A FAITHFVL DECLARATION OF Christes holy supper compreheÌ„ded in thre SermoÌ„s preached at Eaton Colledge by Roger Hutchinson 1552. Whose contentes are in the other syde of the lefe ¶ Newly imprinted at London by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate 1560. Cum gratâ—a priuilegio Regiae maiestatis per septeâ—â—ium ¶ THE CONTENTES OF the first sermon THe first sermon sheweth why Chryste ordeyned his supper after the eatinge of the Paschall lambe that the Iewes easter lamb was a fygure of our sacramentall bread and wyne a commemoratioÌ„ of their delyueraunce a sacrament of Christes death that the Iewes had some continual rites and sacrameÌ„ts other some temporal how their sacraments ours how their receit and owres do differ Why God who is immutable disanulled thir rites and ordeined new rites and new ceremonies for vs. For what cause men absent themselues from Christes banket to the which thei shuld come not annually but continually That as it is best to come fasting therto so it is not euill by occasion to receiue after meate and drinke That to blesse is not to make a crosse vpon the sacrament but to render thankes to God y e father for the remission of our sinnes through the seed promised That Christ ordeyneth here no priuate masse but a communion and that the scriptures and the Orientall church disalow al priuate receit that as it is not euill to receyue the holy sacrament at thy mouth so it is better to take it in thy handes as Christ and his Apostles did and the laytie of the primatiue church ¶ The contentes of the second sermon THe second sermon declareth what a Sacrament is that the nature matter of the sygnes remayneth â–ª that Christ affirmeth breade to be his body and wyne to be his bloude for thre properties and similitudes and not for any transubstantiatioÌ„ and mutation of their natures That his body bloude are the sustinaunce of mannes soule and spirite which are not fed or nourished w t corporall food That both the spirituall eating and the sacramental receit are necessary and commaunded That by our worthy receyt of the sacrament we are made Christes body not by fayth only but also realli What a testameÌ„t is what the new testament is what the ould is That the ould christians before Christes cumming did eat his body drinke his bloud as truly as really and as effectually as we do How Christes body and bloud be present in his holy supper that they ar not to be honored in the forme of bread and wine with eleuatioÌ„ of handes or kneling but by faith in them by cumming to his supper bi geuing of thanks and by offring vnto him frankeÌ„seÌ„ce and myrre that is to say by confessing him to be very natural man borne of his mother after the fulnesse of tyme for our redemptioÌ„ and very god begotten of his father before al tyme that this is the catholike fayth and the doctrine of the elder fathers of Christes church ¶ The contentes of the third Sermon THE thyrde sermon sheweth that Christes flesh which is the bread of lyfe is neuer receyued vnworthely neuer vnto destruction but alwayes vnto saluation vnto righteousnesse and iustification That Christ with playne wordes and the elder fathers do affirme the substaunces of bread wyne to remayne after the consecration how the elder fathers do affirme the natures of the signes to be altered and chaunged without any transubstantiation That Christes cup ought not to be denyed to the laitie that such as come vnworthely to Gods saâ—raments be gylty of Christes body bloud albeit they receyue the onely fygure and signe therof That after the receit of the holy sacrameÌ„t relapse into sin is daungerouse that we muste passe our life tyme thencefurth in praier and geuyng of thankes and go into mount Oliuet that is seke for heauenly thinges and despise earthly thinges THE PRINTER TO the reader FORASMVCH gentle reader as al felicitie helth prosperitie of a christen man staÌ„deth consisteth in the perfecte knouledge of the true and liuing god and of himself which knowledge euery faithfull man may plentifully and abundantly finde in the holy and sacred scriptures as it were in a moste pure cleare glasse or myrrour In whiche all men ought to delight and exercise themselues both day and night to the amendement of their owne lyues and to the edifieng of their neighbours And considering also y t there are many in these latter daies God amend them and sende them better grace the which only study with haÌ„d and fote toth and nayle and yet would be counted good Christians when in very deade thei ar nothing lesse to impugne the truth and to bury in perpetual obliuie and forgetfulnes the monumentes labours and trauailes of moste worthy men who refused no paynes to aduauÌ„ce true religion and to ouerthrow the false religion superstitioÌ„ and idolatry I haue therfore taken vpon me through Gods helpe to set forth bring to light these sermons which were geuen vnto me by