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A16573 The complaynt of veritie, made by Iohn Bradford. An exhortacion of Mathewe Rogers, vnto his children. The complaynt of Raufe Allerton and others, being prisoners in Lolers tower, & wrytten with their bloud, how god was their comforte. A songe of Caine and Abell. The saieng of maister Houper, that he wrote the night before he suffered, vppon a wall with a cole, in the newe In, at Gloceter, and his saiyng at his deathe Bradford, John, 1510?-1555.; Rogers, Matthew. Instruction of a father to his children.; Allerton, Ralph. A lamentable complaynt of the afflicted, unto god our onely healper.; Allerton, Ralph. A briefe rehersal of parte of the aucthours trouble, entituled God is my comforte.; Allerton, Ralph. Songe of the poore prisoners in Lolers tower.; Hooper, John, d. 1555. Wordes of Maister Houper at his death.; Hooper, John, d. 1555. These are the wordes that Maister John Houper wrote on the wall with a cole, in the newe inne in Gloceter, the night before he suffered. 1559 (1559) STC 3479; ESTC S112643 64,740 174

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to come againe of the Lords Supper I am purposed presently to speake through the helpe of God because wee are assembled in Christ I hope to celebrate the same Now that the things which I shall speake may bee better obserued and caried away of you I will tell you how and in what sort I will speake of it Thrée things would I haue marked as the principals and scopes whereto I wil referre all that I shall at this time speake thereof They be these Who what and wherefore That is to make it more plaine Who did institute this thing which we are about to celebrate this is the first The second is What the thing is which is instituted And the last is Wherefore and to what end it was instituted whereby we shall be taught how to vse it For the first Who did institute this Sacrament and Supper You all doe know that things are more estéemed sometime for the dignitie and authoritie of the person sometime for the wisedome of the person sometime for the power and magnificence of the person and sometime for the tender loue and kindnesse of the person If néed were I could by examples set forth euery one of these but I hope it is not necessary Now then how can the thing which wée bée about to celebrate but bée estéemed of euery one highly in that the Author of it doth want no dignitie no authoritie no wisdome no power no magnificence no holinesse no tender loue and kindnesse but hath all dignitie authoritie wisedome power magnificence holines tender loue mercie glory and all that can be wished absolutely Hee is GOD eternall coequall and substantiall with the Father and with the holy Ghost the Image of the substance of GOD the wisedome of the Father the brightnesse of his glorie by whome all things were made are ruled and gouerned He is the King of all Kings and the Lord of all Lords He is the Messias of the world our most deare and louing brother Sauiour Mediatour Aduocate Intercessour Husband Priest So that the thing which commeth from him cannot but bee estéemed loued and embraced if dignitie authoritie wisdome power glory goodnes and mercie like vs. Yea if any thing that can bee wished like vs then cannot this which our Lord did institute but like vs and that so much the more by how much it is one of the last things which hee did institute command God open our eyes to sée these things accordingly so shall we come with more reuerence to this Table of the Lord which thing hee graunt for his mercies sake Amen And thus much for the first who did institute this Sacrament Nowe to the second What the Sacrament is If we shall aske our eyes our nose our mouth our taste our hands and the reason of man they will all make a consonant answere that it is bread and wine And verely héerein they speake the trueth and lye not as by many things may bee proued although the papists prate their pleasure to the contrary And here my dearely beloued I thinke I shall not bee either tedious or vnprofitable vnto you if that I tary a litle in shewing this veritie that the substaunce of bread and wine remaine in the Sacrament after the wordes of consecration as they call them be spoken Whereby we may learne howe shamelesse beastes they bee which would enforce men to beleeue Transubstantiation which is an errour whereupon in a manner dependeth all Poperie For it is the stay of their Priesthood which is neither after the order of Aaron nor after y e order of Melchisedech but after the order of Baal which thing is something séene by their number For the false Prophets and Priestes of Baal were alwaies many moe in number when the wicked were in authoritie then the true Priests and Prophets of the Lorde as the holy Hystories of the Bible doe teach Reade the third of the Kings the 18. Chap. That in the Supper of the Lorde or in the Sacrament of Christes body which the Papists call the Sacrament of the Altar as though that were Christs Sacrament which thing they can neuer prooue For it béeing peruerted and vsed to a contrary end as of sacrificing propitiatorily for the sinnes of the quicke and of the dead of Idolatrie by adoring or worshipping it by godly honour c. is no more Christs Sacrament but an horrible prophanation of it and therefore as Christ called Gods Temple which was called an house of prayer for the abusing and prophaning of it by the Priests a denne of Théeues so this which the Papists call the Sacrament of the Altar full truely may wee call an abominable Idoll And therefore I would all men should know that the Sacrament of the Altar as the Papists now doe abuse it omitting certayne substantial points of the Lords institution and putting in the stead thereof their owne dregs dreames is not the Sacrament of Christs body nor the Lords Supper whereof when wee speake reuerently as our duetie is wée would not that men should thinke wee speake it of the popish Masse that I say in the Supper of the Lord or in the Sacrament of Christs body there remaineth the substance of bread and Wine as our senses and reasons doe teach these many things also doe teach the same First the holy Ghost doth plainely tell vs by calling it often bread after the words of Consecration as 1. Corinthians 10. Is not the bread which we breake a partaking of the body of Christ sayth Paul Loe plainely he saith The bread which we breake Not onely calling it bread but adding thereto breaking which cannot be attributed eyther to Christs body whereof no bone was broken eyther to any accident but must needs bee of a substance which substance if it bee not Christs body cannot be but bread As in the 11. Chapter foure times hee plainely calleth it Hee that eateth of this bread Hee that receiueth this bread c. And in the Acts of the Apostles we reade how that in speaking of the Communion They mette together to breake bread c. So that it is plaine that the substance of Bread and Wine doe remayne in the Supper after the woords of Consecration As also may appeare plainely by Christs owne words which calleth that which hée gaue them in the cuppe Wine or the fruite of the Vine as both Matthew Marke doe write Whereby we sée that there is no Transsubstantiation of the Wine and therefore may we also sée that there is no Transsubstantiation of the bread As for the Papists cauilling howe that it hath the name of bread because it was bread as Simon the Leper was called still Leprous though he was healed or as Moses Rod being turned into a Serpent was called a Rodde still it prooueth nothing For there was in the one a plaine sight and the senses certified that Simon was no Leper and in the other plaine mention that the Rod was turned
