equite ryghtuousnes iudgement when lyke as it was demaunded of other y t of vs also thacompt rekenyng of our faith which we haue professe shuld be asked for And whylâ—s we thus stode vp redy to gyue this rekenyng â—here came tydynges yea tydyngê rather then any certayne truth that many other churches had nowe all ready prepared the tenoure and some of theyr fayth religion to offer it vp vnto you But here nowe we are in great ê‘plexite doubte for on the one parte the loue of the truth carefull zeale and study for the coÌ„mon peace doo excyte vs to do the same thynge which we se other men do And on the other syde the haftie and so soden occasion of your departyng thence doth fete vs for that we heare saye also that all thynges shuld be done swyftly with great spede because of yours so spedye preparyng to departe Besydes this we that be the prechars of the sayde christen cyte and countrye are scatred nowe so farre a sondrye throughe the townes and villages that in shorte space we can not come all togyther to delybre and counsell what thynge we might wryte most coÌ„uenyente vnto your hyghnes A none after this yet when we sawe the confessyoÌ„ of other men yea and the confutacion of theyr aduersaryes also whiche not with staÌ„dyng they were yet prepared are any thinge was demaunded of them I thought it expedient for me alone withoute any preiudice of my couÌ„trye men with spede to declare and set forth thacompt forme and rekeninge of my fayth belefe for yf iÌ„ any other thinge a man may be slak yet verely here in this cause it requireth great spede leste this mater thorowe neglygence omytted we for oure scilence myght haue bene suspected or els for oure neglygence semed to be prowde and arrogante Lo here therfore O moste myghty Emproure I offer vnto youre hyghnes the suÌ„me of my belefe on this condicion that I do also testifye not to commytte nor permyt the iugement of these articles alone but also of all that euer I haue wryten or thorow the goodnes of god shall write to no one man nor yet to no fewe meÌ„ but vnto the hole churche of christe into this ende that it be enspyred with the holy ghoste and so pronounceth out of the prescript veryte of gods worde ¶ The fyrste Article Fyrste of all I both beleue and knowe that there is but one god one alone for all sufficient and hym self to be naturally good true almyghty iuste wyse the creatour curate of all thynges visible and inuisible and euen the same my god to be the father the sone the holy ghoste thre parsones but one onely in substaunce I beleue as concerning the vnyte of the godhed the trinite of these names or persones in all thynges accordynge vnto the exposicioÌ„ of the Crede of Nicene Athanasu I beleue knowe it fermly that the sone toke vnto hym y e hole nature of maÌ„ whiche consisteth of body soule receyuyng it veryly of the immaculate and perpetuall virgyn Mary so that this hole and perfite man thus assumpte into the vnite of the person of the sone of god be not so assumpt that the man shulde constitute a peculyar person as is euerye other name but so was the man hed taken vp vnto the Godhed to be the persone of the sone of god inseperable indiuisible and indissociable For albeit that bothe the natures that is to wyt the diuine and humayn so helde theyr properties that either of them in hym be sene espyed verely and naturally yet do not these distinct properties workes of these two natures disseuer dissociat the vnite of the person no more then in a man the mynde the fleshe make two persoÌ„s For lyke as these two are naturally greatly distincte so are they endewed with distincte properties operacions And yet is not the man coÌ„stituted of these twein two persones but one euen as is god and man one christe the perpetuall sone of god from euerlastyng but the sone of man from the tyme apointed and determyned one persone one Christe perfect God perfect man not so that of the one nature the toâ—her be made or be myxt togyther but that eyther of them both abyde in her owne propertie and yet is not the vnite of the persons throughe this sondrye properties disseuered And thus this