king for the Emperor against Infidels against temptacyō for the petyciō of the teares for to fynd things lost for shepe for oxen beare with me If an hors haue a disease in his eye or in one of his leggys thei caus masse to be sayd for hym It is also good for thes that confesse I meane that heare the confessyon becaus it maketh them gett good mony and other things Forthei geue penans to them that thei heare in confessyon that is to say that thei of force cause them to say massys and thei make thē to pay lustily in such sort as thei make thei make them somtyme scratt the head again And what hath the herbe betonica which hath so many vertews as Anthonius Musa sayth to doo with the masse It is no meruel that it shuld be good for so many things becaus that thei that haue fownd it owt and haue framed it haue much more powr than the Apostles as paul sayth 2. Corin. 13. to whom was geuen powr to bylde and not to destroy But the masse makers haue the fulnes off powr to peruert to cōfownd to destroy and to ouerthrowe euery thing And whan thei haue done all this that pleaseth them no man may say vnto them why doo ye soo Becaus thei be aboue all and may be iudged of none how like ye this so gret a powre Let no man therfor meruell of thes so many vertewes of the masse O IESV CHRIST which art come to repayre the decayes whan wilt thow amend thes disorders Christ hath ordeyned the sacrament to one end that is to say for a rememberans and thei vse it for a thowsand other endes From whens gather thei that the masse shuld haue so many vertews as thei say it hath This is a very gret abuse and to gret a disorder The sixt abuse is that he that saith it doth applie it for whom it pleaseth him As for example for him that hath waged him or for any other his well doer or for father ād mother or for other his kinsfolk as though it were his to bestowe the vertewis or the benifites of the masse as he shuld think good Surely this is vnfitt that a sinner and parauenture a wicked man shuld haue auctoritie to bestowe such benifites I make a differens betwene the praing and the bestowing the benifites of the masse for as thei think such benifites be christes benifites and how can this be seing such vertew procedith not from him that doth celebrate but from god only and from Christ him selff The seuinth abuse is that one masse shuld be more solempne than a nother That which hath fairer and richer furniture that which is song which is rong with the gret bells that is there descanted where as be candlestickbearers Accolites deacons subdeacons many lightis plaing on the organes and such owtward knacks Thes such masses thei call solempne masses And the moo ād greater ceremonies their be the more solemne those massis be Thei folow the Iewis or els the Idolaters the which in worshipping of their gods did make solempnities of feastes and of reioisinges That kind of worship in the hebrew peple was not blamed becaus it was ordeined by god but yet in a figure of spirituall things and to entertaine that peple inclined to Idolatry that thei shuld not committ Idolatry But to vs christians it nedeth not to make thes solempnities and pompes seing the time is come of the trewe worshippers the which ought to worship god in spirite and truth and not with owtward deckings as christ saith in S. Iohn Ioh 4 ▪ Yet furthermore seing the dignitie of the sacrament comith from his thing signified and from the institutor of the same it is not conuenient to make it one time more solempne than a nother And as all the baptismes be alike iff thei be trowe baptysmes so will we saye of the sacrament of thanksgeuing that one is not more worthy than a nother Theyght is that one masse doth more a vayle than a nother according to the dignitye of the parson That is to say the bysshops masse doth more auayle than the plaine prestes the abbats more than the monks for if thei shuld not more auayle thei shuld not sell them dearer This is an abuse Rom. 2. becaus that before god there is no respect of persons nor the seruyces that be done to god be not more accepted of hym becaus one is sett in a greater state and dignitye but whan he hath a greatter fayth and religion Furthermore yff the masse in it selff be that that hath the vertewes the strength and efficacy of working it hangeth not of men but of god only why make thei than one more greter and more worthy than a nother according to the diuersitye of persons A nother is that it can not be sayd withowt so many deckings as be the Amises the albys the phanells the stolys the cordgirdles the sandales many towels altares chalises corporassis animates as thei call them and a halowed stone And all thes things must be blessed and consecrated The deckings also be of diuers colors according to the diuersitie of the daies In the feast of martirs thei put on redd On the virgins daies white on the cōfessors other colors Here we haue deckings of lyning cloth of say of all colored cloth here be some of silk of veluet of damask of chamlet of satten of cloth of gold and of siluer Iff it be a blame worthy thing for a man or a woman to be ouer costly decked as paul saith in his pistle to Timothy 1. Tim. 2. 