vniuersall churche of Chryste thoroughoute the whole worlde doth cōfesse and acknowlege to touch the condicion and nature of man which is mutable variable and chaungeable apte of it selfe to decline from the truth but also herein he cōprehendeth the angelicall excellencye For althoughe wee sayethe he or an angell from heauen not meaning that the holye and heauenly Angeles can preache any euil doctrine but his meaninge is this If that myght be which cannot be And therefore he enlarged his spech and sayd Whosoeuer he be that shal attempt to chaūge and alter the true catholyke fayth lette hym be sayethe he Anathema that is to say lette him be seperated segregated and excluded as one accursed leaste the dangerous infectiō of one corrupte shepe may poison and infect to whole sound flocke of Chryst with his venemous permyxtion and companye And therefore it is not laufull for you nor for anye other priuate personne to alowe and folow any other doctrine than such as the catholike churche doth vniuersallye prech teache I cannot sufficientlye wonder at you and at certain suche other vincentius whiche cannot be contented with the auncyente beleyfe taughte and receyued vniuersally in Christes church but must seke daylye for newe toyes and games euermore coueitinge to alter innouate the chrystyan relygion eyther by addynge some thing that is new or else by takyng awaye parte of that whyche was old as you doo here declarynge your fonde opinion which wil take away chrystes beinge in earth because he is in heauen as though the christian religiō of the churche were not an heuenly ordinaunce and decree but rather an earthly prouisyon and institution But wo be to thē which phantisie to practise suche rydles and dreames to shadowe the glorye of God and his truthe The blessed Apostle Sainte Paule wryting to his disciple Tymothe did earnestly counsayle hym aduertise him to forsee and beware the daunger and peryll of such innouations and alterations whan he wrote these wordes and sayd i. Timo. vi O Timothe kepe that doctrine which was lefte vnto the and auoyde all prophane nouelties of wordes and opposicions of scyence falsly so called What can be more vehementlye spoken or sayde agaynst innouations and alterations contrary to the aunciente order of the vniuersall Churche of Chryst than this vincentius Yet for al this we se the stony indurate hartes the shameles impudency the styffe and outragious pertinacye of dyuerse whom nether the gret waight of so manifest scripturs canne moue to yelde nor the waightye importans of so high aucthorities can force to retyre ne yet soo terryble threatnynges of hygh vengeaunce can perswade to repent And therfore deare Syster I would wishe you to be none of thys sorte of people but rather to be an earneste folower of the holsesome counsell of the blessed Apostle Saynte Paule where he sayth as it is before rehearsed Kepe that doctrine which was lefte vnto the and auoid all prophane nouelties of wordes and opposycyons of scyence faulselye soo called Whyche is no more to meane but that you hold assuredly ye and also saue and kepe fast the inuiolat and pure talent of the catholyke faythe receyued by the consent of the hole vniuersall Church of Christ and commytted vnto you faythfully to obserue and kepe Exchaunge it not for no newe fangeled nouelties but what you haue receyued holde that styll and no other And yf you coapte and apply your selfe to thys sound and perfect doctrine than the heauenlye prouydence of God wil not suffer you to erre from the catholyke sayth in any point For that man or woman is a true and a perfecte catholyke person which loueth the truth of God vincentius whyche preferreth no synguler persons aucthorytye wytte loue affection iudgement knowledge or eloquence before the true religion of Christ and hys vnyuersall catholyke fayth But dispysyng all those thynges dothe abyde permanent constaunt and stable in fayth and resolueth with hym selfe to receyue holde and beleue that whiche he knoweth the catholyke churche vniuersallye and continually to haue receyued holden and beleued Nowe here I entende after thys littell dyscourse to make an ende of the fyrste parte of youre phantastycall opinyon where you saye that the blessed bodye of our sauiour Iesu christ cannot be presently here in earth and also in heauen at one tyme and together which fonde opynyon of youres for the fyrst parte I truste I haue suffyciently approued