vnto the people of Israell The oblations offered in sacrifices The offered sacrifices as well of earthlye beastes as vnleauened bread and other holye sygnes ordeyned of GOD for Sacramentes and holye Sygnes to cleanse the people of Israell Were they chaunged into an accidence without substaunce All the holye Sygnes ordeyned of god in the church of Israell not withstanding that they did represent really sacramentally that whiche they did figure not as a simple sygne without effect yet so it is that there was neuer none so horrible an heritike that did inuent this witchcrafte of transubstantiation Yet muste you confesse O Massalians that the good holy fathers of Israell were adopted graffed regerated by faith in Iesus Christ begotten before all worldes A conference of the fayth of the auncient fathers of Israel with ours and that they were nourished got euerlasting lyfe by Iesus Christ that they we haue but one only God and one only Iesus christ our mediatour redemer And that thei through faith did sacramentallye communicate and spirituallye partake the blood of Iesus Christ for their saluation and euerlasting lyfe And there is no difference as touching God betwene them that were before the incarnation of Iesus Christ we that are after the incarnation But they we are the churche of God bought with the bloode of the iuste vnspotted lambe Iesus Christ S. August coÌtra Faust lib. 20. cap. 21. 14. lib. 19. con Petilan lib. 2. ca. 37. 77 Furthermore that they had faith in the promise to come and obserued the sacraments holy signes of the sacrifice whiche oughte to be finished by Iesus Christ And that we by the newe lawe do celebrate the memorie and remembraunce of the sacrifice already finished by Iesus Christ hauing the fruition of his promise accomplished 1. Cor. 10. August in Psalm If then the Israelites did eate of the same heauenly bread drynke of the same water of life by faythe that we do in one only Iesus Christ If they had holy sygnes to represent actually really the death of Iesus Christ to come euen as we haue had holy signes of his death present or past they for the tyme to come we for the tyme past Wherefore is it then that the Massalians haue inuented this newe Witchcraft of tourning one holy sacrament ordeyned of God into a Witchcraft of transubstantiation and an accident without a substaunce If god to make knowen his power to declare the hardnesse stiffeneckednesse of Pharao pleased to do merueylous thynges by Moyses Aaron Against the miracles alledged by the massalians Exod 7.8.14 in chaunging a rod into a Serpent the water of the riuer into bloode into Frogges the duste of the yearthe into lyce and further to make the sayleable sea drye and to do manye other miracles Is this to bryng in a transubstantiation of lytle rounde hostes vnleauened prynted full of pictures into an accidence without substaunce In what place of the holy scripture when there is mencion made of holy Sygnes Sacramentes or Sacrifices ordeyned of God is it sayde the Sygne or Sacrament is chaunged Contrariwise God wyllyng to accommodate hym selfe to the infirmities of man hath ordeyned vnto him from time to time common Sygnes for notes markes of the assuraunce of the thynge sygnified Wherein the myght of God is moore renowmed magnified by geuynge vnto vs with the holye sygne the thynge represented by the power of fayth the holy Ghost than if the selfe sygne were reallye chaunged by some visible myracle For the Sacramentes doe conteyne in them more spiritualnes then fleshlynes for which cause God did alwayes blame his people Israell by his Prophetes for taking his sacraments ouer fleshlye The expositioÌ of Iesus christ of the communion of his body as we haue before briefly declared But tel me O Massalians when Iesus Christ would expounde that he was the true bread of life which came down from heauen to geue euerlasting life how these sacramentall words oughte to be vnderstand to eate his flesh drinke hys blood when the Capharnaites your predecessors wer offended did he teach by his interpretation that to eate his flesh ought to be vnderstande by a litle rounde hoste transubstantiated The rounde hoste of flowre and the wyne to be no more bread Wyne but an accidence without substaunce Is thys your abhominable Witchecrafte the doctrine of Iesus Christe Nothing lesse But Iesus Christ as a true lawe geuer Iohn 6. vnto whome the interpretation of his lawe appertayned answered vnto the Doctours Capharnaites that they were to grosse carnall and that they did abyde in the flesh as ye do O Massesayers Notwithstanding that the fleshe alone profiteth nothing saying that these sacramentall wordes were spirituall Iohn 6. The fleshe sayeth he