1. Petri. 3 and Peter in the first pistle for so moch as it is a vanitie why shall it not be blame worthy for one that handleth gods things to be ouer costly decked as though god shuld be delighted in owtward things who wold haue the inward decking and the decking of the mind What meaneth it that there is not made so gret solēnitie at gods word Thei put not on thā so many garments And to the masse that is mans inuentiō thei vse so moch honor What nedeth it for the ministratiō of the sacrament to set a brode so mani things ād to make so gret a furniture Thes things be Iewish or rather heathnish than otherwise I remember I haue hard that in Rome there were fownd certen Imagis of the flamynes which were prestes of the gentiles clothed thorowtly like the prest at masse The which geuith to vnderstand that such decking is an heathnissh thing The vse of so many garments and of the consecracion of the same is the ordinance of pope Stephan the first and came frō the Iewis The corporassis was the diuise of Sixtus the first the chalises first were made of wood Zepherinus the pope did institute that thei shuld minister in vessels of glasse Affter it was appointed that thei shuld minister neither in wood nor in glasse becaus that the wood being vnfast the wine entrid into it And the
the scripture But the Hebrewes who had the benifice of Gods word cleare and open did sinn more greuosly in their vnbilefe committing Idolatry and blasphemy than the heathen For it was euen as he that seith the ditch and yet of purpos and willingly falleth in to it It is plaine that he doth moch more sinne who hath thexpresse commandment of the lord and knoweth his will and noth withstanding yet doth against such commandement and will than he that knoweth it not Luc. 12. as the Sauior saith in S. Luke That is to say the seruant that knoweth the will of his master and doth it not shall be worthily beaton with many stripes but the seruant that knoweth not the will of his lord and doth it not shall be beaton too but not so moch as he that knoweth it And for this caus the Hebrewes whan thei worsshipped the calff in the desert they did moch more greuosly sinn than the heathen who did honor the Idols for so moch as that not long before thei were cowncelled by God him selff who gaue them the lawe and commanded them that thei shuld not make any ymage to honor and yet thei made it against Gods expresse commandment And so as many other times as thei haue committed Idolatry as we haue in the bookes of the Kings and of the Prophetes thei haue moch more offended God and more greuosly sinned than the heathen And the Idolatry and vnfaithfulnes of his own peple was more abhominable in Gods sight and did more prouoke him to anger than that of the heathen And for this caus also thei were more threatned than the ame heathen And how many scorgis how many ouerthrowes haue thei suffred for the sinn of vnbilefe and Idolatry The 10. tribes of Israell for what caus were thei so offt by God scorgid and at the last berefft of their right 4. Reg. 17. and by Salmanasar King of the Assyrians led in to continuall bondage as it is writton in the boke of the Kings but only for Idolatry The tribe off Iuda how many wayes was it striken as well off their borderers that is off their next neighbors as affter by a peple that came farr off as the Caldees and the Assyrians were why was it sent in to exile to Babylone Why was the temple destroyed and euery thing ouerthrowen but only for their Idolatry Be caus thes things be knowen I doo not labor to recite the stories where thei be writton and therfor I passe them ouer Exod. 32. Deut. 4. 2. Parali 7. Ierem. 43. 44. Esa 65. Ezech. 9. and. 43. Exod. 4. Deut. 7. 3. Reg. 14. Ezech. 8.20 4. Reg. 23. How offten hath God threatned the ouerthrowe to Idolaters Loke in Exodus in Deuteronomy in Paralipomenon in Ieremy in Esay in Ezechiel and in very many other placis of the Prophetes Idolatry in the scripture is called abhominacion becaus God hath it most chefely in hatred Loke in Exodus in Deutronomy in the 3. boke off the Kings where Achias the Prophet foretelleth the exile and sparkeling off the tribe off Israel for Idolatry and also in Ezechiel In all thes places the scripture calleth Idolatry Abhominacion becaus that God as we haue sayd hath it in meruelos hatred This fowndacion being laid that God hath chefly in hatred Idolatry in what so euer sort it be done but moch more in his own peple than he had in the other And this becaus his peple had the knowlege off God and were taught with his word the trew worship off God that is to say how thei ought to worship him and honor him the other peple were not soo the which sinned by ignorans It doth fitly folow also that iff there shall be fownd Idolatry among the Christians who be now Gods peple that that shal be more abhominable before God than any other not only of the heathen but also of the Hebrewes For where as the knowlege off God and off his trewe worship is gretter and the trowth is more manifest in that place Idolatry and vnbilefe be greater sinnes and gretter abhominacions before God than where there is not so moch knowlege nor the truth so open But who dowteth that there shuld not be in the Christian peple a greater knowlege off God and off his trew worship and off Christ who is the truth it selff by the witnes off him selff the which saith in S. Iohn I am the way Iohn 4. the truth and the liffe than in any other peple and nacion doth not he witnes the truth talking with the Samaritane as Iohn writeth that the Christians that is to say the peple gathered to gether of by leuing Iewes and heathē which we be turned to Christ by Gods grace shuld be the trewe worshippers that shuld worshipp the father in spirite and truth Haue not we more knowlege of God hauing greater knowlege of Christ by whom God is truly knowen than the Hebrewes who will dowt this but he that knoweth not what Christ is Also this time is compared to that of the lawe vnder the which the Hebrews were as the day is to the night For thei had the flesshly worship that is to say thos sacrifices and nōber of ceremonies and we haue the spiri◅uall Coloss 2. Thei had the shadows and we haue the body as Paul saith to the Colosseis The knowlege that thei had was dark becaus it was shadowed with figures and certen veales or couerings owrs be clere bare and open wee doo better knowe Gods benifites thorow Christ than thei how sinnes be forgeuen vs how we be Iustified and saued Now we knowe that Christ is deade for our sinnes Rma 4. and is risen again as Paul saith for our rigthuosnes We know that he suteth at the right hand of God and where he is there we shal be Iohn 12. as he witnesseth in Iohn And of this we be sure We byleue certenly as an artikle of our faith that Christ is trewe God and trewe man The comen sort of the Iewes did not clerely knowe thes things as we doo And that it is the truth Iesus Christes Apostles them seluis although thei had hard him a long time and had conuersacion with him yet thei did not think that by death and chefely that death off the crosse he shuld redeme the world and that he shuld be a sacrifice and satisfaccion for our sinnes To him that hath redd the stories of theuangelistes this that I say is plaine Iff it be so than that where the knowlege of God of Christ of the threw worship is greater Idolatry vnbilefe and blasphemy be more greuos sinnes than where there is not so gret and so clere knowlege Surely iff we shall find thes so greuos sinnes in the Christen peple we must of necessitie conclude that thei shall more displease God and shall be more hatefull vnto him than all the Idolatries all the vnbilefes and all the blaspemies off the heathē yea and off the Hebrewissh peple too
the one in to his body and thother in to his blood because we shuld make to long a digression from our purpos But with gods fauor whan we haue ended this discours of the masse and the masse booke we will in the end of the boke Ioine to it a plaine sermon of this matter in the which we will proue the treuth And for this time we will make it onli appeare that thei vnderstōd not what consecraciō meaneth Therfor yow must vnderstād that Cōsecrare affter the holy scripture meane◅h not to chāge one thing in to a nother by vertu of certen wordes as thei take and vnderstand the consecracion of bread and wine minding that it shuld be a changing of their substances in to other substancis that is to say in to the body and blood of Iesus Christ For a thing that is consecrated is not marred or destroied that it shuld not be any more the same that it was as thei say of the breade and wine that thei remaine no longer affter the consecracion but are vndone and destroied and be no more that thei were but the thing that is consecrated remaineth the selff same that it was first and is not altered in his substance but only is dedicate or appointed to a certen holy vse to the which first it was not appointed or ordeined This is the meaning of consecrare As for example And how 's is said to be cōsecrated to god whan it is appointed to some holy vse as a man wold say to the preaching of gods word to the administracion of the sacraments and to comō praier Euen so man is consecrated to god whan he is dedicated and appointed to an holy and secred vse of gods seruice All christians be consecrated to god that is to say dedicated and appointed to his seruice which is an holy thing because thei be the trewe temple of god in the which he dwelleth with his holy spirite as S. Paul saith in many places 1. cho 3. 