into a Serpent But concerning the Sacrament neyther the senses sée any other thing then bread neyther is there any mention made of turning And therefore their cauill is plainly séene to be but a cauill and of no force But to come againe to bring moe reasons against Transsubstantiation Secondly that the substance of bread remayneth still the very text doeth teach For the Euangelists and the Apostle Saint Paul doe witnesse that Christ gaue that to his disciples and called it his body which hee tooke on which hee gaue thanks and which hee brake but he tooke bread gaue thanks on bread and broke bread Ergo he gaue bread and called bread his body as he called the Cuppe the new Testament So that it followeth by this that there is no Transubstantiation And this reason I my selfe haue promised in writing to prooue by the authoritie of the Fathers namely Ireneus Tertullian Origine Ciprian Epiphanius Hieronimus Augustinus Theodorete Cirill Bede if so bee I may haue the vse of my bookes Thirdly that in the Sacrament there is no Transubstantiation of the bread by this reason I doe prooue Like as by our sauiour Christ the Spirit of trueth spake of the bread This is my body So sayth the same spirit of trueth of the same bread That wee many are one body and one bread c. So that as it appeareth the Sacrament not to bee in the Church by Transubstantiation euen so is it not Christs naturall body by Transubstantiation Fourthly I prooue that there is no Transsubstantiation by Luke and Pauls wordes spoken ouer the Cuppe For no lesse are they effectuall to Transsubstantiate the Cup then their words spoken of the bread are operatorious and mighty to Transsubstantiate the bread For as they say of the bread This is my body so say they of the Cup This Cup is the new Testament Which thing is absurde to bee spoken or thought eyther of the Cup or of the thing in the Cup by Transsubstantiation Yea rather in saying these wordes This Cup is the new Testament wee are taught by their coupling this worde Cup to the demonstratiue This how we should in these wordes This is my body knowe that this word This doeth there demonstrate bread Fiftly that the substance of bread remaineth in the Sacrament as the reasons before brought foorth do prooue so doth the definition of a Sacrament For the Fathers doe affirme it to consist of an earthly thing and of an heauenly thing of the word and of the element of sensible things and of things which bee perceiued by the minde But Trāssubstantiation taketh cleane away y e earthly thing the element the sensible thing and so maketh it no Sacrament And therefore the definition of a Sacrament full well teatheth that bread which is the earthly thing the sensible thing and the element remaineth still as saint Augustine saith The worde commeth to the element he sayth not taketh away the element and so it is made a Sacrament Sixtly the nature and propertie of a Sacrament teacheth this also which I haue affirmed For as Cyprian writeth that Sacraments beare the names of the things which they signifie so doeth saint Augustine teach that if Sacraments haue not some signification with the things where of they be Sacramentes then are they no Sacraments Now in the Lordes supper this similitude is first in nourishing y t as bread nourisheth the body so Christs body broken feedeth the soule Secondly in bringing together many into one that as in y e Sacrament many graines of Corne are made one bread many Grapes are made one lyquour and Wine so the multitude which worthily receiue the Sacrament are made one body with Christ and his Church Last of all in one vnlikely likelinesse or similitude that as bread eaten turneth into our nature so we rightly eating the Sacrament by faith turne into the nature of Christ So that it is plaine to them that wil sée that to take the substance of bread away is cleane against the nature and propertie of a Sacrament I will speake nothing how that this their doctrine of Transubstantiation beside the manifold absurdities it hath in it which to rehearse I omit it vtterly ouerthroweth the vse of the Sacrament and is cleane cōtrary to the end wherefore it was instituted so is no longer a Sacrament but an Idoll and is the cause of much Idolatrie conuerting the peoples hearts from an heauenly conuersation to an earthly and turning the Communion into a priuate action and a matter of gazing and piping of adoring and worshipping the worke of mens hands for the liuing God which dwelleth not in Temples made with mens hands much lesse lyeth he in Pixes and Chests whose true worshippe is in spirit and veritie which God graunt vs all to render vnto him continually Amen The Sacrament of Baptisme doth also teach vs that as the substance of the water remaineth there so in the Lords Supper remaineth the substance of bread after consecration For as by Baptisme we are engraffed into Christ so by the Supper we are fedde with Christ These two Sacraments the Apostle gladly coupleth together 1. Cor. 10. and 1. Cor. 12. Wee are baptized into one body sayth hee and haue drunke all of one spirit meaning it by the Cuppe as Chrysostome and other great learned men doe well interprete it As therefore in Baptisme is giuen vnto vs the holy Ghost and pardon of our sinnes which yet lie not lurking in the water so in the Lords Supper is giuen vnto vs the Communion of Christs bodie and bloud that is grace forgiuenesse of sinnes innocencie life immortalitie without any Transubstantiation or including of the same in the bread By Baptisme the old man is put off and the new man put on yea Christ is put on but without Transubstantiating the water And euen so it is in the Lords Supper Wee by fayth spiritually in our soules doe féed on Christs body broken do eate his flesh and drinke his blood doe dwell in him and he in vs but without Transsubstantiation As for the cauill they make that we are baptized into one body meaning thereby the mysticall body not the naturall body of Christ whereby they would enforce that wee are fed with the naturall body of Christ but wée are not ingraffed into it but into the mysticall body and so put away the reason aforesaid As for this cauill I say wee may soone auoyde it if so bee that we will consider how that Christ which is the head of the mysticall body is not separate from the body and therefore to be ingraffed to the mysticall body is to bée ingraffed into the naturall bodie of Christ to bée a member of his flesh and bones of his bones as Pope Leo full wel doeth witnesse in saying that Corpus regenerati fit caro crucifixi The body sayth hée of the regenerate is made the flesh of Christ crucified And