profiteth nothing it is the spirite that quickneth Moreouer O Massayers howe can ye safelye make to agree your transubstaÌtiatioÌ with the doctrine of Iesus Christ whiche doeth promise assure to geue euerlastinge lyfe to those whyche eate his fleshe drynke hys bloode if ye take these wordes carnallye For you can not be ignoraunt that your bodyes notwithstandynge that they haue deuoured the lytle rounde hostes transubstantiated into fleshe bone supt and lycked the wyne chaunged into bloode do dye are mortall by the necessitie of the lawe Wherefore lyfe euerlastyng promysed by this communion maye not be vnderstand of the body nor of the mortall fleshe You muste then of necessitie acknowledge for a sure interpretation that to eate the bodye and dryncke the blood of Iesus Christ ought to be referred vnto the lyfe spirituall heauenly that the fleshe profiteth nothing Iohn 6. but the spirituall worde communion of the body blood of Iesus Christ by fayth in spirite geuyng euerlastyng lyfe This interpretation is often recited by the holy apostle Iohn in many places when he vseth these termes he that commeth vnto me shall neuer hunger he that beleueth in me shall neuer thruste but shal haue euerlasting lyfe Are not these termes sufficient playne to interprete this holy sacrament of the body blood of Iesus Christ withoute running vnto your witchcraft of transubstantiation Conference of baptisme vnto the sacrament of the supper Another lyke interpretation of the doctour authour of the sacramental law is described when Iesus Christ was asked of Nicodeme the meane howe a man coulde be regenerate borne againe Is it possible sayeth Nicodeme that man should enter into his mothers wombe be borne agayne Did Iesus Christ answere vnto this demaunde that in the holy sacrament of Baptisme the water was turned into the body into flesh and into bloode transubstantiate into a carnall wombe to be thereby agayne engendred borne Is there not as great reason after your witchchraft here to vse this answere as in the holy sacrament of the supper for by
as his members dyd he not commaund to geue them bread It is than the bread that nourisheth maintaineth the hart and life of men Luke 9. Math. 15. When Satan toke vpon him to tempt Iesus Christ to declare vnto vs that he was very man dyd he not chose bread to entyre hym to chaunge stones in bread Math. 6. Luke 11. When Iesus Christ did celebrate his feasts to geue food one time vnto 5000 men the other time vnto 4000 persons did he not shew his might vnder the signe of bread when he taught vs to make our praiers vnto god did he not ordeyne the lords prayer to besech god to giue vs our daily bread And not only in the holy Bible is there mencion made of bread for corporall common food But also in the sacrifices celebrated by the priests of the Hebrues there was a law prescribed of the bread ordeyned of god Exod 21. Leuit. 24. Math. 11. 1. Kings 21. Esay 30. Prouer. 20. Ezech. 4. Mala. 1. Psal 23. Ezech. 12 Ozec 7. namely swéete bread without leauen Other bread there was called shewbread which the priests did renew euery weeke eate which Dauid vsed being presented vnto him by Achemelech the high priest Contrariwise this terme bread is applied vnto bread of wickednes vnto bread of lying vnto bread of sorowe vnto vncleane bread of idolatrie vnto vncleane bread offered at the aulter âeu 8. Math. 4. Luke 4. vnto the bread of trembling vnto the bread of teares The Ephraimites also are called the bread of ashes not turned that is to say in part baked part not circumcised Idolators Wherefore O Massayers Capharnaites ye muste not be so hardned rooted in your fleshlynes that you regard not the phrases of the holy scriptures in that which the terme of bread is somtyme taken for the earthly bodily bread Math 15. as when it is said that man liueth not by bread only but also by all that procedeth out of the mouth of god Sometime also bread is taken for the worde of god for doctrine when Iesus Christ coÌmaunded his apostles to take hede for eatyng of the leauened bread of the Scribes Pharisies Math. 15. Marke 7. are not these termes of bread leauen taken interpreted for the doctrine of the Pharisies heretikes When the woman of Canaan did demaund grace mercye for the healthe of her doughter holden wyth a soore disease Dyd not Iesus Christ answere that it was not lawefull to take the bread of the children and geue vnto doggs In this answere is not the bread taken for life health not only for the corporall nourishment Seing then that bread is taken for the lyfe of man the which hangeth chiefly of bread wyne and that the goodnes of god willing to applie it selfe vnto our infirmities wold chuse those two signes notes