beastlye lyuing adultery disobedience sacrilege and open conspiracye to the subuersion of them selfes of that state vnder whiche they lyue The scripture cryeth Nolite omni spiritui credere beleue not euery spirite but trye and proue the spirites yf they be of God or no for many false Prophetes are abroade in the world One waye to trye thē is to marke the ende of their conuersation ▪ and the example and fruyte of their liues as S. Paule sayeth Quorum exitum conuersationis intuentes eorum imitamini fidem folowe their fayth the ende of whose conuersation ye haue sene We haue seene what is the ende of this newe teachynge carnall and detestable liuyng conspiracye and treason The other fathers of whom we learned oure fayth were men whom the corrupt world was not worthy to haue these authors of this newe opinion were menne that were not worthy to haue and enioy the world of whome saynt Peter wryteth Magistri mendaces and so forth Lying maysters that bryng in sectes of perdicion and denye that Lord that bought thē as they do in this matter of the sacrament bringyng vpon them a spedy perdition and manye shal folowe theyr wayes through whome the way of truth shal be sclaundered and blasphemed and in couetousnes by feyned woordes they shal make marchaundise of you to whome iudgemēt ceasseth not and their destruction slepeth not We be also warned by S. Iohn of this matter sayinge he that remayneth and abydeth in the doctrine that the Apostles taught he hath the father and the sonne Yf anye come to you not bringing this doctrine do not receaue hym into your houses Here he dothe teache vs to auoyd them that professe any other doctrine then such as al faythfull men vniuersally thoroughout the worlde haue receaued and professe whych is not the doctrine that the Sacramentaries preache Finally consideryng the promisses of Christ to his church that he will be with them too the worldes end and that the holy ghost shall leade them into all truth then may we iustlye saye that yf this our fayth be an errour it hath preuayled vniuersallye not one hundreth yeare but two thre foure yea a thousand yeare more then that euen to the ascensiō of Christ as appeareth by the testimonies of all holye writers and then may we say Lord yf we be deceaued thou hast deceaued vs we haue beleued thy word we haue folowed the tradition of the vniuersal churche we haue obeyed the determinations teachynges of those bishops and pastors whome thou hast placed in the Churche to staye vs in vnitye of fayth that we be not caried away with euerye winde of false doctrine Therfore yf we be deceaued it commeth of thee O Lorde our error is inuincible But good people we are sure God deceaueth no man let vs al beware we do not deceaue our selfes as S. Iames sayeth Thus hauing spoken somthinge of y e scriptures as this short time wold permit there remayneth also the seconde thing whiche I sayde moued me to continue in this fayth whiche is the aucthorities of auncient fathers that haue flourished in the preachyng of Gods trueth in all ages with aucthorities I thinke verelye in no age haue bene so curiously sought so diligently found out so substantially wayed as in this our time And all this is because the oppugnation of the trueth in this matter hathe extend it selfe not only to the scriptures but also to the doctours and to euerye particle and title of the doctours whose writynges haue bene so scanned and tryed that yf any thyng could haue bene gathered and piked out of their bookes eyther by liberall writing before this misterye came in contention or by misconstructiō of their wordes or by deprauation of their meaning that could seme too make agaynst our faith herin it was not omitted of some but stoutly alledged amplified inforced and sette forth to the vtter most that their wyttes could conceaue whyche yf god hath not infatuat leauing them to speake so as neyther fayth nor reason could allowe lyke as they haue with theyr vanities seduced a great sorte the more pitye so they shoulde haue vndermined and subuerted the fayth of a great manye mo y t were doubting falling but not cleane ouetrhrowen thankes be to almightie god Of these aucthorities although with a litle study and lesse laboure I coulde at thys tyme alledge a great numbre yet consideryng the shortnes of the tyme whiche is almoste spent I shal be cōtent to picke out a fewe ▪ whych do not only declare the minde of the aucthor but also conteyne an argument to proue conuince y e truth of our fayth suche an argument as neyther figuratiue speache nor deprauation of the wordes or meaning can delude And first I shal begyn with the weakest that is with the suspicion of the gentyles Tertullian in his apologye teacheth how the gentiles didde