signifie onely and signes which also doe represent confirme and seale vp or as a man may say giue with their signification As for an example An Iuie bush is a signe of Wine to be sold the budding of Aarons Rod did signifie Aarons Priesthood allowed of the Lord the reseruation of Moses Rod did signifie the rebellion of the children of Israel the stones taken out of Iordane Gedeons fléece of wooll c. Such as these be signes significatiue and shew no gift But in the other signes which some call exhibitiue is there not onely a signification of the thing but also a declaration of a gift yea in a certaine manner a giuing also As Baptisme signifieth not onely the cleansing of the conscience from sinne by the merits of Christs blood but also is a very cleansing from sinne And therefore it was sayd to Paul that he should arise and wash away his sinnes and not that hee should arise and take onely a signe of washing away his sinnes In the Lords Supper the bread is called a partaking of the Lords body and not onely a bare signe of the Lords body This I speake not as though the elements of these Sacraments were Transsubstantiate which I haue already impugned eyther as though Christs body were in bread or wine eyther were tyed to the elements otherwise then Sacramentally and spiritually eyther that the bread and wine may not and must not bee called Sacramentall and externall signes but that they might be discerned from significatiue and bare signes onely and bee taken for signes exhibitiue and representiue By this meanes a Christian conscience will call and estéeme the bread of the Lord as the body of Christ For it will neuer estéeme the Sacraments of Christ after their exterior appearance but after the words of Christ Whereof it commeth that the Fathers as Chrysostome and others doe speake with so full a mouth when they speake of the Sacrament for their respect was to Christs words If the Schoolemen which followed had the same spirit which they had then would they neuer haue consented to Transsubstantiation For with great admiration some of the Fathers doe say that the bread is changed or turned into the body of Christ and the wine into his blood meaning it of a mutation or change not corporall but spirituall figuratiue Sacramentall or mystical For now it is no common bread nor common wine béeing ordained to serue for the foode of the soule The Schoolemen haue vnderstood it as the Papists now preach of a substantiall changing as though it were no great miracle that common bread should now bee assumed into that dignitie that it should be called Christs body and serue for a celestiall foode and be made a Sacrament of his body and blood As before therefore I haue spoken I would wish that this Sacrament should be estéemed called of vs Christian men after Christs words namely Christs body and the wine Christs blood rather then otherwise Not that I meane any other presence of Christs body then a presence of grace a preseruer to Faith a presence spiritually and not corporally really naturally and carnally as the Papists doe meane For in such sort Christs body is onely in heauen on the right hand of God the Father almightie whither our faith in the vse of the Sacrament ascendeth and receyueth whole Christ accordingly Yea but one will say that to call the Sacrament on that sort is to giue an occasion of Idolatrie to the people which will take the Sacrament which they see simply for Christs bodie as by experience wée are well taught and therefore it were better to call it bread and so lesse harme should be especially in this age To this obiection I answer that indéed great Idolatrie is committed to and about this Sacrament and therefore men ought as much as they can to auoyd from occasioning or confirming it But in as much as the holy Ghost is wiser then man and had foresight of the euils that might bee and yet notwithstanding doth call it Christs bodie I thinke wee should doe euill if we should take vpon vs to reforme his spéech If Ministers did their dueties in Catechizing and Preaching then doubtlesse to call the Sacrament Christs body and to estéeme it accordingly could not giue occasion to Idolatrie and confirme it Therefore woe vnto them that preach not There bee two euils about the Sacraments which to auoyde the holy Ghost hath taught vs For least we should with the Papistes thinke Christes body present in or with the bread really naturally and corporally to be receiued with our bodily mouth where there is no other presence of Christes body then spirituall and to the faith in many places he kéepeth still the name of bread as in the Epistle to the Corinthians the tenth and eleuenth Chapters And least we should make too light of it making it but a bare signe and no better then common bread the holy Ghost calleth it Christes body whose spéech I wish we would followe and that not onely as well to auoyde the euill which is now a dayes most to be feared concerning the Sacrament I meane of contemning it as also for that no faithfull man commeth to the Sacrament to receiue bread simply but rather yea altogether to communicate with Christes body and blood For else to eate and drinke as Paul saith they haue houses of their owne The contempt of the Sacrament in the dayes of King Edward hath caused these plagues vpon vs presently the Lorde bee mercifull vnto vs. Amen And thus much for the obiection of calling the Sacrament by the name of Christes body What saith one to cal the Sacrament Christs body and to make none other presence then by grace or spiritually to faith which is of things hoped for and of things which to the bodily sences doe not appeare is to make no presence at all or to make him none otherwise present then hee is in his worde when it is preached and therefore what neede wée to receiue the Sacrament in as much as by this doctrine a man may receiue him dayly in the fielde as well and as much as in the Church in the celebration and vse of the Sacrament To this obiection I first answere that in deede neither the Scripture nor Christian Faith will giue vs leaue to make any carnall reall naturall corporall or any such grosse presence of Christs naturall body in the Sacrament For it is in Heauen and the Heauens must haue it as sayeth Pete● till Christes comming to iudgement except wée would denie the humanitie of Christ and the veritie of mans nature in him The presence therefore which wee beléeue and confesse is such a presence as reason knoweth not and the world cannot learn nor any that looketh in this matter with other eyes or heareth with other eares thē with the eares and eyes of the Spirit and of Faith Which Faith though it bee of things hoped for and so of things