markes notable to signifie his body blood namely bread wine being two substaunces common to all nations is that an occation to imagin a carnall transubstantiation as if wtout the same god were not able inough to figure represent really sacrameÌtally life to be geueÌ vnto vs yea euerlasting life by the coÌmunion of the holy bread wine consecrated figures signes of his body blood Math. 6. Mark 14. Iohn 6. Iesus Christ spake these words that the bread was his body the wine his blood he saide also that he is the liuing bread that he is the bread of life that he is the liuing bread which came down froÌ heauen he saith also that he that eateth of this bread shall liue foreuer Is this to bring in that by this word is Iesus Christ is turned transubstantiated into bread is no more christ but an accident wtout substaunce O detestable heresie O Massalians haue ye more reasoÌ to interpret carnally these words this is my bodye to chaunged the bread into his body than when he affirmeth that he is the bread to chaunge him into bread coÌsidering that it is written that the partaking of this bred giueth life euerlasting Iesus christ said hoc est corpus meum He saith also Iohn 6. Math 26. iohn 6. Hic est panis qui de celo descendit In both these places is there not this word is bestowed Muste we therefore bring in a witchcraft of transubstantiation in place of sounde interpreting of the scriptures by a likenes or familier comparison of bread with Iesus christ causing vs to vnderstand that by him life euerlasting is geueÌ vnto vs And by him our spirituall nourishment is giuen vs like as by the bread we haue our bodily foode How so euer it be we must always haue recourse vnto the true interpretation of Iesus Christ the true lawgeuer authour of the holy sacrament who putting forth his institution said in the first place that he was the bread of life than after that this bread is his flesh his body which must be geuen for the health of the world He said that his flesh is true food his blood the true drinke he saith that he that eateth his fleshe drinketh his blood shall abyde in him How doth he interpret this eating Iohn 6. Iesus Christ doth interpret it himselfe by these words He that commeth vnto me shal neuer hunger he that beleueth in me shall neuer thrust Is not this the true eating the true drinking neuer to haue hunger neuer to haue thrust Behoueth it to get faith which coÌsisteth in spirit behoueth it to addresse our selues vnto Iesus Christ our heauenly bread our spiritual drink to fil vs for euer to quenche euerlastingly our thrust of sinne to runne vnto a witchcraft of transubstantiation to forge an accidence without a substaunce Wherefore O Massalians haue ye inuented another interpretation than that of Iesus Christ who witnesseth that the fleshe profiteth nothing but the spirite quickeneth and that his words are not carnall but spirituall geuing spirite life by fayth hope that he is the sauiour of the worlde incarnate dead crucified to geue vs eternall lyfe after rose again ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of god hys father abiding an euerlasting priest propiciator mediator redemer Let vs returne again to this terme is which tormenteth the braines of the Massayers so soore âohn 15. to imagin a transubstantiation If Iesus Christ hath sayde that he is the true vine âohn 14. that god his father is a husbande man and we are the branches Is this to bring in this terme is a Witchcrafte of chaunging god into a husbandman Iesus Christ into a vine vs into vinebranches If Iesus christ is said to be the vnspotted lambe that blotteth out the sins of the worlde is this to bring in a traÌsubstantiatioÌ if Iesus christ hath saide that he is the dore of the shepefold by the which we must enter to saluatioÌ that he is the
you two that is to say waxe metalles of th one is made the seale of the prince wherwith is sealed the graces pardons forgeuenesses the letters priuileges graunted by the prince He that couÌterfeiteth this seale is he not punished for treason euen as if he he had hurt the very person of the prince Doth not this seale represent the very person of the prince as if he himself were there present yet the waxe notwtstanding that it is called the seale of the prince is not therfore traÌsubstantiat but remaineth stil waxe yet after that it hath receyued the reuerend print of the prince it is no more called waxe but the princes seale The metalls of golde siluer marked for the coyne of the prince to serue for money although they be called no more gold nor siluer but haue changed their names at the wil of the prince be it into the name of ducate crown shillings pence or other names do thei leaue to be