes Sacrament but an horrible prophanation of it and therefore as Christ called Gods Temple which was called au house of prayer for the abusing and prophanyng of it by the Priestes a den of the eues so this which the Papists call the sacrament of the Aultar full truly may we call au abominable Idol And therfore I would all men shoulde knowe that the sacrament of the Aultar as the Papistes now do abuse it omittyng certayne substantiall poyntes of the Lords iustitution and putting in the steede thereof their own dregs and dreaues is not the sacrament of Christs body nor the Lords supper wherof when we speake reuerently as our duty is we would not that men should thinke we speake it of the popish Masse that I say in the Supper of the Lord or in the sacrament of Christs body there remaineth the substance of bread and wine as our senses and reason to teach these many thinges also do teach the same First the holy Christ doth plainly tell vs by calling it often bread aftrr the wordes of consecration as 1. Cornith 10. Is not the bread which we breake a partakyng of the body of Christ sayth Paule Loe plainly he saith the bread which we breake not onely calling it bread but addyng thereto breakyng which cannot be attributed eyther to Christes body whereof no bone was brokeÌ„ either to any accident but must needes be of a substance which substance if it be not Christes body cannot be but bread As in the .xi. chapter foure times he plainly calleth it He that eateth of this bread He that receiueth this bread c And in the Actes of the Apostels we reade how that in speaking of the Communion they met together to breake bread c So that it is playne that the substauce of bread and wyne doo remayne in the Supper after the wordes of consecration as also may appeare playnly by Christs own wordes which calleth that which he gaue them in the Cup wyne or the fruit of the vyne as both Mathew and Matke doo write Wherby we set that there is no transubstantiation of the wyne and therfore may we also see that there is no transubstantiation of the bread As for the Panistes cauillyng how that it hath the name of bread because it was bread as Symon the leper was called stylle prous though hee was healed or as Moses rod beyng turned into a serpent was called a Rod styll it proueth nothing For there was in the one a playne sight and the senses certified that SimoÌ„ was no leper and in the other playne mention that the rod was turned into a Serpent But concernyng the Sacrament neyther the senses see any other thiug theÌ„ bread neither is ther auy mentioÌ„ made of turning And therefore theyr â—auill is plainlye seene to be but a cauyll and of no force But to come a gaine to bryng moe reasons against TransubstantiatieÌ„ Secondly that the substance of bread remaineth stil the very text doth teach For the Euangelists and the Apostle Saint Paule do wytnes that Christ gaue that to his Disciples and called it hys body whych hee tooke on which he gaue thankes and whych he brake but he tooke bread gaue thankes on bread broke bread Ergo he gane bread called bred hys body as he called the cup the new testament So that it foloweth by this that there is no transubstantiation And thys reason I my selfe haue promised in writing to proue by the authority of the Fathers namely Ireneus Tertullian Orgine Ciprin Epiphanius Hierommus Augustinus Theodorete Cirill Bede it so be I may haue the vse of my bookes Thirdly that in the Sacrament there is no transub stantiation of the bread by this reason I doo proue Lyke as by our Sauiour Christ the spirit of truth spake of the bread This is my body so saith the saâ— spirit of truth of the same bread That we many are one body and one bread c. So that as it appeareth the Sacrament not to be the Church by transubstantiation euen so is it not Christes natural body by trausubstanciation Fourthly I proue that there is no transubstantiation by Luke Paules wordes spoken ouer the Cup. For no Lesse are they effiâ—tuall to transubstantiate the cup then their wordes spoken of the bread are operatorius myghty to transubstaÌ„tiate the bread For as they say of the bread Thys is my body so say they of the Cup This cup is the new testament which thing is absurde to be spoken or thought either of the cup or of the thing in the cup by transubstanti ation Yea rather in saying these wordes This cup is the new Testament we are taught by their coupling thys word Cup to the demonstratiue This how we should in these wordes This is my body know that this word This doth there demonstrate bread Fiftly that the substaunce of bread remaineth in the SacrameÌ„t as the reasons before brought forth do proue so doth the definition of a Sacrament For the Fathers do affirme it to consist of an earthly thyng and of an heauenly thing of the woord and of the element of sensible thinges and of thinges which be perceyued by the mynde But transubstantiatioÌ„ taketh cleane away the earthly thing the element the sensible thing and so maketh it no Sacrament And therfore the definition of a SacrameÌ„tful wel teacheth that bread which is the earthly thing the sensible thyng and the element remayneth styl as Saynt Augustine sayth The word commeth to the Element he saith not taketh away the Element and so it is made a Sacrament Sixtly the nature and propertion of a SacrameÌ„t teacheth this also which I haue affirmed For as Cipriane writeth that Sacramentes beare the names of the thynges which they signifye so doth saynt Augustine teach that if Sacramentes haue not some signification with the things wherofthey be Sacraments then are they no sacraments Now in the Lordes supper this similitude is first in nourishing that as bread nourisheth the body so Christes body broken feedeth the soule SecoÌ„dly in bringing together many into our that as in the sacrament many graynes of corne are made on bread many grapes ar made one liquour and wine so the multitude which worthelye receiue the Sacrament are made one body with Christ and hys Church Last of all in one vnlykelr lykelynes or similitude that as bread eaten turneth into our nature so we rightly eating the sacrament by faith turne into the nature of Christ So that it is playne to them that wyll see that to take the substance of bread away is cleane against the nature and property of a sacrament I wil speake nothing how that this their doctrine of