accuse the Christen men for killyng of younge chyldren eatyng of theyr fleshe he sayeth thus Dicimur sceleratissimi de Sacramento infanticidij pabulo inde We are reported accused as moste mischeuouse and wycked men for the sacrament of killinge of children eatyng theyr fleshe and drynkyng their bloude Eusebius also in his story of the churche wryteth of one Attalus a martyr who beynge roasted in an yron cradell wyth fyre put vnderneath when the sauour of hys burnte flesh came to the smellynge of the people that looked on he cryed wyth a loude voyce to the people Lo this is to eate men which you do whyche fault ye make inquisition of as secretly done of vs whych you cōmit openly in the midde daye By this accusation we may vnderstand that our Sacramentes and mysteries in the beginning of the church were kept very secrete bothe from the syghte and knowledge of the paganes that mocked and skorned them and also of those that were Catechumeni learners of our fayth and not yet baptized for manye greate causes whyche I shal not nede to rehearse nowe And yet for all the secrete kepyng of them being so manye Christen men women as there was they could not be kept so secret but that some ynkelynge of them came to y e eares of those that were infidels vnchristened insomuche that where as in dede and verye trueth by the rules of oure religion we dydde eate the fleshe of Iesus Christ our Lorde and drynke his bloude ministred vnto vs in the sacrament the gentiles as thei were curiouse to know new thynges so they came to knowledge of the rumoure of our doynges and eyther by the bewrayinge of some false brethrē or els by y e simplicitye of other that of zeale without knowledge wold haue conuerted the vnfaythfull too oure fayth heard secretlye that we Christen men in our misteries dyd eate mans fleshe drynke mans bloude whyche they for lacke of fayth and further instruction beganne to compasse in their wyttes howe it was possible so
for the buylding and vpholdyng of it in truth that hys flocke be not seduced and caried about wyth euery blaste of newe doctrine by the craftines of men to the destruction of their soules Of thys I haue spoken somethyng alreadye Thirdly we may know the consent of the churche by the determination of the general councels where the presidentes of Gods churches the rulers and learned priestes of christendome assembled in the name of our lord Iesus christ representyng the holy church of God militaunt being ledde not with priuate affection but by Gods holye spirite to hys glorye instant in prayer feruent in deuotion purely diligently and freely haue intreated determined those thynges that perteyne to y e fayth of Christ and the purgyng of hys churche to whose determination as to Goddes ordinaunces we are bounde to obeye Wherein appeareth manifestlye the consente of the churche The fyrst general councell both for the callyng and also for the cause was holden at Nice in Bithinia by .318 bisshops in the tyme of Constantinus Magnus twelue hundreth and thirtye yeares agoo where it was determined and publyshed to y ◠worlde in these wordes Exal altata mente fide consideremus situm esse in sancta illa mensa agnum Dei qui tollit peccatum mundi qui à sacerdotibus sacrificatur sine cruoris effusione et nos uerè preciosum illius corpus sanguinem sumentes credere haec esse resurrectionis nostrae symbola c ▪ Let vs lyfte vp our myndes vnderstandynge and considering by fayth that the lambe of God whyche taketh awaye the synnes of the worlde is situate and lyeth vpon that holy table whych is offered of the priestes wythoute the sheddyng of bloude that we receauynge verelye hys preciouse bodye bloude do beleue them to be the pledges or causes of our resurrection Thys aucthoritye serueth me very wel to declare the cōsent of the churche both in the matter of the reall presence also of the sacrifice whych we haue in hande For the wordes be couched meruelouslye euery one seruyng to expresse the trueth and to auoyde all doubtes For fyrst he byddeth vs lift vp our myndes and considre by faythe wyllynge vs not to stycke only to our senses thinkyng nothyng els to be there but that we see outwardlye teachynge vs that the iudgemente of thys matter perteyneth not to oure senses but to our fayth only as Eusebius Emesenus sayeth Verè unica perfecta hostia fide aestimanda nō specie nec exterioris cēsenda est uisu hominis sed interioris affectu Thys hoste and sacrifice is verely one and perfect to be estemed by fayth and not by forme and apperaunce to be iudged not by the syghte of the outward man but wyth y e affection and persuasion of the inward man for to fayth only and not to senses perteyneth the knowledge and iudgemēt of Gods mysteries and sacramentes