metals the same substance thei wer before this only difference there is that thei are apointed stamped with the print of the prince whiche doth really represent him in such sort that he that clippeth or couÌterfeiteth this monie is punished as for the crime of treason and as he had hurt the êper person of the prince 1. Cor. 11. By much better reason the bread wine consecrated marked to be sacrameÌts of the body blood of Iesus christ do really represent him not in painting Wherfore he that vseth it vnworthely shall haue euerlasting damnation as a traitour to the maiestie of god If ye o Massalians Nicolaitains transubstantiators are not sufficiently satified with thinterpretation of Iesus christ of his apostles ne yet with similitudes familier coÌparisons to bring you to the true way certain forme ordeined of god for the celebration of his holy sacraments in abolishing your Masse and Pompilian idolatries casting away also your abhominable witchcraft of transubstantiation at the lest yet wil ye geue no credit vnto the interpretation of thauncient doctours of the church Heare than that which S. Augustin doth recite against Adamantin August ca. 12. authorities of the auncient doctours The exposition of sainct Augustine euen as the blood in many places of the holy scriptures is called the water the rock christ So is the bread called the body of Iesus christ the which thre places must be expouÌded to be figures signes When that saith the same doctor Iesus christ spake these words hoc est corpus meuÌ lib. de doctri christi in prefati Psal 3 this is my body gaue theÌ bred He gaue theÌ the signe of his body for he thought otherwise that it was a thing vnlawfull to vncourteous to deuour the flesh body of Iesus christ lib. 10. de can des cap. 5. sacrificium de consecr destinct 2. if there wer not a figure ther namely the bread to put vs in minde of the fleshe body of Iesus christ to haue bene offered vp for our life euerlasting food Moreouer the same doctor vseth this interpretatioÌ the visible sacrament is the testameÌt that is to sai the holy signe of the inuisible sacrifice The like interpretations are described by Tertullian against MarcioÌ the heritick Tertul. lib. 1. 3.4 wherfore then o massaliaÌs haue not you folowed the autoritie of the holy doctors of the church which wold not blaspheme against god by a witchcraft of traÌsubstanciatioÌ Vt quid paras dentem veÌtrem crede maÌducasti ca. Vt quid de coÌsecratione distinct 2. August in li. de remedi poeniten in ioh tract 25. cap. 6. S. Hierom in epist ad Eph. but haue frely acknowledged the sacrameÌt to be a signe or holy visible figure signifiyng in spirite by faith that which is inuisible wherfore prepare ye the mouth the belly to deuour the fleshe of christ corporally why do ye not offer your soules by liuely faith worthely to eat Iesus christ why did you not interpret the eating of the body of Iesus christ by the notable distinctioÌ of the holy doctor Ierom saying the flesh of Iesus christ is vnderstaÌdid fleshly wheÌ there is meÌtion made of the sheding of the bloud crucifiing of the body of Iesus christ for our saluation Ca. dupliciter âadeÌ distinct But spiritually when it is said that the fleshe is the true meat which must be eaten For another holy doctor I wil alledge Gelase Bishop of Rome Sainct Gelase against Eutychius Nestorius who disputing against the heritiks Eutichians Nestoriens doth affirme that the bread wine consecrated made sacrameÌts do not leaue in substance still to bread wine but are figures signes of the body blod of Iesus christ by the misterie of the sacrameÌt S. Ambrose in his booke of sacraments chap. 11. Wil ye haue more large witnesses of s Ambrose who vpon the epistle to the CorinthiaÌs hath expouÌded eating drinking the bread the wine to signifie the flesh the blod of Iesus christ offered for vs Origin in Leui homil 7. Origin also in his homilies hath expouÌded the sacrameÌts to be figures which must be examined spiritually not carnally for this saith he that the letter killeth if it be not vnderstaÌd spiritually S. Chrisostom in homil 31. ca. 15. com 1. Psalm 22. wheÌ it is writteÌ to eat the flesh of christ Wherfore S. Chrisostom warneth to honor this sacrament in offring the soule vnto god for which christ was crucified and that by this holy sacrameÌt of bread wine is signified vnto vs the likenes of the body blood of Iesus christ To make an end it behoueth to be ruled by the holy interpretation of our doctor Iesus Christ of his apostles to honor reuerence his holy sacrameÌts ordened of him for outward signes to lift vp our minds to heaueÌ to take that which is represented by the same signes not to esteme theÌ as vain paintings or