the contrarye that is that he is here remayning presently in earthe amonge vs and wyth vs vnder the formes of breade and wyne moste assuredlye bothe fleshe and bloude And nowe to proue the other parte that he is also in heauen it shal not be nedefull to bryng the matter in question For I knowe well there was neuer any tru chrysten person yet of chrystes fayth and beleue that at anye time doubted thereof the thinges it selfe being so cleare soo playne and so manifest in the whole body of scrypture And therefore because I woulde not be sene prolyxe or tedyous vnto you here I purpose to fynyshe and conclude this holesome exhortation for this time And thus much haue I wryten vnto you not for any gret acquayntaunce that I haue had with you as I said at my beginninge for I was neuer in your companye more than one suppere meale But the thing that moued me to take this finale labour in hād was partly for that I am now appointed by gods prouidence to be your pore adioined neighboure and youre gentell husbonde my very louinge frend But the cheife and principall cause you shall vnderstande was for that god hath conducted and hyred me with his penye to trauell and to laboure in his vyneyarde Mat. xx not onelye to declare the mutuall bond of charitie and chrystyan loue which we chrystians ought to shewe the one vnto the other for Chrystes sake in tyme of temptation But also to preserue his faythfull flocke from the raueuynge mouthe of that monstruous beast which S. Peter settethe fourth vnto vs in his fyrst epistle and last chapyter saying in this wyse i. Petre. v Be sobere and watch for your aduersary the deuyll as a roryng lyon walkyth aboute sekyng whom he maye deuoure whō resyst stedefast in faithe And therefore according to the coūsell of thys holye Apostle lette stedefast fayth be your shylde of defense shake of the wycked armour of the Deuyll by that I mene the fylthy skorfe and the stynking froth of your daungerous opynion where you dreame and saye that the blessed body of our Sauiour Iesu Chryst cannot be present lye heare in earthe and also in heauen at one time and together And whā I shal perceiue that you do digest this holsom preparatyue well whyche I haue here addressed vnto you than hereafter I wyll not sese yf nede so requyre to send vnto you some other godly cordials to strengthen you with al So that by the same I truste in our Lorde you shall fall into thys accompte with youre selfe that your faith once tried beinge muche more precious than golde ◠Petre. i. which is tryed by fyre shal be founde vnto lande glorye and honor at the appering of Iesus Christ But now on the other syde yf you be so precise and soo hardened in your harte that you will not beleue this my aucthor of truthe euen Chryste hym selfe whome I haue here preduced and alledged for my foundation but wil haue him tryed by a quest of wytnesses than I wyl endeuer my selfe here after to impanel you soo auncyente so worthye and so autētycall a quest of his most true and trusty frendes vnspotted vncorrupted vndefamed that you shal be faine I doute not to let youre matter fall to a nonsute and to beleue stedfastlye from thenceforthe that christ is presently here in earth with vs and also in heauen at one time and together Grace be with you Ephe. vi and with al them whiche loue oure Lord Iesus Chryst in purenes and truth Amen ¶ If any man erre from the truthe and another conuert him lette the same know that he which conuerted the synner from goinge astraye out of his waye shall saue a soule from death and shal hide the multitude of synnes Iames .v. Thys brefe exhortation was thus finished and directed to the aboue named Margarete Burges of kyngeswod by the said Paule Bushe late Bishop In the yere of our Lord God a thousand fyue hundred fifty and syxe The seuenth daye of August In the yeares also of the reigne of our moste drede Soueraygne Lorde and Ladye Phylyppe and Marye oure Kynge and Queene the third and fourth i. Cor. iii. ¶ Paulus plantauit sed deus incrementum dedit ¶ Paule planted but GOD gaue the increase ¶ Imprinted at London in Powles Churchyard at the sygne of the Holye Ghoste by Ihon Cawodde Printer to the King and Quenes Maiesties Cum Priuilegio ad imprimendum solum
