darkenes to light fynally from a lye to infallible truth Therfore as the willing marynors that couet the sauegarde of the shyp partely for the owner sake whom they loue chieflye for theyr lyues sake whych staÌ„d vpon the shyppe diligently do marke and obedieÌ„tly do folow the counsel of theyr pylate neyther adde they or dymynysshe they any iote of his wil lest the shyppe perysshe Euen so good brethren yf ye loue god whych is the owner of your soules yf they be faythfull or yf ye haue any respect to your own lyues whych standeth in the fulfyllinge of hys commaundementes diligently bothe heare and folowe gods worde whoÌ„ he hath geueÌ„ the to leade thy vnderstaÌ„ding into al truth to whom nether adde thou or dymynysshe any thyng lest thy vnderstanding perysshe by errour For it is wrytten in the scripture Yf any man adde any thing to the worde of prophecye I wyl adde vnto him the plages that ar wrytten in thys worde And yf apoc xxii any maÌ„ shal dimynysh any iote of this word god shal take hys part out of the boke of life and out of the holy cytie Alas why then runne ye this hedlong into your own confucion louing your owne fantacyes so well yâ— in coÌ„parison vnto theÌ„ ye moost vnkyndely vylypend the truth of thys his moost sacred word whych teacheth vs that Christes natural bodye accordynge to the prophetual testimonye was crucified dead buryed and the thyrde daye rose frome death to lyfe and assended into heaueÌ„ ther sytting on the right hand of god his father and yet contrarye to thys truth ye haue added your opinioÌ„ eueÌ„ poyson vnto your owne soules except ye repent that thys natural body whom the holy ghost affyrmeth to syt on the hand of god hath transubstaÌ„ciat it self into bread wyne Thus philantia hath be wytched you in soche sort that ye thynke truth to be a lye and your abhominable lye truth but I wyl tel you one thing which the holy goost wold in no cause shulde be forgotten That Christe came not to do his own wyl but the wyl of hys father whych sent hym â–ª But hys fathers wil was that the natural body of christ whiche was crucified dead and buryed after hys resurrectioÌ„ shulde assende into heauen and syt on hys ryghthande therfore must it be graunted yf your lye shuld be the truth as ye suppose it that christ hath not onely preuaricate his fathers wil for that he hathe as you saye disobediently forsaken hys fathers syde and trone of celestial blesse transubstanciat him selfe beynge of a nature incorruptyble into bread and wyne that shal peryshe For the scripture sayth that all thynge sene wyth our eye shal consume peryshe wyther a way and that nothing is for euer but the word whyche continually preacheth christ oure sauiour but also he hath as youre truth testyfieth of hym openlye dissembled in that he sayd he came to satisfye the wyl of hys father and that he hadde sente vs the sperite of truth and now your truth hath both accused him of disobedieÌ„s for transubstanciatinge of hys natural body into bread wyne coÌ„trary to hys fathers wyll and also proued the holy ghost a lyar whyche hath testified all flesshe that faythfully beleued in the sonne of god to be saued by the obediens of Christ Iesu in whom god almyghtye is satysfied But suppose you good brethreÌ„ that god can suffer his sonne this to be reported of you of whoÌ„ he hath so wel disserued or hys word thus to be sclaundered which is pure and truth and that wythout any cohercioÌ„ or tellyng you of your fault no no iudge not him to be a shrinking god or one that setteth pryce by youre stoute lookes that therby he shulde feare any fote at al to staÌ„d in trial of his truth and tell you of your heresy for hys longe sufferans whych lusteth for repentans that his kyndnes myght apere is not so slender towardes you that he wyll thus see you peryshe by erroure Whose conspiracie busylye seketh your daÌ„pnatioÌ„ all though to you his most wicked purpose is vnknoweÌ„ yet hath gods mercy espyed hit reioyseth not in your deth wherfore behold the grace the it offered vnto you by yâ— holy goost which entendinge to staÌ„d in trial of goddes truth by gradacioÌ„ refuteth your daÌ„pnable errour disorderiÌ„g of gods wil proueth yâ— natural bodi of christ our sauiour after hys resurrectioÌ„ to syt on yâ— righthaÌ„d of god hys father for yâ— proffe of thys matter we call Luke thâ—ee Euangelist to wytnesse where he wryteth that yâ— Maries yearly in the sabothe daye came accordynge to the costume to embrace yâ— body of Christ but whaÌ„ they came to yâ— monument they founde the stone rolled a waye whan they entered to se the body was away wherw t they were maruelously astonished but in this sodayne traunse fayntynes of hart two men in whyt aparel apered vnto theÌ„ saying Quid queris viuentem in mortuis surrexit noÌ„ est hic That is to say Why seeke you him that liueth among the dead He is rysen he is not here And also accusing them of forgetfulnes sayd vnto theÌ„ haue ye