same peâ—sone one Christe verye God and man as towchynge the propertie of his manhod he wayled he cryed and wept in his cradle he grewe and waxed and encreased in wysdome desyred to eate and drynke he suffered heate and colde he was beaten dyd swete was wounded and slayne feared and was heuy c. yea he suffred al thinges pertainyng vnto the punisshment and payne of synne but as concernyng the selfe synne he was moste gylifes farthest of But as towchynge the propertie of his diuyne nature he with the father and holy ghoste tempereth ruleth both hyghe and lowe he pearceth althynges he sustaynethe and nourissheth althynges He gyueth syght to the blysom fotynge to the lame he calleth the dead out of theyr graues he smyâ—eth downe oure enemies with a worde and euen he hym selfe wheÌ„ he was deade resumed his lyfe ascended vnto heauen and sent â—s the holye goste as his owne spirite And all these thynges doth one and the selfe same Christe one persone of the sone of God euermore contynuing howe diuerse soeuer dystincte he be as toutchyng the nature properties of his godhed and manhed So that ofteÌ„tymes for because of y e perfait perfeccion vnite of the persone those thinges whiche onely belonge vnto the godhed be attrybuted vnto the manhed those that pertayne vnto the manhed be spoken of the godhed He sayde hymselfe to be the sone of man descended from heauen when yet his bodye had neuer ben there And Peter sayth y t christ suffred death for vs wheÌ„ it was onely his manhed that suffred it But because of the inseperable vnite of the persone it is sayde verely That the sone of god had suffred the sone of man forgaue synnes For euen Christe whiche is the sone of god and man one persone as concerniÌ„ge the propertie of his diuine nature and godhed forgyueth synnes As wheÌ„ we saye this man is wyse whiche consisteth of bodye and soule but as concerning his body there is no wysdome in it at all but his bodye is rather poyson and impediment both vnto wysdome knowledge and all vnderstanding Agayne we saye the same man to be wouÌ„ded wheÌ„ only it is his body that may receyue the wounde and the soule can not be towched Because of this maner of speche yet noman sayth that two ê‘sones be made of one man when thus as ye maye se vnto eyther parte in man his owne propertye be referred and attributed neyther can they say that both y e natures that is to
¶ The rekenynge and declaracion of the fayth and belefe of Huldrike zwyngly byshoppe of ziiryk the chefe town of Heluetia sent to Charles .v. that nowe is Emproure of Rome Holdynge a parlement or Counsayll at Ausbrough with the chefe Lordes and lerned men of Germanye The yere of our Lorde M.D.xxx In the moneth of Iuly ¶ Come ye to me all that labour and are laden and I shall refreshe you Mathe. xi ¶ The veryte wyll haue the victory Presse ye it downe neuer so strongly ¶ Translated and Imprynted at ziiryk in Marche Anno Do. M.D.XLVIII ¶ The Preface of the translatour vnto the reader WHen I had chauÌ„ced vpon this Rekening of the fayth of this so excelently lerned godly flok feder eueÌ„ the good heerdman that set his lyfe for his shepe and had seen it not yet vnto this daye to be confuted nor dampned of any christen lâ—rned man but as it was then openly exhybited vnto the Emprours Maieste and to his noble lerned counsell so stondeth it styll yet vntowched with any iuste contradiccion of holye scriptures I coulde not but thynke this his fayth to be christen catholyk word thy for the glory of god profyt of his churche to be translated into many tongues that many mought read it with frute Vvherfore sâ—thâ—â— England as they say be many hyghly lerned Byshopes and lawers in the speculatiue but fewe in practâ—k diuinite sharpe in naturall but dull in spiritual iugement me thoughte it conuenient the boke to be translated into theyr mother tongue that yet at the least the lerned in christ myght iuge therof and saye theyr myndes And for because therbe many laye men of better iugement knowlege then the speculatyue priestes and prelats for all theyr latine and greke to therfore here haste thou it Oh laye reader whiche