and deseruings because of the deuotion and good deedes of our fréends kinsfolkes when we be dead Heare what the Lord him selfe sayth by his Prophet Esai Chapt. 43. I am euen he onely that for mine owne sake doo put away thine offences and forget thy sinnes so that I wyll neuer thinke vpon them This verely ought to suffise vs for heere we haue a promise that God will doo away our sinnes so that he will neuer thinke vpon them Not because of our owne merites and deseruings nor yet because of the deuotion good déedes of our fréends and kinsfolkes but onely for his owne sake that is to say of his méere goodnesse and mercie Thus farre of this matter ¶ Of the Supper of the Lord. HEthervnto good Christian people of Purgatory haue I spoken I haue disprooued and confuted the opinion of our aduersaries touching these paper walles and painted fyres by Scriptures and Doctours Wherfore if there be any héere that thinketh there is such a place let him examine the places which I haue brought foorth in cōfutation of the same and then I hope he shall be conuerted to the confession of the trueth in saying there is no Purgatorie Nowe I purpose by the almightie power of Iehoua to speake somewhat of the supper of the Lord. The Papistes kéepe much sturre and great iangling about this Sacrament they say that Christe is really transubstantially and bodily present in the Sacrament of the Aulter They can shewe vs but one place out of scriptures The Papists haue but one argument to alleadge and the same is against themselues to make an argument therby for proofe of transubstantiation but the same place alleaged maketh nothing for them it is no demonstration We will bring out of Scriptures and out of Doctours sundrie places that make for our purpose in deniall of the reall presence of our Lord in the Sacrament First I will declare the name of this Sacrament which hath béene a great matter of burning and contention amongst the Papistes it is called Missa the Masse but of this worde in all the Scriptures I doo not finde one iote or sillable For new thinges new names are inuēted by the nouelty of the name Missam rem esse minimè vetustam tutò licet conijcere We may safelie cōiecture the Masse to be a thing not of many yeeres inuented We Christians call this Sacrament as S. Paul called it in his first Epist Timo. 2. 1. Cor. 10. et 11. Mensam Domini coenam Domini corporis et sanguinis communicationem aut certè panis fractionem eucharistian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut cum Latinis sacrum conuiuium sacrificium laudis aut denique Dominici corporis et sanguinis sacramentum The Table of the Lord the Supper of the Lord the communicating of the body and blood or the breaking of the bread or thanksgiuing or a holie feast or the Sacrifice of prayse or the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ August Ad Infantes Is cyted by Beda 1. Cor. 10. Quod videtis panis et vinū est et quod oculi vestri declarant manifestè That which you see is bread and wine which also your eies declare manifestly Origen 7. Hom. vpon Leuit. Si literaliter sequimini verba scripta nisicomederitis carnem filij hominis non habetis vitam in vobis haec litera occidit If lyterallie yee followe the wordes that be spoken except ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man ye haue no lyfe in you this letter kylleth Who is so voide of reason that wresting these speeches vnto the carnall sence the meaning whereef is to be construed figuratiuely wyll imagine that we ought to be borne in our bodies a new as Nicodemus dyd or to be fedde with Christes fleshe carnally as the Caphernaites did What better imagination doo the vnlearned multytude conceaue in these dayes of the doctrine of theyr transubstantiatiō deliuered vnto them by their great Doctours The monstrous dishonour doone vnto God by these wicked shauelings For on this wise doo these famous Christ-makers enstruct theyr auditorie that the bread which was bread before the Consecration altering the verie substaunce of bread is no more bread nowe but turned into fleshe and that this also must beléeued without all question that it is made the euerlasting soone of God What can be more absurde and howe comes this chaunge to passe I pray you forsoothe because Christe sayd Hoc est corpus meum This is my body For this whole huge Chaos of confused transubstantiation is accomplished with these fowre wordes by these Christ-makers What and dyd the Lord pronounce no more words but these foure only what if he spake in the Hebrew tōgue and expressed the whole action in two wordes onely after the manner of that Nation Zoth guphi because the phrase of the language dooth not for the most part expresse the verbe Est but to admitte he spake fowre or fiue wordes what dyd he adde therevnto no more besides or dyd he speake nothing else before or after to make the verie meaning and purpose of his spéeches more euident and manifest And why doo these fellowes omit the cyrcumstances and not delyuer the whole scriptures withall why doo they chop of the one halfe of Christes proposition and suppresse in silence the chéefe part whereby the meaning of Christe might appeare more forcibly For when Christe made mention of his body that it might be eaten he but giueth commaundement to take bread first and to eate Take yee sayth Christe and eate yee And foorthwith making mention of his body dyd say This is my body yet not simplie neuerthelesse but annexed immediatlie That is giuen and broken for you To wit to signifie vnto them nto the verie substaunce of his natural body simplie but that the crucifying of his body the shedding of his blood should become our foode From hence bubleth out all the well-spring of error that where our Lord and Sauiour had relation to the efficacie power of his Passion the same the Papists doo apply to the onely substance of the flesh as though we were to be fedde with the Passion of his fleshe Note heere But you will aske how the Passiō of Christ feedeth which is not eaten forsooth in the same manner as the death of Christ dooth nourish vs so dooth his Passion féede vs not after a fleshlie but after a spirituall manner not as it is chawed with the téeth but as it is receyued into the heart For then dooth the death of Christe feede vs when it refresheth vs then is he eaten when he is receyued by faith and applied to our infirmities Pascasius 43. Chapter Therefore we must thus thinke with our selues not howe much is chawed with the teeth but howe much is receyued by faith and looue c. Ciprian De coena Domini Our abyding and incorporation in him is our eating and drinking wherby we be vnited vnto Christe and made his body