maister Roger Hutchinson to put into prynt and that a litle before the death of the most Godly king King Edward the sixt and because immediatly after his death Gods true religioÌ„ was ouerthrowen and troden most shamefully vnder fote by the bloudy Papistes I was enforced and coÌ„pelled not only to surcesse from printing of these sermons but also of diuers others Godly mens workes The author of these sermons liyng on his death bed Whome the Lord toke to his mercy sent to me in my trouble desiring me that wheÌ„soeuer almighty God of his own mere mercy goodnes wold loke no more vppon our wretchednes wherwith we had moste iustly prouoked him vnto wrath but wipe awaiour sinnes and hide them in the precious woundes of his sonne Iesus Christ and turne once againe his mercifull countenaunce towardes vs and lighten oure heartes with the bright beames of his most glorious Gospel that I would not only put these Sermons of his in print But also his other boke called the Image of God the which he himselfe had newly corrected declaring that although God should take him vnto his mercy yet he wold leaue behynd him som litle monument of his good heart mind will the which he bore towards y e truth of Gods holy word and furtheraunce profit of Christes church for that diuers sectaries wer crept in vnder y e colour title of true religioÌ„ who through y e perswasioÌ„ of the deuill hath sowed their diuilish 〈◊〉 as y e AriaÌ„s Anabaptists PelagiaÌ„s Papists dyuers others y t the flocke of Christes coÌ„gregation might haue som strong armoure for y e sure defeÌ„ce of theÌ„selues and fitte weapons wheÌ„ thei shal haue at any time any doing w t those sectaries to y e vtter ouerthrowing of theÌ„ Therfore as the authors good wil was through y e help of God in setting forth y â— boke for thy profit So accept take it in good parte and
receiue the holy sacrament at thy mouth so it is better to take it in thy haÌ„ds as Christ and his Apostles did and the laite of the primatiue church These matters be touched hetherto but onles God inwardly with his spirit do teache you this Phylosophy and wisdome and transforme your hearts and iudgementes leading you into all truthe my preaching is but lost labour Therfore let vs call vpon the name of God with praier and inuocatioÌ„ for his help and holy spirit Let vs pray for the vniuersall company of Christes church throughout all Realmes and dominions whersoeuer they dwel namely for the congregation of Englande and Irelande desiring the eteâ—nall God of his fatherly mercy to coÌ„tinew strengthen both them and vs in the confession and obedience of his worde and truthe Also for al infideles and vnbeleuers that God may turne their hartes to beleue vpon his sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde for S. Paul vnto Timothe commaundeth vs to pray for all men For the kinges maiestie a prince of moste excellent hope that vertue and knowledge may dwell in his noble hart For these thinges for the remission of our sinnes and for Gods helpe hereafter in all our workes words thoughtes I shall desier you to say a praier after me ⸫ The Praier O Eternall God who art the author of al truth didst ordeine this holy sacrameÌ„t of bread and wyne by thy only begotten son in the roum and place of the easterlambe which they of y e old law did eaâ— yerely for a memory of their deliueraunce from Egipt from Pharao by thy mighty power in hope of the comming of Christ whom Iohn the christener Paul do call our easter lambe that we of the new lawe receiuing this new sacrameÌ„t shold reserue thy louing kindnes in continuall remembraunce in that thou hast sent thy only son to become womaÌ„s seed to breake the serpentes head to deliuer vs from the power of the deuill and from the bondage of syn by his crosse and by theffusion of his most honorable bloud Here our praiers and supplications O merciful father and send vs thy syerit from thy holy place to perswade al men women to celebrate thy supper after the example of Christ and of his Apostles disciples and stablish the hartes of the people against false teachers of priuat masses and of supersticious crossing with the contemplatioÌ„ of Christes ensample with the vse of the Oriental church and with the knowledge of thy holy scriptures y t we may be mete gestes for thy table and be partakers of all the benefites of Christes death and passion to whom with the and the holy spirit â—e al honor glory prayse now euer So be it THE SECOND SERMON vpon the Lordes Supper IN my last Sermon welbeloued in the Lord where as I began to declare vnto you y e Lordes supper which was a part and membre of the Gospel and thorow plenty of matter I did not ende the same now occording to my promes I wyll shew you what a Sacrament is and howe Christes body and bloud be present in his holy supper Thus much remaineth yet to be spokeÌ„ of Take eat saith Christ this is my body And likewyse of the