they calit perfourmed the same and that as in al thynges which he promised he was foūd true so in thys the Catholyke churche hath beleued and doeth beleue no les And therfore so sone as y ◠priest in the masse hath fullye spoken these wordes thys is my body if he purpose or if his intencyō be as he speaketh for that is requisite teach they then y ◠which before was bred and semeth to the eye to be bred is made in rerye dede Chrystes body fleshe bloud and bone euen the selfe same whych was crucifyed rose againe and descended vp into heauen So y ◠he which beleueth not thys is a moste haynous he retyke and cut of from the Catholyke churche and is not mete to receaue thys holy sacrament because he can not wythoute thys fayth of Chrystes natural reall corporal and carnal body vnder the fourme or accident of bred wyne otherwyse receaue thys sacrament then vnworthely and to eternal damnacyon This is a shorte summe of their doctrine concernyng the supper Now concerning the sacrifice they teache that though oure sauyoure hym selfe dyd in dede make a full and perfect sacrifice propiciatorye and satisfactory for the synnes of all the whole world neuer more so that is to say bloudeli to be offred agaie yet in his supper he offred y ◠same sacrifice vnto hys father but vn bloudely that is to say in wyll and desyer whych is accompted often euen for the deed as thys was Whyche vnbloudy sacrifice he commaunded hys church to offer in remembraunce of hys bloudy sacryfyce as the principal meane wherby hys bloudye sacrifice is applyed both to the quick and dead as baptysine is the meane by the whych regene racion is applyed by the prieste to the infaunte or chylde that is baptysed For in that the supper of Chryste is to them not onely a sacramente but also a sacrifyce and that not only applicatorye but also propiciatory because it applyeth the propiciatory sacrifyce of Chryste to whom the pryeste or minister wyll bee he dead or alyue And in that euen from the begynnig the fathers say they were accustomed in the celebracyon of y ◠supper to haue a memorial of the dead ▪ and also in that thys sacrifice is a sacrifice of the whole churche y ◠dead being members of the churche of charitie as they can not but offer for them euen so they can not but pray for them after the en sample of the Catholyke church because it is a wholsome thyng sayeth Iudas Machabeus to pray for the dead that they may be delyuered from theyr synnes Wherevnto all the doctors doe consent say thei Now as for prayeng to saintes they teache that al be it there is but one mediator of Redēpciō yet of intercessyon the holy saits of god departed thys lyfe maye wel be counted mediators And therfore it is a poynt of a lowly hart and humble spirite whiche god wel lyfeth to call vpon the sayntes to pray for vs first lest by our presumpcion to come into gods presence we beeyng so vnworthy and god beyng so excellent and ful of maiestie we more anger and displease god Where as by their helpe god may be intreated to make vs more worthy to come vnto hym and the soner to graunt vs our peticions For if the holye saynctes of God here beeyng vpon the earth coulde would pray for the people obteinyng many thiges at gods hād it is muche more to bee beleued now say they that they can and wyll if we pray to them obteine for vs our humble and godlye desyers And therefore to y e ende ther sacrifice propiciatori which in the masse they offer maye be the more avaylable they vse about it much praying to saintes So of these 4. as of 4. pillours theyr masse standeth The which masse you may se what it is and how precious and worthy a pece of worke it is by theyr doctryne concernynge the supper the sacrifice the praying for the dead to the dead wherof I haue geuen you a Summe in the most honest godly and religious wise that the best of thē doe set it forth in For els if I should haue shewed you thys theyr doctryne as some of them sette it forth as I knowe you would abhorre it so the subtyle papystes would say that I rayled and misreported them Therfore because they shal haue no suche occasyon nor you by their most subtile colours be disceaued I haue in the best maner I canne reported a Summe of theyr doctryne The whyche to the ende you myghte the better consyder and haue I wyll nowe tell you as gods worde teacheth how these foure poyntes are to be beleued and receaued And then wyll I open the fylthines and abomina cyon whyche in thys theyr doctryne is deuellyshly conteined The. 6. Chapter How gods worde teacheth of the supper wyth confutacyon of the Papystes heresie of trāsubst about the same COncernīg y ◠supper of our lorde whych Chryst Iesus did institute to bee a sacrament of hys body bloud we beleue that his wordes in the same supper accordingly are to be vnderstande that is sacramentally as he mēt them and not symply contrarye to hys meanyng as the papistes wrest them And this is taught vs not only by