the body of Christe Therefore it is not corporal foode but spirituall Wherevpon the Apostle speaking of the figure therof Because our fathers did eate the same spirituall foode For the body of Christ is spirituall the body of Christ is the body of a diuine spirit De con Dis Ambros De sacra Lib. 4. cap. 4. Euen as thou hast receiued the likenesse of death so doost thou drinke the symilitude of blood Hesychius in Leui. Lib. 1. Chap. 2. Hunc comedimus cibum in recordationem passionis Christi We doo eate this meate receyuing the memorie of his passion Esai the. 25. Chap. And in this mountaine shall the Lord of Hoastes make vnto all people a feast of fatlinges euen as a feast of meate and fined wines and of fatte thinges full of marrowe of wines fined and purified c. Wéereby it appeareth that his suffering should be bread and foode for all people in the world and as it were an euerlasting banquet according to that propheticall promise Esay the Prophet the. 25. Chapter And for that cause least the remembrance of his passion should waxe out of minde he coÌ„maunded it to be done in the remembrance of him and by the same memoriall to shewe the Lordes death vntyll he come againe Whereby may appeare without any difficulty that the natural body is not eaten héere but the death of his body signified and the remembrance thereof celebrated Not the bread and wine turned into fleshe and blood but a Sacrament of our redemption to be instituted in bread and wine August De consecrat Dist 2. This is it that the heauenly bread which the flesh of Christe is called after his maner the body of Christ when as in deede it is the Sacrament of Christes body Rabanus Maurius Lib. 1. Cap 31. Sacramentum vna res est efficacia sacramenti alia res est Sacramentum conuertitur in nutrimentum corporis virtute sacraments honor aeternae vitae obtinetur The Sacrament is one thing the efficacie of the sacrament is an other thing the Sacrament is turned into the nourishment of the body by the efficacie of the sacrament the honour of euerlasting lyfe is obtayned Origen vpon Mathew writeth after this manner Panis sayth hée qui verbo Dei sanctificatur quantum ad materiam et substantiam in ventrem descendit et in latrinam eucitur The bread which is sanctified by the worde of God touching the matter and substance thereof goeth downe into the belly and is throwne out into the draught c. If that be bread which after sanctification goeth downe into the belly according to the testimony of Origen with what face wyll the Papistes deny it to be bread Againe on the other side if according to the Papistes opinion there remayne no crum of substance at all Whereof then shall that be a substance which Origen dooth ascribe to the bread To the same effect may Augustine De consecra Disti 2. be produced a witnesse of antiquitie not to be reiected The heauenly bread sayth he which is the fleshe of Christ is after this manner called the body of Christe beeing in verie deede the Sacrament of Christes body c. If it be a sacrament of the body how is it the verie body againe if because it is called the body of Christe it be therfore Christes fleshe what should let but that by the same argumeÌ„t Peter should be Sathan because he is called Sathan Moreouer if the nature of SacrameÌ„ts be such as to be called by the name of the thinges which they signifie Let the Papistes take away the substaunce of bread what shall be left in the Accidentarie fourmes that may eyther supplie the name of a body or represent the lykenesse of a body in any respect You haue heard good ChristiaÌ„ people bothe by the Scriptures and Doctours that there is no transubstantiation in the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper Who is therefore of so peruerse minde that wyll not persuade him selfe that these wordes Take ye eate ye This is my body to be a Sacramentall spéech and mysticall and ought to be expounded simbolically and according to the meaning For the bread is a SacrameÌ„t signe or pledge of the body of Christe I haue giuen you to vnderstand by many euident reasons that these words of our Lord This is my body ought not to be taken according to the grosse lytterall sence but to be expounded mystically or sacramentally for the bread remaineth in his substance is not chaunged into the substance of the body of Christe In lyke manner the naturall body of Jesus Christe the which being giuen once for vs raysed from death is ascended into heauen is not hyd nor inclosed vnder the kinde or forme of bread For the Angels of God speaking of this body beare witnesse thereof and saye Acts. 1.11 Hic Iesus qui assumptus est à vobis in coelum sic veniet quemadmoduÌ„ vidistis euntem in coelum This same lesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shal so come euen as you haue seene him goe into heauen In like manner S. Peter sayth Act. 3.21 Quem oportet quidem coelum accipere vsque in tempora restitutionis omnium quae loquus â—us est Deus per os omnium sanctorum suoâ—um à seculo Prophetarum The heauen must receyue Iesus Christe vntyll the â—yme that all thinges be restored which God hath spoken by the mouth of his holy ones from the tyme of the Prophetes Saint Paule sayth also Iesus Christe after he hath offered one sacrifice for sinnes is set downe for euer on the right hande of God from hence foorth tarying tyll his foes be made his footestoole Wherfore we reade that Saint Augustine writing to Dardanus sayde ryghtlie and according to the Scriptures Christe as he is God is all whollie present in euerie place but according to the measure and propertie of a true body he hath his place in some one place of heauen hee hath giuen immortallitie to his body in the glorification thereof After this forme he is not to be thought to be diffused and spread abroade euerie where Wherefore we must take good héede that we doo not so affyrme the diuinitie of the man Christe that we take away the trueth of His body For our personne is God and man and out Christe Jesus is bothe two béeing euerie where in that he is God but béeing in heauen in that he is man Yea and this aucthor hath left in his bookes these thinges and many other lyke bothe Catholique and according to the true sence of the Scripture agréeable to this matter Moreouer the Catholique veritie suffereth vs not to faine that Christe hath two bodies But if you take the wordes of the letter This is my body without the blessed body of the Lord béeing set at the Table with his Disciples gaue vnto them also I knowe not what other body for he could not giue him selfe with his owne handes vnto his Disciples Therefore