only knowest but the Englisshe tongue that eueÌ„ thy selfe myghtest also with thy Englysshe Byble frelye trye and iuge it as the apostle byddeth the proue all thynges holde y t at good is And IhonÌ„ bydddeth the proue the spiritâ— whether they be of god But se â—hat the scriptures be euer thy towche stone and as Agâ—sten teacheth fayth and loue to trye all meÌ„nes wrytinges And beware thou beeste none of thâ—m vnto whom aâ— is sayde Psalm lxxiiâ— all thynges stynke but onlye those which theyr selues thorowe malyce and arrogancie speake or wryte yea and that so prowâ—lye Many there are also amonge this saye sorte whiche be yet wâ—ake ignorant and in doubte what they shall beleue in y e more doubte for that they heare suche deuersâ—â—e of preching one agaynst another such coÌ„trâ—â—iccion amoÌ„ge them that shuld be lerned wise They se also daylye newe articles of theyr fayth made of newe bysshops in theyr newe bokes of newe institucions they se them confyrmed with non autorite of the olde fayth olde Scriptures but violeÌ„tly thrust in with autorite of newe actes swerde as thoughe hitherto the church of england had from the begynnynge erred in the fayth destituted so longe and many yeres these newe articles latelyer founde fayth whiche new inconstancye and inconstant nouite nowe makynge to morowe marryng this yere enactyng the next vnactynge this daye to be kept worke daye the next yere the same to be kept holy and ydle and such lyke of rokes hares pertriche The symple people I say sâ—yng this incoÌ„staÌ„cy no merueyle though they can not tell whom nor what they maye beleue Not longe a go it was heresye and treason to the scriptures to be had in Englysshe and nowe god be thanked the hole Byble is prynted oft turned redde of many lay men yea that with priuilege And yet they which made the testameÌ„t in Englysshe once treason heresy and for hauyng and readyng it they brent and prysoned many a godly innocent soule nowe alowynge the â—ame with penne hande and mouth for godly and profytable to christes Churche neuer vnto this day haue they founde the tyme to repent them opeÌ„ly of theyr open abhomynable blody murther nor yet in open pulpettes to recante theyr owne false doctryn open iniquâ—te But the Lorde â—e to it be theyr iudge requiring this tyranny at theyr haÌ„des Amen To stablishe therfore good christen reader thy faith and to setle it in peace all waueriÌ„g set a ê‘te thou haste here the rekeninge of this godly lerned Byshopes fayth confermed with the moste meghtye olde and ferme testimonies not of mennes actes and counsels but of the euerlastyng holy scriptures that where as hitherto for the diuersite of mennes opinions and sondry prechyng and teching without gods worde many haue ben in doubte and ygnorauÌ„ce now yf thou diligently readest this lytle boke thou shalte be certifyed and taughte playnly and truly the fayth in one God and iii. persons in trinite And howe the seconde person consisteth of god and man Thou shalt se his godly and infallible prouidence the fall and restoryng of man in which the mercy and iustice of god is declared Thou shalt clerely vnderstande the incarnacion of Christ the sone of god theffect and frut therof vnto thyne vnspekeable conforte the iustificacion onely by fayth into christ goddes eleccion orygynall synne what it is how by christ onely it is done away Vvhat is to be thought of infantes dying before they be baptized Here thou hast it clerly what is the church how many sacraments there be with theffect and ryght vse of them of the supper of the Lorde what Ceremonies may stonde and whiche ought to be abolyshed Of Images of the offyce of preachynge mynisters of the worde of the offyces of Kynges and rulers of purgatory of the frutes of the gospell preached of the frute of maÌ„nes doctrine The good pastours excuse his desyre godlye exortacion to the Emprour to all princes which god engraue into theyr hartes Amen But when the Pope had seen this godly Bisshoppes fayth religion so to prospere and preuaile and his euangelyke doctrine so wyde to spreade that neither his furious droÌ„ken champion Eccius