forgotteÌ„ what he tolde you in Galilie yâ— it was expedieÌ„t for the son of maÌ„ to be vnder thee poore of synners to be crucified and ryse agayn the thyrd daye and so to enter into glorye Yea because he wold not haue hys dyscyples vnexpert of thys hys resurrection what shuld become of this hys body a litle before his death to reuele vnto them the mysery of his impassible body now glorifyed he toke certayn of theÌ„ with him and sayd some of you shal math 17 marke ix Luk. ix not se death vntyl ye se the son of man in hys glorie and forth with vpon the hyl thabor in the presens of Peter Iames Iohan he transfigurated his natural body by the power of his godhead not as ye dreame into bread and wyne which shal putrifie but into an immortal shape the phisnamy of a maÌ„remaynyng Apoc. i. Dan xvii coÌ„maundynge them that it shuld be vnknowen tyl after the testymonye of the prophete were fulfylled whyche spake in Christe to hys father sayinge Thou hast taken my soule out of hel and hast not suffered thy sayncte to se corruptioÌ„ And after thys they were called to testifie of Christ crucified preache euen vpon the howse toppe the resurrection of our sauiour being the fyrst fruytes of them i corin 15 that slepte in hym of the whych resurrection Paule speaketh in thys wyse sayinge Resurrexit Christus a mortuis per gloriam patris Roma vi iam non moritur mors illi vltra non dominatur that is to say Christ is rysen froÌ„ amonge the deade through the glory of the father Now dyeth he not deth shall hence forth haue nomore power ouer hym Now good brethren syns that the sperite of truth hath assuredly taughte yâ— the
was stoleÌ„ awaye by hys discyples in thee night but bicause they were vnable to proue hys body to be in theyr possessioÌ„ therfore they fyed theÌ„ with largition to bleare the peoples eyes that they myght neuer se but styl staÌ„d in vnbeliefe EueÌ„ so you with might mayn haue endeuoured to saue theyr eyes from the lighte of goddes worde leste paraduenture they myght happely see condeÌ„pne your heresy for this ye thinke it no shame to set thys detestable errour as a curtayn betwen the peoples eyes the spiritual eating of this bodye wherfore vnderstand you al that labour of this phrenesy so that ye waxe wroth with the sperit of the moste hyest for speakinge truthe vnderstand I say what is meante by the eating of this spirituall bodye verely not thee tearynge wythe the teth nor dysmeÌ„bring of Christes body but only that we shulde assuredlye trust that by hys owne bloude he entered ones for all into the holy place hath found eternal redeÌ„ption also being perfect became the cause of euerlastiÌ„g saluatioÌ„ vnto al theÌ„ that obeye him by the sacrifice of hys precious bloud thorow the sperite offered without spot vnto god he hath geuen remissyon of al our synnes yf we repent hatyng vngodlynes holy trust vnto this anker of our soule sure sted fast by hoope whyche leadeth vs to take thys holde that where as our vnperfecte fleshe was vnable to do or satysfie the wyll of god the father he hathe by hys precious death crosse not only fulfylled the wyl of god appeased hys wrath and become lyfe euerlastiÌ„g to theÌ„ that trust in hym but also is become the entrye of the eternal kyngdom of endles tranquillitie the place dayly receaued of theÌ„ that ar santified in him for here on staÌ„deth the lawe thee prophetes Wherfore whaÌ„ soeuer ye breake thys bread eate it wherwyth ye assure your coÌ„sciens the being turned into your substaunce it norysheth your bodye so at the breaking hereof ye must assure your conscience that yf ye forsake synne vnfaynedly beleue that thee breakynge of hys body hath pourged away our syn by the whych we haue possessed all the merytes of his precious bodye namely remyssyon of al our synnes and life euerlastiÌ„g He is turned into the immortal incorruptyble and impassyble substaunce of soche a faythfull soule and wythout dout continually norysheth it QuicuÌ„que ergo paneÌ„ hunc coÌ„mederit ex nouo testamento in sanguine suo saÌ„ctificatio hoc exhanserit morte noÌ„ morietur sed viuent in aeternum That is to saye Who soeuer therfore shal eate thys bread shal drynke of thys newe testameÌ„t sanctifyed in hys bloud yâ— same shal not dye the death but shal lyue for euer For whan he sayth whoso eateth my flesshe drinke my bloud hath life euerlasting And whoso beleueth in me hath lyfe euerlastiÌ„g What dullard is ther that perteyneth not the eatyng of thys bodye fayth in hys bloud shediÌ„g to be both one except he wold moost wickedly appoynt vs. ii wayes vnto saluacyon one by eatyng of the Sacramente another by fayth but yf by eatynge alone the dyscyples shulde haue had lyfe euerlasting assone as they hadde receaued thys body at yâ— supper what hadde the crosse and death of Christe auayled But god forbyd that the myndes of godly men shuld at any tyme be entankeled wyth soche strauÌ„ge lerninge comberous doctryne which I feare me wolde