true penance cannot bée without Or if by Satisfaction they had meant a new life to make amendes to the Congregation thereby as by their euill life they did offend the Congregation in which sence the Apostle séemeth to take that which he writeth in 2. Corin. 7. where the old Interpreter calleth Apologian Satisfaction which rather signifieth a defence or answering againe If I say they had takē Satisfaction any of these wayes then they had done well so that the Satisfaction to God had béene left all onely to Christ Againe if they had made Confession eyther for that which is to God priuately eyther for that which is to the Congregation publiquely eyther for that which is a frée consultation with some one learned in Gods booke and appointed thereunto as first it was vsed and I wish were now vsed amongst vs either for y e which is a reconciliation of one to another it had béene some thing yea if they had made it for faith because it is a true demonstration of faith as in Paul we may sée when hée calleth Christ the Captaine of our Confession that is of our faith and so Confessors were called in the Primitiue Church such as manfully did witnes their faith with the peril of their liues if I say they had taken it thus then had they done right well And so Contrition if they had left out their subtill distinction betwéene it and attrition by this word iust or full making it a heartie sorrow for their sinnes then wée would neuer haue cryed out against them therefore For we say penance hath thrée parts Contrition if you vnderstand it for a hearty sorrowing for sinne Confession if you vnderstand it for faith of frée pardon in Gods mercie by Iesus Christ and Satisfaction if you vnderstand it not to God-wards for that onely to Christ must be left alone but to manward in restitution of goods wr●ngfully or fraudulently gotten of name hindred by our slaunders and in newnesse of life although as I sayd before and anon will shew more plainely by Gods grace that this last is no part of penance in déed but a playne effect or fruit of true penanes I might héere bring in examples of their penance how perilous it is to bee embraced but let the example of their graund Sire Iudas serue in whome we sée all the parts of their penance as they describe it and yet notwithstanding hee was damned He was sorie enough as the effect shewed hee had their contrition fully out of the which he confessed his fault saying I haue betrayed innocent blood and thereunto hée made satisfaction restoring the money hee had receyued But yet all was but lost hée hanged vp himselfe his bowels burst out and he remaineth a child of perdition for euer I would wish that this example of Iudas in whom yée sée the parts of their penance contrition confession and satisfaction would mooue them to penance and to describe it a little better making hope or trust of Gods frée mercie a piece thereof or else with Iudas they will marre all Perchance these words contrition confession and satisfaction were vsed as I haue expounded them at the first But in that wee sée so much daunger and hurt by vsing them without expositions eyther let vs ioyne to them open expositions alwayes or else let vs not vse them at all but say as I write that penance is a hearty sorrow for our sinnes a good hope or trust of pardon through Christ which is not without an earnest purpose to amend or a new life This penance is the thing whereto all the Scripture calleth vs. This penance doe I now call you all vnto this must bée continually in vs and not for a Lent season as we haue thought this must increase dayly more and more in vs without this we cannot be saued Search therefore your heartes all all swearers blasphemers lyers flatterers baudy or idle talkers iesters bribers couetous persons drunkardes gluttons whoremongers théeues murtherers slanderers idle liuers negligent in their vocation c. All such and all other as lament not their sinnes as hope not in Gods mercie for pardon and purpose not heartily to amend to leaue their swearing drunkennes whoredome couetousnesse idlenes c. All such I say shall not or cannot enter into Gods kingdome but hell fire is prepared for them wéeping and gnashing of téeth whereunto alas I feare me very many will néeds goe in that very many will be as they haue bin let vs euen to the wearing of our tongue to the stumpes preach and pray neuer so much to the contrary and that euen in y e bowels of Iesus Christ as now I beseech you all all all and euery mothers child to repent and lament your sinne to trust in Gods mercie and to amend your liues Now me thinks ye are somewhat astonied whereby I gather that presently you desire this Repentance that is this sorrow good hope and newnesse of life The which that you may the rather attaine and get to your comforts as I haue gone about to be a meane to stirre vp in you by Gods grace this desire of Repentance so through the same grace of God will I goe about now to shew you how you may haue your desire in this behalfe And first concerning this part namely sorrow for your sinnes and hearty lamenting of the same For this if you desire the hauing of it you must beware that you thinke not that of your selues or of your owne frée will by any means you can get it You may easily deceiue your selues and mocke your selues thinking more of your selues then is séemely All good things and not péeces of good things but all good things sayth Saint Iames come from God the Father of light If therefore penance be good as it is good then the parts of it be good From God therefore do they come and not of our frée will It is the Lord that mortifieth that bringeth downe that humbleth saith the Scripture in sundry places After thou haddest stricken my thigh saith Ieremie I was ashamed Loe he sayth After thou haddest stricken me therefore prayeth hee euen in the last words almost hée writeth Turne vs O Lord and we shall be turned The which thing Dauid vseth very often Wherefore first of all if thou wouldest haue this part of penance as for the whole because it is Gods gift so for this part goe thou vnto God make some little prayer as thou canst vnto his mercy for the same in this or like sort Merciful Father of our Sauiour Iesus Christ because I haue sinned done wickedly and through thy goodnesse haue receyued a desire of Repentance whereto this thy long sufferance doth draw my hard heart I beséech thée for thy mercies sake in Christ to worke the same Repentance in me and by thy spirite power and grace so to humble mortifie and feare my conscience for my sinnes to saluation that in thy good