Cup he saith Drinke of it euery one For this is my bloud of the newe Testament shed for many to the forgiuenes of sinnes I say vnto you I will not drinke henceforth of this fruit of the vine tyll that day when I shall drinke it new with you in my fathers kingdom And when they had song praises they weÌ„t out into mouÌ„t Oliuet That I may declare this heaueÌ„ly matter to Gods honour and finde out suche lessons and eruditioÌ„ as may be mete for this audience and for your edifying and enstruction which be assembled here to serue God in prayer and hearyng his word let vs aske Gods help and his holy spirit for the whiche I shall desier you to say the Lordes prayer after me Our father which art in heauen c. There is no matter in the holy scripture welbeloued in the Lord more necessary to be knowen and to be discussed then these wordes of our sauiour Iesus Christ This is my body this is my bloud of the new Testament There is no text which hath bene so abused and racked to maintein superstition and diuers purposes And where as Christ ordeineth here a sacrament of vnitie to knit vs together in peace amitie and loue Inimicus homo super senâ—inauit rirania that is the deuill who goeth about to depraue all Godly thinges hath sowen so many tares and such pestiferous opinions and hurtfull sedes and dampnable doctrine in mens harts by his ministers the Papistes the questionistes scholemen the Anabaptisâ—es that nothing nowe is a matter of more contention of more debate strife variaunce not only betwene man and man but also betwene coÌ„tries and kingdomes because euery man is wedded stubbornly to his own iudgement and where as they should reforme their opinions and submit their iudgementes to Gods scriptures as to the touchstone which trieth good from euil they rather do rack wrest Gods word making it a mariners slop or a nose of wax bowyng it vnto euery purpose Therfore I thought it good to vtter my knowledge which is but smal in this matter not to teach such as be enstructed alredy rype in knowledge of whom I am desirous to lerne my self but partly for their sakes and eruditioÌ„ which be vnlearned of y e laite that thei mai know how to prepare themselues to come to Gods borde this holy time of Easter at other times partly also to testifie professe my conscience and faith in this matter Many doe affirme and thinke these wordes of Christ this is my body to be a lyke phrase a like kynde and a lyke maner of speche as when he sayth Ego sum vitis I am the vyne I am the dore I am the way I am the bridgrom They be no like phrases but far diuers and different For the vine is no sacrament nether the dore nor the wey nor the bridgrom be no sacramentes but metaphores and borowed speches The bread of which Christ said this is my body the mine which he affirmeth to be his bloud be not bare and naked metaphores as y e aforesaid phrases are but they be sacramentes of his honorable body comfortable bloud as both the Occidental and OrieÌ„tal the Greke church al writers both new olde do acknowledge confesse with one voyce For al christendom haue always agreed in this point Therfore the nature of a sacrameÌ„t being thorowly knoweÌ„ examined tried it will teach you y e meaning of Christes words how he is present in his supper What is a sacrament I wil not deuise a discription of mine own head nor shew a fantasy of mine own braine I will folowe in this matter the sentence iudgementes
that whiche you haue not done to one of these litle ones you haue not done to me He procedeth further and bringeth in Peter against those which do worship God after their owne fantasies saying Discamus itaque Philosophari christum prout ipse vult venerari Let vs learne this Philosophy saith Chrisostome that is to honor Christ as he hath willed vs to honor him For that honor is most acceptable to him whiche is honorable or worshipfull whiche he doth esteme and not which we doe imagin For Peter thought no lesse but that he honored Christ when he forbad hym to wash his fete notwithstanding he did not honour hym herein but rather did dishonour and disworshyp hym So doe thou worship and honour him with pitie liberalitie towardes the pore These be the wordes of Chrisostome in his homily against such as come vnworthely to Gods misteries in which he teacheth vs that to honour Christes body is to glorifie hym by doyng of good workes For this cause he toke vpon hym his body and became a naturall man of womans seede as it is writtten God hath raysed vp a horne of health vnto vs in the house that is of the stock and kindred of his seruaunt Dauid and why It foloweth that we being deliuered out of the handes of our ennemies should serue and worship hym without fear all the daies of our lyfe in holines rightuousnes before hym I haue declared two wayes how Christes body and bloud are to be worshiped One way is by faith in his bloud by geuing thankes to him for his incarnation