faÌtasies but worthely to receiue theÌ in liuely faith by the vertue of the holy gost to the end to be fed nourished with heaueÌly bred in the helth of our soules to com to life euer lasting Let vs then be assured in Iesus Christ as membres of his body 1. Cor. 10. Let vs all come into vnitie to coÌmunicate one only bread to drinke one only wyne made of many graines knit together to the end that we may say with the holy apostle 1. Cor. 12. all we the faithful are the body of Iesus christ saued redemed by his body crucified blod shed for vs. Thus dwelling abiding by faith in Iesus christ eating him drinking his blood Let vs beleue surely that he was crucified dead risen again his body ascended into heauen D. August in ioan tract 30. Act. 1.3 sitting at the right hand of god in a certen place vntil that he returne with his humanitie as he went vp Neuertheles his power diuinitie are distributed vnto vs spred ouer all the earth in all places specially in the holy sacrameÌts whiche he hath lefte vnto vs for gages outwarde triall of our faythe for a remembraunce of the deathe and passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ FINIS
th one of these two holy sacraments we be regenerate by thother nourished And the regeneration is as merueylous vnto mans wisdome as the norrishement For after mans carnall iudgement it seemeth vnpossible twise to be engendred But our good god hath vsed like interpretation for the regeneration as he did for the comunion of his fleshe his blood namely that these sacramental termes must be spiritually vnderstand not carnally for the fleshe profyteth nothynge but the spirit quickneth That whych is of the flesh Iohn 3. is fleshly that which of the spirit is spirituall The holye Apostle geuynge vnto the Corinthians that which he receyued at the hand of God 1. Cor. 11. did admonishe them of the second comming of Iesu Christe in loking for the which he commaunded to communicate the body bloode of Iesus Christ by breaking of bread the cuppe of blessyng called the newe Testament and the new couenant contracted by the blood of Iesus Christ For as much then as we are assured of the second coÌminge of Iesus Christ Being gon vp into heauen and sytteth on the right hand of god his father vntill the day appoynted that he must come againe to iudge the quicke and the dead How do ye agrée o Massalians with this yssue when as by your magicke you saye that euerye daye you cause to come downe and make to retourne the bodye of Iesus Chryste in fleshe and bone before the tyme appointed of hys second comming be come This witchcrafte was restored by you from the fyrst authour of your Masse sacrifice Numa Pompilius Tit. Liuius 1. Decade 1. who by hys witchcraft gaue to vnderstande that he caused hys Nymphe goddesse Acgerie and also his Iupiter Elicius to descende from heauen Valcai Max. lib. 1. cap. 3. by whose meanes the heauenly secretes mysteryes were reueled vnto him Euen so by your withcraft the rounde host consecrated is transubstantiated into the true reall bodye of Iesus Christ The bread being no more bread Howe haue ye learned this boldenes to bruse breake in pieces the bodye of Iesus Christ accordinge to the inuention of Sergius the second of that name your predecessour bishop of Rome Are not you more detestable hangmen then your predecessours lieutenaunts of the churche of Rome iohn 19. Exod 12. Num. 9. which crucified Iesus Christ but without brusing breaking his bodye in pieces as it was prophesied before Corruption of the holy sacraments And that more is you are not content to breake it in thre pieces but in your Masse sacrifice ye haue enterprised to drowne or steepe one portion of it in the wyne chaunged into blood to deuour it Against transubstantiatioÌ To confirme your witchcraft of transubstantiation haue ye not ordeyned to preserue your lytle rounde prynted hosts the whiche you do kepe laye vp so curiouslye in bores shrynes after they be chaunged into fleshe bone into the reall bodye of Iesus Christ Is not thys a detestable herisie to beleue that the bodye of Iesus Christ can receyue corruption Yea Harman coÌtt often it is eaten of wormes mytes rattes myce Can you interpret Blond Platine that this is an accidence without substaunce seing that your hosts become often stinking corrupt with in your boxes Many times also deuoured of earthly brute beasts that which you cause to be burned their ashes to be put into the place for reliks When the bishop of Rome Victor the iij. of the name receyued poyson by your transubstantiated wyne was it an accidence without substance Or when themperour Henry the 7. of that name was poysoned in eating a litle round host consecrated was it an accidence