innumerable such lyke places as where baptisme is called regeneracyon beecause it is a sacrament of it circumcision is called gods couenaunt beecause it is a sacrament of it but also by y e playne circumstaunces of y e text as therof the Euangelistes with the Apostle S. Paule doe write playnly affirmyng that our sauyour Chryst did geue and hys disciples did eate that which he toke and brake and bad them deuyde among themselues that is bred and wyne For we maye not thynke that Chrystes natural body was broken nor that his bloud can be deuided And playnly our sauyour sayth concernyng the cupp that he woulde not drynke any more of the frute of the vyne whyche is not hys bloud I trowe but wyne vntyll he shoulde drynke it newe wyth them after hys resurreccyon But to make this mater more playne lyke as many thynges in Chrysts supper were figuratiuely done spoken as y ◠washig of the disciples fete y ◠paschall lābe was called the passyon Iudas was sayd to haue lift vp his hele agaynst hym so doeth Luke and Paul playnly alter the wordes concernyng the cup calling that the new testament whych Matthew and marke cal hys bloude yea expreslye fyue tymes the Apostle calleth the sacramente of Chrysts body after y ◠cōsecraciō spoken as they terme it bred Is not the bred which we breake sayeth he the communyon of Chrystes body Whose exposicion I wil more boldly stycke vnto then vnto all the papistes dreames as long as I slepe not wyth them by gods grace They haue none other sentence but these 4. words this is my body But aske thē what this this
is they wil not saye as y ◠Apostle doth namely that it is bread No then they wyl say that we hang all by reason the mater beynge a mater of fayth Wher as they themselues altogether hang on reason as though Chryst can not be able to doe that which he promiseth bred stil in substaūce remaynyng as the Accidentes doe except it be transubstāciate Is not thys trow you to make it a mater of reason and to hedge gods power in within the limits of reason Yf Chrystes wordes that folowe which is geuē for you be to bee vnderstande for whyche shalbe geuen or shalbe betrayed for you and not so precyselye as they be spoken for that were to make Chryst a lyar why is it so hainous a mater with y e papists because we doe not so precyselye take the wordes immedyatly goyng before namelye thys is my body as to admitte that if there be bred then Chryst is a lyar Myght not we reason and saye then if Christes body at y ◠tyme was not betrayed as in dede it was not nor hys bloud shed thē is Chryst a lyar But here they wyll saye all men may knowe that Chryst by the present tence meante the future tence and in the scrypture it is a most vsual thyng so to take tence for tence And I praye you why maye not we saye that al menne maye know it is most common in scripture to geue vnto signes y ◠nams of the thynges whych they signifye And no man is so foolyshe but he knoweth that Chryst thē instituted a sacrament whole sacramentally to be vnderstande that is that the sygne or visible sacrament shold haue not only y ◠name of the thing signified but also some similitude there with or els it were no sacrament But take bred awaye as the papystes do leauing there but the accidentes onely whych do not feede the bodye and then what shallresēble and represente vnto vs Chrystes body broken for the fode of the soule As wyne com forteth the hart so doth Christs bloud shed on the crosse comfort the soule But take wyne awaye by transubstanciacy on as the papystes doe and tell me what similitude remaineth None at also no sacrament at all so Christs institucion is taken away Wel doe theireiect gods commaundement for their tradicions sake Our fayth therefore is that the supper of the lord is y ◠sacrament of Chrystes bodi bloud These wordes thys is my bodi which is brokē for you this is mi bloud of the new testament whyche is shed for your synnes are moste true words and plaine accordig to Christes meaning to al them whych doe as he byddeth them that is to all suche as take eate and drynke Which wordes the papistes kepe in theyr purse or els theyr priuate masses could not stande To such I say as take and eate thys sacramēt in sorowinge for their synfullyfe past and purposyng to amende aboue al things remembryng and beleuyng that Chrystes bodye was broken for their synnes and his bloud shed for their iniquities all suche I saye as verely as they see take taist and eate bread and drynke wyne whyche goeth into theyr bodi fedeth it and nourisheth it euen so verely the soule spirite by fayth receaueth not onelye Chrystes bodye broken or hys bloud shed for the fleshe profyteth nothyng it is the sprite that quickeneth sayth Christ but euē whole Chryste into whom they are incorporate and made one wyth hym fleshe of hys fleshe and bone of hys bones That is to saye as Chrystes body is immortal and glorious euen so are theirs now by fayth and hope and at