and cōming and by offring him frankynsence myr that is by cōfessing him to be very God and very naturall man Another way to honor it is to serue hym in holines and rightuousnes and to exercise in earth y ◠workes of mercy towardes the pore The elder fathers vsed no other worship toward Christes body before Honorius the third byshop of Rome He first commaūded bread and wyne to be worshiped with eleuation of handes Anno post Christum 1226. lib. 2. Decret titul de celebra missarum For the space of a thousand yeares there was no such custome The papistes obiect here that the body of Christ is present vnder the forme of bread to be honored If saith the Papistes a man say vnto thee this is my right hand or this is a stone thou beleuest him God saith this is my body not this is a figure of my body or this doth signifie my body and he that eateth my flesh hath life not he that eateth a figure of my flesh and we doe not beleue him but do make of sugar salt and of chese chalke I aunswer Christ doth not say this is trasformed this is turned this is transubstantiat into my body nether that the nature and substaunce of wine doth discontinue or is excluded as you wold force the wordes Here resteth all the matter how this word est is to be vnderstand whiche is neuer taken in that sence in whiche they would take it here Throughout the Byble no transubstantiation is expressed by this word nor by no other phrase the scripturs speake of no such mutatiō But the other phrase this is for this is a figure is commen and dashed euery where in the scripturs The rock saith Paul was Christ that is a figure of Christ. He nameth him also y e easterlambe whiche was but a figure of hym He is called a stone the worde of God is named seed a swerd a kay a lanterne God is called our banner our castell Ihon the christiner is named a burning candell and he nameth the lawe securim an axe which is set at the rote of the trees which al be figuratiue speches And the elder fathers do so expound this text they confesse and teache Christe to speake here figuratiuely Christ saeith Tertullian who was but .210 yeare after Christ and .13 hundred yeares agone he lib. 4. against Marcion who said that Christ had no natural body but only aparant flesh and a fantasticall body saith thus Christ takyng bread and dealyng it to his disciples made it his body saying This is my body that is a figure of my body And of these wordes he contriueth an argument against Marcian in this wyse But the bread can not be a figure of it if Christ had no true body For a vayne thyng or fantasy can take no figure Lo how this auncient father expounded these wordes S. Austin also taketh Christes wordes in lyke maner saying thus in hys preface vpon the third Psalme He admitted Iudas vnto the maundy wherin he deliuered to his Disciples the figure of his body and bloud And Ambrose in his boke of Sacramentes speaking of the cup sayth that we drynke there Similitudinem pretiosi sanguinis the similitude of his precious bloud But though they say that Christes aforesayd wordes be a figuratiue speache they doe not teache bread and wyne to be bare and naked metaphors but holy Sacramentes hauyng many promyses annexed vnto them for which promises the visible signes be named Christes body and bloud and not for any mutation of their natures or substaunces Therfore albeit thou hast bene led and made to beleue in tymes past that this doctrine is newe learnyng yet thynke not so hereafter It is the doctrine of Christ the fayth of y e old fathers the cōfession of innumerable martirs which haue ratified it w t the losse of their liues in hope of plentuous reward hereafter in y e kingdome of god That we may haue grace to beleue y e truth cōcerning this holy sacramēt to vse it aright to refuse all false doctrine that these wordes which I haue spokē in your outward eares may sinke into your heartes mindes let vs call on the name of Christ who ordeined this sacrament with inuocation and praier The praier O Christ the son of God our sauing health who dost affirme bread to be thy body wine to be thy bloud because of certain properties and similitudes the nature notwithstanding and the matter of the signes remayning and cōtinuing heare our praiers and supplicatiōs and graūt vnto vs for thy mercifull promises these our requestes As our outward man and naturall flesh is norished with bread and wyne so of thy clemency noryshe fede our inward man with the foode of thy swete flesh And as bread and wyne are made of diuers graines of the iuice of many grapes neuertheles they are but one lofe and one cup of wyne so worke thou in vs one heart and mynde knyt vs in a continuall amitie Godly loue vnitie by the operatiō of thy holy spirit And as the natures of the signes are turned and conuerted into our nature so do thou conuert turne and transforme vs into thy nature making vs thy body holy flesh of thy flesh not only by fayth but also really and effectually that is