with his true body and with his handes he delyuered vnto his Disciples the Sacrament of his onely body Héereupon it followeth that the faithfull acknowledging the Sacrament mysterie receiue with theyr mouth the sacramentall bread of his body But with the mouth of the spirite they eate the very body of the Lord. He is eaten in such sort as he may be eaten that is to say spiritually by faith As the Lord himselfe expoundeth this mysterie vnto vs at large in Saint Iohn the. 6. Chapter Neyther haue the purest Doctours of the auncient Church taught any otherwise yea and this place may well be applied to the wordes of the Lord. For séeing our Lord hath but one true body the which he gaue vp to death for vs and that in these two places he speaketh of this selfe same body it séemeth vnto me that this place of S. Mathewe ought to be expoūded by that of S. Iohn Séeing that Saint Augustin also in his third booke of the agréement of the Euāgelists supposeth that S. Iohn speaketh not of the institution of the Supper of the Lord because in an other place he had set foorth this matter at large All the auncient Doctors of the Church Neither the sufficiencie of the scriptures nor aucthoritie of the Doctours can satisfie the Papists speaking of the Supper alleageth the Supper of the Lord. Yet for all that the Papistes euer haue in theyr mouthes transubstantiation transubstantiation Though bothe Scriptures Doctours writte against them yet so voyde they are of reason and common sence and so blockish that they will embrace signes for things them selues they turne that to worshipping knéeling which was delyuered for a thankfull remembrance by most agréeable application The Deuill hath so bewitched their sences and vnderstanding that they thinke they make God euery day as oft as they list hauing none aucthority of the most holy Scriptures but as they wrest it and wring it for theyr owne purposes For Iesus Christ at his last supper took bread and gaue thankes and brake it and gaue it to his Disciples and sayde Take eate this is my body and he lykewise tooke the cuppe and gaue thankes and gaue it them saying drinke ye all hereof this is my blood in the new Testament which shall be shed for many for the remission of sinnes Nowe to come to our purpose where as these heretiques doo take aucthoritie vpon these wordes Hoc est corpus meum that is to say This is my body The horrible blasphemie of the Papists vsed in their Masse Dooth it followe by the holy scripture that they when they haue sayde these wordes ouer the bread should create a materiall fleshe blood and raynes yea the selfe same body that the blessed Virgin Marie dyd beare as these Antichristes say they doo I doo aunswer no for when Christe brake the bread and blessed it dooth it follow that it was his body in déede and there remayned no more bread if they say no I aunswere no more doo we if they say yea then if the bread was not crucified he gaue it to his Disciples and they dyd eate dyd they eate Christes body or no I meane the verie selfe same body that was borne of the Virgin Marie if they say no I aunswer no more doo we if they say yea then dyed he not for vs For could he dye for vs when they had eaten him vp afore But this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is my body was the swéetest worde that they could finde out in all the whole Testament The poore people much deceyued by the Papists to bleare mennes eyes with a false God compelling the people to knéele on theyr knées and holde vp theyr handes which is abhominable and detestable Idolatrie But heere is a question to be demaunded of these holy Gentlemen the Godmakers When they make God whether doo they make him at once or twise for they say Note heere that there remaineth no materiall bread after the Consecration but the very naturall body that Marie bare flesh blood bone Then dooth it follow that wée worshippe a false God in the Challice Then wyll they saye as shameles Iuglers that they Consecrate the verie selfe same substāce in the wine that they doo in the bread wherby it dooth appeare manifestly that they are false Sacrilegers robbers and théeues of the laye people For at Easter they giue them a drie body without blood for they giue them Wine vnconsecrated this is once true and manifest But what wyll these Iuglers saye forsoothe euen as they haue all sayde Heretique Heretique blearing mennes eyes with such blinde examples saying euen as there is a glasse and many faces séene in the glasse so lykewise maye a multytude of people receyue the substance at one worde Ah false fayning Iuglers As there be many faces sayth hee in the glasse Note heere and but one glasse I aunswere if I sée my selfe in the glasse dooth it followe that I haue a face styll in the glasse an other in my head Or when a great number of faces is séene in one glasse it is not to note that there are faces in déede but the similytude of faces no more is it to be beléeued that this bread is Christes body that Marie bare for that it dooth but represent the body I would demaund this question that I speaking the worde with reuerence might not make Christes body as well as they they will say no wherfore because we are not elect chosen let them aunswere to this question Dooth the word giue vertue to election Note heere for an especiall enstruction or election to the word If the they say that election giueth vertue to the word then I prooue the worde of no vertue then how can they make God with it If they say that the worde giueth vertue to the election then I prooue that all men speaking the worde may doo as much in it as they For the worde taketh effect in the spirite and not in the fleshe this argument can not be denied except they make God parciall If a man should demaund by what aucthoritie they make God they wyll say by the worde Oh crafty Iuglers God made the world in sire dayes and rested the seuenth day he made Sunne Moone and starres he made byrds beasts fowles and fishes woormes serpentes stones hearbes grasse and euerie thing of the same worde and the same words wherwith he made all these thinges doo remayne mayne styll in the Bible and yet can it not make any of these thinges neyther bread nor beast nor nothing else yet wyll they make the maker of all these things and say they doo it by the word the worde that made all these things remaineth still in the Bible and yet can they not doo it Nowe to come to the word that they make God of that is Hoc est corpus meum which is to say This is my body Behold the