without substaunce seing it gaue him his deathes wound There is a more manifest appearaunce in the heauenly Manna geuen vnto the people of Israel Neem 1. Psal 78.104 Iohn 6. Sapi. 16. the which notwithstanding that it became corrupt if it were kept yet being put in the secret place of the arcke of the couenaunt it was preserued without corruption was it therefore transubstantiated into flesh bone to be called the heauenly bread the bread which came down from heauen the bread of lyfe the bread of angels The expositioÌ of the sacrameÌtal words Now it remaineth to bring into iudgement the subtel reasons of the Massayers which for the whole foundation of their witchcrafte do carnally abyde in this word Est saying these words are expressly written This is my body this is my blood when Iesus christ did institute the coÌmunion of his body of his bloode vnder the signes of bread wine But I beseche all that are zelous of the honour of god diligently to coÌsider the holy institution of the sacrament by the which god wold declare signifie the coÌmunion of his body by the bread the drinking of his blood by the wine the cup. All will confesse that the true principall nourishment of the body of man is conteyned vnder the kinds of bread wine so that the true bread is often taken in the holye scriptures for the nourishment life of man But let vs begin to bring in the places of the Bible To the first man created to the lykenes of god Genes 3. for punishmeÌt of his offence was it not said vnto him before the he must eate his bread in the sweat of his body Genes 28. Is there any man so ignoraunt that wil not confesse all the food life of man to be vnderstaÌd by the bread when Iacob prayed vnto god to geue him bread clothing did not he vnderstand by the bread al that was necessary for his nourishmeÌt Exod. 16. Neem 9. Psalm 78. Sapi. 15. Iohn 6. Genes 14. when it is recited that god made it to rain bread vpon the people of Israel in the wildernes that with this heauenly bread the children of Israel wer filled was not this terme bread vnderstand of the heauenly Manna sent of god for the nourishing of the people Israel This manna is it not called the breade of heauen the breade of angells geuen vnto the people without trauell Genes 41. Genes 47. Num. 21. Leuit. 26. When Melchisedech would releue the hooste of the good Father Abraham dyd he not presente vnto hym breade and Wyne When Abraham wold gratifie and refresh the .3 angels apearing to him did he not offer to theÌ Cakes baked in the ashes Gaue he not to Agar breade for her norishment The mother of Isaac fauouringe her wel beloued sonne gaue hym bread Ioseph in Egipt offred bread vnto his brethren for their norrishement When one wil discribe a famine darth dothe he not saye there lacketh breade When god promiseth any fauour vnto people keping his commaundementes iohn 4. Psalm 104. Math 4. Luke 4. iohn 6. Math. 4. doth he not geue them assurance of sufficient breade When he commended the poore
shepehard we the shepe must we therfore ratch these places of the holy scripture so far that necessarily we must beleue a transubstantiation for as much as this terme is is there When Iesus christ admonished his disciples saiyng to them that they were the salt of the earth Math. 5. did he chaunge transubstantiate them into pillors of salt as he did the wife of Loth Genes 19. If Iesus christ hath said by his apostles that we are the teÌple of god wherin the holy gost doth dwel is this to imagin that we are traÌsubstaÌtiat into a pece of stone 1. Cor. 3. 2. Cor. 6. If the apostle haue said that christ is the rock out of that which did com the liuing water to wash vs froÌ our sinnes 1. Cor. 10. is this craftily to deuise a changing of Iesus christ into a rocke or materiall stone 1. Cor. 12. If the apostles haue witnessed that we are the bodye of Christ Is this to brynge in that we are vanished awaye and are no moore men but chaunged into an accidence withoute a substaunce I foresée well o massayers moore than hardened that you will obiect that in all these places before alledged wherin this word is is founde that no mencion is made of sacrameÌts which must be depely considered for asmuch as they be holy mysteries ordeyned of god which also is true And also this worde is is not only found in the holy scriptures before noted Genes 17. Exod. 12 13. but also when there was speaking of the holy sacraments ordeyned before of god vnto the people of Israel was it not written that circumcision is the band couenaunt of god Genes 17. Num 10. Psalm 68.94 Math. 21. iohn 2. In thother holy sacrameÌt of the coÌmunion of the paschal lambe is it not sayd that the lambe is the passeouer or passage Is this to