take mi pleasure I wil laugh and be mery al the yeare I wil do what my list at Easter I wil repent then I wil come to the Lordes table but not before Examin thine own thoughtes thou oppressor thou dronkard thou horekeper thou flatterer and enter into your own hartes you shal find this to be the cause of your lōg absence and of your seldome comming to the Lordes bāket For as he that hath a hungry and a gready stomack to hys meat declareth hereby his body to be voyd of all corruption and that he is in good perfit health so I say vnto you to obserue an annuall cōmunion is a token of an vnrightuous man of a stubborne seruaunt of an vnquiet woman to come often is a token of one whiche striueth against his flesh which kepeth battell with the deuill and laboreth dayly to liue Godly blamelesse For here we remembre Christes death passion The remembraunce of Christes death maketh vs to remembre our own offences sinnes for he died not for himself but for our iniquities and misdedes The remēbraunce of our offences wrappeth vs in sorowe and heuines Sorowe and heuines do cause vs to fly vnto God for his help mercy as it is written in trouble I cried to thee who embraceth vs like a louing father For as sorow and heuines entred fyrst into this worlde for sinne and for the gylt of Adams disobedience so the same now doth expel sinne againe leade vs into vertue as Paul teacheth Tristitia secundum deum operatur penitentiam in salutem Godly sorow sayth Paul causeth repentaunce vnto saluation Moreouer in that the texte sayth that whyles they were eating Iesus toke bread and ordeined his last supper some do reason hereof that the Sacrament is not to be receiued fastyng as the custome nowe is but after other meates and drynkes after a certayne refection banket or maundy which they say those that be ryche should make to refresh the power and nedy For the defence of this maūdy they alledge not only Christes example but also where it is written that the Corinthiās in dede kept such a maundy But Paul reprehendeth them therfore and disanulleth their custome as an occasion of glotony of drōkennes of pride of contentiō and other misbehauiour in the churche saying vnto them haue ye not houses to eate and drynke in or els dispyse ye the congregation of God And agayne if any man hunger let hym eate at home that ye come not together vnto condempnation nor Christ dyd not celebrate this sacrament after other meates and drinkes to stablyshe any suche custome nor to geue vs any example to doe the lyke but rather to teache vs that our Sacramentall bread is succeded in stead of the Iewes Easterlambe and that their ceremony is nowe disanulled and abrogated Therfore the vniuersall Churche commonly accordyng to Paules mynd to the Corinthians vseth nowe to celebrate the Lordes supper fastyng without any Maundy and not after other meates Notwithstandyng as he doeth well whiche commeth fastynge to the Lordes table so he doth not ill whyche by occasion commeth after that he hack eaten and dronke Meat and drynke do not defyle doe not make a man an vnmete gest for Christes borde for the mariage dyner of the kynges sonne but lacke of the wedding garment that is synne and iniquitie There is no commaundement in the scriptures which restraineth those that haue eaten from the communion Paul reproueth not the Corinthians for any suche thynge but because they made Maundeis and bankettes in the house of praier In their own houses he doth not forbid them to eate and drinke befor the communion but permitteth it and leaueth them to their own libertie necessitie herein saying If any mā hunger let him eat at home I touche this matter partly thorow occasion of the text partly also to reforme those if they wyll be reclaimed whiche for lack of knowledge or offended with those that come after meat thorow some necessitie which offence commeth of a good zele and of a good entent but good ententes must be reformed according to knowledge And percase some will be offended with me for vttering this matter Be not offended with truth be not disceiued nor bewitched with superstition and blynde zele but cōsider my wordes indifferētly or rather not my wordes but y e wordes of Chrisostom a learned and an elder father of christes church who saith a great deale more in this matter then I haue said whose saying moued me 〈◊〉 this tyme to touch this matter For onles he or some other learned man did affirme it I would not teach it He in his .ix. Homily ad populum Antiocheum is earnest against those which withdraw them frō the cōmunion many times because they were not fasting and he exhorteth them to come otherwhiles after meat saying Si tibi persuaseris quod post cibum potum ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conuenire necesse est omnino inuitus multam geres curam modestie neque in ebritatem neque in craxulā vnquam deduceris