blinde peruersenes of the Papists In the. 10. of Iohn Christe sayth I am the doore dooth it followe that hée is a doore in déede no forsooth I thinke but that a doore is to harde for any man to eate they would haue takē that place of scripture to make God Though Christ sayd I am the doore it followeth not Note heere that he was a materiall doore no more dooth it followe that this word Hoc est corpus meum This is my body to be the same body that Marie the Virgin bare it is plaine errour and they are fowly deceyued For when Christe sayd This is my body that shall be giuen for you the worde that he spake was him selfe him selfe was the worde or else must the bread haue béene crucified as is afore which I will prooue by the manifest scriptures Christ sayth in the 6. of Iohn I am the liuing bread that came from heauen your fathers did eate Manna in the desert and are dead but I am the bread of lyfe So it demonstrateth that Christe was the bread Note heere which was giuen for vs but these Gentlemen say that the bread is he Nowe héere is all the cōtrouersie betwéene the Christiās and the Papists Christ fayth that he is the bread that was giuen for vs or broken for vs the Papists say that the bread is Christ now how can we agree for we say as Christ saith that he is the bread these Gētlemen say that the bread is he marke well the scriptures Paul sayth That which I receyued of God I gaue vnto you Let them answer me to this dyd Paul receiue any thing of the Lord but his word for Paul was not with the Lord at the supper to receiue any other thing Oblinde creatures they wot not what they doo will they haue the blood of wytnesse of Iesus Christe required at their hāds still O good christian brethrē for the tender mercy of our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ beléeue not this erronious doctrine of the Papistes worship not a wheaten God In the. 6. Chap. of Iohn Christ sayth The bread which I will giue you is my fleshe which I will giue for the life of the world Héere you may perceyue that the bread that Christ gaue vs was his fleshe Ergo his fleshe was the bread that he brake which was him selfe him selfe was the word and his word was his body which was giuē for the life of the world Then stroue the Iewes among them selues sayd How can this fellow giue vs his flesh to eate for they tooke it carnally as our cleane fingred Gētlemen doo now a daies thinking the they should haue eaten him vp flesh blood bones Iesus sayd vnto thē Iohn 6. Except ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man ye haue no life in you for whosoeuer eateth my flesh drinketh my blood hath euerlasting lyfe And I shall raise him vp at the last day for my flesh is very meat and my blood hath euerlasting life and I shall raise him vp at the last day for my flesh is very meat and my blood is very drinke and whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abydeth in me and I in him Nowe I tolde you afore that Christe was the bread that was giuen for vs and euen as the materiall bread féedeth the body so this liuely bread féedeth the soule And Christe speaketh heere of his fleshe and blood which was offered in sacrifice for our saluation and our redemption as Iohn sayth Chap. 1.8 The worde became fleshe and we see the glorie of it as the onely begotten sonne of the Father and who so dooth beleeue this dooth eate Christes fleshe and drinketh his blood But not as these Papists do for they say that they crash him with their teeth carnally Oh abhominable blasphemy the same body that Mary bare but they which receiue him in a Christian Cōmunion receiue him by faith For Christe sayd Hoc facite in meam cōmemorationem Doo this in remembraunce of me And whosoeuer beléeueth that this body was done vpon the Crosse for his saluation and that the shedding of his blood is for the remissiō of his sinnes taken in the remembrance of Christes death eateth Christes body and drinketh his blood spiritually God graūt we may doo so for our own soules health Amen Thus much bréefly touching the supper of the Lord. Against mennes Merites and righteousnesse GReate controuersie and disputation there is betweene the Papists and vs Christians touching mennes merites righteousnesse The Papists say that they are iustified by good woorkes and not by faith We say that Sola fides iustificat omnes Faith alone iustifieth all men It is marueilous dearely beloued to see with what rashnes and boldnesse iustification of woorkes is commonly debated yea and it is to be seene how none doe more boldly or with fuller mouthes as the saying is prate of the righteousnesse of workes then they that are monstrously sicke of open outward diseases or be redy to burst with inward vices That commeth to passe because they thinke not vpon the righteousnes of God wherof if they had neuer so little feeling they would neuer make so great a mockerie of it And truely it is out of measure lightly regarded whē it is not acknowledged to be such and so perfect that nothing be imputed vnto it but euery way whole absolute and defiled with no vncleannesse such as neuer was and neuer shal be able to be found in man It is in deede easie and readie for euery man in schooles to talke vainlie vpon the worthinesse of woorkes to iustifie men but when they come into the sight of God such dalliances must auoyd because there is earnest doing vsed and no trifling strife aboute wordes To this to this I say we must applie our minde if we will profitably enquire of true righteousnesse how we may answere the heauenly Iudge when he calleth vs to account Let vs thinke him to be a Iudge not such a one as our own vnderstandinges do of themselues imagine but such a one as he is paynted out in the Scripture with whose brightnes the stars shal be darckned by whose strength the hils doe melt away by whose wrath the earth is shaken by whose wisdome the wise are takē in their suttletie by whose purenesse all thinges are prooued vnpure whose righteousnes the angels are not able to beare which maketh the innocent not innocent whose vengeance when it is once kindled pearceth to the bottome of hell If he I say sit to examine mens doinges who 〈…〉 peare assured before his throane Who shal dwell with a deuouring fire saith the prophet Esaie 3.34 Who shall abide with continuall burninges he that walketh in righteousnes and speaketh trueth c. But let such a one come foorth whatsoeuer he be but that aunswere maketh that none commeth foorth for this terrible saying soūdeth to the contrary Lord if thou marke our iniquities Lord who shall abide