Then the councell declareth what fayth teacheth that is to saye that the lambe of GOD not materiall breade wyne nor the figure of the lābe but the lambe that taketh awaye the synne of the worlde is placed lying vpon the holye table of the aulter whych externall situation proueth a reall presence of Christe to be there before we receaue it and not a phantasticall or an intellectual receauyng of Christe by fayth in the tyme of the receauinge only as these men contende Further it teacheth that this lambe of God is offered to almightye God by the priestes whiche is a distincte offeryng from that Christe made vpon the crosse for there he offered hym selfe by sheddyng hys bloude whiche he did but ones and neuer shall do it agayne any more Here is he offered of the priestes not by sheddynge of bloude but as the councell sayeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not after a bloudy maner whych is not a new kyllynge of Christe but a solempne representation of hys deathe as hym selfe hathe ordeyned After this it declareth the receauing of it saying that we verelye receaue his preciouse body and bloude which word verelye is as muche as that we call reallye and declareth the vse of the sacrament in the receypte of it wyth the seruice of our mouth as Christe commaunded sayinge Take eate whyche is a corporall eatinge not a spirituall beleuyng And last of al it sheweth the effect of the sacrament whych is the resurrection of oure bodyes to eternal life for because Christes body being the body of very life is ioyned to our bodies as our foode it bryngeth oure bodies that be deade by sentence of deathe to hys propertye which is life wherof in my laste sermon I spake more at large O Lord what hard hartes haue these men to doubte thē selfes or to denye or to bryng in question that manifest open trueth in so highe and necessarye a matter whiche in moost playne woordes hathe bene taught of our sauiour Christe his Apostels and euangelistes declared so to be vnderstand by the holye ghoste oute of the mouthes of all these holye fathers whome the holy ghoste dyd assemble and inspire wyth the spirite of truth to the confusion of the greate heretyke Arius that troubled the worlde then and also did inspire their hartes to declare so playnlye the mystery of thys blessed sacramente whyche then was wythout al contention beleued of all Christen men onlye to preuente these heretikes y e aryse and sprynge vp nowe in these latter dayes that the worlde maye see howe they stryue agaynste the knowen trueth their owne conscience and the determination of the whole churche being enemies of God breakyng hys peace diuiding them selfes from the churche whose ende is eternal confusion Lykewise the next general councell holden at Ephesus in the tyme of Theodosius the Emperor eleuen hundreth and twentye yeares agoo dothe determine this trueth lykewyse in these wordes Necessario igitur hoc adijcimus Annunciantes enim sicut secundum carnē mortem unigeniti filij Dei id est Iesu Christi resurrrectionem cius in coelis ascensionem pariter confitentes incruentum ce lebramus in Ecclesijs sacrificij cultum sic etiam ad mysticas benedictiones accedimus sanctificamur participes sancti corporis et preciosi sanguinis Christi omnium nostrum redemptoris effecti non ut communē carnem percipientes quod absit nec ut uiri sanctificati uerbo coniuncti secundum dignitatis unitatem aut sicut diuinam possidentis habitationem sed uerè uiuificatricem ipsius uerbi propriam factā We adde this also necessarely We shewynge and declarynge the corporall death of Gods only begotten sonne Iesus Christ and lykewise confessing his resurrection and ascension vnto heauen do celebrate the vnbloudy oblatiō and sacrifice in our churches for so we come to the mysticall benedictions are sanctified being made partakers of the holy body and preciouse bloude of Christ all our redemer not receauyng it as common fleshe God forbidde nor as
eares of all men is the essential grace of Christes bodye and bloude to be there presente it foloweth I saye that Christ by these wordes as by a conuenient instrument worketh inwardlye in that he gaue to his disciples y ◠reall presence of his owne body and bloud as Eusebius Emesenus sayth Fide aestimandi non specie nec exterioris censenda est uisu sed interioris hominis affectu To be estemed by fayth not by the outwarde forme and not to be iudged by the sight of the outward man but by the affection of the inward man Thirdly we maye considre that these wordes be the performance of a former promise where Christe as it is wrytten in the .6 Chapiter of S. Iohn promised to giue vs y e same fleshe to eate that he woulde giue to the deathe for the life of the worlde sayinge Panis quem