¶ A brefe exhortation set fourthe by the vnprofitable seruant of Iesu christ Paule Bushe late bishop of Brystowe to one Margarete Burges wyfe to Ihon Burges clotheare of kyngeswode in the Countie of Wilshere An exhortation DEarly beloued syster in Chryste at our late being together in our verye worshyppeful frendes house in the countie of Glocester at a supper meale with diuerse other of worthye reputation whiche was the fyrst and last tyme that euer I sawe you or spake wyth you And that tyme and ther by occasyon as we sate at the table yf you call to your memorye we entrede into a lytle talke and afterward continued the same standyng at a wyndow whych talke albeit it was but breife and shorte yet the same as our lorde knoweth was more than Inough to declare to me not onely your hygh pretended knowledge but also your much ignoraunce which I do not a lytle in my harte lament for I perceyue you haue to litle knowlege and to much ignoraunce For in verye dede for lacke of the vertue of mekenes and the spyryte of truthe whych teacheth al goodnes it appereth that blynde ignoraunce permyxte with arrogancye hath greately ouerwhelmed your sences muche like as the obfusked and darke cloudes of the fyrmament doo many times shadowe and obtenebrate the radiaunt clere shynyng beames of the sonne And this commeth yf you aduyse your selfe well thorough the wycked arte and crafte of 〈…〉 enemye the deuyll whiche goeth alwaye aboute to shadowe the truth of gods most holye word and the true vnderstandynge of the same namelye from them whyche haue professed the Catholyke fayth to brynge them into the daungerous whyrlepoole of wycked ignoraunce yea and many tymes he playeth wyth them muche lyke as doeth the miller with his horse that draweeth his mille for whan he hath made hys horse blynde that he canne not se nor perceyue hys waye by the meanes of a vysarde of leather that he couereth hys face with all than he maketh hym continuallye all day longe to go round aboute keping one trade as thoughe he wente fourthe ryghte the strayte waye And at euenyng whan he commeth to his stable than he shall haue for hys prauendere the worste of hys labour that is a quantytye of course branne or a boolle full of drowsye draffe Such is his rewarde for his blinde trauel And euen thus fareth the deuyll with the weake and feble chrystyans for whan he goeth aboute to gryende the worde of god in his deuylleshe mylle of scismaticall and heretycall Doctryne than because the weake and feble chrystians shoulde not perceyue the fyne meale of gods word from the roughe and grosse branne of wicked doctrine he goeth and maketh them blynde with the 〈…〉 mauncye stout◠〈…〉 â—the them with gret arrogancy wyth much pryde to maintaine ther euyll conceiued opinions makinge them to beleue that they be in the ryghte strayghte waye And so in conclusyon he bryngeth them to hys fylthye and stynkynge stable there perpetuallye to be fedde wyth the roughe and course prauender of euerlastyng payne and torment Mat. xxii where shal be weapyng and gnasshyng of teath This is the rewarde that he prepareth for the arrogaunte ignorauntes whych wyll and doo defend their wicked and damnable opinioÌ„s with their rashe temeryte and wyll not be instructed to folowe and beleue the doctrynes decrees and determinations which the vnyuersal church of Chryst throgh oute the whole worlde dothe confesse and acknowledge And therfore suche arrogaunt ignoraunce in a christian man oughte muche to be reproued and dispraysed namely when he shall so greatly erre that he thynketh hym selfe lerned and to knowe much when in very dede he is nether learned nor knoweth any thyng at al and yet stoughtly and arrogantlie many times such persons will not stycke wyth muche impudence to approue and verefye that thynge whyche is false and vtterlye and craftelye renege and denye wyth tothe and nayle as the prouerbe saith that thyng which is most true Thys is not onelye a greate 〈◊〉 and a wycked errour in a chrystyan man but also it is such a pernicious and a dampnable synne in the syghte and presence of GOD that it requyreth noo lesse than euerlastyng payne and ponishment And therefore such arrogante ignoraunce ought much to be feared and eschewed whyche procedeth of a kaÌ„kered malice towardes God and his truth and is the specyalle cause of mans greate blyndenes that he cannotte conceyue the true sence and meanynge of Gods most holy word And thys the wyse man approueth in the seconde Chapiter of hys boke Sap. 2. where he sayeth The vngodlye goo astray and their owne malyce hath blynded them And the worthy auncient doctoure Chrysostome sayeth also Omel. xli opera