the daye of the Lord they shal be in very dede Then whych thyng what can be greater Thys we teache and beeleue concernyng thys sacrament dete styng and abhorryng the horrible error of transubstanciacion whych maketh bread and wyne our God and Chryste and causeth men to be gasers gapers worshyppers yea ydolators rather then takers and eaters as Chryst cōmaundeth and whiche maketh Christs sacrifice of none effect as now shalbe shewed by gods grace For thys shall suffyse to the declaracyon of our faith concerning the Lordes supper whervnto agreeth the Catholik church and al the fathers As full well thou mayst see in the byshop of Canterburyes boke whych is farre from being answered eyther by the byshop of Worceter his boke in english or Marcus 〈◊〉 C. in latyn y ◠thou nedest nomore to confyrme thy fayth in thys mater but to reade them wyth an indifferēt mynd not beyng addict otherwyse thē to the desyer of the trueth As for thys doctryne of transubstanciacyon it is a newe founde thyng about a. 600. yeares olde euen then broughte oute whan Gatā was lattē lose after a. 1000 yeares that was bounde Euen then was it establyshed whan there was more mischefe among the prelates specially the pops about the sea of Rome who cold catche it then euer there was among the emperours for the empyre In the primitiue church popes wer martird for Christs spouses safe that is the church but now one poysoned another and one slew another for y e rose coloured whore of babilōs safe that is y ◠popysh churche In. 160. yeares there was nere hand 50. popes wheras in no such tyme therwer aboue 33. emperours And in the middes of this miserable state tyme thys doctryne of transubstāciacion was the popes beginning as they might haue ley sure frō cōspiring agaynst prynces one agaynst another to establish it as the very principal pilloure of al their power and no meruel For thys beyng admytted then haue they power ouer Chryste the king of al kiges y ◠he be wher they wyll whan they wyl and aslong as they wil vnder their power Where throughe the other must nedes folow y ◠if thei haue power ouer Christe and that in heauē to brig him down at their pleasure Much more thē oueral earth emperours kigs prices people Yea euē ouer y e deuil purgatory and hel haue they full power and iurisdiction being now goddes in earth whyche sytte in the holy place euen as god yea aboue God to make what artycle of fayth shal please them as they haue done thys of transubstanciacion whyche myghte aswel be denied as graunted saith Duns one of their own doctors and master Gabriel also if it so pleased the holy father and his spouse the church of Rome Before thys tyme all the fathers diligence labour and care was to call men to the receauynge of thys sacrament for the cōfirmacion of their fayth that as verelye as they dyd eate bread and drynke wyne here so shold they not doubt but that by fayth thei did fede on the body of Chryst broken for theyr synnes and on hys bloud shed for their iniquytyes And therfore some times wold they call the sacrament bread a figure or a sygne some tyme would they call it the body and bloud of our
sauiour Iesus christ as the nature of sacramentes is to be called with the name of the thynges whyche they doe signifye that there by mens myndes myght be wythdrawne from the consyderacyon of sensyble and visible thynges to thynges heauenly whych they doe sygnyfye and represente And theyr care and crying vnto the people was to receaue it and therfore they made decrees that such as woulde not receaue and be present should be sparred out of the churche O how ernest was ChrysostoÌ„ herein Reade hys 61. homilye vnto the people of Antioche But after that thys decree and doctryne of transubstanciacion came in no crying out hath ther been to receaue it no that is the prerogatyue of the pryestes and shauen shorelynges but altogether the ende of their crying out was as now to beleue transubstanciacion Chryste to bee there fleshe bloud and bone at euerye aulter betwene euerye pryestes handes yea in euerye pryestes mouth whan it pleaseth them bee they neuer so stynkyng fylthy sodomites adulterers dron kardes blasphemers dycers c. The crying and teachyng of the cleargy coÌ„tinually hath bene to beeleue transubstanciacion and then to come to church to se their maker once a dai to hold vp their handes to knock on their brests to streke theyr faces to mutter vp theyr laten prayers to tak holy water and holy bread to lyue in obedyence to the holy father and holye churche hys spouse Thys was all they required Drinke dice carde fight swere steale lye no mater so that in y â— mornyng they see theyr God all is well good catholyke people no man shall hurt them or persecute them But if any man shold not alowe nor worshippe this god of theyr makig although he lyued a most godly life and were a man ful of charitie sobrietye and very religious Oh such is an heretike or schismatyke