Cura enim expectatio in ecclesiam cōueniendi cum honesta mēsura cibum potum sumere docet ne ingressus fratribus commixtus postea vinum redolens inordinate eructans ab omnibus praesentibus deridiaris Which words be thus much to say If thou determine with thy self to come otherwhyles to the communion after thou hast eat dronk by this meanes thou shalt learne to be modest and sober in thy behauiour thou shalt neuer offende in dronkēnes nor defile thy self with glotony but remēbring Gods table thou wilt take meat drink with moderation lest comming to the church if thou smell of wyne or belche inordinatly through the fulnes of y e stomak thou be a laughing stock to al that shall se thee in that taking Whensoeuer thou arte Godly affected whensoeuer thou hast remorse for thy sinnes with an ernest entent of amendment and reformatiō of thy liuing be not afraid to com to Christes banket to the mariage diner of the kinges son whether thou hast eaten dronke or art fasting Be afraid if thou being an officer or magistrate dost deuise euill statutes ether ecclesiastical or temporal contrary to the statutes of the eternal God or if thou doest make vnlawful grauntes and geue dispensations lycences and cockettes to cary wol leather corne or other wares ouer the sea enpouerishyng many thousandes to enriche thy selfe and fewe others Be afrayd if thou be a Tayler and doest steal part of their cloth which cost them dear from thy customers makyng them beleue that no lesse then thre yardes wyll serue their tourn when two yardes be sufficient Be afraid to come if thou kepe a drapers or an Haberdashers or Poticaries shop and doest oppresse thy brethren by takyng immoderat and vnreasonable gaynes If thou be a husbandman and wylt not store
lyuely holy and very members of thy mistical body Abide alwayes in vs and norishe vs cōtinually with the grace of thy almighty spirit with the fode of thy eternal word with faith in thy holy bloud with the death of thy precious and natural body which thy body is the bread of lyfe to vs the bread of redemption and rightuousnes not really eaten but in y t it was cruelly beatē slain for vs. Teach vs the right vse of this thy sacrament deliuer vs from superstition idolatry ignorauncie with whiche both we our forefathers haue bene snared and fettered in times past Fulfyll these our desyres and petitiōs of thy voluntary goodnes and fre mercy who lyuest and reignest in one glory and equal maiestie with the father and the holy spirit worlde without end So be it ⸫ THE THIRD SERMON vpon the Lordes Supper HEtherto christē hearers I haue furnished Christs supper with two sermōs as it were with two disshes Ther remaineth yet apercel vnspokē of which now I entend to finish I haue declared the meaning theffect the vnderstāding of these wordes of Christ our lord Hoc est corpus meum c. This is my body this is my bloud of the new testament And I haue shewed aswel out of the scripturs as also by the authoritie of the elder and learned fathers of gods church that they are thus much to say This is a sacrament of my body bloud this is a certificat of my fauor a testimony as it wer a broad seal and patent that God my father is recōciled vnto you that he doth embrace that he doth loue you and dwel in you by the grace of his holy spirit for theffusion of my bloud death of my body I tolde you also what it is to eate Christes body that it is not eatē really or corporally for asmuch as it is the meat and sustenaunce not of our bodies and fleshe but of our spirit and inward man which are not fed or norished with any corporal nature or bodely substāce Or to expresse this thing more plainly Christes flesh is panis vitae the bread of life in that it was beaten not in that it is eaten It is the bread of saluatiō of redētion of sanctificatō of rightuousnes of iustification in y t it was cruelly scouged and slayne for vs and not through any corporall any reall or naturall receit As he teacheth vs hymselfe Iohn vi reprouing those whiche vnderstode that he would geue his body to be really and substancially eaten saying Caro non prodest quicunque c. The flesh profiteth nothing it is the spirit that quickeneth that is to say the spirituall receit and eating doeth profite and sanctify you the bodely and corporall eatyng is vnprofitable To eate Christes fleshe and to drinke his bloud is to beleue that the sonne of God concerning his humanitie fleshe was nailed on the crosse that his bloud was let furth for y e expiatiō of our sins for our redemption and rightuousnes to repose vs againe into Gods fauour And this spirituall receit whiche is by faith is so effectuall and of so mighty so vehement an operation that as matrimony maketh man and wife one flesh according as it is written Erunt duo in carne vna So it ioyneth vs vnto Christ re ipsa that is really truly and effectually making vs flesh of his flesh bones of his bones as Paul witnesseth