nor yet his fleckisshe slowe beaste Cocleus durste not once more penne agaynst the maiestie of zwynglie his moste eloquent Heroicall style rare erudicioÌ„ and moste excellent diuynâ— lernyng then he hyered certayne Lantsknyghtes to kyll hym which smyten thorow with a morispyke said My bodye haue ye slayne but my soule sley ye can not Then his body quartered brent on the morowe his harte was founde vnperisshed in the asshes of the whiche many a learned man is rysen in whose bokes sermones and sessons zwyngly yet lyueth here in a blessed memoriall and his soule lyueth in heaueÌ„ in the glorious fruicion of the blessed Trinite to whoÌ„ be honour praise for euer Amen ¶ The Preface of the Bysshop to the Emperour WE whiche preache the Gospel in the Cyties townes villages of the christen congregacions desyrously loked wayted euery howre most noble Charles sacred Ceaser vnto
church as the church of Rome of Ausbâ—ough Lyence And yet is y e churcâ—e otheâ—wyse taken and many wayes whiche it nedeth not nowe to recyte Here therfore I beleue that there is one churche of theÌ„ whiche haue the same one spyrite that assureth theÌ„ that they be verely thâ— chyldren of the family of God and these are the fyrst fruites of the churches This churche I beleue erre not in the truth that is to saye in these fyrst pryncypall articles of the fayth vpon the which our christen relygion standeth and is fouÌ„ded I beleue also the vnyuersall sensyble churche to be one whyle it holdeth this true confession spoken of before And I beleue them to be of the same churche who soeuer by christen profession obeyth it accordynge vnto the wrytteÌ„ worde and promyse I beleue Isaac Iacob Iuda beynge infantes and all that were of the sead of AbrahaÌ„ and also those infantes whose parentes in the prymatyue churche at the prechyng of thapostles turned vnto christ to be of this church For Isâ—ac oâ—her of the olde fathers excepte they had ben of the churche they had not receyued y e bagge and cognysance therof Syth they wâ—re then of the churche beyng infantes then aâ— well therof must our infaÌ„tes lytle ons be of the churche to Vvherfore I beleue and know that thynfantes coÌ„seigned with the sacrameÌ„t of baptisme be of the church For the infantê acknowledge it by the mouthes of theyr godfathers and owne fathers to in y t they be offered of theyr parentes vnto y e churche yea rather the promyse whiche is no lesse made vnto our infaÌ„tes but more largely oftener theÌ„ to thynsantes of the olde fathers offer them vnto y e churche These are the pryncypall grouÌ„des foundacions as touchynge the infantes to be baptysed coÌ„mended vnto the churche agaynst the which all the daâ—tes engynes of the Catabaptistes that is to saye of them y t wyll haue vs christened agayne may nothiÌ„g preuayll For they are not onely to be baptysed y t beleue but they that are of the churche by the reason of the promyse of gods worde For els shuld none of the apostles haue baptysed any man wheÌ„ none of y e apostles were sure of the fayth of hym y t outwardly aknowleged and obeyed theyr prechyngê For Symon y e iuggler charmer Ananias Iudas to and many mo were baptized wheÌ„ they obeyed and toke the name of christeÌ„ men and yet had they not fayth Agayn Isaac yet an infant was circuÌ„cised when he neither sayde he wold be of the church nor yet beleued but the ê“myse tolde theÌ„ y t he was of the churche of god Sith then our infantes be in the same place that thynfantes of the Hebrews were therfore doth y e promyse concernynge them made vnto our church both name them confesse them to be of the churche Vvherfore verelye aswell doth baptisme as circumcission we speke of the sacramente of baptisme nothynge els require then the one of these two either the aknowlegiÌ„ge or name gyuyng or els the couenant or promyse whiche all shall be more clere by these that folowe ¶ The .vii. article Seuently I beleue yea I knowe it verely that all the sacramentes neither gyue they grace nor yet bring it nor dystribute any grace at al. In which assercioÌ„ ê‘adueÌ„ture I shall seme to bolde to affyrme moste myghty Emperoure but