Nothynge coulde please these wolfes but euen the bloud and lyfe of suche a poore shepe as men haue felte beefore and now begynne to fele Let al the packe of them burden those iustlye whom nowe they imprison and cause to flye the realme of any other thynge then onelye of this that we wyll not serue their god of bread wyne And then wyll we suffer shame But I haue bene to long herein Now to our doctryne and belef for the second poynt concerning Chrystes sacryfice The. 7. Chapter How gods worde teacheth of Chrystes sacryfyce and the popes blasphemye therein reueled 〈…〉 ryne and faith 〈…〉 s behalfe is as in 〈…〉 her that is accor 〈…〉 to gods holiword namely y â— Iesus Christ the sonne of god and seconde Adam by whom we receaue rightuousnes vnto lyfe as by y â— firste Adam we receaued synne vnto death our fayth is I saye that thys Chryst in our fleshe whych he toke of the substaunce of the virgin Mary but pure and with out synne for the satisfyinge of gods â—â—st displeasure deserued by and in our fleshe dyd in the same suffer vniustly all kyndes of miserye and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ryng vp hymselfe vnto hys eternal father wyth a most willing obedyent hart and ready mynd whan he was crucyfyed vpoÌ„ the crosse And therbi as he satisfied gods iustice so he meryted and procured hys mercy peace fauor for al them which either before that tyme were dead either wer at that tyme present either shold afterwarde come and beleue By and in that offeringe done for them and theyr synnes So that god the eternall father I saye woulde be in this their Christe their god and father and not lai their sinnes commytted to their charge to condemnacyon This doctrine the holy scripture teacheth almost eueri wher but specially in y â— Epistle to the Hebrues the. 1. 7. 8. 9. Chapters this is most liuely ser forth how that by one oblacion once offred by this Christ himselfe all that be gods people are sanctified For as in respecte of them that dyed in gods couenaunte and eleccion before Christ suffred his death offered his sacrifice one alone and omnisufficient neuer more to be offred he is called the lambe slayne froÌ„ the begynning of the world and the one alone mediator betwene god and man whose forth commyng was froÌ„ the begynnyng Euen so in respect of the vertue and efficacie of this one sacrifice to al gods people continually vnto the worlds ende the holy ghoste doeth tell vs that therby he hath made holy suche as be children of saluacion And sayth not shall make holy or doth make holye leste any manne shoulde wyth the papistes in dede reiterate thys sacrifice agayne Although in wordes they saye otherwyse as anone we shall see if herevnto I shewe you the meane whereby to applye thys sacrifice whyche I wil do verye brefely For in the. 17. of S. John our sauiour doth very playnly shew thys in these wordes for theyr sakes sayeth he I sanctyfye my selfe that they also myghte bee sanctyfyed through the trueth I praye not for them alone but for those also whych shal beleue on me throughe theyr preaching Here our sauiour applyeth hys sacrifice in teachynge and prayeng for them And as he teacheth them as ministers to doe the like that is to preache and praye for the applycacyon of hys sacryfyce to y â— churche so doeth he teache them and al the churche to applye it vnto themselues by beleuyng it and by fayth The whyche thing the Apostle S. Paule in manye places but most playnlye in the seconde to the Corinthyans the fift chapter in the later end doth teache Reade it and se So that now as ye haue Chrystes one only sacrifice whych he hymselfe on the crosse offred once as sufficient for all that doe beleue and neuer more to bee reiterated so haue you that for the applyinge of it to hys church the ministers shoulde preache and praye that theyr preachyng myght be effectuall in Chryst And as Paul was ready him selfe to suffer death for the confirmacion of the fayth of the elect so shoulde the churche and eueri member of the same which is of yeares of discrecion by beleuyng in Chryste throughe the ministers preachyng apply it to themselues As for infauntes I nede not in thys case to speake of godes eleccion It is moste certayne Thys kynde of applyinge as it killeth y â— papistical priests whych hate not the deuil worse then true preachyng so doeth it cast down al their soale massing and foolish foundacioÌ„s for such as be dead and past the ministerie of godes worde And also it pulleth awaye the opinion of opus operatuÌ„ and of perseueraÌ„ce in impietie from such as would enioye the benefite of Chrystes death The. 8. Chapter ¶ Of praying for the dead the true doctryne NOw as concerninge the thirde that is of prayeng for the dead and sacrificing for them as in the other we confesse teache and beleue accordynge to gods worde so doe we in this Namely that in holy scripture thorow out the Canonical bokes of the olde and newe testament we