ego dabo caro mea est quam ego dabo pro mundi uita The breade which I shal giue vnto you is my fleshe whiche I shal giue for the lyfe of the world Whiche promise we neuer reade that Christ whiche is y e verye trueth and can not lye did euer at any time performe but in his last supper when he gaue his bodye and bloude to his disciples and to promise his fleshe to giue bare bread and not his fleshe is no performyng but a breakynge of hys promise and a deludynge of them to whome he made the promise for as for the interpretation whiche some menne make of Christes wordes that he wyl gyue his fleshe to vs to be eaten spirituallye by sayth is but a vaine and feined glose for that text And although Christ do so gyue it to be eaten by faythe yet we maye not exclude one trueth by an other trueth as sophisters do For Christ gaue his fleshe to vs to be eaten spirituallye by fayth euer from the beginning of the world also at that presente when he spake those wordes so that it were a very vayne thyng for Christe to promise to gyue a thyng which he euer before also at that present and euer after continually doth giue But it was neuer so taken of any good auncient aucthor which al with one consent doo expounde this text of Saynt Iohn of the giuing of his flesh in his laste supper vnder the forme of bread and therefore Cirillus wryteth that oure sauiour Christ dyd not expounde and make plaine the maner of the misterye and the performaunce of this his promise to them that asked the vnfaythful question Howe withoute fayth but to his disciples that beleued him and asked no such question of hym he declared the maner of it in his last supper Wherfore we may wel conclude vpon this circumstance that Christes fleshe is verelye present in the Sacrament to be giuen vnto vs because he promised before that he wold giue vs the same fleshe for our foode that he would gyue on the crosse for our redemption The tyme also is to be considered that he spake these wordes the nyghte before he suffered death at which tyme and the next daye after he ended and fulfilled all fygures saying on the crosse Consummatum est All figures shadowes be ended and expired whyche was no tyme then to institute and beginne newe figures It is likely or probable that our Sauiour Christ then enteryng into his agony and beginnynge his passion accustomynge commonlye before to teache his disciples in playne wordes without parables or figuratiue speaches woulde then so lightly behaue him self as to delude his choysen and intierlye beloued disciples in callyng those thynges hys bodye that is gyuen for them his bloude that is shedde for them whiche were neyther his bodye nor his bloude but bare breade and wine Or is there any religion in oure christen fayth in nycknanamyng thynges or callynge thē otherwyse then they be Yf any man thynke him self able to aunswere that because Christ sayd he was a vyne he was a doore beynge neyther vyne nor doore that man semeth to me not substantiallye to waye the woordes speaches of scripture For lette him considre thoroughoute all the Scripture wheresoeuer he shal find that Christ spake any thing of him selfe by woordes of oure common speache for the godhead and the properties of the god heade be ineffable and can not be expressed to our capacitye but by woordes and names of worldly and naturall thinges here among vs. He shall alwayes fynd that Christe was a better and more syngulare thyng then the worde dyd properlye signifye that was attribute vnto him and to make thys matter more playne by examples Where Christe sayde I am the way he meant not that he was the waye that leadeth to the city or to some other place but that he was a more excellent waye A waye that leadeth to the father to heauen to euerlastyng lyfe When he sayde he was the doore he meante not that he was the doore of the shepefold here in earth but a farre better doore the doore of the churche the spirituall shepefolde by the which doore who soeuer entreth shall be saued Also calling him selfe a vine he meant that he was the spirituall vyne whereof all christen men be braunches better then suche a vine as groweth in the fieldes And lykewyse by that he calleth himselfe the lighte we vnderstande that he was not the sensible light of this world but the heauenlye lyghte ▪ that neyther by course is chaūged nor by shadowe is darkened So that it maye be obserued for a rule when Christe dothe attribute the name of anye sensible creature to hym selfe euer the vnderstandyng exceadeth and excelleth the word in dignitie And yf this be true in all kind of teaching and doctrine shall we now in the high misteries and sacramentes of God come from the hall to the kitchin from the better to the worst y t where Christ sayeth This is my body we shall vnderstande that it is breade a worse thinge then his bodye This is my bloude that is to saye wine a worse thing then his bloude These be fonde false gloses neyther true nor likely nor yet tolerable Wherefore leauynge oute a great many other circumstancies that woulde serue verye well to set forth the trueth of this doctrine I shall conclude thus seing S. Mathew sayth in playne termes it is my body it is my bloude S. Mark sayth it is my body S. Luke sayth it is my body S. Paul sayth it is my body S. Iohn sayeth it is my fleshe shall we nowe fyftene hundreth yeare after them handle the matter so finelye and waye the scripture so substantiallye that we shall affirme the contradictorye to be the true sense saying this is not my bodye this is not my bloude but a figure a signe of my bodye bloude These euidēt scriptures moue me to continue styll stedfast in that fayth I was borne in not to be moued wyth vayne
aunswere that Christ was neuer offered to the death for our redemption but ones and yet otherwise was he offered many times both of him selfe and of his creatures We reade in the Prophete Daniel that Aungels offered him in the syght of hys father And also y t the blessed virgine his mother offered him at hir purificatiō of whych offeryng S. Bernard saith Ista oblatio fratres satis delicata uidetur ubi tantum sistitur domino redimitur auibus ilico reportatur Thys oblation brethren is very delicate where he is onely presented to our Lorde redemed with birdes and by and by brought home agayne And therfore we aunswere them that their argumente is of no strength to confute one truth by an other when bothe may be true as to reasō christ was but ones offered vpon y e crosse ergo he was not offered in the sacrament And we tell them that they do not considre howe Christe is offered three wayes of hym selfe and also three wayes of man First he offered him selfe vpō the crosse really and corporallye as Isaias sayeth oblatus est quia uoluit Thys is manifest ynoughe And here their exclamacions of ones ones hath very good place Secondly he offered hym selfe figuratyuelye in the paschall lambe For the scripture saythe the lambe was slayne from the begynninge of the worlde and the fathers in the olde lawe in all their sacrifices dyd offre Christe not in substaunce but in figure and so Christe offeryng the paschall lambe at hys supper offered him selfe in figure Thirdly Christ offereth him selfe in heauen reallye and so continually as the same chapiter which they bryng agaynst the Masse doth testifye Non in manufacta sancta Iesus intro iuit exemplaria uerorum sed in ipsum coelum ut appareat nunc uultui Dei pro nobis Iesus entered not into a temple made wyth mans hande a figure of the trueth but into heauen that he myghte appeare now to the countenaunce of God for vs. What is this appearyng in the syght of GOD for vs but an offerynge of hym selfe for vs to pacifye the angre of god with vs to represente hys woundes and all that he suffered for vs that we mighte be reconciled to God by hym Thys is the true and perpetuall oblation of Christ in cōparison of thys in heauen the bloudye oblation vpon the crosse is but an ymage as S. Ambrose sayeth Hic umbra hic imago illic ueritas umbra in lege imago in Euangelio ueritas in coelestibus antè agnus offerebatur uitulus nunc Christus of fertur sed offertur quasi homo quasi recipiens passionem offert se ipse quasi Sacerdos ut peccata nostra dimittat hic in imagine ibi in ueritate ubi apud patrem pro nobis quasi aduocatus interuenit Here in thys worlde there is a shadowe here there is an ymage there in heauen is trueth the shadowe in the law the ymage in the gospell the trueth in heauen Before a lambe and calfe were offered nowe Christ is offered but he is offered as manne and receauynge passion and he offereth hym selfe as being a priest to take our synnes away here in ymage there in truethe where wyth the father as an aduocate he maketh intercession for vs The same thynge he wryteth also vpon the .38 Psalme So that it is verye playne wythout all controuersy that Christe dothe offre hym selfe nowe moste perfectly in heauen for vs beynge our aduocate to the father face to face and as S. Iohn sayeth Ipse est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris He is a sacrifice propitiatorye for our synnes he sayth not he was but is and after the most perfytest maner that can be in respecte whereof the verye true and reall oblation for oure redemption vpon the crosse is an ymage So that by thys we see by the playne Scrypture that Christe offered hym selfe thre wayes besyde the oblation of hym selfe in hys supper which is the poynte we be aboute to declare And euen so is he offered of