2. cho 6. Ephe. 2. Now it appearith that the man remainith still the same and is not changed in substance because he is consecrated to god but only is dedicated and appointed to gods seruice to which he was not first appointed This which we say we say not of our selues but owt of the holy scripture in mani places Exo. 13.29 num 6. Leuiti 27. as in Exodus numerus leuiticus It is writton in exodus that euery first borne male shuld be consecrate to god as well of men as of beastis Also that Aron and his childern were consecrated to be priestes It apperith in numerus as well of men as wemen that were consecrated to god In the last of leuiticus where is spoken of the consecracion of men and of feldys and vniuersally of eueri consecrated thing It appeareth that that consecracion doth not meane to change one thing in to another with wordes but meaneth to dedicate and appoint and as a man wold sai to appropriate a thing to god and to an holy vse Euery thing that is cōsecrated to the lord saith god whether it be mā beast or felde shall not be sold nor can not be redemed or raunsomed And thes were the consecracions made in the lawe which although we doo not now vse yet neuertheles thei giue vs to vnderstand what Consecrare meaneth and that it importeth nothing els but to dedicate ād appoint a thing to an holy vse And so we will say of the consecracion of breade and of wine that it is no changing of their substancis made by vertu of wordes but it is an appointing to an holy vse that is to say that thei shuld signifie and bring to our remembrance the body and blood of Christ how he gaue them for our redempcion As he him selff said whan he instituted this holy sacrament of breade and wine Matth. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. 1. Corint 11. saing that thei shuld doo this in his remembrance We haue bene long in this our talk which we haue done for the ignorant and not for the lerned and becaus the matter is waighty THE III. CHAPTER This examineth the viij part of the canon and declareth how he that saith the masse vsurpeth that office that is Christes and also saith a most wicked praier which is a gret wrong to Christ THe viij part of the canon is this that is to say Wherfor we thy seruantes and thy holy peple remembring vs of christ thy sonn our lord of so blessed a passion and resurrection from the deade and of the glorios ascēsion in to the heauens doo offer to thy most excellēt maiestie of thy rewardes and gifftes the pure host the holy host the vnspotted host and here saing thes wordes are made iij. crosses ouer the host and ouer the cup consecrated to gether that is to say ouer both of them And affter he addeth Holy breade of life euerlasting and the cup of continuall helth And here ij other crosses be made the one whan the bread is named ouer the same host and the other ouer the cupp whan the same is named In this viij part is affirmed that the priest and the peple by the remembrans that thei haue of his death resurrection and ascension doo offer vnto god that host and that cupp consecrated which be as thei think the trewe body and very blood of Christ. But where is it fownd in all the whole scripture that Christ or god did euer ordein that either the priest or the peple shuld offer vnto god the body and blood of Iesus Christ In dede we find that we ought to make a memory of such an offering as christ hath made And therfor he hath ordeined this sacrament to thintent that we shuld vse the remembrance of that oblacion But that we ought to offer to god either the body or the bloode of his sonn that hath god not appointed vs nor yet Christ nor ani Apostel euer made mēcion of it For this office to offer vnto god the body and blood of christ belongeth only to christ who is the high ād euerlasting priest Heb. 7.9.10 and it belongeth not to vs. And the some christ hath done it ones for all whan he was offered and died vpon the crosse And it nedeth not to doo it offtner because that that only time hath suffised to satisfie god for the sinnes of all the elect And that which we doo now in the sacrament is not the offering of Christes body ād blood but is a memory of that offering And who knoweth not that the memory of a thing is not the selff same thing but a remēbrance of it And if ani wold say for all this that it belōgeth to christians to offer christ in the sacramēt because Peter saith that the Christiās be an holy priesthoode to offer spirituall offrings acceptable to god by Iesus christ To this I say that Peter meaneth not here to speake of the sacrament but meaneth of thos hostis