saluation Amen Now to returne to the second matter what the Sacrament is you see that to the senses and reason of man it is bread and wyne which is most true as by the scriptures and other wyse I haue allreadye proued and therefore away with transubstantiation But here lest we should make it no Sacrament for a sacrament consisteth of twoo thynges lest a man should by thys gather 〈◊〉 we make it none other thyng 〈◊〉 bare bread and a naked signe and so rayle at their pleasure on vs saying How can a man be giltre of the body and bloud of Christ by vnworthy receiuing of it if it bee but bare bread and so forth For thys purpose I wyll nowe speake a little more hereabout by gods grace to stop their mouthes and to styre vp your good harts more to the worthy estimation perception of this holy mysterye When a louing friend geueth to thee a thing or sendeth to thee a token as for an example a napkyn or such like I thinke thou doest not as thou shouldest doo if that with the thyng thou considerest not the mynde of thy friend that sendeth or geueth the thing and according the runto estemest and receyuest it And so of thys bread thinke I that if thou doo not rather consider the mynde of thy louer Christ then the thyng which thou seest yea if thou doo not altogether consider Christes mynde thon dealest vnhonestly strumpetlike with hym For it is the propertye of strumpets to consider the thynges geuen and sent them rather then the loue mynde of the geuer and sender whereas the true louers do not consider in any poynt the thinges geuen or sent but the mind of the party So wee if we bee true louers of Christ must not consider barely the outward thyng which we see and our senses perceyue but rather altogether we must should see and consider the minde of Christ and therafter and according to it to esteme the sacrameÌ„t But how shall we knowe the mynde of Chryst For sooth as a mans mynde is best knowen by his word so by Christes woord shall we know his mynde How his wordes be manifest and most playne This sayth he is my dody therefore accordingly should we esteeme take and receiue it If he had spoken nothing or if he had spoken doubtfully then might we haue bene in some doubt But in that he speaketh so plainly saying This is my body who can maye or dare bee so bold as to doubt of it He is the truth and cannot lye he is omnipotent and can do all thinges therefore it is his body This I beleue this I confesse and pray you all hartely to beware of these and such lyke wordes that it is but a sygne or a figure of his body Except you wil discern betwixt signes which fignify ouely and sygnes whych also doo represent confirme and seale vp or as a maÌ„ may say geue wyth their signification As for an example An Iuye bush is a sygne of wine to be sold the buddyng of Aarous rod dyd sygnifye Aarons Priesthood alowed of the Lord the reseruation of Moses rod dyd signifye the rebellion of the children of Israel the stones takeÌ„ out of Iordane Gedeons fleese of wool c. such as these be signe significatiue and shewe no gyft But in the other sygnes whych some call exhibitiue is there not onely a signification of the thyng but also a declaration of a gyft yea in a certayne maner a geuing also As Baptisme signifieth not onely the clensing of the coÌ„science from syn by the merites of Christes bloud but also is a very clensyng from synne And therfore it was sayd to Paule that he should aryse and wash away hys syns not that he should aryse and take onely a sygne of washyng away hys syns In the Lordes supper the bread is called a partaking of the Lordes body and not onely a bare signe of the Lordes body This I speake not as though the elements of these sacraments were trausubstantiate whych I haue already impugned either as though Christes body wér in the bread or wyne eyther were â—yed to the elementes otherwyse then sacramentally and spiritually eyther that the bread and wine may not and must not be called sacramentall and externall signes but that they myght be discerned froÌ„ significatiue and bare signes onely and be taken for signes exhibitiue and representatiue By thys meanes a Christian comcience wil call and esteme the bread of the Lord as the body of Christ For it wyll neuer esteeme the Sacraments of Christ after their exteriour appearance but after the words of Christ Wherof it commeth that the Fathers as Chrysostome and others doo speake with so ful a mouth when they speake of the Sacrament for their respect was to Christes woordes If the Schoolemen which folowed them had had the same spirit whych they had then would they neuer haue consented to transubstantiation For wyth great admiration some of the Fathers doo say that the bread is chaunged or turned into the body of Christ and the wyne into hys bloud meaning it of amutation or chaunge not corporal but spirituall figuratiue sacramental or mysticall For now it is no coÌ„mon bread nor common wyne beyng ordayned to serue for the foods of the soule The scolemen haue vnderstood it as the Papistes nowe preach of a substautial chauÌ„ging as though it were no great myracle that common bread should now be assumed into that dignity that it should bee called Christes body and serue for a celestial food and be made a Sacrament of hys body and bloud As before therfore I haue spoken I would with that this Sacrament should be esteemed called of vs ChristiaÌ„ men after Christes wordes namely Christes body and the wyne Christes bloud rather then otherwy e. Not that I meane any other presence of Christes body then a presence of grace a presence to fayth a presence spiritually not corporally really naturally and carnally as the Papistes do meane For in such sort Christes body is onely in heauen on the right hand of God the father almightye whether our faith in the vse of the Sacrament asceudeth and receyueth whole Christ accordingly Yea but one wyl say that to cal the Sacrament on that sort is to geue an occasion of idolatry to the people which wyll take the Sacrament which thei see simply for Christes body as by experience we are well taught and therfore it were better to call it bread and so lesse harme should be especially in this age In this obiection I aunswer that in dede great idolatry is coÌ„mitted to and about this Sacrament and therfore men ought as much as they can to auoyd from occasioning or contirming it But in as much as the holy Ghost is wyser then man had foresight of the euils that might be and yet notwithstanding doth cal it Christes body I thinke we should do euyl if we should take vpon vs to reforme his