imperiorum that ignoraunce of the knoledge of truth can be no excuse of condempnatyon namelye whan a man by occasion may receaue and fynde knowledge yf he had good and towarde mynde to learne And also the noble doctor pyller of Christes churche Sc. lxxviii De. Ver. Domi Saynte Augustyne sayeth lykewyse that a wycked man hatethe the true vnderstandyng and somtime agayne of a peruerte mynd he fearethe to knowe or vnderstand because he wyll not be constrayned afterwarde to do and folowe that thing which he knoweth Of suche Dauyd in his Psalmeste dothe pronoâ—â—ke and saye Psa xxxv The wycked 〈…〉 not be instructed that he might do good And this ignoraunce as I sayd before procedeth of an arrogant malyce and of a speciall contempte to be taught or learned the true catholyke doctrine For whan they be once noeffled in error they be loth to be plucke from there owne wycked conceyued opinions to knowe God and his infallible truth which is the verye lyght and saluation of there soules their arrogant pryde to maintaine their own blind ignorauÌ„ce is so gret And therfore mooste louynge syster to be shorte I exhorte you in the bowels of our lorde Iesu Christe vtterlye to repel froÌ„ you that wicked maystres and mayntayner of all pernicious doctrine I meane your arrogancye whych so muche puffethe vp youre ignoraunte mynde that it maketh you beleue that you are fully instruct and perfectlye learned wyth the readyng of your Englyshe Pamflettes and yet she greatlye deceaueth you as I truste hereafter you wyll no lesse confesse and acknowledge For I assure you yf you haue not the vertue of mekenes to vnclaspe the booke of gods word vnto you and in the readyng of the same the holy ghost to be your teacher your labor and studye shal be alwaye frustrate and in vayne and your knowledge no knowledge at al. The worthye Prophete Kyng Dauyd albeit he was hyghe inspyred by instincte diuyne wyth the holly spiryte of truthe and also the gyfte of mekenes yet he desysted not wyth the same spyryte and gyfte continually to praye to almightye GOD as one not satysfyed that he myght haue from time to time a more deper and a more
perfecte vnderstandyng and knowledge of hym and of hys moste holye worde And amonge other of hys deuyne oracles thus he prayed and sayde Psa cxiii O Lorde geue me vnderstandynge and I shall diligently seke out thy lawe yea and I shall kepe it with my whole harte Let my supplycatyon O Lorde come before thy presence and geue me vnderstandyng according vnto thy worde And agayne O Lorde teache me goodnes disciplyne and knowledge for I went wronge and therfore nowe I haue kept thy worde These wordes O Lorde geue me vnderstanding so often in culcat and so many tymes iterate do no lesse then euidently declare thys holye Prophetes humble hart and earnest desyre and meanynge how glad he was to be taught howe desyrous he was to learne and how wyllyng he was to haue vnderstandynge and not to stand in the defence of his owne iudgement as the sturdy and blynde ignorauntes do And therefore thys holesome lesson louynge Syster in Chryst I wolde wyshe you to learne of thys moste godlye Prophete and with a stedfast harte and a faythefull mynde to embrace the same And than no doute you shall be well assured God wyll poure into you as he did into hym out of hys plentifull treasures the true vnderstanding of hys moste holly word euen as our hollye mother the Church techeth and beleueth For his dyuyne word may not be taken nether yet expouÌ„ded after the rasshe fantastycall myndes of the blynd and ignoraunte but after the true and syncere meaning of the holye Apostles blessed martirs and worthye fathers and rulers of Chrystes mooste catholyke Churche from whome and by whome the chrystian congregation hath alwaye bene ruled and gouerned euer sythen the deathe and passion of oure Sauyour Iesu Chryste And therfore let no other doctryne then theirs lede you trade you or instructe you in the truth of goddes mooste lyuely worde for yf you be otherwise scoled or yf you stande to your owne iudgemente or yf you be wedded to youre owne erronious opynions then wyl the spirite of truethe flee farre from you and leaue you alone to youre selfe as barren as the wythered fygge tree Mat. xxi Nowe to come to the matter which I entend thoroughe goddes myghte to wryght to you of As farre as I doo remember the lytle talke whyche we entred into and not fynished by reasone of your departure send for by