manne three wayes lykewyse Fyrste fyguratiuelye in the oblation of the olde Testament When Abraham beynge aboute to offre hys owne deare sonne and by GODS prouision offered in hys stede a ramme and when Melchisedech offered breade and wine and the Iewes the Paschall lambe and their burnte offerynges what dyd they offre but Christe in fygure whose passion those offerynges dyd sygnifye Whyche offerynges dydde of them selfe worke nothynge inwardlye and therfore were called Iustitia carnis the ryghtewesnes of the flesh ▪ but by them they dydde proteste their synne and declared their fayth of whome they looked to haue remission Secondly we offre Christe mysticallye in oure daylye sacrifice of the Masse where Christe is by hys omnipotent power presented to vs in the Sacramente and of vs agayne represented to his and our father and his passion renewed not by sufferynge of death agayne but after an vnbloudye maner not for thys ende that we shoulde thereby deserue remission of oure synnes but that by our fayth deuotion and thys representation of hys passion we moste humblye praye almyghtye GOD to applye vnto vs by Christe that remission whych was purchased and deserued by his passion before The hoste of these two sacrifices vpon the crosse and vpon the aultare is all one in substaunce but the maner is diuers and the ende is diuerse that by this meanes as christe him selfe hathe instituted we myght celebrate and make commemoration of his passion This is onely the sacrifice of the prieste by publycke ministracion but verely and in affection it is the sacrifice of the whole churche whiche euery membre of the Churche dothe vse and frequente and no man dothe impugne it but he that professeth open warre agaynste the churche Thirdely christe is offered by man spiritually onely by y e meditation of our mynde when we thynke and remembre his passion and in our deuoute prayer beseche god to showe vs mercy for it Thus euerye Christen manne and womanne in all places and tymes vpon the aultare of hys owne hearte oughte to offre Christe too the father after whiche sorte of spirituall oblation we be all both menne and women Priestes and kinges beinge as Saynte Peter sayeth Sacerdotium sanctum offerentes spirituales hostias acceptabiles Deo per Iesum Christum An holye Priesthoode offerynge spirituall Sacryfices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. Nowe considerynge these thre wayes shal it be a good argument to inculcate one waye and to reiecte the rest To alledge one membre of a diuision to the reiection of the other This is the peculiar maner of the heritikes the enemies of Christ as thei dyd in the matter of the Sacrament by the spiritual eatynge of Christ to confute reiect the reall and corporall eatynge of christes bodye in the Sacrament Suche shiftes and fonde argumentes they haue to seduce the vnlearned wythall whiche when they be espied and detected they appeare as they be
churches or in other realmes This argument of CoÌ„munion was neuer â—eard of in the worlde before Martyne Luther who was y e first father of it and the first man that euer wrote agaynst priuate masses as he calleth theÌ„ â–ª And wher learned Luther that lesson euen of the deuyl not because al euyl coÌ„meth by the suggestion of the deuyll but I meane y t Luther had a vision of the deuyl and saw hym wyth hys corporall eye beynge wakyng of whom he learned al that he hath pestilently spoken agaynst the holy masse And lest men should say I lied vpon Luther here is his owne boke Ex orete iudico serue nequam We maye Iudge hym by his owne mouth and his owne hand writynge The title of his boke is of priuate masse I shal read you a peice of it that the trueth of my sayinge maye appeare These be hys very wordes I shall make confession before all you reuende and holy fathers geue me I pray you a good absolution It chaunced me once about midnight sodenly to awake than the deuyl SathaÌ„ began with me this disputation Heare sayd he doctour Luther very wel learned thou knowest thou hast said priuate masses xv yeres almost daily What if such priuate masses be horrible ydolatry what if there wer not preseÌ„t the bodye and bloud of Christ but thou haddest honored onely bread and wine haddest caused other to honor it to whoÌ„ I answered I am an anoynted priest haue receyued vnction coÌ„secration of a bishoppe haue done al these thinges by commaundement obedience of mine elders â–ª Why shuld not I coÌ„secrate wheÌ„ I haue pronuÌ„ced y e wordes of Christ haue said masse iÌ„ earnest this thou knowest All this sayde he is true but y e turkes gentiles do likewise al things in their teÌ„ples of obedieÌ„ce in earnest The priestes of Hieroboam dyd all they dyd of a certayne zeale intent againste