time thou mayst comfort and quicken me againe through Iesus Christ thy déerely beloued Sonne Amen After this sort I say or otherwise as thou thinkest good if thou wilt haue this first part Contrition or sorrow for thy sins do thou beg it of God through Christ And when thou hast asked it as I haue laboured to driue thée frō trusting in thy selfe so now I go about to moue thée from flattering of thy selfe from sluggishnes negligence to be diligent to vse these meanes following Vnto prayer which I would thou shouldest first vse as thou canst secondly get thée Gods Law as a glasse to toot in for in it and by it commeth the true knowledge of sinne without which knowledge there can be no sorrow For how can a man sorrow for his sins which knoweth not his sinnes As when a man is sicke the first step to health is to know his sicknesse euen so to saluation the first step is to know thy damnation due for thy sinnes The Law of God therefore must be gotten and well tooted in that is we must looke in it spiritually not corporally or carnally as the outward word or letter dooth declare and vtter and so our Sauiour teacheth vs in Matthew expounding the sixte and seuenth commandements not onely after the outward déede but also after the heart making the●e the anger of the heart a kind of murther lusting after an other mans wife a kind of adulterie And this is one of the differences betwéene Gods Law and mans law that of this mans law I meane I am not contemnable so long as I obserue outwardly the same But Gods Law goeth to the roof and to the heart condemning mee for the inward motion although outwardly I liue most holily As for example If I kill no man though in my heart I hate mans law condemneth mee not but otherwise doth Gods law And why for it seeeth the fountaine whence the euil doth spring If hatred were taken out of the heart then loftinesse in looks detraction in tongue and murther by hand could neuer ensue If lusting were out of the heart curiositie in countenance wantonnesse in words baudy boldnesse in body would not appeare In that therefore this outward euill springs out of the inward corruption séeing Gods Law also is a Law of libertie as saith saint Iames and spirituall as saith ●aint Paul perfectly and spiritually it is to ●e vnderstood if we will truely come to the ●nowledge of our sinnes For of this ●nward corruption reason knoweth but ●ittle or nothing I had not knowen saith Paul that lusting which to reason and ●o them which are guided onely by reason ●s thought but a trifle I had not knowen sayth he this lusting to haue béene sinne ●f the Law had not sayd Non concupisces Thou shalt not lust To the knowledge therefore of our sinne without which we cannot repent or bée sorte for our sinne let vs secondly get vs Gods Law as a glasse to toote in and that not onely literally outwardly or partly but also spiritually inwardly throughly Let vs consider the heart and so shall we sée the foule spots we are stained withall at least inwardly whereby we the rather may bee moued to hearty sorrow and sighing For as Saint Austine sayth it is a glasse which feareth no body but euen looke what a one thou art so it painteth thée out In the Law wee sée it is a foule spotte not to loue the Lord our God with all I say our heart soule power might and strength and that continually In the Law it is a foule spot not onely to make to our selues any grauen Image or similitude to bowe thereto c. but also no● to frame our selues wholy after the Image whereto we are made not to bowe to it to worship it In the Law we sée that it is a foule spot not onely to take Gods name in vaine but also not earnestly heartily and euen continually to call vpon his name onely to giue thanks vnto him onely to beléeue to publish and liue in his holy word In Gods Law wee sée it is a foule spot to our soules not onely to bée an open prophaner of the Sabboth day but also not to rest from our owne woords and works that the Lorde might both speake and woorke in vs and by vs not to heare his holy woord not to communicate his Sacraments not to giue occasion to others to holinesse by our example in godly works and reuerent estéeming of the ministerie of his woord In Gods Law we sée it is a foule spot to our soules not onely to be an open disobeyer of our Parents Magistrates Masters and such as bee in any authoritie ouer vs ●at also not to honour such euen in our ●earts not to giue thankes to GOD for ●em not to pray for them to ayd to helpe ● relieue them to beare with their infir●ities c. In Gods Law we sée it is a foule spot in ●ur soules not onely to be a manqueller in ●atred malice proud looks brags backe●iting rayling or bodily slaughter but al●o not to loue our neighbours yea our enemies euen in our hearts and to declare ●he same in all our gestures woords and works In Gods law we sée it a foule spot to our soules not onely to bee a whoremonger in lusting in our hearts in wanton looking in vncleane and wanton talking in actuall dooing vnhonestly with our neighbours wife daughter seruant c. But also not to be chast sober temperate in heart lookes tongue apparel déeds and to helpe others thereunto accordingly c. In Gods Law wee sée it is a foule spot to our soules not onely in heart to couet in looke or woord to flatter lye colour c. in déede to take away any thing which pertayneth to an other but also in heart countenance word and déede not t● kéepe ▪ saue and defend that which pe●taineth to thy neighbour as thou woulde● thine owne In Gods Law wee may sée it a foul● spot not onely to lie or beare false witness● against any man but also not to haue as great care ouer thy neighbours name as ouer thine owne Sinne in Gods Law it is we may sée and a foule spot not onely to consent to euill lust or carnall desires but euen the very naturall or carnall lustes and desires themselues for so I may call them nature it selfe being now so corrupted are sinne and selfe-loue and many such like By reason whereof I trow there is none that tooteth wel therein but though he be blamelesse to the world and faire to the shew yet certainly inwardly his face is foule arayed and so shamefull saucie mangie pockie and scabbed that he cannot but be sorie at the contemplation thereof that so much more by how much he continueth to looke in this glasse accordingly And thus much concerning the second meane to the stirring vp of sorrow for our sinne that next vnto prayer wée should ●ofe in Gods law