sone come to passe yf yâ— wordes of our redemer shulde carnally according to the letter be vnderstand but Christ calleth hym selfe both helth lyfe to al theÌ„ that trust in the coÌ„summate sacrifice of hys body ones offered for al synne vnto them wil Hebre. ix apeare agayn without syn vnto saluation sendinge vnto theÌ„ by hys bouÌ„tuous grace the only most beautiful ambacetor of peace the importible crowne of euerlasting glory which with a sure hope dylygentely loke for the aperaunce of hys most gloryous face Who wil drawe vs with him to the immutable kyngdoÌ„ of hys father wyth whoÌ„ we shal with ioye inexplicable liue eternally for he hath sayd thys worde whyche retourneth not vnto hym emptye Vbi ego sum ibi erit minister meus That is to saye Where I am there shall my mynister be for he enioyeth glory and lyueth for euer and so shall we do that trust in hym for thys is the wyl of God As Iohan sayth Vt qui vidit filium et credit în eum habeat vitam aeternam Christes resuscitabit euÌ„ in nouissimo die That is to say That he that seeth the sonne beleueth in hym maye haue eternall lyfe and christ shal rayse hym in the last day Christes flesshe therfore that it was deliuered vnto death for oure fredom is called the meat of oure soule hys bloud forasmoche as it was shedde vpoÌ„ the crosse is called therfore thee dryncke most helthful and necessarie of our soule wtout whoÌ„ our soule could not haue bene saued but in this doctryne of the sperit of truth is fouÌ„d no traÌ„substaÌ„ciation into bread nor wyne nether yet a personal body therfore ye must nedes graÌ„t al though it before agaiÌ„st your wylles that your Imaginacion cometh of your selues and not of god therfore it must be vntrue NaÌ„ oiÌ„s homo mendax deus verus est in cuius labiis nuÌ„cquaÌ„ inventus erat dolus That is to say For euery man is a lyar but God is true in whose lippes was neuer found deceit Good brethreÌ„ yet ones agayn pacieÌ„tly suffer me to aske you a litle questioÌ„ yâ— knowlege of whoÌ„ caÌ„ by no meanes hinder you ê“ffer you it may to discerne your grief be healed by the gospel Haue ye forgotteÌ„ good brethreÌ„ how that our sauiour christe in his perigrinacioÌ„ in yâ— erth to certify his faithful disciples of yâ— wil of his father of his fauour towardes theÌ„ in that he had sent yâ— ê“mised saluacioÌ„ to al theÌ„ yâ— wold receaue hiÌ„ beleue iÌ„ his name left if sacrameÌ„tes to preache his pÌ„cious deth yâ— lauacre of our soules by whoÌ„ alone we were purged froÌ„ syns nameli baptyme yâ— sacrameÌ„t of his body for this case only yâ— we alwayes shuld haue before our eyes and firmely print in our hartes his deth passioÌ„ by whom we were sealed into redeÌ„ption noo more vnder the daÌ„ger of yâ— law whych offered vnto our coÌ„scieÌ„s for traÌ„sgressioÌ„ nothing but daÌ„pnatyoÌ„ but vnder libertie grace leste paradueÌ„ture yâ— raÌ„ping lyoÌ„ whiche buseli seketh our destructioÌ„ shuld at any tyme snatche this christ out of our remeÌ„brauÌ„ce as he is alwaies redi by sondry inchynes that he leyeth to snare oure myndes wherebye they myghte forget theyr saluacion therfore of ii necessarie thiÌ„ges he made theÌ„ of whoÌ„ we haue in this our mortal lyfe soch necessarie vse yâ— wtout theÌ„ we cannot susteyne our mortal bodies nameli water bread whereby he shewed vs that as oft as we soughte by this outward
onlye to burden weakelinges wyth errours dampnable but also to greue y◠holy spirite of god thorow our vayn dreames or Imagināciōs beleuīge creatures before the creator wherefore good brethren dyligētly marke you my wordes and not myne but the wordes of the lyuyng god whych are not sente to you at thys tyme for rebuke rebuke or occasion God I take to wytnes but for loue that you shulde not be pertakers wythe the Ipocrites whose porcyō is Apoc xxli leyed vp in the lake of hel burning with fyer and brymstone but for this cause they are sent vnto you assuredlye y◠lyke as you whyche entende to leue in goddes feare haue sought a redemye for the imperfectyon of y◠fleshe frayle nature of goddes word yf ye haue learned to satisfye it according to his wil without synne euen so to helpe your weake iudgementes and your vnperfight sperit as touching the sacramēt of the blessed body blood of Christ our sauiour you may repayre vnto his word of him seking prayenge with the prophete that he wyl establyshe your iudgementes in hys truth make your pathes saue frō wycked mē that they ouerthrowe thē not For whan ye sought a phecision to ease your sycke flesshe to dischardge you of a carefull burdē paynful yocke that a law papistical had layed vpō your necke you councelled not thee chyldrē of the world were they neuer so famous no not marten Luther whō to be nothing elles of thē self but vanitie lyes the prophete beareth you witnesse saying Man is vpon the waughtes lyghter thā vanitie it selfe And in another place All mē ar lyars but you councelled him whō you knew could not lye because