fownd them selues naked and shamfast to be sene and hauing themselues no way to be couered with cootes of skinnes So let thes with teares axe of the same God that thei may be clothed with the same most pure cleane holy and godly skinn that is to say Iesus Christ to th entent that being couered with it thei might be no more ashamed of Gods sight But this can not be done iff thei will scuse them selues It behoueth that thei accuse them selues that thei tell their own fawt that thei doo poenance and that plainely thei confesse to haue erred Affter this sort thei shall obteine this godly garment and thei shall folow Paules cowncell yea his commandement the which he teacheth writing to the Romans put on the lord Iesus Christ Roma 13. for otherwise thei shall allweys remaine naked and with shame that is to say that their consciens shall neuer be quyet but thei shall allweyes haue hell at home Wherfor o Christians euen as in the beginning of this booke I haue exhorted yow to reade it and well to consider it to th entent that yow might vnderstand the crafft off this masse so many wayes blasphemos so now in the end of the same whan yow doo clerely vnderstand the most vngratios qualities of the same that yow will wholly forsake it Hether to many not only lay men but priestes fryres and monkes haue by ignorāce fawted thinking that it had bene a thing most holy and a worship most thanckfull to God and therfor haue hawnted it not knowing it And though thei haue greuosly offēded God yet in some part thei were excusable hauing fawted by ignorance And here I doo not speake of thos the which against their conscience and knowing what maner a thing it was only for feare or other wordly respect haue dissembled bacaus that thos maner of men haue committed a great fawt albeit that thei also shall be pardoned iff thei forsake the same and doo poenance and be sory for that which is past But now that by this boke iff thei will reade it and vnderstād it all mens eyes are opened and made plainely to see with how many abuses and cursings it is not only ful but heaped iff thei shall being priestes frires or monkes any more say it or being other men shall any more heare it I say surely that thei shall be vtterly vnexcusable and damnable as thei that knowingly and willingly shall sinn euen of very purpos and shall heape vpp Gods wrath vp on them Nor it shall not help nor auayle them talleage the perell of their goodes of their howsold or of their own life For so moch as that all thes things and as many other as can be had in the world to gether with the liffe it selff compared to Christ ought to be cownted as vile yea of no valure and for his loue we must necessarly forsake them becaus he is that treasure hiddon in the felde and that precios margarite for the which we ought to sell all our goodes to bye it Math. 13. And whan we be brought to such an eschew that we must either loose all thes things with the mortall liffe or forsake Christ Who dowteth but all the rest ought to be forsaken to kepe Christ whom iff we haue we possesse God and euery good thing What doth it help man saith Christ him selff though he in dede winn the whole world and lose his sowle Math. 1◅ What a foly is this to gett other things and to loose a mans selff withowt whō nothing cā help or auayle him Off thother part let vs consider that nedes whether we will or noo we must leaue the world and this same life for we be mortal and cānot allweyes tary here but we be certen that we must nedes depart and goo owt off this contry that is to say dye and change the liffe This is a sure rule And seing that this is necessary and we can not eschewe it is it not better for Christes sake to leaue the whole the which is not in deede to loose but to gaine and to lay vp treasor in heauē nor it is not to leaue it but to put it in to his hādes to th entent that he euerlastingly may kepe it for vs Is it not better I say to doo thus thā vtterly to lose all to gether It is a thing most certen that he that looseth Christ loseth euery thing and he that possesseth him possesseth euery good thing I knowe that Antichrist with his tirantes like a roaring lion doth threaten the lābe and warreth with him persecuting his affter diuers sortis afflicting them tormenting them and in th end killing them But for all that let them work as moch as thei will and can yet they shall lose and the lambe as Iohn saith in the Apocalipse shall ouercom them Apo. 14.17 For he is the king of kings and lord of lordes that hath all powr in heauen and in earth Math. 28. And hath a name aboue all names to whom euery knee in heauen in earth Philip. 