héereto I could adde some reasons for y e excellency of Baptisme I tro●e it bée more to bee gotten then to be nourished As for the excellent miracle of the patefaction of the Trinitie and the descending of the holy Ghost in Baptisme in ●visible forme the like whereto was not seene in the Lordes Supper I will omitte to speake of ●urther then that I would you should knowe howe it were no mastery to set foorth the excellencie of this Sacrament as well as of the Supper It is a plaine signe of Antichrist to deny the substance of bread and wine to bée in the Lordes Supper after consecration For in so dooing and graunting Transsubstantiation the propertie of the humane nature of Christ is denied For it is not of the humane nature but of the diuine nature to bée in many places at once As Didymus De spiritu sancto doeth prooue thereby the diuinitie of the holy Ghost Now grant Transsubstantiation and then Christes naturall body must needes bee in many places which is nothing else but to confound the two natures in Christ or to deny Christs humane nature which is the selfe same that Saint Iohn saith to deny Christ to be come in the flesh And this who so doeth by the testimonie of Saint Iohn is an Antichrist in his so doing whatsoeuer otherwise he doe prate Reade Saint Augustine in his Epistle to Dardanus and his 50. and 30. Treatise vpon Saint Iohn and easily you shall sée how that Christs body must néeds bee in one place Oportet in vno loco esse But his trueth is in all places If there bee no substance of bread in the Sacrament but Transubstantiation then Christs bodie is receyued of the vngodly and eaten with their téeth which is not onely against S. Augustine calling this spéech Except you eate the flesh of the sonne of man c. A figuratiue spéech but also against the plaine Scriptures which affirme them to dwell in Christ and Christ in them and they to haue euerlasting life that eate him which the wicked haue not although they eate the Sacrament Hee that eateth of this bread sayth Christ shall liue for euermore Therefore they eate not Christs bodie but as Paul saith they eate in iudgement and damnation which I trow be an other manner of thing then Christs body And this doth saint Augustine affirme saying None do eat Christs body which is not in the body of Christ that is as he expoūdeth it in whō Christ dwelleth not he in Christ Which thing the wicked doe not because they want faith and the holy Spirite which be the meanes whereby Christ is receiued To the things which I haue brought héerefoorth to improue Transubstantiation I could bring in the Fathers to confirme the same which succeeded continually many hundreth yéeres after Christ Also I could shew that Transubstantiation is but a newe doctrine not established before Sathan which was tyed for a thousand yéeres was letten loose Also I could shewe that euer hitherto since it was established in all times it hath bene resisted and spoken against Yea before this doctrine the Church was nothing so endowed with goods landes and possessions as it hath béene since It hath brought no small gaine no small honour no small ease to the Cleargie and therefore no maruaile though they striue and fight for it It is their Maozim it is their Helena GOD destroy it with the breath of his mouth as shortly he will for his names sake Amen If time would serue I could and would heere tell you of the absurdities which come by this doctrine but for times sake I must omit it Onely for Gods sake see this that this their doctrine of Transsubstantiation is an vntrueth already I haue proued and forget not that it is the whole stay of all Poperie and the pillar of their Priesthood whereby Christs Priesthood Sacrifice Ministerie Trueth is letted yea peruerted and vtterly ouerthrowne GOD our Father in the blood of his Sonne Christ open the eyes and minds of all our Magistrates all other that beare the name of Christ to sée to it in time to GODS glory and their owne saluation Amen Now to returne to the second matter what the Sacrament is you sée that to the senses and reason of man it is bread and wine Which is most true as by the scriptures and otherwise I haue already proued and therefore away with Transsubstantiation But héere least wee should make it no Sacrament for a Sacrament consisteth of two things and least a man should by this gather that wee make it none other thing but bare bread and a naked signe and so rayle at their pleasure on vs saying How can a man be guiltie of the body and blood of Christ by vnworthy receiuing of it if it be but bare bread so forth For this purpose I will now speake a litle more héereabout by GODS grace to stoppe their mouthes and to stirre vp your good hearts more to the worthy estimation and perception of this holy mysterie When a louing friend giueth to thée a thing or sendeth to thee a token as for an example a napkin or such like I thinke thou doest not as thou shouldest do if that with the thing thou considerest not the mind of thy friend that sendeth or giueth the thing and according thereunto estéemest and receyuest it And so of this bread thinke I that if thou doe not rather consider the mind of thy louer Christ then the thing which thou séeest yea if thou doe not altogether consider Christs mind thou dealest vnhonestly and strumpetlike with him For it is the propertie of strumpets to consider the things giuen and sent them rather then the loue and mind of the giue● sender whereas the true louers doe not consider in any poynt the things giuen or sent but the mind of the partie So wee if we bee true louers of Christ must not consider barely the outwarde thing which we see and our senses perceiue but rather altogether we must and should sée consider the minde of Christ and héereafter and accordingly to it to estéeme the Sacrament But how shall we know the minde of Christ Forsooth as a mans minde is best knowen by his word so by Christs worde shall we know his minde Now his words bee manifest and most plaine This saith he is my body therefore accordingly should we estéeme take and receiue it If he had spoken nothing or if he had spoken doubtfully then might we haue béene in some doubt But in that he speaketh so plainely saying This is my body who can may or dare be so bolde as to doubt of it He is the trueth and can not lye hee is omnipotent and can doe all things therefore it is his body This I beleeue this I confesse and pray you all heartily to beware of these and such like wordes that it is but a signe or a figure of his body Except yee will discerne betwixt signes which