That is liuely holy and very members of his mistical body For Paul doth not speak there only of natural flesh but also of holy flesh and cleane from syn whiche shall arise and be immortall not by the course of nature nor by Adam but through Christ who doth knit and couple and in corporat his chosen to himself by his sacramentes and faith so that they may truly thenceforth say with Paul Viuo iam non ego sed viuit in me Christus I liue yet now not I but Christ liueth in me Gods holy word knoweth no other receit of Christes very body and naturall flesh nether in the Sacrament nor without it Nether any of y e elder fathers of christes church doe acknowledge or teache any other eating Because it is to long a matter to alledge them all I wyll alledge two or thre of the chief and principall and best learned of which y e aduersaries of the truth do brag not a litle S. Austin a famous Godly and learned father of Christes church wryting vpō S. Iohns gospel affirmeth this eating most plainsaying Credere in eū hoc est māducare panē vinū c. To beleue vpō Christ saith this holi father is to eat the bread of life And again qui credit manducat inuisibiliter signa He that beleueth eateth and is fed inuisibly Here percase thou wylt say as Christ spiritually and worthely is receiued by faith of good mē vnto saluation so euil men doe in the sacrament eate his flesh vnworthely and without faith and vnto condemnation By what testimony of the scripture can this be proued that Christes flesh is eaten vnworthely and vnto dampnation Paul sayth quicunque manducauerit panem hunc c. He that eateth of this bread drinketh of this cup of the Lorde vnworthely He doth not say he that eateth Christes body vnworthely or drinketh his bloud vnworthely which alwaies be receiued to sanctification to life saluation but he that eateth this bread that is not common bread not daily bread but sacramētal bread that is ment by the word this Throughout the scriptures this worde vnworthely is neuer ioined with Christes body neuer with his bloud for they do sanctifie their receiuers S. Austin also denieth this destinction Sermone circa sacra feria paschoe wryting thus Qui non manet in Christo in quo non manet Christus proculdubio non manducat eius carnem nec bibit sanguinem etiam si tante rei sacramentum ad iudicium sibi manducet bibit That is to say he that abideth not in Christ and in whome Christ abideth not without doubt he eateth not Christes fleshe nor drynketh not his bloud although he eate and drynke the sacrament of so great a thyng vnto his dampnation This holy father doth teache and confesse here thre things which thynges he teacheth lykewyse in many other places of his bokes One is that euell men do not eate Christes flesh for it is the bread of lyfe and ryghtuousnes Another is that they doe eate the sacrament and the only figure therof Thirdly that they eate the saide only sacrament and the only figure vnto condemnation making them selues as Paul saith gilte of Christes body and bloud whiche they do not receiue because they wyll not beleue These thre most true and Godly lessons of this elder and learned father be a manifest deniall of the transubstantiation and of all corporall reall and naturall receit Let vs
multorum oblatio simul celebretur vt omnibus ministretur That is to say we must tary for others that many may offer vp thankes and prayses and that all the cōgregation may receyue Thankes be vnto God that we haue Christes supper in that fashion and maner which he him selfe obserued yet because all men be not perswaded and some doe murmur and grudge at this Godly reformation and of a stubbornes absent them selues from the holy communion and would flye backe into Egipt agayn to heare Masses as they were wont to do I thought it necessary to touche this matter to reforme their iudgementes if they wylbe reclaymed What word of God what authoritie of scriptures can be alledged for priuate masses Or who is able to shewe that euer any of the Apostles any holy man in the primatiue church or any of the elder Fathers before Pope Gregory did celebrate priuatly If there be nether example of any holy man nor no autorite no text no testimony of the scripture to mainteine them let vs conclude that it is but a dreame and fantasy of man submitting our iudgemētes to Gods boke Moreouer as Christ did not ordeine his supper to be receiued priuatly for benefactors ether dead or aliue or for others no more did he eleuate and lift vp the sacramēt ouer his head to be sene and worshipped of his disciples He gaue it them into their handes to eate and not to honor it to receiue it and not to worship it with holding vp of their hāds knocks on their brestes Only God is to be honored with this kind of reuerence no sacramēt for God is not a sacramēt neither is the sacramēt God What a sacrament is is to longe a matter to entreat nowe because I wil not wery you I