2. and in hell is bowed and there is not that can resist him Now it semeth that he slepeth but the time will come of reuenge whan yea Antichrist with his tyrantes to gether with his fals prophetes shall be cast in to the burning pitt or lake of fire and brimstone where thei shall be tormented for euer Now the poore Christians be in the handes of Antiochessis of Dioclesians of Domicians of Neroes and other cruel tyrantes and Antichristes I touch not the good princis the which tyrants haue allweyes and will afflict Gods peple But let vs O brethern haue pacience in Christ as him selff doth admonissh vs saing Math. 14. In yowr paciens possesse your sowles And he that shall continewe to th end shall be safe Let vs pray and haue trust in God through Christ for he is able to deliuer vs from the hand of our enemyes and defend vs iff it shall please him And whan we shall see apparent parell rather than to denye Christ let vs flee awaye iff we can from the vnhappy nacion But iff we can not what els is to be done but to confesse him boldly Roma 8. 2. Timo. 1.2 calling to remembrans that the trewe Christian hath not the spirite of feare but of stowtnes and powre let vs rather obey God than men the which can in deede kill the body but not the sowle Math. 10. Let vs dye for God and Christes name for this death shall be glorios and let vs remember that which we said before that nedes we must dye Let vs dye I say with the prophetes with the Apostels with the holy martirs yea with Christ him selff Why shuld we be affrayed hauing such companions so noble and glorios that haue ledd vs the way being sure that iff we shall dye to gether with them Roma 8. and with Christ we shall also to gether with them and with Christ reigne
and liue for euer to whom be all rule honor and glory for euer and euer So be it THE END A SERMON OF THE SACRAMENT OF THANckes geuing the which declareth whether Christ be really and bodily in the same or no. I CAN NOT SAY HOW moch mirth and yoie is in my hart whan I see in this our age that there is kindeled in the mindes of many the holy desire to vnderstand gods things that is to say the inestimable and the incomprehensible treasures hidden in Christ Iesus whose knowlege passeth euery other knowlege and wisdoÌ„ and doth so farr excell Philip. 3. that Paul thapostel thought euery other thing losse and worthy the throwing awai in comparison of that Neuertheles the lord doth not geue this desire to know Christ to all men but to his own that is to say to the elect only the which he hath before the beginning of the world forepointed that thei shuld be to his praise and glory Ephes 1. Of the other side not with standing I can not but be sory seing in thes same times whan the gospell that hath bene hidden so many worlds past is by the goodnes of god lately come furth to light that there shuld be so mani and so diuers opinions of thes things that god hath Instituted to kepe agrement and peace among the faithful that is to say of the sacraments of the church in such sort as Sathan the enemy goth abowt with the self same instruments of peace and vnitie to make warr against Christ setting dissension making schismes and sowing debates amongst Christians not only among the people and comon sort but among thos that shuld be lightes glasses and examples of agrement to whom belongeth to teach other that is to say among the ministers and preachers of the holy gospell But this dere brethern ought not to offend yow nor to remoue yow from your holy purpos that yow haue in Christ but rather to confirm yow in faith and to kindle yow to make a gretter entry in to the religion and way of God for so moch as that god doth suffer such striffes and diuersities of opinioÌ„s for the benifite of his church and of the trewe bileuers First to th entent that his 1. Corinh 11 who abide constant and stowt may be manifest whan thother that haue not a trewe growndwork but a fained and vaine faith doo falle and faile Furthermore also to th entent that whan we see such disorders we shuld not put our trust in men the which may all err but we shuld come to gods word the which onlie can not deceiue and that we shuld indeuor our selues with all diligens and care to vnderstand it and that we our selues shuld looke in the scripture whether it be so or 〈◊〉 as we may reade of thos that hard Paul preacâ—â—â—…n the citie of Berrhoe in Macedony as it is writteÌ„ in in thactis of thapostels Act. 17. the which whan thei hard Paules sermon thei looked in the scripture itself whether it was so as he said 〈◊〉 â—…o And to be short to th enteÌ„t that we shuld prai vnto god that he wold geue vs the trewe vnderstanding of the same because the matters of gods spirite be not vnderstand by any mans way but by gods disclosing 2. Pet. 1. 