promotion their vnsatiable and inordinate couetousnesse their proude and statelie going in ruffian-like apparell their too much pampering of hungrie gorges their excessiue lauishnesse in riotous expences their vnstablenesse of promise their swearing and forswearing them-selues for the value of a strawe their wanton and lasciuious songs vpon ale-benches and finally pōdering of their dissolute behauior in words gesture If they teach the people one thing and doo an other what hope can the people haue to be saued what comfort doo they receiue what confidence are they boūd to giue to his preaching or to his glorious wordes howe can he abolishe sinne ouerthrowe God his enimies treade downe Sathan roote out idolatrie confound hell and establishe trueth howe can the Gospell encrease righteousnesse shine God haue the glorie if Ministers should be the example of all euill to whome as they saye the worde of God is cōmitted to instruct the people how to please the Lord and maker of heauen and earth in all holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of their liues Is it maruaile that the people doo amisse and swerue from the trueth truelie I am thorowlie persuaded that as they are farre from God in life and conuersation so farre they are from him in faith and good Religion if their Religion sauoured not of heresie would God punishe them as he dooth What contrarietie in Religion is there amongst them one professeth this doctrine and another professeth that one crieth Ecce hic est Christus Ecce ibi est Behold heere is Christe sayth one and we haue the best Religion though the Pope say naie But the other sayth no they haue not the trueth on their side this faith wherevpon we build this Religion wherevnto we trust euerie man of what degree so euer high or lowe poore or ritch noble or ignoble ioyfully ought to embrace and gladlie receyue By this Religion we shall be blessed and inherite an euerlasting crowne of heauenlie glorie One saith he is a Zwinglian and an other sayth he is an Annabaptist one sayth he is a Lybertine and an other sayth he is a Puritane one sayth he is a Caluinist and an other sayth he is a Lutherane Good God howe many Religions be there if there were many Gods I would not woonder at their varietie in Religion But seeing there is but one God who made all thinges hath ordayned all thinges in a dewe order the Sunne to rule by daye the Moone by night the earth to bring foorth her encrease and the waters not to passe their dewe boundes who ruleth all thinges and at whose becke all thinges doo appeare in whome we haue our life our beeing and essence VVhy should there be such diuersitie in Religion such varietie in opinions such contrarietie in matters touching our saluation There is but one GOD there ought to be but one Religion There is but one trueth what needeth so many dissentions so many controuersies and so many alterations from the trueth But their life is so wicked and prophane so rechlesse and lewde that they wyll haue their Religion correspondent and agreeable to their conuersation He that is rocked in the cradle of sinne and securitie he that is nusled in wantonnes and brought vp in delightes he that is choaked with worldlie cares of this life he whose bellie is his god he whose money is his onelie ioye and he whose land is his onely trust regardeth more these corruptible fleeting vanities then the incorruptible and immutable trea sures of heauēlie Paradise He whose whole trust and confidence is in sensible pleasures must be depriued of insensible delightes He whose care is greater to become ritch and stately in the sight of the world then to become poore in spirite and meeke in conuersation passeth not much what Religion to professe so that his state be not impaired but rather to higher dignitie promoted Howe esteemeth he Religion which obstinatelie persisteth in sinne walloweth in sensualitie and liueth in wickednesse is he religious which carefully obserueth not the lawes of the most righteous and almighty God but liueth securelie without all feare of his maiestie In verie deede the life deedes and conuersation of heretiques doo plainlie shewe that they more abhorre and feare the odious name of an Epicure or Saduceie then they doo the nature For what think they the soule to be immortall who liue not farre better then the brutish beasts which follow nature but they degenerate from nature and are by reason of their corrupt life inferiour to the beasts of the feeld Be they persuaded that God rewardeth the godly in heauen or punisheth sinners in hell with endlesse torments In euery trifling thing they dread not to violat the cōmaundements of God and run headlong into sinne euen as though they did either thinke that God were but a vaine fay ned thing or beleue that when the body dieth the soule likewise perisheth and commeth vnto to nothing They liue so idle carelesse and secure in their callinges that GOD must surelie plague them at length and bring them to confusion They respect the safetie and prosperitie of their bodies heere on earth rather then the saluation of theyr soules in the kingdome of Christ They rather obey the wordes of Cambyses for temporall gaine then the warning of Christ for eternall happinesse Whereby it comes to passe that they haue commonlie fayre bodies but deformed soules much goodes but little goodnesse and glorious they seeme in the sight of men outwardlie but odious inwardlie in the eyes of God For it is harde to finde a man sayth Aristotle Lib. 2. Rhet. 1. ad The odetem Cap. 10. vvhich in prosperitie is not proude disdainfull and arrogant of which sort are they whome clients whome aucthoritie whome fauour of men hath exalted and so enioying theyr heartes desire they are of minde that no aduersitie can hurte them And what is that as Dauid sayde The vngodlie hath sayde in his heart tushe I shall neuer be cast downe there shall no euill happen vnto me But the fayrest Oke is soonest cast downe the fattest Oxe is readiest for slaugher And the felicitie of fooles is their owne destruction sayth Salomon Prouer. Chap. 1. Psalm 73. For howe suddenlie doo they consume vanishe and come to fearefull ende yea euen as a dreame are they when one awaketh Lorde when thou raysest the dead thou wylt despise their Image Thou wylt punishe them and reward them according to their deserts if they wyll not amend and timelie bee conuerted to the trueth and hartelie embrace the Decrees and constitutions of our holye Mother the Churche God will surelie one daie be reuenged on them not onely in hell with euerlasting paine but also in this life with infinit miseries and a laborinth of intricate euyls VVhat doo I say one day yea God already for their wickednesse and sliding from our holie Mother the Church hath greeuouslie afflicted them and brought them to extreeme calamities wretchednesse and desolation With how many troubles with how