absent to the corporall sences yet this absence is not an absence in déede but to reason and the olde man the nature of Faith beeing a possession of things hoped for Therefore to graunt a presence to Faith is not to make no presence at all but to such as know not Faith And this the Fathers taught affirming Christ to bée present by grace and therefore not onely a signification but also an exhibition and giuing of the Grace of Christes body that is of life and of the séede of immortalitie as Cyprian writeth Wée eate life and drinke life sayth Saint Augustine We féele a presence of the Lord by Grace or in Grace sayth Chrysostome We receiue the celestiall foode that commeth from aboue saith Athanasius We receiue the propertie of the naturall coniunction and knitting together sayth Hillarius Wee receiue the nature of the flesh the blessing that giueth life in bread and Wine sayth Cyrillus And elsewhere hee sayth that with the bread and Wine we eate the vertue of Christs proper flesh life grace the propertie of the body of the onely begotten sonne of God which thing he himselfe expoundeth to be life Basilius sayth that we by the Sacrament receiue the mysticall Aduent of Christ grace and the very vertue of his very nature Ambrose saith that we receiue the Sacrament of the true body Epiphanius sayth we receiue the body or grace And Hierome sayth that wee receiue spirituall flesh which hee calleth other flesh then that which was crucified Chrisostome saith that wee receiue influence of grace and the grace of the holy Ghost Saint Augustine sayth that we receiue grace and veritie the inuisible grace and holinesse of the members of Christes body All the which sayings of the Fathers doe confirme this our faith and doctrine of the Sacrament wee granting in all things héerein vnto them and they in like manner vnto vs. And therefore the lying lyppes which both belye the Doctours as though they graunted a carnall and reall presence of Christes body naturally and corporally after the Papistes declaration and meaning and which belye vs also as though wee denied all presence of Christ and so made it but a bare signe These lying lips the Lord will destroy if they repent not and with vs beléeue and teach the trueth that the Sacrament is the foode of the Soule a matter of faith therefore spiritually and by faith to be talked of and vnderstanded which faith they want therefore they erre so grosely in that they would haue such a presence of Christ as is contrary to all the Scriptures and to our Christian Religion whereby commeth no such commoditie to the receiuer as by the Spirituall presence which wée teach and according to GODS word do affirme For we teach these benefites to bee had by the woorthy receiuing the Sacrament namely that wée abide in Christ and Christ in vs. Againe that wee attaine by it a celestiall life or a life with GOD moreouer that by Faith and in Spirite wée receiue not onely Christes body and blood but also whole Christ GOD and man Besides these wée graunt that by the woorthy receiuing of this Sacrament we receiue remission of our sinnes and confirmation of the new Testament Last of all by woorthy receiuing wée get an increase of incorporation with Christ and amongst our selues which bée his members then which things what more can be desired Alas that men consider nothing at all howe that the coupling of Christes body and blood to the Sacrament is a spirituall thing and therefore there néedes no such carnall presence as the Papistes imagine Who will deny a mans Wife to be with her Husband one body and one flesh although he be at London and shée at Yorke But the Papistes are carnall men guided by carnall reason onely or else would they knowe howe that the holy Ghost because of our infirmitie vseth metaphorically the wordes of abyding dwelling eating and drinking of Christ that the vnspeakeable coniunction of Christ with vs might something be knowen GOD open their eyes to see it And thus much for this Now to that part of the obiectiō which sayth that wee teach Christ to bee none otherwise present in the Sacrament then in his worde I would that the obiectors would well consider what a presence of Christ is in his worde I remember that saint Augustine writeth how that Christs body is receiued sometime visible and sometime inuisible The visible receite hee calleth that which is by the Sacrament the inuisible receite hee calleth that which by the exercise of our faith with our selues wee receiue And saint Herome in the third booke vpon Ecclesiastes affirmeth that wee are fed with the body of Christ and we drinke his blood not onely in mysterie but also in knowledge of holy Scripture Wherein hee plainely sheweth that the same meate is offered in the words of the Scriptures which is offered in the Sacrament so that no lesse is Christes body and blood offered by the Scriptures then by the Sacramentes Vpon the 147. Psalme he writeth also that though these wordes He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood may bee vnderstoode in mysterie yet he sayth it is more true to take Christs body and his blood for the worde of the Scriptures and the doctrine of God Yea vpon the same Psalme hee sayeth plainely that Christes flesh and blood is powred into our eares by hearing the worde and therefore great is the perill if we yeeld to other cogitations whylste wee heare it And therefore I trow Saint Augustine sayth that it is no lesse perill to heare GODS word negligently then so to vse the Sacrament But héere of may no man gather that therefore it néedeth not to receiue the Sacrament or to affirme that a man may as much by himselfe meditating the word in the fielde receiue Christs body as in the Church in the right vse of the Sacrament For Christ ordaineth nothing in vaine or superstitiously hee ordaineth nothing whereof wee haue not néede Although his authoritie is such that without any questioning his ordinances are to be obeyed Againe though in the field a man may receyue Christs body by faith in the meditation of the word yet deny I that a man doth ordinarily receiue Christs bodie by the onely meditation of Christs death or hearing of his word with so much sight and by such sensible assurance whereof GOD knoweth our infirmitie hath no small néed as by the receite of the Sacrament not that Christ is not so much present in his word preached as hee is in or with his Sacrament but because there are in the perception of the Sacrament more windowes open for Christ to enter into vs then by his woord preached or heard For there I meane in the word he hath an entrance into our hearts but onely by the eares through the voice and sound of the words but heere in the Sacrament he hath an entrance by all our senses