1. Cho. 2. Now to return to the purpose of the striffe that is of the sacraments Some say that in the sacrameÌ„t of the body and blood of Christ that is to say in the breade and wyne consecrated in remembrans of his death is conteined his very body and his very blood and that there we haue really and bodily all and hole Christ as great and as thick as he was on the crosse Other some say that he is not there but there is only the breade and the wine as signes of Christes body and blood geuen for our redempcion And this controuersy and striffe is in such sort gone forward that it hath with many hindered the course of the holy gospel And it hath made that Christes enemies haue taken occasion and boldnes to blaspheme the holy lerning and gods truth But be it as it will allthough some haue coÌ„mitted a great fawt in this thing striuing euer bitterly against the contrary opinion wherby thei haue shewed them selues to be men and haue in som part spotted their own glory lessening the credite and auctoritie that the world had of them We not withstanding will comfort our seluis with Paules saing which he speaketh to the romaÌ„s Rom. 8. that to gods elect euery thing groweth to good And although that presently thorow such dissensyon we see among many nothing but disorder offence and euel yea hatred toward the gospell yet god for all that who knoweth how to get order owt of disorder and good owt of euell will caus whan it shall please him some great profite to growe owt of it in his church for the present vnknowen but in the end open thus we schuld beleue And becaus I know that many desire to vnderstand what shuld be the trewe opinion of this sacrament I for the loue of the truth for the glory of god and to doo them a pleasure and also a benifite will simply and with as moch easines as is possible sett furth the opinion which I thinck and hold for certeÌ„ hath bene and is the opinion of the Apostles all the awncienty of the holy scripture and of Christ him selff And let no man meruell though I setting the suttletyes a syde shall rather procede with simplenes and familiaritie and also though I shall reherse one thing often for so moch as that my mind is to be plainely vnderstand of all men and chefely of the simple aÌ„d vnlerned And because the thing is of so great waight that it deserueth to be handled with all diligens to th entent that all men may the more easily vnderstand it we by order and by parts will consider it And First we wil see how that there hath bene aÌ„d yet be diuers opinions of this sacrameÌ„t of the supper of the lord aÌ„d the cause why aÌ„d we will bring furth the contrary talkes and reasons to the truth Secondarily whan we haue shewed the trewe and catholike opinioÌ„ we will proue it with sure grownd workes and plaine reasons In the third place we will make it certenly appeare that this is the opinion of the holy fathers and of the old church In the fourth we will answer to the contrary saings and reasons shewing them to be vaine and of no waight In the fift and last we will serch owt from whens the error of the fals Imaginacions in the matter of that sacrament is proceded let vs than in the name of our lord begin We must vnderstand that the cause of the differens in this matter that is to say that some say that Christ is really and bodyly in the sacrament of the bread and the wyne and some other say the contrary that is to
he should not haue neather the one nor the other of these two proê‘ties It foloweth I say that Christ in the sacrament should not haue a trew bodye yea no bodye because that his body be it where it will and as it will it cannot be separatid froÌ„ these two properties to a bodie most naturall aÌ„d inseparable according to Austen aÌ„d the troth Here they say that it is true speakinge naturally that these two conditions aÌ„d properties caÌ„not be separated from bodies but speaking supernaturally aÌ„d by miracle they may be separated froÌ„ the bodyes as in effectt they be separated from Christes bodye in the sacrameÌ„t To this I answer first that the substaÌ„tiall properties be neuer chaunged by miracle let them finde that god euer did it let them geue me one onely example We know that god is almighty and there is no maner thinge that may be done Impossible vnto him as the AuÌ„gell sayd to Marye but who knoweth that this thinge may be done I will not stand now to dispute this thinge I desier theÌ„ that they wold geue some other example but they will neauer do it Further I say that it belongeth to them to proue that god doth these miracles This is no good reason God can do it therfore he hath done it How many thinges caÌ„ god do that he hath not done God could haue sent more then twelue legions of Aungels for to delyuer Christ out of the Iewces hands Math. 26. as he himself doth witnes in S. Mat. aÌ„d yet he sent theÌ„ not And how many other thinges might we alledge if we wold that god can do aÌ„d yet he doth them not Thei must proue then that god doth these miracles By Christes sainges nor by the scriptures they cannot proue it except that they