wil difer this point vnto the next sermon Then I wil shew you also how Christes body is in the holy sacrament procede further into the text Let vs vse it as Christ his Apostles did If thou wilt be more deuout then they were be not deceiued but beware y t thy deuotion be not idolatry Christ gaue it thē into their handes not into their mouthes Nether be thou afraid to take and hādel it with thy handes as they did Consider not how it hath bene vsed in times past the counsel holden at Rotomage did first forbid men to take it in their hands regard more Christes example and the exāple of his Disciples and of the primatiue churche whiche alwayes did take it into their handes then the late example of our forefathers But thou wylt say the kings boke made by the learned clergy and wyse men of this realme according to Gods word and confirmed by most high authoritie of the Lordes and commons of the Parliament commaūdeth me to receiue the holy Sacrament at the priestes handes into my mouth As the Apostles commaunded all christen men and women to abstain from bloud ▪ and from straungled meates to beare with those that were weake and for other certein considerations which cōmaundmēt S. Paul afterward disanulleth professyng no meat to be vncleane and licensing them to eate both bloud and straungled whiche licence they embraced wyllingly and obediently and as they of the primatiue church commaunded the people to receiue it at their mouthes because some receiuing it in their handes dyd conuey away the Sacrament secretly to abuse it to superstitiō and magical vses So the king commaundeth the same in dede for like considerations for a tyme season for an vniformitie and to beare with thy infirmitie and weakenes vntil thou shalt haue more knowledge by readyng and hearyng Gods sacred word and vntyll thou shallt be growen a strōg and a perfit man in Christes holy religion entending as I take it when thy heart is tilled with the seede of Gods worde and able to digest stronger meat to make an vniforme lawe to the contrary and to commaunde all men women and children to receiue it with their hands as priestes do and as Christ and his Disciples did and the layte of the primatiue church For indifferent thinges the kynges maiestie with his clergie and the aduise of his Parliamēt may do and vndo forbid and commaund and make one lawe this yeare and an other cleane contrary the next yeare Therfore when soeuer the same authoritie shal will thee to take it in thy handes agayne or if thei shall wyll thee to receiue it syttyng thou must as willyngly obey their commaūdement as they of the primatiue church did embrace Paules commaundement touching bloud and straungled meates notwithstanding it was a contrary commaundement to that which all the Apostles had concluded vpon a little before as is regestred In the meane tyme I do not bid thee disobey or breake their first commaundement But if it be an indifferent thyng thou wylt say why may I not do as I list or how may they forbid me to take it with my mouth for then they make it not indifferent It is not euyll to receyue with thy mouth but it is better to receiue it in thy handes for as muche as Christes Disciples did so and in indiffererent thynges the magistrates may commaunde thee to do that is the better yea or that which is worse as they shall see cause and considerations Prepare thy heart therfore to obedience in suche thynges and be as ready to receyue it in thy handes as with thy mouth be as ready to receiue it syttyng as knelyng yea euen to morow if they shall wyll thee so to doe And as thou doest willingly obey them in that thei bid thee take it w t thy mouth so obey them concerning adoration for in that thei commaunde that the Sacrament shal not be heued nor lift vp they forbid thee to honor it Thus I haue declared you my faithe and knowledge that is why God ordeined his supper after y e eating of the lābe that their lambe was a figure of our sacramental bread and wyne a commemoration of the deliueraunce and a Sacrament of Christes death that the Iewes had some cōtinual rites and sacramētes and other some temporal I shewed you how their sacramentes and ours howe their receit ours doth differ why God who is immutable disanulled their rits and ordained new rites and newe ceremonies for vs for what causes men absent them selues from Christes banket to which they should come not annually but continually and that as it is best to come fasting therto so it is not euil to receiue after meat and drinke I haue proued that to blesse is not to make a crosse vpon the sacrament but to render thankes to God the father for the remission of our sinnes through the sede promised that Christ ordeineth here no priuate Masse but a communion and that the scriptures and the Oriental churche and S. Ambrose a godly and learned father of the Latin church disalowe all priuate receit And that as it is not euill to