yet my sentence standeth faste For grace for as moche as it is gyuen and made vs by the holy goste I speke latynely vsynge this worde Grace for forgyuenes indulgence absolucion and a free benefyte so doth this gyfte peerse and enter onelye into our spirites Nowe the holy goste nedeth nother gyde nor caryer for he hymselfe is the brynger and power and myght wherby althiÌ„ges are borne hauing no nede to hymselfe to be borne neither haue we red in any place of scripture that sensible thynges as are the sacramentes shulde certaynly brynge with theÌ„ the holy goste But yf the sensible thyngê be at any tyme brought with y e spirite theÌ„ was it the spirite that broughte them with hym and not econtrarie the sensible brought the spirite For when the vehemente wynde was brought and with the wynde was broughte the tongues the spirite brought them not they the spirite So dyd the wynde bryng the quailes and toke awaye the locustes but neuer were quailes or locustes so swyfâ—e as to brynge the wynde with them So when the wynde beyng so great that it myght eueÌ„ hylles haue taken away goyng ouer Hel as yet was not the Lorde borne in that blaste And to be shorte lyke as the wynde bloweth whether his natural course lyeth we hearyng his voyce not knowing whence he coÌ„meth nâ—r where he falleth euen so is it with euery man that is borne of the spirite y t is to wytte that is inuisible and insensybly lyghâ—ened 〈◊〉 of the spirite and drawne of god the father The verite hath spoken these thynges Wheâ—fore it can not be that thorowe thie dopynge into the water nor by this draft nor y â— morsell nor that anoyntyng that the grace of the spirite be brought into vs for yf it be so then were it knowen howe where by whom into whom the spirite were brought For yf the present effect of grace were bounde vnto the sacramentes in the whiche it shulde nowe be brought and worke then were al they gracelesse whiche had not receyued the sacrameÌ„tes albeit they be elâ—cte and chosen whiche election is by the grace of god in Christe Ephe. i. Neyther doâ—h Materia or subiectum hynder the course of the spirite as our diuynes skold and dyspute it for that the matter must fyrst be disposed or the grace of baptisme or of the thaÌ„kes gyuynge as they saye be gyuen hym whiche muste fyrste be prepared vnto it For after them he that receiueth this grace by the sacrameÌ„tes either he himselfe prepareth hym selfe or els is he prepared of the spiritâ— yf he prepare hym selfe then may we of our selues do that same thynge whiche grace goyng before which they call gracia preuenieÌ„s shulde do so is gracia preuenieÌ„s put out of office If he be prepared of the spirit to receyue this grace then I aske whether this be done by the inducynge of the sacrament or withoute the sacrament yf it be done by the meanes of the sacrament theÌ„ must man be prepared vnto one sacrament by another and so shall we neuer come to the fyrst sacrameÌ„t but procede into infinite sacramentes for no man can be after this wayes prepared to a sacramente withoute another former sacrament yf we be withoute a sacrameÌ„t prepared vnto the receyuyng of the sacramentall grace theÌ„ must the spirite be present with his benygne grace before the sacrament be gyuen and grace receyued before the sacrameÌ„t be mynistred Of whiche we gather whiche thynge I do gladlye admytte in the sacrameÌ„tes that the
sacramentes be gyuen into an open testimonie of that pryuate grace whiche is fyrst present in euery priuate man So is baptisme gyuen before the congregacion vnto hym whiche before he receyue the sacrament either he coÌ„fessed the relygion of Christe or els he hath the worde of promyse wherby it is knowne hym to pertayne vnto the churche And for this cause when we baptise one waxen we aske hym whyther he beleueth And yf he answere ye then he receyueth baptisme Vvherfore it is playne that he had fayth or he receiued the sacrameÌ„t of baptisme And thus it appereth manyfest that fayth is not gyueÌ„ by baptisme And yf an infante be offred to be christined it is asked whyther his parentes offer hym to be baptised when they answere