will alledge that Christ hath sayd it that is to say this is my body shewing the bread and this is my blood shewing the wine but this is a tryflynge profe for somuch that Christ ment not by this manner of speache to affirme that he is within the bread and the wyne but ment to saye that both the one and thother were signes and a remembraunces of his body and blood as plainly we will shew hereafter Peraduenture they will say that in matters of faith there nedeth no profes but men must stand to the letter This thinge is of faith therfore it nedeth no profe I say that in matters of faith we must stand to gods worde with the right vnderstanding of it and trew sense of the words nor we must not geue theÌ„ other and straunge senses Contrary to the mynde of the spirite The sense of the spirite is not that Christ should be bodelye in the host and in the cupp as it is sayde but it is that whiche we haue said and will better saye in the talke that foloweth where we will declare the maÌ„ners of sacramentall speaches according to the scripture And to be short that we may end now at leÌ„ght this reasoninge I saye that this opinion of the being of Christs body aÌ„d bluode in the sacrament doth diminishe the troth of Iesus Christs trew bodye and trew bluode And it maketh him to haue in the sacrameÌ„t a phantasticall body aÌ„d much more phantasticall then Martiane aÌ„d Manicheus who wheÌ„ they spake of Christ and apointed him notrew and naturall body but a phantasticall and Imaginable orels a seming bodie they saied things lesse striuing against nature then this opinion because they did neauer deuide Christs bodie nor speak of him things so vnimaginable as this opinion doth nor they neauer said that he was in two places at ones This opinioÌ„ maketh him to be in that he is man In infinite places nor they neauer said that a great bodie was conteined in so litle a thinge as these meÌ„ say aÌ„d so we wil saie of the other so many ImaginacioÌ„s which the forsaid opinioÌ„ placeth And yet though Manicheus aÌ„d MartiaÌ„ did say these or like things as they say It should haue bene lesse in coÌ„uenieÌ„t seinge they did apoint him a fantastike and a semeable bodie But this opinion affirming that Christ hath a trew and a naturall body in the sacrament doth yet speake such things of him as neather can be in dede nor be not Imaginable and be without all reason without also gods worde aÌ„d more reproweable as to this theÌ„ the fore said opinioÌ„s I meane of Manicheus and Martion and without doubt they speak things disagreing to themselues Furthermore if Christ be in the sacrament what meaneth it that the old church wheÌ„ should make the consecration of the bread aÌ„d wine did singe the preface as it is called Sur sum Corda that is to say lift vp your harts on highe aÌ„d also these words be now said in al the masses Suerly we ought to haue our harts where Christ aÌ„d our treasour is as he himself in S. Math Matth. 5. saith that is to saie where your treasoure shal be there will your hartes be Oure treasoure ought to be where Christ is And S. Paule to the Colossians saith Coloss 3. If you be risen againe together with Christ that is to saie If leauing the euell you haue taken the good aÌ„d new life to the likenes of Christ who leauinge the corruptible and mortal life hath takeÌ„ the incorruptible Immortal aÌ„d glorious life seek things which be aboue where Christ is who sitteth on the right hand of god seek those things that are aboue aÌ„d not the earthly things geuinge vs to vnderstaÌ„d that seing Christ Iesus is oure treasour aÌ„d all oure welth we ought to haue our harts were he is If it be so then that we ought to haue our hartes where Christ is let him be in what so euer place he will what neded it that the old church should admonish the people that they should lift vp there harts on highe that is to say into heauen if by and by after a few words he should haue desceÌ„ded into bread and into wine what need we to seek Christ so farr of that is to say in heaueÌ„ if he be so nere vs that is to say in that bread and that wine This sainge Sursum corda suerly geueth vs to vnderstand that the old church did not beleue that Christ was bodelie in the sacrameÌ„t for if they had beleued it they wold neauer haue said lift vp your hartes on highe but they wold haue said be you atteÌ„t o you faithfull for by aÌ„d by Christ Iesus oure lord shal be here present in the bread aÌ„d the wine as sone as the coÌ„secratioÌ„ is made Direct youre minds to the bread and the wine whaÌ„ they shal be coÌ„secrated because Iesus Christ shal be ther bodely but they said not after this sorte they haue in dede said lift vp your hartes on highe geuing to vnderstand that they beleued that Christ was in heauen and not in the sacrament The ninth reason The ninth reason is this and it gainsaieth the