qui misit me Patris He that looueth me not keepeth not my words and the word which ye heare is not mine but the fathers which sēt me If we wyll be contented with the scriptures onely and goe no farther we shall receyue great benefite thereby The blinde shall see the deafe shall heare the dumbe shall speake the lame shall walke fooles shall be wise the sicke shall be whole the dead shall reuine The embracing of the worde of GOD hath made many Papistes The inestimable benefite that proceedeth by the word of God good Christians many persecutours holy Martyrs many proude men humble many couetous mysers lyberall many cruell tyrantes mercifull fauourers many faithlesse faithfull many filthy fornicatours chaste many furious and wrathfull méeke and milde many slaunderers speakers of the trueth many backbiters penitent many slouthfull and drousie vigilant watchfull many fearefull bolde yea and contempners of Phalaris Bull many Saules many Paules many chyldren of darknesse the chyldren of lyght God by his worde offereth to vs his mercifull hande by faith we giue to God our hand and the Sacramentes are as a thirde hand which confirme and establish the ioyning of the other two together If you feare the iudgement of sinne this most precious word offereth you righteousnesse in Christe if you feare death it offereth lyfe if you feare the fire of hell it offereth the ioyes of heauen And bréeflie you haue in this word whence you may take bothe in lyfe recreation and in death preseruation bothe of body and soule euerlastinglie The word of God is water to refreshe vs and wine to chéere vs The vvorde of God is the vvhole direction of a mans life it is bread to strengthen vs and Manna to nourishe vs it is a treasure to enritch vs and a pearle to adorne vs it is a leauen to heate vs and salte to powder vs it is a sword to defend vs and a fire to purge vs it is a salue to heale vs and a lantorne to guide vs it it is a Trumpet to call vs and wisedome to instruct vs a way to dyrect vs and lyfe to reuiue vs. But alas we are so farre from labouring for this worde of God that wheras lyke good husband men we should labour and digge in the féeld and sell all that we haue to buie that féelde whereas lyke wise merchant men we should labour and séeke for good pearles and sell all that we haue to buie that pearle of great prise We sayth Saint Mathew 7. lyke dogs refuse holy things offered we turne about and teare them that doo offer them We lyke swine treade pearles vnder our feete and doo account this pearle this holy thing the worde of lyfe to be vnto vs a ring of golde in a swines snowte For doo the Papistes delight to heare Gods worde beholde yet they are lyke the deafe Adder which stoppeth her eares at the voice of the Charmer charme he neuer so wisclie Doo they looue the bringers of this word beholde yet there is in England an Adders broode a generation of Vipers If we haue more regard in the sayinges of the Papistes and put more confidence in theyr wordes then in the Scriptures howe can we without spéedie repentance but looke for the terrible stroke of vengeaunce God sayth Valerius Maximus hath feete of wooll hee commeth slowlie to punish but he hath handes of yron when he commeth he striketh sore Phillip king of Macedonia hearing of one in his kingdome which refused most vnthankfully to receaue a straunger of whome before he had béene succoured in shyp-wracke in extréeme néede For a woorthy punishment caused to be printed in his forehead with an whotte yron these wordes Ingratus Hospes An vnthankfull Guest So we by refusing his worde may we not thinke our selues woorthy of many whot yrons to print our vnthankfulnes to our shame Thus much for this part ¶ Of auricular Confession THus much you haue heard déerely belooued touching the sufficiencie of the worde of God I haue prooued the sufficiencie thereof bothe by the testimonies of the Scriptures as also with the aucthority of the Doctors Nowe I meane God wylling to confute auricular Confession bothe by Scriptures Doctors and Reasons The Papistes are not ashamed to say and write that it is needefull for all men and women and that it is necessarie for all that are come to the yéeres of discretion to confesse to theyr ghostlie Father maister popishe Préest whatsoeuer sinnes they haue committed If they refuse so to doo our holie Father the Pope wyll hang them in a Rope or send them to hell in ringing Papa Ioannas Bell. If they could prooue by the Scriptures auricular Confession to be lawfull and necessarie to obtaine forgiuenesse of sinnes then is it tollerable yea and commendable in respect of obedience to the worde of God to vse auricular Confession But if Scriptures thereof make no mention at all but rather disprooue such whispering of sinnes in the eares of doltishe Préestes I take such auricular Confession to be fonde foolishe and daungerous Doost thou reade O Christian man that euer the Patriarches were woont to confesse their perticular sinnes to Préestes as the Papistes doo at this tyme dyd the Prophetes vse such auricular Confession or did the Apostles or dyd the Disciples or dyd any of the Saintes of the primatiue Church reueale in secreate wise theyr particular faultes to any Confessour or to any Préest I reade of none If then the Patriarches the Prophetes In the Primatiue Church no confession euer heard of the Apostles the Disciples of Christe the holy Saintes of the Primatiue Church neuer vsed any auricular Confession why then should wée what example haue we to followe what commaundement is there giuen vnto vs to confesse our sinnes before the Préest what lawe dooth charge vs to recken vp all our sinnes Is not sinne forgiuen but vpon condition that there be an intent conceyued to confesse it where they bable that there remayneth no entrie into Paradise if occasion of confession be neglected Must all sinnes be reckened vp but Dauid as it is written Psalm 19.13 who as I thinke had well studied vpon the confession of his sinnes yet cryed out Who shall vnderstand my errors Lord cleanse mee from my secrete sinnes And in an other place Psalm 28.15 My iniquities haue passed abooue my head and lyke a weightie burden haue waxed heauy abooue my strength Truely he vnderstoode howe great was the bottomlesse depth of our sinnes howe many were the sortes of our mischéeuous dooinges howe many heads this monster Hydra dyd beare and howe long a tayle shée drewe after her Therefore he went not about to recken vp a register of them but out of the depth of euyls he cryed vnto the Lord I am ouerwhelmed I am buried and choaked the gates of hell haue compassed me let thy hand drawe me out which am drowned in the great pitte and am faynting and ready to die Who now may thinke vpon the