by the wytnesses that so is theyr wyll then is the chylde baptyzed Vvhere it is playne y t the promyse of God preceded wherby they be rekened to be of the church as well as thynfantes of the Hebrwes For when these men whiche are of the churche offer theyr infantes they preseÌ„te theÌ„ because they be christen mennes chyldren and so rekened by the promyse of god to be amonge the meÌ„bres of the churche By baptisme therfore the church openly receyueth hym whiche was fyrst receiued by grace wherfore baptisme bringeth not grace but it testyfieth to the churche that grace is gyuen before to hym y t is baptized I beleue therfore oh Ceasar the sacrameÌ„t to be y e sygnificacion of an holy thiÌ„ge euen of grace forgiuenes before grauÌ„ted vs. I beleue y t visible figure or forme of baptisme that is to say that visible exemple to be y e forme of that inuisible grace whiche is made and gyueÌ„ by the benefyte of god which example representeth in a maner a certayne analogie and proporcion of the thyng done by the spirite I beleue the sacrameÌ„t to be an open testimonye As when we be baptized the body is wasshed with the moste clene Element but by this it is sygnified that we by the fauourable gracious goodnes of God are receyued into the feloweshyp of the churche and people of god amoÌ„ge whom we professe to lyue puerly and innoceÌ„tly Thus doth Paule expounde this sacrament mysterie of baptisme Ro. vi Vvherfore the persone nowe baptized testifyeth hymselfe to be of the churche of god whiche must nowe worshyp his lorde god in thyntegrite of fayth in pure lyuyng And for this cause the sacramentes whiche are holye ceremonies for the worde coÌ„meth vnto the element and the SacrameÌ„t is done or made are religiously to be reuereÌ„ted that is to be had in hyghe estimacion entreted honorablye For albeit they may not make gyue grace yet do they associat vs vysiblie vnto the churche into whiche before we were inuysibly receyued Vvhiche thynge as it is pronounced and promulged togyther with the wordes of Gods promyse in the action of the wordes and sacrament so is it with hyghe relygion feare and reuerence to be honoured For yf we shuld any otherwyse thynke and beleue of the sacramentes that is to wyt that they outwardly adhibited and admoued shulde pourge vs within then were there nowe coÌ„men agayne amonge vs the very Iudaisme ryte of relygion of the Iewes Which by theyr dyuerse manyfolde vnctions oyntmentes oblacions washyngê brente sacryfices and banketes before theyr aulters and images beleued theyr synnes to be pourged and grace as it were boughte goten Whiche thynge the prophetes especyallye Isay and Ieremy dyd alwayes moste coÌ„stantly entreat and confute teaching that the promises and benefyts as grace and forgyuynes were gyuen by the mere mercy lyberalite of god and not for the desertes merytes of any outwarde ceremony Also I beleue these catabaptistes in that they deny the infantes of the faythfull theyr baptisme shamfully to erre not onely in this poynte but also in many other whiche there is nowe no tyme nor place to speke of Agaynst whoÌ„ with great perell but yet with gretter healpe of god I my selfe fyrst dyd both teache preche and wryte that men myght the soner and better auoyd both theyr folisshnes and malyce So that nowe throughe the goodnes of God that contagioÌ„ is greatly remytted and swaged amonge our nacion So far of is it that I at any tyme receyued ought of y t sedicious faction either preached it or defeÌ„ded it ¶ The .viii. article Eyghtly I beleue that in the holy Supper of thankes gyuyng the very body of Christe is presente at the eyes and contemplacion of oure fayth That is to wyt that they whiche gyue thaÌ„kes vnto the Lorde for that benefyt gyueÌ„ vs in his sone aknowlege hym to haue had taken vnto hym very manhed in it verelye to haue suffered and verelye to haue had wasshen awaye our synnes in his bloud and so euery thynge done by Christe to be as it were present vnto them at the eye and conteÌ„placion of theyr fayth But that the very naturall bodye of Christe eyther shulde be essencially corporally and really in the