it is truthe it selfe condēpneth lyars saying I wyl destroy all them Psalm v y◠speake lyes therfore you were sure that y◠libertie which ye now possesse was good because he graūted it that could not be reproued Nowe moche more ought ye for the disceate that troubleth your soule namely false iudgemēt erroure which is the best part of you vnto whō your bodi must both obey and serue not to sticke to flesh blood which by vngodly lyuīg ar robbed of true iudgement in the misterye of goddes truth but as y◠sperit being the best parte of youre bodye who beyng lyghtened your body cā perseuer in darkenes Euen so goo ye vnto him which is moost chiefeste myghty in operaciō able to make y◠blind to see the deffe to heare the dō me to speke to heale the woūdes that errour hath maymed you wtal nameli goddes word for hit al thinges were created wtout it nothing was created no not luther whom al though gods sperit ruled to speke som thinges right yet whā he begā to loue hym self set forth hys owne dreames not ruled by the sperit of god he erred as some other of hys forefathers hathe done so that this sower leuē being but litle in quātitie yet in qualitie poyson sharpe hath as the scripture saith sowred his hole lompe of dowe But good brethren syns ye stand fre as touching the fleshe that by goddes word be ye not bound in y◠sperite to the iudgemēt of mē call rather to your remembraunce that as the potter excedeth the pot the workemā the worke thee creator thee creature Euen so the wysdō of god our creator not only ours but luthers also excedeth our wysdo Luthers too Whose folyshnes is more wyser than the wysdom of mē Wherfore as wisdom wold let vs repayre vnto him whych is hole wyse hoole good truth it self that he may by his word open your eyes that you may knowe your disceate be healed by the Gospell Whyche as paule sayth is y◠power of god i Corin i. vnto saluacyon to all thē that beleue it And who so denyethe Iohan iii it he is already condēpned for therfore are we called the sonnes of god because we haue be Gala. iii leued in Christe Iesus whom god the father hath by his holy sperite sealed as wytnesseth Esaye the prophete to preache Esaye li. vnto this gospel namely deliuerāce vnto the captiue healinge of the sycke mens woundes only that al they which beleue thys moost sacred word denying vngodlines shuld be made a rightuous plantinge wherein god shuld reioyse For god hath called vs by his mooste glorious gospell not to allowe the Imaginacion of fleshe eyther to acquyet our consciēce according to theyr opiniō polluting our faith whom hathe chosen to be his spouse with y◠adulterynne dregges of carnall wysdō whō we knowe leadeth vnto death For Paule saith to be carnally Rom viii mynded is death but to be spirituallye mynded is lyfe For carnall wisdom sauoureth not of god which is a sperit worshipped in speryte truth and therfore it is vnable to iudge of the word whych is sperite lyfe to them that sticke therunto with fayth vnfaynedly and therfore let it not defyle oure sainctuarie faythfull sperite vnto whō god wyl declare the se mysteryes that are aboue y◠grype of fleshe for as a louing husband possessing a faythful wyfe whose propertye is to be silent doubteth not to communicate hys secretes vnto her because his loue shuld appere Euen so our messias hath not feared to cōmunicate the misteries of his truth vnto a lowlie sperit symple hart whom he hath maryed vnto him self by the lyuely fayth whych we haue in the merites bloud woūdes of the anointed sauiour to this witnessing y◠prophet Ose as saith in the person of god I Osee ii wyl marrie the to me in fayth and thou shalt knowe the I wyl be the lorde Wythoute fayth therfore as it is vnpossyble to Esay vii Hebre. xi please god as Paule wryteth so is it vnpossible wtout it to enter to enter y◠depth of gods truth And therfore sayth the prophet The wrath of the lord came vpon Israel because they beleued psal xviii not in God nor trusted in hys sauing helth Agayn wo be to the dissolute harte the beleueth not god nor trusted ī his sauīg helth therfore shalt thou not be defēded of hym But vnto y◠apostels whych in faythe were moued to him he sayd with his own mouth It is geuen vnto you to know y◠secretes misteries of the gospel Why because ye haue not takē y◠wysdō of mē to be your scholemaster but by a symple hart forsaking syn haue takē the sperite of god to be your guyde As for an example what scholemaster had Nathaniel whā at y◠fyrst syght he said Rabbi tu es ille filius dei tu es ille Iohan i ▪ Rex Israel that is to say Good mayster thou art that sonne of god thou art that kyng of Israell What moued Peter to cōfesse Christ to be the sonne of y◠lyuing god cōtrary to the opinion of fleshe bloud sondrye wayes Prophesyinge of hym Doubteles men taughte them not