prooue lyttle yea nothing that is to the trueth they alledge They are not afrayde so impudent and shamelesse they are to say that Purgatorie standeth with the Scriptures The great impudencie of the Papistes in alleadging their Purgatorie and also was allowed by the olde wryters of the anncient and Catholique Church This they can not verifie by all the Canonicall Scriptures neyther that it was allowed in the primatiue Church that we ought to beléeue that there is a Purgatorie Therefore bothe King Henrie the eight and also King Edward the sixt with all the learned and godly Clergie of England in taking away the vaine and erronious doctrine of popishe Purgatorie and in abolishing or putting downe the Massing Sacrifices for the dead forbydding dirges and other lyke trumperie to be vsed any more dyd most Catholiquely and Christianlike If theyr sayinges in this matter touching Purgatorie and praying for the dead doo agrée with the Scriptures and be grounded vpon Gods worde we wyll take them for an vndoubted and infallible trueth If not we wyll followe the counsell of the blessed Apostle Saint Paule who writeth on this manner If an Angell from heauen should preach vnto you any other Gospel besides that that ye haue receyued let him be accursed Yea we wyll followe the counsell of the olde auncient writers themselues of whome Ireneus writing against Valentinus and other lyke heretiques sayth plainely thus Scripturis diuinis niti quaecerta et indubitata veritas est in firma et valida petra est domum suam edificare hac verò derelicta alys niti quibusi dam doctrinis effusae arenae vnde facilis euersio est do mum suam inaedificare That is to say To leane vpon the holy Scriptures which are the sure and vndoubted trueth is to builde his house vpon a sure and strong rocke but if leauing it I meane the trueth of the Scriptures any man dooth sticke to some other Doctors the same is to builde his house vpon the vnstedfast sande where it shall easily fall Séeing then that the canonicall scriptures make no mention at all of Purgatorie or of praying for the dead if we should followe the doctrine of men in this poynt leauing the infallible worde of God wherein all thinges that pertayne to the saluation of all soules and bodies be most sufficently set foorth and comprehended were it not I pray you according to Ireneus saying To builde vpon the vnstedfast sande Saint Ambrose cryeth out saying Nos noua omnia quae Christus non docuit iure damnamus quia fidelibus via Christus est si igitur Christus non docuit quod docemus etiam nos id detestabile iudicamus We doo by right condemne all newe thinges that Christe hath not taught for Christe vnto the faithfull is the way if therefore Christe hath not taught this that we teach we doo also iudge it detestable Except then they can prooue that Christe who is the way vnto the faithfull dyd teach vs in his Gospell word to beléeue that there is Purgatorie and that it is requisite to pray for them that be departed out of this lamētable maze of myserie We wyll be so bolde with Saint Ambrose to iudge coumpt and recken that doctrine which teacheth vs to beléeue that there is Purgatorie and exhorteth vs to pray for the dead to be most detestable and deuillishe who soeuer be Author of it though it were an Angell from heauen Let vs doo what we can héere in this world to gaine eternall lyfe for doubtlesse after this life departed Prayer or Masse may say Requiescat in pace Not all the Papisticall incātations or exorsisms can help vs after we be dead but may nothing helpe vs in glory to beholde Gods face héere during life perpetuall ioy is wonne or euerlasting sorrowe is gotten Fasting nor almose déedes repentance nor righteousnesse good nor euyll can neyther profite or hurt after our death Lazarus cōmeth not vnto the ritch nor the ritch vnto Lazarus the ritch receyueth not the thing that he dooth aske though he dooth aske it with earnest praiers of the mercifull Abraham For the Garners Sellers he made faste the time is accōplished past the battaile foughten and the place thereof emptie and voide the Crownes are giuen they that haue foughten are at rest they that haue not preuented or come before are gone they that haue not foughtē he no more there they that haue beene ouercommed are driuen out For all thinges are plainlie consumated and ended by and by after the departing out of this world but whyles they be yet all in the conflict or battaile there is yet hope there is a medicine and confession And although these things be not in all men most perfect yet the saluation of other is not without hope And vnto this Saint Hierome dooth agrée writing on this manner in his 13 question 2. Chapter In praesenti seculo scimus siue orationibus siue consilijs inuicem nos inuari posse cum autem ante tribunal Christi venerimus nec Iob nec Daniel nec Noah rogare posse pro quoquam sed vnum quemque portare onus suum We knowe that in this worlde we can be helped one of an other either with prayers or with counsayle but after we be come once before the iudgement seate of Christe neyther Iob nor Daniel nor Noah be able to pray for any body but euerie man shall beare his owne burden And vppon the ninth Chapter of Ecclesiastes these be his wordes Peccator viuens iusto mortuo si voluerit in eius virtutes transire melior esse potest Quare quia viuentes metu mortis possunt bona opera perpetrare mortui verò nihil valent ad id adijcere quod secum tulere de vita A sinner yet lyuing may be better then a righteous man that is dead if he wil follow his vertues And wherfore for that they that be alyue may for feare of death doo yet good deedes but they that be dead are able to doo nothing vnto that which they haue once borne away out of this lyfe with them Therfore it is wisedome to make our selues ready afore and to prepare oyle for our Lampes that is to say to gette vnto vs a liuely faith working through charitie dooing good déedes whyle we haue tyme for when we be once gone there is no more tyme of well dooing of repentaunce or of amendment of lyfe the gate of mercie is shut we can adde nothing vnto that that we haue once caried away with vs out of this world Oh that this would sinke into mennes hearts I would to God this would be remembred of all men oh that they would remember this then we would not trust and haue affiaunce in the good workes of other men we would not be to séeke and buie oyle when it is more tyme to goe in with the Bridegroome least it should be sayde vnto vs Verelie I say vnto you I knowe you not Watch ye