supper or eaten with our mouthes teeth in the forme of breade as the papistes dreame or in the breade as som men imagen which yet sytte loke bak vnto for the pottes full of fleshe oute of Egipte This we do not onely deny but we affyrme it constantly to be an errour whiche is playne against the worde of God Vvhiche thynge by gods helpe moste noble Emperour I shall make it as cleare in fewe wordes vnto youre Maiestie as the sonne Fyrste bringyng for me the worde of god secondarely pressynge as it were with engynnes vnable to be resisted agaynst our aduersaries that is with argumeÌ„tes taken grouÌ„ded of the scriptures And laste of all declarynge the olde diuynes to haue euer ben in this same our sentence Thou therfore in the meane tyme oh holy spirit the creator be present and illumyne the myndes of thyne fyll the brestes whoÌ„ thou haste created with grace and lyghte Christe hymselfe the mouth and wysdome of the father God almyghtie thus sayth Pore men shall ye euer haue with you but me shall ye not haue alwayes Here is onely the preseÌ„ce of his body denyed to be euer with vs but as touchynge his godhed he is euer presente with vs. For so is he euer euery where accordyng to his other saying I wyll be with you vntyll the worldes ende that is as touchyng his godly power and goodnes Austen is of this our senteÌ„ce in his .l. tretyse vpon Ihon. Nether can our aduersaries by any cauyllacion proue y e humanite and manhed of christ to be where soeuer is his godhed or els to saye that his person shulde be deuyded for so to saye were to take awaye the very manhed of Christe for nothynge maye be euery where but the godhed The manhed to be in one place the godhed euery where doth not deuyde the person nomore then the sone to haue assumpted the manhed deuideth not the
vnite of the essence Yea it shulde be more able to seperate the vnite of thessence whyle one person adsumeth vnto hym a creature whiche the other in nowyse take not then the humanite to be in one place and the diuynite euerye where shulde deuyde the person when euen in the creatures we see the bodyes to be bounde to one place and yet theyr power and vertue to be spred excedyngly wyde As is an ensaÌ„ple in the sonne whose bodye is but in one place and yet is his vertue and powre stretched ouer all places And the mynde of man wrandreth euen aboue the starres and sercheth the depest of the earth whyle his body is but in one lytle place Agayne yet sayth christ yet agayne I leaue the worlde I go to the father Here is this worde LEAVe as before was this worde HAVE so that our aduersaries can not say and glose it out addyng we haue hym not visiblye For when he spake a lytle before of the visyble subtraction and withdrawyng of his bodye he sayd thus for a lytle whyle ye shall not se me c. who wolde here conteÌ„de of this sayinge ye shall not se me his bodye to be present but yet inuysible verelye none excepte suche as wolde iugle with his sayinges and his presence and absence bodely Vvherfore shulde he fle mennes syght which wolde be here and shewed hymselfe so ofte vnto his disciples after his resurrection But it is expedient sayth he that I go my waye But and yf he were here styll it shuld not be expedient that we shulde not se hym syth as ofte as his disciples doubted of his bodely preseÌ„ce he exhibited and offerd hymselfe manyfestly that neither sense nor mynde shuld not suffre any lacke of hym nor he diceyued but fully and certainly adsuered of his presence hymselfe sayinge vnto them fele and touche me and feare not For it is I my very selfe And vnto Mary he sayd Touche me not Albeit he shewed hymselfe to her visibyle And wheÌ„ he was nowe goynge hence and shulde commende his disciples vnto his father he sayd After this tyme I shall not be in the worlde Here is a verbe substantyue after this I am not in the worlde as well as is in these wordes This is my bodye So that nother here can our aduersaries say that there can be no trope whiche denye that verbe substantyues maye receyue any trope But the thynge it selfe nedeth no suche euasioÌ„s for it foloweth But these are in the worlde