same body which was crucified dead is rysen agayn according as y◠apostels haue witnessed of hym yf you diligētely attēd awake out of your slepe he wyll also reueyle vnto you what bodi this was after his resurrectiō what became therof so euidētly that except thou repēt turne frō your wycked Imaginacion all other of your faction of the clergye whych thus spurneth agaynste gods truth it wil plucke a hoode ouer your heades furred with fearful iudgemente vnquencheable fyer Wherfore geue eare vnto thee Euangelist whych more playne lyer expresseth thys bodye than ye haue cause to doubte After these womē had thus talked amōg the disciples that at theyr commyng his body was absent out of y◠monumēt ther arose amōg thē a sodayne wonderyng how thys myght be behold ii of y◠cōpany that thus talked of Iesus went from Ierusalem vntyl a certayn vyllage called Emaus vnto whō Christ apered beyng euen the last mā they talked of asking thē what communication this was c as followeth in the text Reade iudge In conclusion nyght drewe on they compelling hym to tarrye wyth them And it came to passe as he sate at thee table wyth thē personally he toke bread brake it and gaue it them wher vpon they knew hym and so he vanisshed away here note good frendes that the scripture speaketh as yet of no transubstantiation For the body that brake thys bread was a personal body hauing flesshe and bones the sences of a naturall bodye As you shal manyfeste perceaue hereafter appoynted wythout any alteration to enter into glory They here vpon callyng to mynde thys sygne wherein before his deth he vouchsaued to preache his precious death the delyueraunce of our soules from eternal captiuitie strayte forth they knewe hym sayinge Dyd not our hartes burne wtin vs whā he thus talked wyth vs of the scripture Now good brethrē because the subtyle serpent shal not by errour deceaue youre wyttes to surmyce that whych is not bryngynge vpon your selues swyfte dampnatiō it hath to confyrme you in thys truth made playne what bodye thys was farre otherwyse thā ye dreame noo soche body that was willing to trāsubstancy at it selfe into a dead thyng whyche could nether fele tast se go nor speake in whom ther is nether lyfe nor soule marke therfore how the holy ghost handeleth thys matter by hys holye Euangely on After these twoo mē that were at Emaus knew hym by the breakyng of bread they returned vnto Ierusalem frō whēse they came where ther were gathered together of the disciples aleuen in nomber cōming talkinge of theyr Mayster christe lately rysed frō the dead and seyn of Peter whose talke to cōfirme these two begā to declare what hadde be fallen them in theyr iorney to Emaus as touchinge hys resurrection And whyle they thus talked of him he apered agayne amōgest thē saying Peace be with you But thei somwhat fearful with thys straunge syghte supposed hym to be some sperit whom to put oute of doubte he spake in thys wyse sayinge Why are ye thus troubled or what moueth your hartes thus foundly to Imagyne fantasyes be holde my handes my feate am I not euē he that hath cast your accompt dischardged youre det betwene my father you as my sperit at the houre of my most bytter affliction vttered sayinge Cōsummatū est c. Mā thy matter is at issue thy saluacion is made perfecte yf thou abyde in me Yf you mystruste me proue handell me and ye shall no lesse doo but confesse my body far to dissent frō a sperite whych hath neyther flesshe and bones as ye se me haue whan he hadde thus destorbed hys natural body vnto them to confyrme theyr faith he shewed thē both feate handes Yet not wythstanding this manyfest demonstratyon some of them doubted partly for ioy and partly for the straūge sight whom to set fre wythout suspytion he demaunded of them we ther they had any meat to eate vnto whom sone after hys demaunde they offered parte of a broyled fysshe and an honycombe and in presens before theyr eyes he eate it Thus you see that he hadde not onelye fleshe bones and a personall bodye lyke vnto them but also all the sences of a naturall bodye namely felyng seyng hearyng tastynge goyinge Et hec omnia que scripta sunt ad nostrā doctrinam fo 15 scripta sunt vt per patientiam scripturarum spem habeamus that is to say Al these thynges that are wrytten are wryttē for our learnyng that through the pacience of thee scriptures we shulde haue hope Whyche alwaye wylbe of force stronge ynough to confute thys errour whych by enchauntement wold haue ther a phantastical body y◠is a bodye by coniecture whō ye saye can nether be felt wyth hand neyther seyn with eyes of the body but only wyth y◠eyes of your faythe O good brethrē how longe wyl ye play the part of Iamnes and Iambres whiche wyth moost disceatful sorcerye haue resysted the wil of god thynke you that the wrathfull vengeaunce of god whych fell vpon them can mysse you playinge the same part no truly for agaynst soch thar stouburnely wythstande the truth wythout repentaunce god sharpeth his sworde and bendeth his lawe shal loke narowly with hys eyes that he mysse not hys marke but that he may hit thē a