not by any corporall but by a spirituall manner passing into vs c. Christe sayde to his Disciples Take yee and eate yee this is my body which is giuen for you doo this as often as yee shall doo it in remembraunce of me What can be more euident then the interpretation of this Supper if the cyrcumstances of the wordes be scanned accordingly For who is so blinde that can not discerne the fruites of the Lordes death and Passion to be plainlie signified héere For as much as in the verie eating him selfe sayth This is my body that is giuen to be slaine for you Otherwise why should he haue added with all Giuen to be slaine But that hée woulde set downe a plaine testimonie of the death of his body rather then of any substaunce thereof to the viewe of the Disciples As if he should say The tyme is nowe at hand A comfortable consolation woorthy to be had in remēbrance of all men wherein my body must be giuen to be slaine for you not for any of mine offence at all but for your sakes which death of mine shall procure euerlasting lyfe for you After lyke sort and manner as this bread which I giue thus broken vnto you to eate dooth passe into your bodies and giue nourishment thereto Take ye therefore this bread this bread which I giue to euerie of you and eate and withall consider heerein not the naturall bread which feedeth your bodies outwardly But my body which beeing giuen to be slaine and crucified for you shall inwardly and much more effectually refresh you to eternall lyfe For my fleshe which I will giue to be slaine for the lyfe of the worlde is meate in deede and my blood is drinke in deede Iohn 6. For your bodies doo not so much lyue by the nourishment of meate and drink as your soules be fedde within with the crucifying of my flesh and the shedding of my blood without which you can haue no remission of sinnes no ioyfull resurrection of your fleshe no parte or portion of eternall lyfe Therefore let this which is giuen you in this Supper remaine for a perpetuall Sacrament and remembraunce vnto you of the body which I will heereafter giue for you For I shall giue my body for you into the handes of enimies the Sacrament wherof I doo heere giue into your handes Whereby you may perceyue déerely belooued that héere be two things giuen by Christe one vnto vs the other for vs the first to be eaten the last to be crucified that one in the Supper this other vpon the Crosse Now if you desire to know the substance of that which was giuen in the Supper it was bread and the Sacrament of his body That which was giuen vpon the Crosse was his body and not a Sacrament What then wyll you say was not his body giuen at Supper yes in déede Christes body was giuen there to the Disciples neither after a bodily and corporall maner for that corporall body was giuen to the Iewes not in the Supper but on the Crosse wherevpon he gaue his body corporally not to the Disciples but for the Disciples Therefore that which he gaue for his Disciples was his body that which he gaue to his disciples was the mistery of his body yet was it one the selfe same body bothe that of the supper giuen to the Disciples and that of the crosse giuē for his Disciples but yet not after the same sort nor yet at the same tyme. For vpon the Crosse it was giuen to be slaine corporally in the supper it was giuē not to be slaine but to be eaten not corporally to be grawne which theyr téeth but to féede vpō it in the bowels of their soules namely after a sacramētal kinde of receyuing not corporall Therefore it is not denied that the Lordes body was bothe giuen eaten in the Supper but not the body only but together with the body the sacramēt annexed also withal wherof the one apperteyneth to the féeding of the bodies the other to the séeding of the soules That which is receyued within in the soule is the very body not the Sacrament of his body For as much therfore as these two doo necessarily concurre together in the holy supper that the one can not be seuered from the other let vs so ioyne the one with the other that we neyther seperate the body of Christe from the Sacrament as the Papists doo which be so throughly wedded to the only substance of the body as that they leaue therin no substāce at all of a Sacrament but superficial and immateriall shadowes I know not what hanging in the ayre which serue to no purpose Neyther let vs so segregate the Sacrament againe from the body as that wée leaue nothing in the holy Supper but bare signes Cyrill Anathe 11. Doost thou pronouce sayth he this our sacrament to be mans foode and vrgest the mindes of the faithfull irreligiouslie to grosse and carnall thoughts and doost thou practise to discusse by mans sensuall reason the thinges which are conceiued by onely and most exquisite faith Heare what Christe sayth in the interpretation of his owne spéeche Caro sayth he non prodest quicquam verba mea spiritus et vita sunt Fleshe dooth not profit at all my wordes be spirit and life And doost thou cruell Canniball conceiue eate nought else but the flesh of Christe nor wylt thou permitte one crumme so much of breade to remaine because it is called the body of Christe But how many things doo we heare dayly called by this or that name when as in very deede they be not made the things wherof they beare the names When the Disciple whome Jesus looued was by Christes owne mouth called the sonne of Marie yet wyll no man be so wytlesse as to confesse him to be the naturall sonne of the Virgin Marie So also the Prophet dooth call fleshe a flowre of the feelde In the Gospel Iohn Baptist is called Elias Peter is named a Rocke so is he also called Sathan To conclude throughout all the discourse of the Scriptures what is more frequented then this vsuall phrase of spéec he and that things be called by this or that name wherein notwithstanding is no alteration of nature but the properties of things onely noted Theoderet Christ did signifie the signes which be seene by calling them his body and blood not chaunging the nature but adding therevnto grace Gelasius Contra Eutichetem Substantia panis et vini non mutatur et sine dubio imago et similitudo corporis et san◠guinis celibratur in actionem mysteriorum The substaunce of the bread and wine dooth not cease and without doubt the image and similitude of the body and blood is celebrated to the action of the mysteries Ambrosius De mysterijs Christus est in Sacramento quia est corpus Christi ideo nonest corporalis sed spirituas lis cibus c. Christe is in that Sacrament because it is