bring in a witchcraft of transubstantiation will ye not coÌfesse o massalians chaungers of substances that in these places of holy scriptures speaking of the sacraments thys word is can not otherwise be expouÌded but to signifie that circumcision was the signe marke of the bande couenaunt contracted betwen god Abraham and that the paschal lambe was also the sign of tholy passage for remembraunce of their deliueraunce froÌ Egipt The arck of the couenaunt for another sacrament whereof it is written that it is the true power of the lord Is this to saye that it was transubstantiated into the maiesty of god It behoueth to interpret the holye scripture with discretion humilitie wtout sophistrie Witchcraft to vnderstande souÌdly the true meaning of words not to abide in the letter that killeth but to receyue the word of god in spirit that quickeneth If than the holy arcke be named the lord called god for that in it he exercised his might shewed his wonders and mysteries to draw the people of Israel by an outward signe to remember god to feare obey him Also if Iesus christ is called the bread that came from heauen the bread of life that the bread brokeÌ is his body the wine is his blood that the cup is the new testament that by these outward signes of bread wine he might cause vs to vnderstand our life and nourishment of saluation to stai only vpoÌ Iesus christ that by his death bloodsheding we are so assured of euerlasting life as the bread wine are nourishment for the body that it pleased him to ordein these holy signes to serue vs for sacrameÌts for the trial confirmation of our faith is this an occasioÌ to play the Capharnaites or the NicodemiaÌs to dout of the power of god How is it possible to eate the body drink the blood of Iesus christ how is it possible to be regenerate borne again Then seing we haue a promise geueÌ vnto vs by the word of god wherfore o MassaliaÌs haue ye imagined a carnal traÌsubstantiatioÌ mistrusting the incomprehensible power of god oght it not to suffice you to beleue simple that the bodie blood of Iesus christ is offered vnto vs really sacramentally to coÌmunicate for our nourishment to geue vs euerlasting life by the bread wine consecrated with geuing of thanks the bread being truly his body the wine his blood which ought to be receiued worthely by faith in purenes of conscience as holy signes marks of the godly badge with out enquiring euer subtilly the meanes otherwise then Iesus Christ hath enterpreted saying the fleshe êfiteth nothing it is the spirite that quickneth that his wordes were spirite life Ought we to doute that god hathe not the power to make vs partakers of the body blood of Iesus Christ by the holy signes of bread wine consecrated the bread neuertheles remaining bread the wine wine If it were otherwyse thys shoulde not be called a sacrament but a myracle as when Iesus Christe tourned the water into wine that he vsed a miracle of transubstantiatioÌ changing water into wine But he did not then ordain a sacrameÌt Iohn 2. as he did of the coÌmunion of his body blood by the holy figures of bread wine Was it not as easy for god to make the wine to be chaÌged into blood Exod. 4.7 or the bread into flesh as for Moises Aaron to chaÌg the water of the riuer into blood to apêue the hardnes of pharoo or wheÌ the clouds were turned into the flesh of quals which rained vpon the people of Israell alwayes god did not ordeyne these miracles to serue for ordinary sacraments but would apply himself to our infirmitie geuing vnto vs signes holy not traÌsubstantiated which are nother vain nor fantasies but are outwarde signes which we can sée touch eate taste abiding in their substance neuertheles representing sacramentally that which is comprised signified by them wherein our triall of fayth doth stand to declare vs by a sacramental worke to be of the number of them that are regenerated nourished by the holy sacraments of baptisme of the supper A comparison of the two holy sacraments If it be lawful to vse coÌparisons of the .ij. holy sacraments of baptisme of the supper notwtstanding that there is difference betwene regeneration which doth not reiterate for it sufficeth once to be regenerate borne again But the nourishmeÌt must be often done again according to the order of nature other differences largely discribed by the holy apostles and ministers of the worde of god Yet the same end the same god the same Iesus Christ is shewed declared aswel in baptisme as in the supper By the blood of Iesus christ we be regenerat by the same blood nourished By the blood of Iesus christ we are renewed set graffed by the same blood we are kept preserued froÌ hunger thrust for euermore By the blood