ryght for I am sure that ye ar not ignoraunt How that moyses rodde Psal viii hath deuoured theyr feyned serpent and that dangerles euē so shal truth vaunquishe your errour and condēpne your folly in that ye loue youre wyttes so wel that shameles ye wythstande the glorious gospel and opēly accuse truth of a lie hath not Christ euen wyth his owne mouth lynyally descrybed hys body to be fleshe bloud also to possesse al the sences of a natural body that to the eyes of hys disciples yet contrarye to thys truth say you that his body is in forme of bread whyche is dead and vade of sences also he shewed hym selfe after his resurrectiō in the shape stature of a mā and yet agaynst hys own wyl ye wyl compel hym to transubstanciat him self into a new shape brynging a mā with all hys mēbers into the strayte roume of a pece of bread or synging cake as ye better allow it Iudge you now how your Sophistrie and the sperite of truth agreeth ▪ But with your paciēs suffer me I pray you to reasō wyth your fātacye that ye may perceaue the buylding of youre opiniō vnable to stād in trial with the scripture because it lacketh a groundfyll Answere me therfore Luther your adherentes wold ye that Christes naturall body borne of the vyrgyn Mary very fleshe bloud shuld be trāsubstanciate into thys bread or no yf ye so wold manifest vnto me I pray you the tyme of this alteraciō for asmoch as nothīg can be wtout instāce of time Yf ye saye it was done
at thys his laste supper whan he instituted thys sacrameÌ„t by this text Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis tradituruÌ„ That is to say This is my body which shal be geuen for you ThaÌ„ the scripture blanketh you for it teachethe vs yâ— the natural body of Christ whiche brake this bread afterward to be slain vpoÌ„ yâ— crosse buried Agayn if ye affirme this alteratioÌ„ of his bodi to haue chaÌ„ced after his resurrection than the scripture replyeth agayn geuinge you a fayre checkmate sayinge that after he was rysen he bracke bread amongeste hys apostels in the forme of the crucified body hauing nothyng thereof altered sauing that nowe it was immortall nomore subdued to our carnall passyons Then to conclude yf neyther before hys death nor after his resurrectioÌ„ he entered into thys bread thaÌ„ is youre Imaginacion false But now paraduenture ye wyl demaunde of me whyche haue disproued thys magicall transubstanciation What became of this body thus rysen the scripture maketh you thys answere After he hath continued in the yearth xl dayes whan he was rysen the disciples but then gathered together at Ierusalem abyding as they were appoynted the coming of yâ— promised coÌ„forter assone as he had repeted vnto theÌ„ the coÌ„fortable ê“myse of yâ— TestameÌ„t sodeynly eueÌ„ in theyr syght he entered into hys glorye a cloud taking hym out of theyr eyes And whyle they yet stode woÌ„dering at the mighty arme and incomprehensible power of god to take from theÌ„ all occasyons of doubtynge or supposal what shuld folowe of Christ thus takeÌ„ froÌ„ theyr eyes Beholde an angel apered vnto theÌ„ instructiÌ„g theyr sperit with this coÌ„solatioÌ„ saying Ye meÌ„ of galilie why staÌ„d ye here gasiÌ„g the same christ which is nowtakeÌ„ froÌ„ you into heaueÌ„ shal in yâ— same maÌ„ner apere agayn wherfore what is he yâ— dare boldelye vsurpe the name of a ChristiaÌ„ hateth to be reformed by yâ— holy goost whom god hath left vnto vs to instructe vs in Christ by whoÌ„ we heare opeÌ„ly yâ— his body is not onely in glorye wâ—â—he his father in the euerlasting kingdom exempt from trouble mysery in whoÌ„ reygneth nothinge but ryghtuousnes peace where it shall reygne in power and glory vntyl he hath brought all hys enemies into subiectioÌ„ whiche stouburnly vpon a froward spyte wyth holde hys truthe in vnrightuousnes but also according to the scripture shall come agayne to iudge the quycke the dead as dayly we lay in our crede of whom yâ— prophet dauid thus speaketh â–ª Deus manifeste veniet deus noster non silebit Ignisin conspectu eius exaudestet in circuitu eius tempestas valida quia deus iudex est That is to say Psal 49 â–ª The god that is oure god shal come openly and shall not kepe sylence In his syght shal fyere consume rouÌ„d about him shal be a myghty teÌ„pest because god is a iudge And Paule sayth also in this wyse testifying of hys coming Ipse dominê° cum hortatu voce archangeli ac turba dei descendet Math â—â— Iohan. 