the true priestes in HierusaleÌ„ â–ª What yf they orderynge and consecratynge wer false as the priestes of the Turkes and Samaritans were false and their seruyce of god false and wycked First sayd he thou knowest thou haddest than no knowledge of Christ nor true fayth and for faythe thou waste no better than a Turke For the Turke and all the deuyls also beleue the storye of Christ that he was borne crucified and dead â–ª c. But the Turke and we dampned sprites doe not truste to hys mercy nor haue not hym for a mediatour and sauiour but feare hym as a cruell iudge Such a fayth and no other haddest thou when thou receyuest vnction of y e byshoppe and al other both they y t dyd annoynct and were annoyncted thought so and no other wise of Christe â–ª Therefore ye fled from Christe as a cruell iudge to blessed Mary and y e sainctes they wer mediators betwene you Christ. Thus was Christ robbed of his glory â–ª This neyther thou nor no other papist can deny I wold reade more of this boke but for troubling you He y t lyâ—t to knowe what maye be sayd against priuate masse let hym learne here of y e deuil ynough For here is al that hath yet bene sayde of any other and more to The deuyls derlinges wer ashamed to say halfe so much as their father Sathan lest they shulde be called blasphemous lyers as he is But by this boke Luthers owne confession set forthe in prynt by him selfe to y e world ye maye knowe that the deuyll was the first y t euer barked agaynste y e sacrifice of the churche whiche is the masse knowing that his kyngdome of sinne and iniquitie coulde not stand if this sacrifice most aduersarie to it were not defaced and destroyed But what colour had Luther to publishe this shall we thynke he was so madde as to father that vpoÌ„ the deuyll that he woulde haue persauded for trueth to the worlde I shall tell you shortlye hys fonde deuyse in thys poynte as it foloweth fyue or sixe leaues here after He sayeth he knoweth the deuyl is a lyer but he saieth hys lyes be craftye he vseth to alledge a trueth whyche can not be denied and wyth that to colour hys lye which he persaudeth And therefore sayeth he the deuyll lyeth not when he accuseth as that I had committed horrible Idolatry in sayinge priuate masses but the lye is when he dyd afterwarde tempt him to dispayre of gods mercy But saith Luther I wyll not dispayre as Iudas dyd but amende that I haue done amysse neuer saye priuate masse agayne O what a cloke of mischiefe is this al grounded of lyes and falshode He sayth the deuyll lyeth not when he accuseth If that be true then he sayd true when he saide that Luther being a preacher manye yeares neuer had true fayth in Christ tyl he fel from the masse nor neuer trusted in Christes mercy nor neuer toke hym for a sauiour but a cruell iudge Of this the deuyll dyd accuse him whether he was a lyer herein or no iudge you Also in hys accusation he sayde the body and bloude of Christ wer not present in the sacrament when suche annoyncted priestes dyd consecrate and that they honored onely bread wine with many other damnable lyes and heresyes whiche whoso shall read the boke maye fynde in great plentie and yet by Luthers principle the deuyl neuer lyeth when he accuseth Now because y e tyme is farre past shortly to conclud I shal most humblye beseche you to consider and regarde the saluation of your soules for the whiche Christe Gods sonne hath shed his preciouse bloud which saluation canne not be attayned w toute knowledge confession of gods truth reueled to his holy church by her to euery membre of her childe of god whose sentence and determination is sure certen as procedinge froÌ„ the pyller of trueth the spirite of god by whoÌ„ we be taught and assured in goddes owne word that in y e blessed sacrament of the aulter â–ª by the power of the holy gost working with gods word is verely really present the bodye and bloud of our sauiour Christe vnder the formes of bread wyne whiche is by Christes owne commaundement example offered to almightye god in sacrifice in commemoration of Christes passion and death wherby the membres of the churche in whose fayth it is offered bothe they that be alyue and departed perceyue plentuouse and abundaunt grace and mercye and in al their necessities and calamities releife and succur â–ª Our moste merciful father graunt vs to persist stedfast constant in the true catholike faythe and confession of this most blessed Sacrament and sacrifice and with pure deuotion as he hathe ordayned to vse frequent this holye misterye of vnitie reconsiliation that we maye therby remayne in him and he in vs for euermore To whome be all glorye and prayse wyth out ende AMEN ¶ Imprinted at London in Paules churche yarde at the sygne of the