by our eies by our nose by our taste and by our handling also And therefore the Sacrament full well may bee called séeable sensible tasteable and touchable words As therefore when many windowes be opened in an house the more light may come in then when ●here is but one opened euen so by the perception of the Sacraments a Christian mans conscience hath more helpe to receiue Christ then simply by the woord preached heard or meditated And therefore mee thinketh the Apostle full well calleth the Sacraments obsignations or sealings of Gods promise Read Rom. the 4. of Circumcision And thus much for the answere to the obiection aforesayd Now to returne from whence wée came namely to the consideration of the second thing what the Sacrament is I haue told you that it is not simply bread and wine but rather Christs body so called of Christ and so to be called and estéemed of vs ▪ But héere let vs marke what body and what blood Christ called it The Papists still babble This is my body This is my blood But what body it is what blood it is they shew not Looke therefore my dearely beloued on Chr●sts owne words and you shal see that Christ calleth it his body broken and his blood shedde Marke I say that Christ calleth it his body which is broken his blood which is shedde presently and not which was broken or shall bee broken which was shedde or shall be shedde as the Greeke Texts doe plainely shew thereby teaching vs that as God would haue the Passeouer called not which was the Passeouer or which shall be the Passeouer but plainely the Passeouer to the end that in the vse of it the passing ouer of the striking Angell should be set before their eyes as present so in the celebration of the Lords Supper the very Passion of Christ should be as present beholden with the eies of faith For which end Christ our Sauiour did specially institute this Supper saying Doe ye this in remembrance of mee or as Paul sayth Shew you the Lords death till hee come The Supper of the Lord then is not simply Christs body and blood but Christs body broken and his bloud shed Wherefore broken Wherefore shedde Forsooth that teacheth Christ himselfe saying Broken for you Shed for your sinnes and for the sinnes of many Héere now then wee haue occasion in the vse of the Sacrament to call to mind the greatnesse and grieuousnesse of sinne which could not be taken away by any other meanes then by the shedding of the most precious blood and breaking of the most pure body of the onely begotten sonne of GOD Iesus Christ by whom all things were made all things are ruled and gouerned c. Who considering this geare shall not bee touched to repent Who in receite of this Sacrament thinking that Christ saith to him Take eate this is my body which is broken for thee This is my blood which is shedde for thy sinnes Can but tremble at the grieuousnesse of his sinnes for the which such a price was payd If there were no plague at all else to admonish man of sinne how grieuous a thing it is in Gods sight surely that one were enough But alas how are our hearts bewitched through Sathans subtilties and the custome of sinne that wee make sinne a thing of nothing God open our eyes in time and giue vs repentance which we sée this Sacrament doth as it were enforce vs vnto in the reuerence and true vse of the same Againe in hearing that this which wee take and eate is Christs body broken for our sinnes and his bloud shedde for our iniquities wée are occasioned to call to mind the infinite greatnes of Gods mercie and trueth and of Christs loue towards vs. For what a mercie is this that God would for man béeing lost through his wilfull sinnes be content yea desirous to giue his owne onely Sonne The Image of his substance the brightnesse of his glorie béeing in his owne bosome to bée made man for vs that wee men by him might be as it were made Gods What a mercie is this that GOD the Father should so tender vs that hee would make this his Sonne béeing equall with him in diuinitie a mortall man for vs that wée might be made immortall by him What a kindnesse is this that the almightie Lord should send to vs his enemies his deare darling to bee made poore that wee by him might be made rich What bowels of compassion was this that the omnipotent Creator of Heauen and earth would deliuer his owne onely beloued Sonne for vs creatures to be not onely flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones that wee might by him through the holy Ghost be made one with him and so with the Father by communicating the merits of his flesh that is righteousnesse holinesse innocencie and immortalitie but also to be a slaine Sacrifice for our sinnes to satisfie his iustice to conuert or turne death into life our sinne into righteousnesse hell into Heauen miserie into felicitie for vs What a mercie is this that GOD will rayse vp this his sonne Christ not onely to iustifie and regenerate vs but also in his person to demonstrate vnto vs our state which we shall haue for in his comming we shall be like vnto him Oh wonderfull mercie of God which would assume this his Christ euen in humane body into the heauens to take and keepe there possession for vs to leade our captiuitie captiue to appeare before him alwaies praying for vs to make the throne of Iustice a throne of mercy the seat of glory a seat of grace so that with boldnesse we may come and appeare before God to aske and find grace in time conuenient Againe what a veritie and constant trueth in God is this that he would according to his promise made first to Adam and so to Abraham and others in his time accomplish it by sending his sonne so graciously Who would doubt hereafter of any thing that he hath promised And as for Christs loue oh whose heart can bee able to thinke of it any thing as it deserueth He being God would become man hée being rich would become poore he being Lord of all the world became a seruant to vs all hée beeing immortall would become mortall miserable and taste of all Gods curses yea euen of hell it selfe for vs. His blood was nothing too deare his life hee nothing considered to bring vs from death to life But this his loue néedeth more heartie weighing then many words speaking and therefore I omit and leaue it to your considerations So that in the receiuing of this Supper as I would you would tremble at Gods wrath for sinne so would I haue you to couple to that terrour and feare true faith by which ye might be assuredly perswaded of Gods mercie towards you and Christs loue though all things else preached the contrary Doe euery of you surely thinke when you heare these words Take eate this