5 Thessa 4 2 Thes â— de celo mortui in Christo resurgeÌ„â— c. That is to say The lord him self shal descend from heaueÌ„ in the encoraging voyce of an Archangell wyth the trumpe of God and the dead in Christ shal ryse c. And thys comyng was also reueled vnto daniel the prophete in a vysion by nyght where he sawe one like to the son of maÌ„ comyng out of the cloudes vnto whom the aged man gaue power and dignitie regall that all people trybes Dani. vii apoca i. Philip ii tonges shuld serue hym whose power is an euerlasting power which shal neuer be put down and hys kyndgom endureth in corrupt Because therfore that we shuld assuredlye pronounce hym to be the ende of the lawe and of the Prophetes that nothynge testified in them shulde be lefte vndone but fulfylled by him to assure vs that he wolde come that we myght at no tyme be careles and vnprouyded as were the foolysshe vyrgyns and so thorowe oure negligens be shutte oute he gaue vs certayne sygnes and tokens that Ioel xxxii Math 24 Ierem 25 Esay xiii marke 13 luke 21 shulde come to passe before the daye of hys commyng euydently testifyed by thee prophetes the Euangelist as the alteracion of the sonne and moone and the decaye of the bryghtnes of the starres wyth soch lyke many testified in the Scriptures For lyke as the lyghtening goeth from the East and shyneth math 24 into the West so shall the commynge of thee sonne of man be and whaÌ„ be cometh he wyl not tarrie QueÌ„ quideÌ„ aduentum vt refert Paulus narret teÌ„poribus suis beatus solus potens Rex reguÌ„ Timo. dominus dominantiuÌ„ qui solus habet immortalitatem lucem habitat in accessibileÌ„ queÌ„ nullus videt That is to say Whych coming as Paule declareth the kyng of kynges Lordes of rulers who onely hath immortalitie dwelleth in lyght yâ— noman can come to whoÌ„ nomaÌ„ seeth Paul therfore seynge the imperfectioÌ„ of our flesh which is geueÌ„ to feade yâ— lust of our corrupt afflictions exhorteth to loke diligentli for his coming of our sauioure saying â–ª Conuarsatio vestra erit in Celo celis vnde faluatorem aduenturum spectatis That is to say Youre conuersation therfore shal be in heauen whence ye loke for a sauiour to come If he be to come he is not yet come for whan he cometh he wyl not tarrye Yf he be not yet come he is not here Yf he be not here than it foloweth yâ— his body is not reallye in yâ— sacrameÌ„t Now good brethren ye haue hero yâ— doctrine of gods sperit what it hath taught of yâ— natural body of christ Iesu how it was not only crucified dead buried rose agayn yâ— iii. day but also that ye shulde fantasye nothiÌ„g of thys body wyth your groose carnalitie it hath expressiuelye shewed what bodye thys was wether it weÌ„t where it is from whens it shal come for as moch therfore as this is yâ— sperit of truth whoÌ„ christ at his departure promysed to hys faythfull folowers as a gouernour to leade them into al truth we yâ— couet to be called Christians must of necessite beleue it yf wyth christ we do entend to haue any societye for who so beleueth not this his soule shal not prosper but yâ— aâ—at â—â— Gal. â—3 Roma â—â— iust shall lyue by fayth Christe therfore thus speaketh in IohaÌ„ Verely verely I saye vnto you whoso heareth my word beleueth him that sene me hath euerlasting life and cometh not into damnatioÌ„ but is passed thorow deth vnto lyfe Iudge you now what shal becoÌ„e of those whych dispyce and beleaueth not this truth Now as touchinge Luthers errour yf that vnder the forme of bread the natural body of christ shuld be it apereth hys ciuilitie to be very slender
god is yâ— word the word is god And as god is an euerlastiÌ„g god wtout beginnyng without end eueÌ„ so this word is a perpetual word endureth for euer For he hath sayd yâ— heaueÌ„ earth shal perisshe come to ruynne but yâ— worde of yâ— lorde endureth for euer Wherfore as yâ— lord in this visible sacramentes hath preached vnto vs yâ— inuisible grace mercy fauour of his sperit eueÌ„ so with his spiritual coÌ„solacioÌ„ vnsene with our flesheli eyes hath he coÌ„fyrmed yâ— hope of our forefathers in the promyses of hys holy word by visyble signes or sacrameÌ„tes As for an example it pleased our heueÌ„ly father to leaue vnto AbrahaÌ„ his posteritie circuÌ„sitioÌ„ with certayn sacrifices in moyses law to be sacrameÌ„tes tokeÌ„s by whoÌ„ they shuld be led as it were by yâ— haÌ„d to Christ of al fleshe thou trusteth in him yâ— only sauiour That as the sacrifices of yâ— Iewes done with bloud wherwyth al thynges in the teÌ„ple was sprinkeled being a visyble sacrameÌ„t vnto theyr mortal eyes preached the inuisible grace of the promes yâ— Esaye prophesied namely that god wold send a lambe so pure innoceÌ„t symple into the earth that butter shuld not melt iÌ„ his mouth neyther yet he shuld be able to breake a rede whoÌ„ hys wyl was to be slayne a satisfactorye perfyghte sacrifyce for mans transgressioÌ„ remyssion of his syns EueÌ„ so circuÌ„sytion was a visible sacrameÌ„t to coÌ„fyrme theÌ„ in this inuisyble grace That god the father had prepared for theÌ„ an instrument to cut away yâ— froth corruptioÌ„ of AdaÌ„ of theÌ„ al that issued out of hys loynes which instrumeÌ„t is Rom. iiii Christ the promysed seede to AbrahaÌ„ in whome all nacyons be blessed Therfore as it is euydeÌ„t by the scripture theyr sacrameÌ„tes were of equal force with ours sauing that theyrs preached vnto them the commynge of Christe and ours that christ is all ready come and is assended