the worshypfull Lad ye of the house and your other neyghboures and frendes whyche you came in companye wyth all was thys that the blessed bodye of oure Sauiour Iesu Chryste cannot be presentlye here in earth and also in heauen at one time and together O lytel faythe If this youre saying should be true as it is playne false than in vayne were oure chrystyan religyon But you shall clerely be putte out of doute and playnely vnderstand that our fyrme faith and beleue is grounded founded and rered vpon the head corner stone electe and precious that is vpon Chryst him selfe in whose mouth was neuer fraude ne guyle fouâ—â—â— And he that beleuethe in hym sayth Saynt Peter shal not be coÌ„founded Therefore vnto theÌ„ which beleue he is precius but to theÌ„ which beleue not he is a stone to stomble at and a rocke to offend them that stoÌ„ble at the worde and beleaue not that where on they were set And therefore now seynge that chryste our Sauioure is the truth IhoÌ„ xiiii and also the auctour of all truthe as he saythe hym selfe I am the way the truthe and the lyfe who than dare be so bolde to denaye that thinge which he affyrmeth and approueth For he hym selfe sayde at his moste godlye maundye in the presence of al his disciples 〈◊〉 hys blessed Bodye was â—â—â—d there really presente 〈…〉 â—e fourmes of breade and wyne And this the holye Euangelyst Saynt Mathew in hys Gospell declarethe in wordes euydent and playne Ma. xx where he thus sayeth As they were eating Iesus toke brede and when he had geuen thankes he brake it and gaue it to hys disciples and sayde Take eate this is my bodye And he toke the cuppe and whan he had geuen thankes he gaue it to them saying Drynke you al of this for this is my bloude of the newe testamente that shal be shedde for manye for the remission of synnes Nowe here haue you harde how playnly our sauyour Chryst hym selfe affyrmeth that his moste holy and blessed bodi bothe fleshe blud was really corporally naturally and substancially present at this worthy maundy vnder the accedental fourms of bred and wyne And as thys holye euangelyste hath here mooste truely declared the maner and fourme of this godlye institution and ordinaunce euen soo and no lesse do al the other thre euangelistes also the blessed Apostle Saynt Paule whose sayinges at thys tyme I doo here omyt because I truste in God this frutefull declaratyon shal be sufficiente vnto you yf that you wyll with a stedfast fayth open your hart and faythfully receyue and folowe the same And although christ alsoso be in heauen and syttethe at the ryght hand of God the 〈◊〉 yet whosoeuer shal eate 〈…〉 breade in the supper of our lorde accordyng to Chrystes institution and ordinauÌ„ce is assured by chrystes promis and testament that he receyueth Chrystes very body whiche suffered for vs vppon the crosse And lykewyse he that drynketh of that holy cuppe in that supper of oure Lorde accordyng to chrystes institutyon is certified by Christes legation and testament that he drynketh the bloude of Chryst which was shed for vs. Soo that no man can contempne or lyghtlye esteme this mooste holy and blessed communion excepte he contempne also chrystes blessed body bloud And because it shoulde not be thought but that thys mooste godlye instytution and ordinaunces shoulde alway hereafter be put in vre and to haue a perpetuall contynuaunce in Chrystes church to all forces purposes and effectes lyke as Chryste hym selfe dyd leaue it and set it fourth vnto vs at his most blessed maundy he went farther with vs and gaue vs a commaundement and sayd Luc. xxii Thys doo in remembraunce of me Now what was Chrystes mening by these two wordes this do but that we must promptlye fyrmely and faythfullye followe hys example doyng That is Take bread geue thankes breake it saye these wordes Thys is my boâ—â— And than eating the same â—â—â—ate his very blessed body â—â—â—kinge the cup and doyng the like we drinke his most precious bloude Here it hath bene shewed now what is vnderstand by these two wordes Thys do Now to fynyshe vp the whole sentence and saying of the Euangelist Luke yf we faithfully this do than it shal folowe that we must nedes of verye duetye and of a very coÌ„gruence call to our remeÌ„braÌ„ce not onely this infinite benefit and most louyng dede of oure Sauyoure leauynge here in earthe with vs to oure greate comforte thys moste precious treasour I meane his mooste blessed body fleshe and bloud but