whiche Antithesis and contraposicion teacheth playnelye hymselfe as concernyng his manhed not to be in the worlde after that his disciples shuld be in it And to knowe wheÌ„ he went his way not as they rather fayne lye expouÌ„dynge it that he shuld but make hymselfe inuisible thus sayth Luke And when he shulde take his leue at them he wente his waye from them was taken pv into heauen He sayth not he vanysshed out of theyr syghtes or made hiÌ„selfe inuisible Of which thynge Marke thus wryteth The Lorde after that he hadde spoken vnto them he was taken vp into heauen and sytteth on the ryght hande of God he saythe not he taryed here styll and made his body inuisible agayne Luke in the actes when he had sayde these thynges they beholdynge hym he was borne vp and eleuated and the cloude toke hym oute of theyr syght The cloude couered hym which cloud it had ben no nede of yf he had but onely haue had withdrawne the syghte of hymselfe and so to haue had ben here styll presente onely inuisible neyther had it haue ben neade to haue so ben borne vp and eleuated And euen there in the same place it is wrytten This same Iesus whiche is taken vp from you into heauen euen thus shall he come as ye haue sene hym go heÌ„ce into heauen Vvhat can be more clere manifest then these wordes FroÌ„ you saith he he is taken vp wherfore he can not se styl with them after his manhed nother visiblye nor inuisibly But wheÌ„ we shall se hym come agayne euen as he thus went his waye then shall we knowe hym to be presente in dede both bodely and visibly But so longe as he thus yet come not agayne we muste nedes beleue that as concernynge his humayne nature that is his maÌ„hed he sitteth on the right hande of the Father vntyll he come agayne to iudge the lyuynge and the deade And as for them that denye Christes bodye to haue a place sayinge that it is not in any place let theÌ„ loke howe openly they go bliÌ„dfolde agaynste the truthe For he was in the kryb vpon the crosse and in Hierusalem wheÌ„ his parentes sought hym in the sepulcre and without the sepulcre for the aungell sayd he is rysen he is not here behold the place where they had layd hym And yet leaste they wyll saye his body to be euery where let theÌ„ heare this The dores shutte Iesus came stode amonge them what nede were it for a bodye to come and to go from place to place that is in all places what nede was it for hym to saye I shall go before you into Galile syth his body was there already yf suche a body shulde be euery where that but inuisiblye He shuld haue left out these wordes he came and I shall go before you and haue sayd I beynge euery where presente wyll shewe my selfe visible here there c. But awaye with these tedious sophisticall vanites which take awaye from vs the verite both of the humanite of Christe and also of holye Scripture These testimonies proue euydently christes body to be nowhere present but in heauen to speake orderly and ryghte accordynge to the scriptures of the nature properte of the bodye of christe adsumpt taken vnto the person And as touchyng the confereÌ„ce of scriptures that apere contrarye what soeuer they tell vs of the myraculouse powre of god yet oughte we neuer so to wreste them to make vs beleue that God doth any thyng coÌ„trary to his owne worde for that were his impeteÌ„cye agaynst his power not with his power Also that the naturall bodye of Christe is not eaten with our mouth himselfe declareth it when he sayd the Iewes stryuynge murmuriÌ„ge vpon the bodely eatyng of his fleshe The flesh whose eatyng ye mysse vnderstaÌ„d profytethe nothynge at al that is to eate it naturally but to eate it spiritually by fayth it ê“fyteth moche for it gyueth lyfe Vvhat soeuer is borne of fleshe it is but fleshe what is borne of the spirite is spirite Nowe yf the naturall bodye of Christe be eaten with oure mouth what els but fleshe is it that coÌ„meth of that naturall fleshe so eaten least this argumeÌ„t seme but lyght to some meÌ„ let vs heare the tother parte what so euer is borne of y e spirite is spirite ergo what soeuer is spirite it must be borne of the spirite yf theÌ„ the