aboue the cloudes to geue saluacion vnto men but all accordynge to truth hath taught Iesus to be our peace offeryng and satisfaction Thus is marten Luthers opynyon wyth all hys scholers in this poynt chieffely reproued that yf the bodye of Christ shulde really be in the sacrameÌ„t of the alter â–ª as featly ye name it then were not the sacramentes of equal force But we only possesse thys Christe of whom theyr sacramentes testyfyed and not they consequeÌ„tly that we only ar saued because we ar only pertakers of this body and not they for theyr sacrameÌ„tes ledde vnto christ and our Sacrament is as ye saye Christ hym self O blasphemye most horrible that the precious bloude of Christe oure sauiour vnyuersallye shedde for all flesshe shall thus by youre mooste deuylysshe Imagynacyon be made insuffycyente Thynke you that truethe can thus be thus be outfaced of your heresye no it wyl coÌ„deÌ„pne your wickednes iustely proue you as ye ar vntrue in dede And for yâ— proffe of thys What meaneth the mercye seate to be placed vpoÌ„ the arke yâ— two cherubins to be set vpon this mercy seate one agaynst another both loking down into the mercyseate But that our forefathers abrahaÌ„ Isaac Iacob which slepte many a daye before christes incarnatioÌ„ by fayth assured themselues to be purifyed in the precious deth crosse of christ our sauiour of theyr wretchednes in him to haue fre remission so that ther by euydently it is declared that theyr sacrameÌ„tes ours are of one force as touching theyr end they dyffer not for aswel theyr sacramentes as ours preache Christ crucifyed whych wyth the onely sacrifyce of hys body hath made al them perfecte for euer whom he hath sanctified That ye may therfore vnderstande this example of the lawe marke diligeÌ„tly what it signifieth that thereby youre hartes maye be opened to beleue thee mooste sacred worde of God thee ioyefull tydynges of youre delyueraunce from deth thorowe Christ Iesus The arke fygured the law which withoute parcialitie condempnethe all flesshe for synne so that therby could no man be made ryghtuous nether yet safe from the vyalles of Goddes wrathefull indignacion whome he powred as a iuste rewarde vpon AdaÌ„s dysobedyence for after that he hadde preuaricate thys lawe Eate of all yâ— frute wythin this garden only excepted the frute of knowledge of good euell straythforth wyth the appel he deuoured death and dampnacion and coulde noo longer be herbored vnder the plesant shadow of the fruteful trees of Eden but was bannysshed thee presens of yâ— lord his god with glistering swordes of flaminge fyer as a traytour most rebellious disobedieÌ„t agaynste hys law Now whaÌ„ yâ— law beyng by nature an exacte iudge one yâ— vseth noo percialitye in rewarding euery one accordiÌ„g to his desertes had for syn dishereted Adam throweÌ„ hym into thys moost wretched vale of all mysery wher the curse of god with oute all resystaunce came vpon hys head he coulde not for shame seke frendshyp of the lawe â–ª whose straytenes he had tasted and so well knewe to abhorre hate and condempne synne for the lawe entreateth no man freÌ„dely but hym which diligently obserueth all thing wrytteÌ„ therin to whom it hath made thys promes that yf he shall doo all thynges conteyned therein he shall lyue in them and see good daies but yf he breake this law and let the couenauntes therof be vndone then wyll the Lorde beuyse agaynste hym thys plages followynge for the abbreache thereof he wyll vysyte hym shortely with feuers swellinges which shal destroy yâ— eyes â—etif xviâ—â— and xxvi Ezâ—â— xviii Deutâ— 28. consume away the hart yâ— is to say the soule which hath sinned against this law shal dye yâ— deth AdaÌ„ therfore for asmoche as he dysobeyed the statutes of thys lawe was nowe ouerwhelmed wyth deathe and darkenes hauynge no frynde that wolde or coulde be found that was able to bruste thee intollerable and mooste paynefull yocke of thee lawe whych hadde so greuouslye wounded his conscyeÌ„ce vntyll soche tyme that God of his mere benygnytye not wylling that the adueysarye shuld possesse the creature whom he had made to magnifye hys name spared not hys onely begotten sonne Iesus Christe to make hym partaker of oure vyle flesshe and all naturall infyrmyties therof synne excepte that by hys gloryous death and resurrectyon he myghte treade hym vnder fote which hadde power ouer deathe and delyuer them that sate in darkenes in thee shadowe of death from this terryble captyuyte and bynde vp the woundes of Adam and hys posteritie because therfore that the lawe by the meane of disobedience hadde couered all mankynde wyth dampnation he came as a lambe moost innocente and by hys obedience vnto the death of the crosse he exempted not onely al men from the cursse of the lawe but also he couered them wythe saluacyon that wythout wauerynge trusted in hym and therefore he is called the mediator of God and maÌ„ in thee holye scripture because he